The String Quartets Jethro Tull

• 1In the Past (Living in the Past)04:07
• 2Sossity Waiting (Sossity: You're a Woman / Reasons for Waiting)04:44
• 3Bungle (Bungle in the Jungle)03:48
• 4We Used to Bach (We Used to Know / Bach Prelude C Major)04:54
• 5Farm, the Fourway (Farm on the Freeway)03:44
• 6Songs and Horses (Songs from the Wood / Heavy Horses)03:53
• 7Only the Giving (Wond'ring Aloud)01:58
• 8Loco (Locomotive Breath)04:33
• 9Pass the Bottle (A Christmas Song)03:01
• 10Velvet Gold (Velvet Green)04:06
• 11Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)03:57
• 12Aquafugue (Aqualung)05:10
• Total Runtime47:55

Info for The String Quartets

A massive treat for Jethro Tull fans and classical aficionados alike: Jethro Tull The String Quartets is an album of classic Jethro Tull repertoire, imaginatively arranged by John O'Hara for Classical string quartet with the flute, guitar and vocals of songwriter and producer Ian Anderson.

Says Anderson: "I felt that there were some songs rather special to me which featured the string quartet such as "A Christmas Song," "Reasons For Waiting" and "Wond'ring Aloud." These were my first experiences of working with a quartet. John [O'Hara] came up with a few suggestions of his own which presented challenges. All had an intimacy and presence which I looked forward to recapturing...."

About his approach to the orchestration, O'Hara explains: “There seemed little point in transcribing the band parts and distributing them to the players. I felt a responsibility to delve deeper and offer a new imagining of each piece. An orchestrator’s job is to arrange and compose a new version of an existing work. However, I also felt a responsibility to the Jethro Tull listeners who cherish this material and may not welcome a radical rendition of a beloved song. My ambition was to create a thought-provoking album that remains true to Ian's compositions.”

Matthew Denton, violin
Michelle Fleming, violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin, viola
Emma Denton, cello
Ian Anderson, flute, vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin
John O'Hara, orchestral arrangements, celesta, piano

Produced by Ian Anderson

Jethro Tull
formed in February 1968 from the ashes of two unsuccessful blues/rock bands of the era. Ian Anderson brought his unique and innovative style of flute playing to a public raised on the guitar based British bands who courted acceptance at London’s famous Marquee Club.

After their first tentative blues oriented album, titled “This Was,” the group moved through successive records towards a more progressive sound, and with “Aqualung” in 1971 achieved their first real international level of success.

A few hit singles, notably “Living in the Past,” livened up their early career although it was as an album band, with songs of real substance, that the group really took off, both on record and as a major live concert act.

So-called concept albums followed in the early 70’s (“Thick as a Brick” and “A Passion Play”) with the attendant platinum No. 1 album chart sales.

Tull survived the critical backlash of the return-to-basics later 70’s to produce some of their finest creative efforts which, although not quite matching the commercial success of the previous works, established the band as one of the truly creative exponents of progressive music throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

They have continued to constantly reinvent themselves, albeit with several personnel changes along the way.

Ian Anderson (flute and vocals) and Martin Barre (guitar) provide to this day the musical and historical backbone of the group, joined by Doane Perry on drums, Andrew Giddings on keyboards, and Jonathan Noyce on bass.

This album contains no booklet.