Welcome back, fellow listeners, readers, and kindred spirits, to your "Musical Ride with Phil." On this leg of the journey, we travel "across the pond" to get back to the roots of "Jethro Tull in The Early Years." I'll discuss the albums from 1968 – 1971 (This Was through Aqualung). This article was inspired by my recent attendance at the "A Brief History of Jethro Tull" show at Tupelo Hall in Derry. The group is being led by Martin Barre, former guitarist of Tull, and features Dan Crisp on guitar and vocals. The show was one of the finest I've attended in a while. The vocals by Dan were full of energy and passion, which is a requirement for the Tull sound. The interpretations were haunting, and the stylizations were truly original. Martin's guitar work and style were uniquely his own, an eclectic mix of Classic and Progressive Rock, improvisational Blues/Jazz, and English Folk and traditional tunes. The dual guitar work was second to none, with harmonies and counter melodies enriching the guitar riffs and musical themes.

A companion B.O.M.B. radio show will run on WBNH 105.1 the first two weeks of October to accompany Martin Barre's return to Ogunquit, ME, and Rutland, VT, on October 3rd and 4th. Most, if not all, songs included in my show were performed in the recent concert. The QR code with the article will link to it.

Tull released their debut album This Wasin 1968. It was a different sound than the psychedelic mood from the "Summer of Love." Then, of course, there was the flute. Not many bands at the time had the flute as a lead instrument. Frontman/songwriter Ian Anderson was unique in attire and mannerisms. He is also one of the finest songwriters of our time.

I remember many late nights walking the streets of Woodside, Queens, with the cassette blasting from my good friend Ricky's (actually, it was his brother's) Panasonic Boom Box. Those late nights blasting "Cat's Squirrel" are etched in my psyche forever.

While Tull founder and vocalist Ian Anderson's creative vision forged with Martin Barre's distinctive guitar work to become the foundation of later albums, on This Was, Anderson shared songwriting duties with original Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams. Abrahams' blues and jazz influence is evident throughout the album, whereas later albums with Martin Barre became a bit more rock/riff oriented and eventually incorporated progressive rock characteristics to develop a unique style. I'll include three songs from the album in my show. "Someday The Sun Won't Shine" with vocals by Anderson, "Move on Alone" with prescient vocals by Mick Abrams, considering he was leaving the group, and the traditional instrumental "Cat's Squirrel." This is my favorite version of the tune, surpassing Cream's. Martin and his band did an unbelievable performance on this one.

Let's move on to the second album, "Stand Up". Released in 1969, it introduced guitarist Martin Barre to Tull fans, who became a core member and longtime guitarist until 2012. Along with songwriter and frontman Ian Anderson, they introduced new influences and genres to Tull and its fans. Some felt it was a bit eclectic, with mixed reviews upon release. In spite of those, the album reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts, providing momentum to the band's career. The album was also Tull's first critical success in the U.S., reaching No. 20 on the Billboard 200. I'll play two songs from the album on my show: "Nothing is Easy" and "We Used to Know."

Benefit is the third studio album released in April 1970. The production had a slicker sound than Stand Up due to the availability and use of newer recording techniques and technology. Guitarist Martin Barre stated he felt less pressure recording Benefit than on the earlier album, as their growing success allowed the musicians more creative freedom. Despite that, the album has a much darker feel than the prior albums. Mounting touring pressures were taking their toll. I saw them that summer at "The Randalls Island Festival" in N.Y.C. It was an excellent performance at a lesser known festival of the times, highlighting the new album.

The addition of keyboardist John Evan enhanced their musical capability and introduced changes to the band's feel. Ian Anderson stated: "John has added a new dimension musically, and I can write more freely now. In fact, anything is possible with him at the keyboard".

The album also marked a shift toward "guitar riff" songs at a time when some like Cream, Mountain (No coincidence here, Cream producer Felix Pappalardi was Mountain's Bassist), and Hendrix were putting out more riff-oriented songs. According to Martin Barre, "To Cry You a Song" (a fine example of a "riff song") was a response to Blind Faith's "Had to Cry Today," "nothing was stolen ... The riff crossed over the bar in a couple of places, and Ian and I each played guitars on the backing tracks."

It was just another stage in the evolution of one of the most musically creative bands of the times. I'll include my favorite two tunes in my show, "With You There to Help Me" and "To Cry You a Song."

Let's move on to the final album I'll cover.

Aqualung, Tull's fourth album, was released in March of 1971. Some considered it a concept album with the central theme addressing differences in "religion and spirituality." Songwriter Ian Anderson denied the description, though a few songs do tend to loosely center around a theme. Aqualung's success signaled another turning point in the career of the band, which went on to become a major touring act.

Aqualung became Tull's best-selling album at the time. It was well-received by critics and fans. The songs crossed multiple genres, representing folk, folk rock, blues, psychedelic, progressive, and hard rock. The "riff-based" nature of the title track and others such as "Locomotive Breath," "Hymn 43," and "Up to Me" is regarded as another evolutionary step in the band's increased success after the release of the album, with Tull touring arenas and stadiums moving forward. Some of the more tender songs are acoustic, with "Cheap Day Return," "Wond'ring Aloud," and "Mother Goose" being fine examples. The album also has two of the finest opening and closing (bookend) tracks I've ever heard in "Aqualung" and "Wind-Up."

Some of the thematic elements on the album - the effects of urbanization on nature and the effects of social constructs such as religion on society would be explored throughout Tull's works over the years. Anderson's frustration over the "concept album" controversy led to the creation of the follow-up albums Thick as a Brick in 1972 and Passion Play in 1973, intended to be concept albums in response.

The songs I'll include in my show are "Aqualung," "Mother Goose" (for Andy Violette), and "Locomotive Breath."

Unfortunately, we're running out of real estate here, so let me paraphrase Andrew Marvell in "To His Coy Mistress": "Had we but world enough and time, I'd write prose endlessly with no need for rhyme."

But it's time for me to wrap up. I hope the time we spent in the early years with Jethro Tull increased your understanding of the evolution of one of the major musical acts of the late 20th century and beyond. Come back for the next installment of "Musical Ride with Phil." Until then, keep on listening.