History Music / JethroTull

Until Jaunary 2018, that is. Ian Anderson posted an update on the band's website showing him in the studio working on their next album, which is currently slated for a 2019 release.

* StudioChatter: [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame Egregrious]] on ''Aqualung'', ''War Child'' and ''Minstrel In The Gallery''.

Ian Anderson laid Jethro Tull to rest in 2014, but the spirit of Tull goes on with him and his solo band, who continue to tour and record.

* GenreAdultery: "Living in the Past" was their first hit that broke away from their blues sound and towards their prog-folk sound. Allegedly, Anderson wrote it in 5/4 because he didn't want it to be a breakout hit, but the masses ran with it anyway.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Bassist Jeffrey Hammond was often credited as "Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond".

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] with their first album, ''This Was'', which sounds like yet another Music/{{Cream}} rip-off. This began to change with their second album, ''Stand Up'', when Ian Anderson started to monopolize the band's song-writing duties`, and Martin Barre succeeded original guitarist Mick Abrahams. A lot of it had to do with their manager at the time (as well was singer/guitarist Mick Abrahams) wanting the band to be purely blues-rock. The singles released after ''This Was'', especially ''A Christmas Song'', were the first glimpses of what the band would become.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[LampshadeHanging/Lampshaded]] with their first album, ''This Was'', which sounds like yet another Music/{{Cream}} rip-off. This began to change with their second album, ''Stand Up'', when Ian Anderson started to monopolize the band's song-writing duties`, and Martin Barre succeeded original guitarist Mick Abrahams. A lot of it had to do with their manager at the time (as well was singer/guitarist Mick Abrahams) wanting the band to be purely blues-rock. The singles released after ''This Was'', especially ''A Christmas Song'', were the first glimpses of what the band would become.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Their first album, ''This Was'', sounds like yet another Music/{{Cream}} rip-off. This began to change with their second album, ''Stand Up'', when original guitarist Mick Abrahams left, and Ian Anderson started to monopolize the band's song-writing duties. A lot of it had to do with their manager at the time (as well was singer/guitarist Mick Abrahams) wanting the band to be purely blues-rock. The singles released after ''This Was'', especially ''A Christmas Song'', were the first glimpses of what the band would become.

** Believe it or not, but ''A Passion Play'' is the only straight example, but there is also ''Thick as a Brick'', which is an over the top parody created because the media kept calling ''Aqualung'' a concept album, despite Anderson's constant claims otherwise. And, like Literature/DonQuixote, it ends up being better than most of the things he's parodying.

The band is named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jethro_Tull_(agriculturist) an 18th-century agriculturist]], though Ian Anderson ''hates'' the name. During their early days, their manager would change the name of the band so that they could be booked at places they had flopped at, and "Jethro Tull" was suggested by one of the manager's staff members who's a History geek; as Anderson put it, "Jethro Tull is the name we were using when we quit sucking."

* AntiChristmasSong: "A Christmas Song".
** Also "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow." Subverted with "Another Christmas Song."
* AntiLoveSong: The album ''Minstrel in the Gallery'' is all over this, [[ViewersAreGeniuses though you have to know what to listen for]].

* BeYourself: Many of his songs discouraged conformism and uniformity, even between members of the counterculture. Ian wore long hair and flamboyant clothes, was identified with the countercuture, and held many liberal-ish or free-thinking ideals, but he hated hippies and drug culture. Many of Tull's songs (including, and ''especially'' ''Thick As A Brick'') encouraged others to find their own way and think for themselves.
** ''Nothing to Say'' is essentially Ian voicing annoyance over being asked for some kind of guidance now that he's a celebrity.

* CloudCuckoolander: Imagine if, on one regeneration, [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]] is once again exiled to Earth, but, rather than work for UNIT again, he decides to start a progressive folk-rock band. That's pretty much Ian Anderson in a nutshell.
** The first song Anderson learned on the flute was "[[HilariousInHindsight Serenade to a Cuckoo]]."
* [[ClusterFBomb Cluster S-Bomb]]: Ian screws up the opening to "Baker St. Muse" and says, "Shit, shit, shit. Take two," before starting again. Could also count as GettingCrapPastTheRadar since the volume has to be pretty high to make it out.

