Title: The Ballad of Jethro Tull (Hardcover)
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Rocket 88
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1910978426
ISBN-13: 978-1910978429
Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 1 x 11.3 inches
Website: https://jethrotullbook.com/
The iconic prog-rock band Jethro
Tull is immortalized through their music. There are other ways to achieve that
status if you have been around for over 50 years. One way is to provide your
fan base with a lavishly bounded hardcover book covering the history of the
band.
We now
have The Ballad of Jethro Tull. It is quite an overview from Ian Anderson the
band’s originator and leader, and other members of the band over the years.
I had the
opportunity to speak to Ian about the book but unfortunately, the audio for my
podcast did not transfer over. It was a sad day for this music fan and lifetime
JT fan. But such is life and I did retain what was said. What I garnered from
our conversation was that Ian was approached by the folks at Rocket 88. It was
not his idea nor was he thinking of such a project.
It all
turned out wonderfully as the book is a beautiful documentation of the band
with some colorful commentary from Ian and the band members that were involved
with the albums that were covered to the point when Ian cut his ties with band
and went solo then subsequently got a lineup capable of covering all of the JT
catalog and his solo projects. I was amongst the many that saw him and that
band on the 2018 50th anniversary tour.
I have to
say I have never received anything quite like this book covering a band. The
quality of the cover and all the pages and photos are superb! And it is
definitely worth the price of $50 on the book’s website. It is going for $70 on
Amazon so the choice is yours depending on what shipping costs add up to. Now
that is for the classic version. If you want to go with signature version at
$350 and claim one of the 500 limited edition copies, Ian’s autograph, a 7”
single created by Ian for the book’s title b/w “Marmion,” original art prints
by cover illustrator Peter Klucik, all in a clamshell box, then go for it. But
you better make your move now as I am sure it will sell out quite quickly. That
is quite the gift to put under the tree for your Jethro Tull superfan.
I had a
lot of fun reading all the stories and viewing all the pictures. If you are a
fan you will go through this book quickly compared to others you may have
hanging around in a box somewhere collecting dust. I admit I am one of those
people. If I find a book I have a great interest in like this one, then it is a
complete joy taking in every visual and every word and varying viewpoints of
all the different band members.
The
Ballad of Jethro Tull is an
up-close look inside one of the most successful band’s in the world. I think
what is so incredible was how it all started and where it all went. It is an
amazing story of determination, wit, and persistence getting to the top of the
heap in the world of prog-rock and music in general. From the humblest
beginnings to superstardom and multi-millionaires is always a great story!
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
December 3, 2019
Founder of:
Review
Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk