Prog Rock Review: Jethro Tull-Live Bursting Out (The Inflated Version-3CD/3DVD) Format: 3CD/3DVD

Format: 3CD/3DVD

Release Date: • April 11, 2024

Label: Chrysalis

Website

Keeping with the ongoing flow of remasters of the Jethro Tull catalog by Steven Wilson, a most excellent live 1978 release, Live Bursting Out (The Inflated Version), is available in the usual book format that all the other releases have arrived in. Hopefully, the vinyl version will follow shortly, as it is a superb live recording. Inflated is an accurate description. It is all packaged in a hardcover book with trays for 3 CDs and 3 DVDs. And if you have a 5.1 surround sound system, you are in for many extras. Also, there is an extensive overview of the recording in 96 pages of text and pictures. It is quite the package that I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Here is the breakdown of each disc:

•CD 1: Jethro Tull live: Bursting Out (Part 1) - A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Soundcheck recordings - A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Tracks 7, 10, 11 (full version) & 12-16 previously unreleased

 

•CD 2: Jethro Tull live: Bursting Out (Part 2) - A Steven Wilson stereo remix

Soundcheck recordings - A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Tracks 11-13 previously unreleased

 

•CD 3: contains an edited version of the 1978 Madison Square Garden Show, which

was issued in 2009 but is now mixed by Steven Wilson.

 

•DVDs 1 & 2 have the remixed tracks in 96/24 stereo and 5.1 surround plus the flat transfers of the original album at 96/24 stereo.

 

•DVD 3 has the full 93-minute MSG show, including 50+ minutes of video, which was part of a transatlantic broadcast with the BBC and Radio 1. The audio is 48/24 stereo and 5.1 surround.

 

I usually do a track-by-track account in my review of one of my favorite artists to cover; however, the read would be too exhaustive. I can offer prospective buyers and fans who have not pursued this set a more condensed version with what I feel are the most relevant points.

 

Of course, Ian is the group's focal point, being the frontman, writer, multi-musician, and all-around animated entertainer. So, it was no surprise that the cameras showed close-ups of Ian with sweat glistening on his forehead and face during the Madison Square Garden broadcast video. Those were excellent shots of him performing at his best during the band's peak decade. The shots that pulled away from the stage were foggy and looked dated. Also, the entire show was not on the video; it was missing parts in the front and back of the show. When there is no video, you get a rotation of pictures of the band, which is subpar as well. I am sure they did the best they could with what they had, and the bottom line is that the sound is excellent.

 

I appreciated the remix Steven Wilson masterfully created, as usual. I found it interesting to see what Ian said about that process. He mentioned he did not want to know what was going on. In his case, I can understand from an artist's standpoint how important your recorded work is, and the fact that Ian is such a professional and perfectionist would cause the man a bad case of nerves to watch Steven at work.

 

I appreciated Jethro Tull's talent and how they could recreate all of their studio works on the stage with a unique flair and precision. Some of my favorites were "Thick As A Brick," "Aqualung," "Songs From The Wood," "Heavy Horses," "Minstrel In The Gallery," "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)," which, as some of your older fans may remember, was on the flip side of the "Bungle in The Jungle" 45. Warchild was my first JT album in the 70s and remains my favorite. I am sure many fans would not agree that it was their best album, but I loved it. Minstrel in the Gallery is the album that followed it, and it impressed me as a musically intense prog rocker. This convinced me to continue to explore their catalog of releases.

 

If you are a classic prog rock fan, from what most folks say is the most fertile decade of the genre, you need to hear one of the best of that period at the height of their success. There is a valid reason why all these repackaged releases still sell: they are undoubtedly some of the best rock music ever recorded and performed on the stage. You'll agree once you hear this recording again or for the first time. It's on Amazon now for $49.59, a bargain for what you will get in return.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Progressive Music Reviews Founder

August 9, 2024

 

