It’s almost a decade ago since Jethro Tull released their official live album “ A little light music”.  A very blues(y), acoustic orientated and unbelievable good piece of work.  10 years later they come up with “Living with the past”, yet another very strong live album. The title is very well chosen, because Jethro Tull knows more than any other band how to live with it’s past. Anyone, who follows the band for several years, knows that each gig is a party and that the band pays a lot of attention to the older songs. That’s why every fan gets a good feeling after each concert of Tull. Night after night they get trough a very strong powerful and professional set list. We witnessed it ourselves, last year at the AB at Brussels. All concerts have been taped, mostly in order to prevent little errors, but sometimes these tapes are used for live albums such as this one. The biggest part of the album is recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo on the 25^th November 2001. What makes the album so interesting is the fact that Jethro Tull doesn’t play each note exactly the same as in the original song. They always add some different styles, moods and arrangements in their songs. Sometimes you hear more blues or classics, sometimes they play (jazzier ?) or heavier but always in a way it‘s nice to hear. And the album is so strongly played and it radiates power, … you just can feel it. The sound quality is super. On top of that, after 34 years the band plays one song (Some day the sun won’t shine for you) with the original members. Isn’t that sensational! I probably don’t have to tell you (what)(how) the music of JT sounds like, so I’ll just give you a list of the songs on this album and on witch album the song appeared for the first time.

• My Sunday Feeling from This Was 1968
• Roots to branches from Roots to Branches 1995
• Jack-in-the-green from Songs from the wood 1977
• The habanero reel from The secret language of birds 2000 (Ian Anderson solo)
• Sweet dream from Living in the past 1969
• In the grip of the stronger stuff from Divinities: Twelve dances with God (Ian Anderson solo)
• Aqualung from Aqualung 1971
• Locomotive Breath from Aqualung 1971
• Living in the past from Living in the past 1969
• Protect and survive from A 1980
• Nothing is easy from Stand up 1969
• Wondering aloud from Living in the past 1969
• Life’s a long song from Living in the past 1969
• A Christmas song from Living in the past 1969
• Cheap day return from Aqualung 1971
• Mother goose from Aqualung 1971
• Dot com from Dot com 1999
• Fat man from Stand up 1969
• Some day the sun won’t shine for you from This was 1968 (Original line up)
• Cheerio from Broadsword and the beast 1982

You see they are all great songs from Tull’s past. The lot of them (and I can’t emphasise it enough) played in a magnificent way. If you have never been to a Jethro Tull’s concert before and you want to know what it’s like, just buy this record and next time Tull is on tour again, you’ll be the first in the row.  I will, cause I don’t want to miss a concert like this, by no means.

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Last updated: 03 september 2003 .
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