Recorded 11/4/1984 - Unknown Visit Wolfgang's www.wolfgangs.... to stream concerts from thousands of legendary artists. Start your free trial today. Copyright Bill Graham Archives
I love listening to Ian in interviews. He's a master wordsmith, both lyrically and in conversation. The way he defined "progressive rock" was such a perfect description, I don't think I've heard anyone describe it better.
As a lifelong Tull fanatic I've seen too many Ian interviews to count, but even tho' this one is nearly four decades old it's one of the best. Ian is always articulate and eloquent, but this is possibly the most engaged that I have ever seen him. So much here (and in Part 2) that comes off as really from Ian's heart and soul, not just regurgitating the same old answers to the same old questions, which is how so many of his other interviews come across to me. It seems as if he genuinely wants this to be a great interview and he's not just going through the motions with his stock answers.
@@emanuel_soundtrack He didn't change his vocal style by choice. It's unclear exactly what it was but he developed some sort of infection that caused his voice to lose a lot of strength and range shortly after releasing Under Wraps. Its especially apparent in recent years if you watch a live performance of his. I hate to say it but he sounds terrible now
It's beautiful n ancient... They were the pinl Floyd blues band.. But the pink Floyd sounds great... Lemmy always used "the" when talking bout them :))
First time I heard Weather Report, I truly understood how intricately woven musical instruments played by very talented musicians can reach the level of genius.
I always enjoy his interviews, almost as much as his music. He's very well-travelled, well-read, and introspective. He never seemed caught up in the ego of being a "rock star".
IAN ANDERSON VON JETHRO TULL GEHT ES NUR UM DIE PROG.ROCK. MUSIK.DARIN IST ER EIN WAHRER MEISTER.DIESES GANZE ROCK.- STAR IMAGE MOCHTE IAN NIE UND ER WOLLTE DAS AUCH NIE SEIN.😊
Excellent interview!!! Ian is so relaxed and sincere..and it's particularly special for me as that was the year I first saw them live in London, in September- on the 7th, 8th and 9th to be precise. What's more, I was lucky enough to meet Ian after the show on the last night as it was my birthday. Got my tour programme signed of course...A real gentleman...I must add that Martin and Dave are very kind and nice people as well.
Glad I've found this little gem interview, if rather belatedly. I like listening to IA, he is always articulate, insightful and open with his opinions even at the risk of offending, which I like. Nowadays, everything said is so bland, twee or sycophantic to all for fear of being silenced.
When he's talking about stage performance, he's contradicting a previous interview he did on the same subject. There are also interviews from other band members that say the shows were carefully planned out (choreographed). If you listen to Ian's interviews over the years, you should notice that the most consistent thing about him is his inconsistency.
Yes, Ian says one thing one time and another the next. I've noticed that over the years. I was always annoyed he did not praise lead guitarist, Martin Barre. If he ever mentioned him, he was always kind of half insulting him. A big reason why I loved Tull was Martin's excellent playing.
I think Ian is thinking about that Flaming Youth gig that Phil Collins was a part of in the late 60's. I think the concept was called Ark 2 or something to that effect. They had a whole story that went along with the songs.
Keith West is who he’s thinking about with the Opera,just can’t remember what it was called. Cheers.🇬🇧🏴 I’m back it was called excerpts from a teenage Opera.😊
Art rock always reminds me of 10cc and the like, quite the perfectioning of what a 3-minute pop song can contain of inventivity and other links to other art forms so to speak.
Frank Zappa could be called Progressive Rock but they went beyond that to Experimental Rock. It was unique in that Zappa was a one-off and there has never been anyone like him.
Ian recalled playing Shea Stadium on the Too Old To Rock & Roll Too Young To Die tour in 1976 . On his way to the stage someone poured urine on him . He said for next two hours i.smelled like urine .
This was when Ian lost his ability to reach the high notes and be able to hod certain notes. The music was still good afterwards though I saw Tull in concert. Ian’s energy and voice range was lacking that night at The Nassau Veterans coliseum. I still love Tull’s music though I was greatly disappointed that night.
This is the exact time that Ian was losing his singing voice. The length of the tour as well as the demanding material on Under Wraps took a toll. Ian had no problems early in the tour, but his throat started getting very tight during the shows shortly after they hit America. Here he is trying to rest before they go to Australia and it was there where he completely ruined it and never really got it back. In hindsight, Ian should have cancelled the tour immediately when the problems started, but he is a trooper and paid a high price.