* ConceptAlbum: Believe it or not, but ''A Passion Play'' is the only straight example, but there is also ''Thick as a Brick'', which is an over the top parody created because the media kept calling ''Aqualung'' a concept album, despite Anderson's constant claims otherwise.
** And, like Literature/DonQuixote, it ends up being better than most of the things he's parodying.
** Unlike its predecessor, ''Thick as a Brick 2'' is a straight example, as is ''Homo Erraticus''

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Their first album, ''This Was'', sounds like yet another Music/{{Cream}} rip-off. This began to change with their second album, ''Stand Up'', when original guitarist Mick Abrahams left, and Ian Anderson started to monopolize the band's song-writing duties.
** A lot of it had to do with their manager at the time (as well was singer/guitarist Mick Abrahams) wanting the band to be purely blues-rock. The singles released after ''This Was'', especially ''A Christmas Song'', were the first glimpses of what the band would become.

* EpicRocking: ''Thick As A Brick'' and ([[http://jethrotull.com/?portfolio=a-passion-play Depending on your interpretation]]) ''A Passion Play'' are each made up of one long song.

*** An even lesser extent, but a large portion of their songs fall in the 5-10 minute range. Some examples: "Aqualung" (6:34), "To Cry You a Song" (6:09), "Minstrel in the Gallery" (8:13), "Too Old to Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young to Die!" (5:44), "Budapest" (10:05)

* FilkSong: "Dot Com" is about a relationship over the Internet. Particularly notable in that it was written in 1999, before that sort of thing became common.

* GreenAesop: "Wond'ring Again"; the ''Stormwatch'' album.

* IAmTheBand: Ian Anderson is the only founding member still in the band. To a lesser extent, Martin Barre has been with the band since ''Stand Up''.
** Doane Perry's been around since the eighties.

* LargeHam: Saying that Anderson is one is quite the understatement.
** On stage, at least. Off stage he's rather quiet and reserved, though he does keep his sense of humor.
* [[ViewersAreGeniuses Listeners Are Geniuses]]

* {{Nepotism}}: A very minor example, but "Enter the Uninvited" ends by mentioning ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' and specifically mentions "Officer Rick." Rick Grimes is played by AndrewLincoln, Ian Anderson's son-in-law.

* ProtestSong: From about a third to a half of their catalog.
** The majority of their protests were against conformity and living up to others' expectations. Organized religion (a result of the attempts to raise Anderson Catholic) are another popular subject.

* UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}: Ian Anderson is Scottish.

* UncommonTime: All over the place, which comes with the territory of them being a prog rock band. As mentioned above, they wrote "Living in the Past" in 5/4 to try to avert it being a BlackSheepHit, but the masses took to it anyway.

Progressive rock group formed in 1968 and mostly known for their [[TheSeventies 70s]] output, particularly their albums ''{{Music/Aqualung|JethroTullAlbum}}'' and ''Thick As A Brick''. Made up of lead singer/flutist Ian Anderson, guitarist Martin Barre (who joined in 1969), and one of rock's most frequently revolving line-ups.

Ian Anderson laid Jethro Tull to rest in 2014, but the spirit of Tull goes on with Anderson and his solo band, who continue to tour and record.

** "Mother Goose" is pretty nonsensical, too.
** Certain parts of ''A Passion Play'' also contain such lyrics.

The band is named after an 18th-century agriculturist, though Ian Anderson ''hates'' the name. During their early days, their manager would change the name of the band so that they could be booked at places they had flopped at, and "Jethro Tull" was suggested by one of the manager's staff members who's a History geek; as Anderson put it, "Jethro Tull is the name we were using when we quit sucking."

* FoxHunting: In "Hunting Girl" (on the album ''Songs from the Wood"), the narrator encounters a fox-hunting aristocratic young lady whose horse had refused to jump a fence. The young lady turns out to some distinctly kinky tastes.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Their first album, ''This Was'', sounds like yet another {{Cream}} rip-off. This began to change with their second album, ''Stand Up'', when original guitarist Mick Abrahams left, and Ian Anderson started to monopolize the band's song-writing duties.

The band is named after an 18th-century agriculturist, though Ian Anderson ''hates'' the name. During their early days, their manager would change the name of the band so that they could be booked at places they had flopped at; as Anderson put it, "Jethro Tull is the name we were using when we quit sucking."

Ian Anderson laid Jethro Tull to rest in 2014, but the spirit of Tull goes on with Anderson and his solo band, who continue to tour and make records.

* {{Recut}}: A minor example - Steven Wilson's remix of "The Foot of Our Stairs" features an extra 30 seconds of music that he discovered and put back in with Ian's permission.