Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull

I saw them before I knew anything about them at the Eastown Theater in Detroit in the early 70’s.  We were up close, and as someone else stated, there were a bunch of people milling around the stage that looked homeless, then the lights came up and it was Jethro Tull.  Anderson was particularly scary, in a weird brown conductor’s coat with a variety of rips, tears, and grease stains, playing the flute one-legged and acting as if 30,000 people were in the audience.

I became an instant Tull fan, and due to the volume of the show my opinion on how anything remotely audiophile sounds is moot.

Mick Abrahams, one of the original guitarists in Jethro Tull has passed. Ian Anderson offers his condolences.

https://jethrotull.com/mick-abrahams-1943-2025/

Saw Tull at Madison Square Garden in NYC during my high school years. Great show...they did like 4 encores. Rush was the opening act. Boy, those were great times!

IMHO, I believe Aqualung was Ian's finest hour. Growing up and living in Houston, I saw then at Jones Hall both in '77 & '78. Well, I say "saw them" .... but all the damn pot smoke at times made that a challenge. Nonetheless, on one of the performances at the very beginning, when the stage was jet black ... a spotlight appeared on Ian and he begin skipping and twirling his silver flute like a baton. Crowd went wacky. Great times. Love his ballad, Wondering Aloud. And Barriemore Barlow was my fav drummer back then and for quite some time. 

I always enjoyed Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson. Many Great albums. in 2014 Renaissance released a new album called Symphony of Light. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Ian Anderson playing the flute on track 5 - Cry to the World.