Wasn’t this just after John Glascock died from a tooth decay induced heart attack? He couldn’t afford proper dental care because of the miserable wages Ian contracted with him. Barriemore Barlow and John Evans soon quit the band in disgust.
This interview was about 4 years after. Barlow and Evans didn’t quit (although a year out had been discussed in which Evans and Palmer had planned a project based around classical music and Barlow and Glascock intended to form a band). The whole band were rather unceremoniously dumped with a carbon-copied letter written by Ian, not quite in time before Crysalis leaked the news in the press (David Palmer found out he was sacked from his daughter who’d been bullied all day at school because of it). Admittedly not Ian’s finest hour). But regarding Glascock’s death, he had a congenital heart valve condition and was a party animal. Heavy drinking, smoking, marijuana and all-night parties. Proper rock n’ toll lifestyle. (Never to the point it affected his performance, I must add). It’s likely that he was on a road to self-destruction anyway, given his already-existing heart condition. Barrie was very bitter. Barrie was bitter about a number of things and was critical of Ian for many reasons (he felt Ian was listening to David Palmer too much. He was unhappy about some of the musical directions the band was taking. He hated Ian’s bass on Stormwatch. He was, understandably, bitter about the way Ian dismissed the whole band and was still devastated by Glascock’s death when this news hit) and I can’t help feel that his views about Ian’s attitude to John were more fuelled by general anger than anything else. (Tony Williams from the pre-Tull ‘John Evans Band’ described Barlow as very aggressive and “he was like a little terrier, he just would t let go” and every interview I’ve ever seen or read with Barlow seems to suggest a bitter and angry man when it comes to certain subjects.) Barrie and Glascock became good pals. He’s put about a lot of stories about how Ian never liked John and treated him badly, which were of questionable accuracy and not something Ive ever heard backed up by other members of Tull. I’ve never heard the story that he couldn’t get dental treatment due to low pay. It may be one of Barlow’s stories, but I don’t know that for a fact. Anderson denies Barlow’s version of events and in a 1997 interview said “ no, there were no bad feelings at any time between me and John Glascock. Indeed, we always got along very well, although it is true to say that I did my best to discourage him from smoking, drinking and late nights, following his first heart surgery, and during which time we hoped he could fulfil his ongoing activities with Jethro Tull. I don’t know the nature of Barrie’s gripe, but I suspect that he may be developing some natural feelings of personal guilt since he, more than anybody, was close to John during his time with us.” He then went on to say “ He was an amiable and invariably cheerful character, who never had a bad word to say about anybody and, although he like to party, he could always be relied upon to fulfil his professional duties as required.” He then said “ The real tragedy of Johns short life and untimely death was that his illness was not brought on by lifestyle related provocation, but was a congenital defect, which was probably going to catch up with him sooner or later. But, like many people in similar situations, he found it impossible to modify his lifestyle to accommodate the realities of precarious health. I rather wish that everyone around him had echoed my occasionally stiff and warning tones instead of actively encouraging him in his return to late night party life with the usual attendant health risking social activities. I may be cruel to reflect in this way, after the fact, but I feel there were a number of people present at his funeral, who were nursing a sense of guilt at perhaps not having done more to keep John on the straight and narrow path towards recovery and ongoing stability.” I’m aware that his pre-existing medical condition was exacerbated by a dental abscess, but after his first heart attack he picked up his old lifestyle regardless of the fact it was likely to affect his health further. I somehow doubt that this was because he couldn’t afford dental care due to poor wages from Ian. I don’t know what Ian paid him. But if he could afford to buy drink and drugs, and to party all night until the next morning, he could afford dental care. Especially as he had access to NHS dental care as well. And I don’t think Ian was entirely ungenerous either. When it became clear that he couldn’t continue to work on the Stormwatch album, Ian laid him off so he could get well again - fully paid.
