Jethro Tull
Live at Madison Square Garden 1978
Capitol/EMI
By David Chiu
If you were too young to see Jethro Tull in their ‘70s heyday, this latest DVD/CD set highlighting their 1978 Garden performance is the closest thing possible. As shown here in the DVD portion of the set, it isn’t your typical performance as it was originally broadcasted internationally for television. The concert actually started with the first three songs, which is only represented in the audio portion of the DVD, then followed by the actual TV broadcast, and then goes back to the audio-only performances of the final three songs once the broadcast was over. Even Tull frontman Ian Anderson’s admits in the sleeve notes that the whole set-up seemed a bit unconventional. Regardless, the band was still at their progressive rock glory performing both popular tunes like “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” and then-new songs like “Heavy Horses” and “No Lullaby.” Visually and musically the band was electric highlighted by Anderson’s campy yet energetic stage presence. This new release will probably only appeal to die-hard Tull fans but it’s entertaining if you love that era of bombastic rock.
NewBeats 