Search - Jethro Tull :: The Best Of Jethro Tull: The Anniversary Collection

Best TULL collection so far (as of 2001)

R. Gorham | 08/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What's the best way to make a Jethro Tull "Best Of" release? Outside of an 18 disc box set with liner notes up the kazoo, how else would you put an extensive & varied 30+ year career into a one or two CD collection? It's almost impossible. Among the better greatest hits packages; "MU" - Best of Vol 1 & 2, were good, yet they covered only a few years of material. "Original Masters" was average at best. "20 Years of Jethro Tull" was better than average even tho it carried more of the non (top) hits and some of his better songs "live". This release, 1993's "The Anniversary Collection", hits one or sometimes two or three songs from most of his albums from the late 1960's thru 1991's "Catfish Rising" (39 songs in all). There is something for everyone here. I am glad to see most of the major hits that made Jetrho Tull a household name are here ("Aqualung", "Locomotive Breath", "Teacher", "A Song For Jeffrey", "Cross Eyed Mary", "Thick As A Brick", "Skating Away...", "Bungle In The Jungle", "Songs From The Wood", "Farm On A Freeway"), as well as some real gems that might not be too familiar to the average Tull fan ("Broadsword", "The Whistler", "Too Old To Rock & Roll...", "Jack-A-Lynn", "Sweet Dream", "Mother Goose"). While a box set might be too much, a single disc can not do TULL justice. This remastered double disc is the perfect place to start - whether you're just getting acquainted with TULL or maybe you're a long time TULL fan and you just want a lot of their music narrowed down to 2 discs. Excellent."

A Good Collection for the Beginning Tull Fan

Eric D. Sweetwood | Normal, Illinois USA | 07/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Obviously if you are a true Tull fan, you own all of these songs, and have had them since they were issued on LP's. Still, this is an excellent collection for the novice Tull fan or for the Tull fan who wants a good greatest hits to play on the CD player in the car. The good thing about this CD is that the early material is represneted well with some fine classics like "Cry You a Song," "Nothing is Easy," and "Life is a Long Song" along with the standards of Teacher, Aqualung, New Day Yesterday, and the like. The Second CD is skimpy on some lp's. I would like to have seen more from Minstrel in the Gallery, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch and less from Crest of a Knave. How Ian allowed Moths or Acres Wild not to be included and allowed Pussy Willow from Broadsword is beyond me, but I guess its his anniversary and he can do what he wishes. A better CD booklet would have made this more engaging, as well. I fully understand that this two-CD collection was meant as a greatest hits with the obscure stuff being used in the box set issues. If you order this, I recommend you explore Tull further by immediately buying Heavy Horses and Songs From the Wood. Grab Stormwatch if its available. Also Catfish Rising will entertain. No collection is complete without Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, Living In The Past and Minstrel In the Gallery. Start here and then submerge yourself with the unique greatness that is Jethro Tull. Then you can "call the band down to the stage and look at all the friends you've made." Enjoy!"