Yes, it wasn't intentional. I'm sure the smoking didn't help. But he began having problems as early as the Songs From the Wood Tour, having to cancel the L.A. show and return home due to a throat infection. He told off the audience at the Universal Amphitheater in LA during the Under Wraps Tour, threatening to cancel the show if they kept smoking because his throat was killing him. He canceled the second night's performance. He is discussing his vocal cord condition at the beginning of video, before the official interview begins. Also, on a subsequent tour, I saw him use a vaporizer during instrumental segments to try and open up his vocal cords. Toward the back of the stage, a table was set up to simulate a Cafe table, and the vaporizer was behind the standing menu. Truly unfortunate because he had a great singing voice, much like his speaking voice.
It was not an insult. You are understanding his comment in a modern context that pop has less credibility than rock music. Best to understand it best as ‘pop’ in a 1960s context and the original meaning as popular music.
Then you never saw them during his hey day. That's fine. I feel the same (yawning) about most of the music over the last 30 years; that is, when I'm not cringing from it because his vocals are a shadow of what they once were.
I love listening to Ian in interviews. He's a master wordsmith, both lyrically and in conversation. The way he defined "progressive rock" was such a perfect description, I don't think I've heard anyone describe it better.
Thanks to Ian and co. for giving the fans all of these wonderful Anniversary Editions. They are all superb!
The intellect the entertainer the master of the " Irish Tin whistle " Sir Ian is by far one of the best out there
His genius truly rings out in the manner in which he speaks. Thank you Ian for your amazing musical art, thank you.
one of Ians best interviews imo. so insightful and well rounded/grounded guy.
As a lifelong Tull fanatic I've seen too many Ian interviews to count, but even tho' this one is nearly four decades old it's one of the best. Ian is always articulate and eloquent, but this is possibly the most engaged that I have ever seen him. So much here (and in Part 2) that comes off as really from Ian's heart and soul, not just regurgitating the same old answers to the same old questions, which is how so many of his other interviews come across to me. It seems as if he genuinely wants this to be a great interview and he's not just going through the motions with his stock answers.
Definitely! He's very relaxed and sincere..
i want so much to find out why the fuck he changed his vocal style to that "distorted" style of Rock Island
@@emanuel_soundtrack He didn't change his vocal style by choice. It's unclear exactly what it was but he developed some sort of infection that caused his voice to lose a lot of strength and range shortly after releasing Under Wraps. Its especially apparent in recent years if you watch a live performance of his. I hate to say it but he sounds terrible now
I love that he still calls them "The Pink Floyd".
It's beautiful n ancient... They were the pinl Floyd blues band.. But the pink Floyd sounds great... Lemmy always used "the" when talking bout them :))
I'm so happy to learn, that he likes The Fixx and Thomas Dolby!:)
So different from his wild stage persona, you wouldn't know it was him at first if someone didn't tell you (or tull you :)
First time I heard Weather Report, I truly understood how intricately woven musical instruments played by very talented musicians can reach the level of genius.
I always enjoy his interviews, almost as much as his music. He's very well-travelled, well-read, and introspective. He never seemed caught up in the ego of being a "rock star".
IAN ANDERSON VON JETHRO TULL GEHT ES NUR UM DIE PROG.ROCK. MUSIK.DARIN IST ER EIN WAHRER MEISTER.DIESES GANZE ROCK.- STAR IMAGE MOCHTE IAN NIE UND ER WOLLTE DAS AUCH NIE SEIN.😊
Great interview! Ian always seems very proud of his accomplishments and....damn well should be!
Martha Quinn is the interviewer. Jethro Tull is my favourite. CHEERS!
How to tell for sure? Voice doesn't sound like MQ but that's just my opinion.
This interview was used in an MTV documentary about progressive rock, about 1985.
Excellent interview!!! Ian is so relaxed and sincere..and it's particularly special for me as that was the year I first saw them live in London, in September- on the 7th, 8th and 9th to be precise. What's more, I was lucky enough to meet Ian after the show on the last night as it was my birthday. Got my tour programme signed of course...A real gentleman...I must add that Martin and Dave are very kind and nice people as well.
Glad I've found this little gem interview, if rather belatedly. I like listening to IA, he is always articulate, insightful and open with his opinions even at the risk of offending, which I like. Nowadays, everything said is so bland, twee or sycophantic to all for fear of being silenced.
Brilliant Interview! Loved all the stories Ian told, especially Prog Rock observations.
Rock Influences with Karla DeVita featured this interview with live Tull from Capital Theatre, Passaic, New Jersey for MTV
When he's talking about stage performance, he's contradicting a previous interview he did on the same subject. There are also interviews from other band members that say the shows were carefully planned out (choreographed). If you listen to Ian's interviews over the years, you should notice that the most consistent thing about him is his inconsistency.
