(2021) Jethro Tull – A (A La Mode): The 40th Anniversary Edition



Review:
1979’s Stormwatch could have been the final Jethro Tull record. The culmination of the band’s “folk-rock trilogy” that began with Songs from the Wood in 1977, Stormwatch was the final album to feature Tull’s classic line-up. Barriemore Barlow, John Evan, and Dee Palmer all departed the group after the April 1980 conclusion of the Stormwatch tour, and John Glascock died during the tour. With the band seemingly dissolved, Ian regrouped with guitarist Martin Barre to record a solo album. But upon its completion, Chrysalis Records sensed the potential of releasing the LP under the Jethro Tull name.  And so, a “new” Jethro Tull was born in 1980. The title of the album was derived from the first letter of the vocalist-flautist-guitarist’s surname which is how the original master tapes were marked. Anderson and Barre were joined for the London sessions, held in the summer of 1980, by Dave Pegg on bass and mandolin and Mark Craney on drums, as well as Eddie Jobson, late of Roxy Music, on keyboard, synthesizer, and electric violin.  Anderson and Robin Black produced the sessions. Five previously unreleased tracks make their debuts including an alternate take of the single “Working John, Working Joe,” the outtake “Coruisk,” and an extended version of “Crossfire.”  The live show (presented in full on two CDs) was captured in November 1980 at the now-demolished L.A. Sports Arena, today the site of soccer venue Banc of California Stadium.



Tracklist:
CD 1: Original Album and Associated Tracks
01.“Crossfire”
02.“Fylingdale Flyer”
03.“Working John, Working Joe”
04.“Black Sunday”
05.“Protect And Survive”
06.“Batteries Not Included”
07.“Uniform”
08.“4.W.D. (Low Ratio)”
09.“The Pine Marten’s Jig”
10.“And Further On”

Associated Tracks

11.“Crossfire” (Extended Version)
12.“Working John, Working Joe” (Take 4)
13.“Cheerio” (Early Version)
14.“Coruisk”
15.“Slipstream Intro”

CD 2: Live at the LA Sports Arena 1980 (Part 1)
01.“Slipstream Intro”
02.“Black Sunday”
03.“Crossfire”
04.“Songs From The Wood”
05.“Hunting Girl”
06.“The Pine Marten’s Jig”
07.“Working John, Working Joe”
08.“Heavy Horses”
09.Band Instrumental Intro
10.“Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day”
11.“Instrumental” (Including Flute Solo)

CD 3: Live at the LA Sports Arena 1980 (Part 2)
01.Trio Instrumental
02.Keyboard solo
03.“Batteries Not Included”
04.“Uniform” (Including Drum Solo Instrumental)
05.“Protect and Survive” (Including Violin Solo)
06.“Bungle In The Jungle”
07.Guitar Solo/Bass solo intro to encore
08.“Aqualung”
09.“Locomotive Breath”/Instrumental/”Black Sunday” (Reprise)


Media Report:
Genre: prog-rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits