Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull

I got into Jethro Tull when they used to play their debut album on WHFS in Bethesda, MD, saw them in Laurel, MD on the same bill as Led Zep, Johnny Winter, and others in 1969, and got all of their albums from 'Stand Up' through 'A Passion Play', and then 'Songs from the Wood' through 'Stormwatch', and I've collected those on those book-format CD sets. I got to see them on tour in '70, '71, '72, and '73. I have the double-45 rpm vinyl versions of 'Stand Up' and 'Benefit' - I hope they release 'Thick as a Brick' in that format. 

I saw them once in the mid 70's, was a great show in Madison WI. The show started off with Ian sitting on stage, had short hair and wearing a red derby hat. He was playing acoustic guitar (very well) and the crowd didn't know who he was until he stood up and grabbed his flute and the crowd went crazy. Had to be one of the first times anyone had seen him in short hair. Saw them again in MIlwaukee in the 80's, maybe even 90's, can't remember but was not nearly as good as the show in the 70's. I heard some of Ian's later solo stuff and it was surprisingly good. I had heard him in interviews somewhere around late 90's or early 2000's, complaining that his voice was failing so it was nice to hear that he was performing and doing well again. He was an amazing talent with a great voice and he could play almost anything. I think he and the band were perfectionists and it showed on stage as well is in their recordings. 

@bipestuff 

fyi, an interesting story about the Jethro Tull Aqualung album.  Ian Anderson got into a disagreement with the record company and refused to release the master tapes for creating the albums - he kept them in his safe or something like that...  The record company had a signed contract and went forward anyway with creating the album from "copies".  Decades later, Ian released the master tapes to DCC in the mid nineties, and the DCC analog record and CDs were created.  This is why the original Aqualung albums are not good recordings, and the DCC version from the mid 90s sounds outstanding.  I have had the DCC vinyl & CD version for the last 15 years or so, and I can vouch for the fact that they sound way better than the original early 70’s album.  You might want to check that out..   

Yes, I had heard a similar story regarding the Aqualung album.  I do have the later recording and you can definitely tell a difference.  Thanks for the comment!