Yes, Ian says one thing one time and another the next. I've noticed that over the years. I was always annoyed he did not praise lead guitarist, Martin Barre. If he ever mentioned him, he was always kind of half insulting him. A big reason why I loved Tull was Martin's excellent playing.
17:00 quite sure he talks about the Pretty Things' SF Sorrow, and of course "A Quick One While He's Away", The Who's "mini opera" so to speak
Ian likes the Fixx!
I don't know who the journalist is but I'm sure she interviewed Zappa around the same time & was completely derailed by him. Quite a funny interview.
Martha Quinn
I think Ian is thinking about that Flaming Youth gig that Phil Collins was a part of in the late 60's. I think the concept was called Ark 2 or something to that effect. They had a whole story that went along with the songs.
Interesting questions ...
For the 80s, very interesting.
Keith West is who he’s thinking about with the Opera,just can’t remember what it was called. Cheers.🇬🇧🏴 I’m back it was called excerpts from a teenage Opera.😊
Never heard the term,"art rock",but have used eclectic rock to describe my taste/style in music
Art rock always reminds me of 10cc and the like, quite the perfectioning of what a 3-minute pop song can contain of inventivity and other links to other art forms so to speak.
Frank Zappa could be called Progressive Rock but they went beyond that to Experimental Rock. It was unique in that Zappa was a one-off and there has never been anyone like him.
Ian recalled playing Shea Stadium on the Too Old To Rock & Roll Too Young To Die tour in 1976 . On his way to the stage someone poured urine on him . He said for next two hours i.smelled like urine .
Ian's shout out to Pink Floyd at abouts 10 mins. Right on Ian !!
This was when Ian lost his ability to reach the high notes and be able to hod certain notes. The music was still good afterwards though I saw Tull in concert. Ian’s energy and voice range was lacking that night at The Nassau Veterans coliseum. I still love Tull’s music though I was greatly disappointed that night.
Ian always reminds me of Graham Chapman in interviews 😂
17:05 He might be thinking of 'A Teenage Opera' written by Mark Wirtz and Keith West who had a hit with 'Excerpt {From A Teenage Opera}'
This is the exact time that Ian was losing his singing voice. The length of the tour as well as the demanding material on Under Wraps took a toll. Ian had no problems early in the tour, but his throat started getting very tight during the shows shortly after they hit America. Here he is trying to rest before they go to Australia and it was there where he completely ruined it and never really got it back. In hindsight, Ian should have cancelled the tour immediately when the problems started, but he is a trooper and paid a high price.
He looked very apprehensive as he spoke of oz tour.
@@johnnynbk -- He certainly did. Ian just did not want to disappoint the fans.
Smoking..puff puff.there goes the voice.
If it wasn' t for the deep voice, i couldn' t recognize him at all...looked like an ordinary middle aged blue collar from Scotland
Wasn’t this just after John Glascock died from a tooth decay induced heart attack? He couldn’t afford proper dental care because of the miserable wages Ian contracted with him. Barriemore Barlow and John Evans soon quit the band in disgust.
This interview was about 4 years after.
Barlow and Evans didn’t quit (although a year out had been discussed in which Evans and Palmer had planned a project based around classical music and Barlow and Glascock intended to form a band). The whole band were rather unceremoniously dumped with a carbon-copied letter written by Ian, not quite in time before Crysalis leaked the news in the press (David Palmer found out he was sacked from his daughter who’d been bullied all day at school because of it). Admittedly not Ian’s finest hour).
But regarding Glascock’s death, he had a congenital heart valve condition and was a party animal. Heavy drinking, smoking, marijuana and all-night parties. Proper rock n’ toll lifestyle. (Never to the point it affected his performance, I must add). It’s likely that he was on a road to self-destruction anyway, given his already-existing heart condition.
Barrie was very bitter. Barrie was bitter about a number of things and was critical of Ian for many reasons (he felt Ian was listening to David Palmer too much. He was unhappy about some of the musical directions the band was taking. He hated Ian’s bass on Stormwatch. He was, understandably, bitter about the way Ian dismissed the whole band and was still devastated by Glascock’s death when this news hit) and I can’t help feel that his views about Ian’s attitude to John were more fuelled by general anger than anything else. (Tony Williams from the pre-Tull ‘John Evans Band’ described Barlow as very aggressive and “he was like a little terrier, he just would t let go” and every interview I’ve ever seen or read with Barlow seems to suggest a bitter and angry man when it comes to certain subjects.)
