Like so many risk takers,
Jethro Tull
have had their share of both admirers and detractors over the years. To their admirers,
Ian Anderson
and his colleagues did a lot to expand
rock
's boundaries; to their detractors, they epitomized
progressive rock
's excesses (especially during the '70s) and were a prime example of why the
punk
movement was needed. It's no secret that
Tull
-- like
Yes
,
Pink Floyd
Genesis
, and
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
-- were influenced by European
classical
music (as well as
British folk
Celtic
music,
blues
jazz
). So it comes as no surprise that on this live two-CD set,
Anderson
celebrates that Euro-
influence by joining forces with a large orchestra.
Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull
documents a December 2004 concert in Mannheim, Germany, where
(lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar) is joined by
the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt
.
"Aqualung,"
"Locomotive Breath,"
"My God,"
and other
favorites receive the
orchestral
treatment, as do
Johann Sebastian Bach
's
"Bouree"
and the European
Christmas
carol
"God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen."
The arrangements are not only tasteful -- they sound perfectly natural given the
influence that has been a part of
's work for so long. Of course, these performances aren't
music in the strict sense -- even if one of the pieces is by
Bach
Rock
is still
's foundation, which doesn't mean that he cannot use some of the Euro-
vocabulary to his creative advantage.
is unlikely to win over
's critics, but for
prog rock
diehards, this double CD (which is also available as a two-DVD set) is a pleasing (if short of essential) demonstration of
's ability to interact with the
/
world. ~ Alex Henderson