Tracks: Disc 1: 01. Claude Nobs - Introduction by Claude Nobs (Live) [2024 Remaster] 02. No Lullaby (Live) [2024 Remaster] 03. Sweet Dream (Live) [2024 Remaster] 04. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day) [Live] [2024 Remaster] 05. Jack-in-the-Green (Live) [2024 Remaster] 06. One Brown Mouse (Live) [2024 Remaster] 07. Heavy Horses (Live) [2024 Remaster] 08. A New Day Yesterday (Live) [2024 Remaster] 09. Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bouree (Medley) [Live] [2024 Remaster] 10. Living in the Past (Live) 11. Songs from the Wood (Live) [2024 Remaster] 12. No Lullaby (Live) 13. Sweet Dream (Live) 14. Heavy Horses (Live) 15. Botanic Man (Live) 16. 4.W.D (Low Ratio) [Live] Disc 2: 01.  Thick As a Brick (Live) [2024 Remaster] 02.  Hunting Girl (Live) [2024 Remaster] 03.  Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! (Live) [2024 Remaster] 04.  Conundrum (Live) [2024 Remaster] 05.  Minstrel In The Gallery (Live) [2024 Remaster] 06.  Cross-Eyed Mary (Live) [2024 Remaster] 07.  Quatrain (Live) [2024 Remaster] 08.  Aqualung (Live) [2024 Remaster] 09.  Locomotive Breath (Live) [2024 Remaster] 10.  The Dambusters March (Live) [2024 Remaster] 11.  Conundrum (Live) 12.  Quatrain (Live) 13.  The Dambusters March (Live) Disc 3: 01. Sweet Dream Fanfare (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 02. Sweet Dream (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 03. One Brown Mouse (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 04. Heavy Horses (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 05. Thick As a Brick (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 06. No Lullaby (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 07. Flute Solo Improvisation (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 08. Songs From the Wood (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 09. Quatrain (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 10. Aqualung (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 11. Locomotive Breath (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 12. The Dambusters March (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 13. A Single Man (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 14. Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Old to Die! (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 15. My God (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) 16. Cross-Eyed Mary (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) DVD 1: 01. Claude Nobs - Introduction by Claude Nobs (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 02. No Lullaby (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 03. Sweet Dream (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 04. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day) [Live] [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 05. Jack-in-the-Green (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 06. One Brown Mouse (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 07. Heavy Horses (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 08. A New Day Yesterday (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 09. Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bourée (Medley) [Live] [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 10. Living in the Past (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 11. Songs from the Wood (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 12. No lullaby (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 13. Sweet Dream (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 14. Heavy Horses (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 15. Botanic Man (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 16. 4.W.D (Low Ratio) [Live] [96/24 Stereo] 17. Claude Nobs - Introduction by Claude Nobs (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 18. No Lullaby (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 19. Sweet Dream (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 20. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day) [Live] [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 21. Jack-in-the-Green (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 22. One Brown Mouse (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 23. Heavy Horses (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 24. A New Day Yesterday (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 25. Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bourée (Medley) [Live] [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 26. Living in the Past (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 27. Songs from the Wood (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 28. No lullaby (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 29. Sweet Dream (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 30. Heavy Horses (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 31. Botanic Man (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 32. 4.W.D (Low Ratio) [Live] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 33. No Lullaby (Live) [Flat Transfer] 34. Sweet Dream (Live) [Flat Transfer] 35. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day) [Live] [Flat Transfer] 36. Jack-in-the-Green (Live) [Flat Transfer] 37. One Brown Mouse (Live) [Flat Transfer] 38. A New Day Yesterday (Live) [Flat Transfer] 39. Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bourée (Medley) [Live] [Flat Transfer] 40. Songs from the Wood (Live) [Flat Transfer] 41. Thick As A Brick (Live) [Flat Transfer] DVD 2: 01. Thick As A Brick (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 02. Hunting Girl (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 03. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 04. Conundrum (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 05. Minstrel In The Gallery (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 06. Cross-Eyed Mary (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 07. Quatrain (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 08. Aqualung (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 09. Locomotive Breath (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 10. The Dambusters March (Live) [2024 Remaster] [96/24 Stereo] 11. Conundrum (Live) [96/24 Stereo 12. Quatrain (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 13. The Dambusters March (Live) [96/24 Stereo] 14. Thick As A Brick (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 15. Hunting Girl (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 16. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 17. Conundrum (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 18. Minstrel In The Gallery (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 19. Cross-Eyed Mary (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 20. Quatrain (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 21. Aqualung (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 22. Locomotive Breath (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 23. The Dambusters March (Live) [2024 Remaster] [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 24. Conundrum (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 25. Quatrain (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 26. The Dambusters March (Live) [DD & DTS 5.1 Surround] 27. Hunting Girl (Live) [Flat Transfer] 28. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (Live) [Flat Transfer] 29. Conundrum (Live) [Flat Transfer] 30. Minstrel In The Gallery (Live) [Flat Transfer] 31. Cross-Eyed Mary (Live) [Flat Transfer] 32. Quatrain (Live) [Flat Transfer] 33. Aqualung (Live) [Flat Transfer] 34. Locomotive Breath (Live) [Flat Transfer] 35. The Dambusters March (Live) [Flat Transfer DVD 3: 01. Sweet Dream Fanfare (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 02. Sweet Dream (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 03. One Brown Mouse (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 04. Heavy Horses (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 05. Thick As A Brick (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 06. No Lullaby (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 07. Songs From The Wood (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 08. Quatrain (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 09. Aqualung (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 10. Locomotive Breath (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 11. The Dambusters March (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 12. A Single Man (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 13. Too Old Too Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Old To Die! (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 14. My God (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video) 15. Cross-Eyed Mary (Live at Madison Square Garden October 1978) (Music Video)