Barrie and Glascock became good pals. He’s put about a lot of stories about how Ian never liked John and treated him badly, which were of questionable accuracy and not something Ive ever heard backed up by other members of Tull. I’ve never heard the story that he couldn’t get dental treatment due to low pay. It may be one of Barlow’s stories, but I don’t know that for a fact.
Anderson denies Barlow’s version of events and in a 1997 interview said “ no, there were no bad feelings at any time between me and John Glascock. Indeed, we always got along very well, although it is true to say that I did my best to discourage him from smoking, drinking and late nights, following his first heart surgery, and during which time we hoped he could fulfil his ongoing activities with Jethro Tull. I don’t know the nature of Barrie’s gripe, but I suspect that he may be developing some natural feelings of personal guilt since he, more than anybody, was close to John during his time with us.”
He then went on to say “ He was an amiable and invariably cheerful character, who never had a bad word to say about anybody and, although he like to party, he could always be relied upon to fulfil his professional duties as required.”
He then said “ The real tragedy of Johns short life and untimely death was that his illness was not brought on by lifestyle related provocation, but was a congenital defect, which was probably going to catch up with him sooner or later. But, like many people in similar situations, he found it impossible to modify his lifestyle to accommodate the realities of precarious health. I rather wish that everyone around him had echoed my occasionally stiff and warning tones instead of actively encouraging him in his return to late night party life with the usual attendant health risking social activities. I may be cruel to reflect in this way, after the fact, but I feel there were a number of people present at his funeral, who were nursing a sense of guilt at perhaps not having done more to keep John on the straight and narrow path towards recovery and ongoing stability.”
I’m aware that his pre-existing medical condition was exacerbated by a dental abscess, but after his first heart attack he picked up his old lifestyle regardless of the fact it was likely to affect his health further. I somehow doubt that this was because he couldn’t afford dental care due to poor wages from Ian. I don’t know what Ian paid him. But if he could afford to buy drink and drugs, and to party all night until the next morning, he could afford dental care. Especially as he had access to NHS dental care as well. And I don’t think Ian was entirely ungenerous either. When it became clear that he couldn’t continue to work on the Stormwatch album, Ian laid him off so he could get well again - fully paid.
Utter nonsense that anyone in the UK couldn't afford dental treatment, since it was available on the NHS.
i want so much to find out why the fuck he changed his natural vocal style to that "distorted" style of Rock Island
Because he screwed his voice up around the time of 'Under Wraps'. That's why he sounded like Mark 'bloody' Knopfler on 'Crest Of A Knave!
Yes, it wasn't intentional. I'm sure the smoking didn't help. But he began having problems as early as the Songs From the Wood Tour, having to cancel the L.A. show and return home due to a throat infection. He told off the audience at the Universal Amphitheater in LA during the Under Wraps Tour, threatening to cancel the show if they kept smoking because his throat was killing him. He canceled the second night's performance. He is discussing his vocal cord condition at the beginning of video, before the official interview begins. Also, on a subsequent tour, I saw him use a vaporizer during instrumental segments to try and open up his vocal cords. Toward the back of the stage, a table was set up to simulate a Cafe table, and the vaporizer was behind the standing menu. Truly unfortunate because he had a great singing voice, much like his speaking voice.
@@stevet7487 That's True, very bad, I am yery sad. I love Tull since 1970 .Greetings from Berlin 👍❤️🎸
a 100rd milion $ wrthy!
Sgt Pepper's pop..joke..Benefit to Mr.Kite ? Day in a Life..best rake another listen
It was not an insult. You are understanding his comment in a modern context that pop has less credibility than rock music. Best to understand it best as ‘pop’ in a 1960s context and the original meaning as popular music.
PHilip
6:28 - What do you know ... Ian smiling and laughing ... at his own joke of course.
he was never a nice man..... I had to deal with him.
One big yawn.
Then you never saw them during his hey day. That's fine. I feel the same (yawning) about most of the music over the last 30 years; that is, when I'm not cringing from it because his vocals are a shadow of what they once were.