Ian Anderson is running a little behind. He has missed one interview and is profusely apologizing for being late for this one. But given Jethro Tull's live performance schedule, and the fact that the band does all of its own tour management and scheduling, it's quite understandable.
As we chat, Anderson, founder and leader of the band, is in the midst of last minute preparations for a series of 17 UK concerts in 18 days. After a few days rest, a late-May through late-July run of European dates precedes a month of US concerts in August.
The amazing part is that 2008 marks the band's 40th year of nearly non-stop performing. I looked. The word retirement doesn't appear in the Tull dictionary.
Even with the hectic schedule, Anderson thoughtfully considers his answers to my barrage of questions about Jethro Tull in the 21st century.
Their last album of new material was The Jethro Tull Christmas Album in 2003, so a good starting place would seem to be with the question of when we can expect another new Tull album.
Ian Anderson:
Well, we had planned to be in the studio working on some new songs during January and February [2008] but [Tull guitarist] Martin Barre decided he'd rather have shoulder surgery instead, so that didn't happen. We’ve kept the schedule pretty clear in September and October [2008]. We did some recording last year [2007] and we have several things that are in various stages of completion, so it's not difficult to imagine having something in the can before too long.Most of us consider ourselves to be tour artists, so it's a little tricky pulling people together during those times when we aren't out on the road, either as Jethro Tull or engaged in various solo projects.
About Classic Rock:
Speaking of solo projects, you do quite a few of those, and the music is often quite a departure from what we would think of as typical Tull music. Is there a different sort of creative kick that you get from going off and playing some quieter music?
Ian Anderson:
I've always considered myself to be an "unplugged" guy surrounded by a bunch of noisy guys in a rock band. Sometimes, stepping outside the world of rock music and doing acoustic performances is like a form of recreation or retreat, if you will. Playing with symphony orchestras is especially enjoyable. After all, a symphony orchestra is just a big acoustic band, really.
About Classic Rock:
You and Martin [Barre] have been performing together for 40 years now. How do you account for that rather remarkable fact?
Ian Anderson:
Well, I think Martin’s wife likes to shop ... (laughs). Seriously, it's all we've ever done, professionally. I left art college to be a professional musician, and when I did, I considered it to be a job for life. I've got a nice watch – it isn't gold and nobody gave it to me for retiring – but I've never gotten my mind around the idea of not doing what we do.
About Classic Rock:
Like a few million of my closest friends, the first Tull song I ever heard was "Thick As A Brick" and the line that really grabbed me was, ‘I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.’ As a musician, do you want to make me feel or make me think?
Ian Anderson:
Well, of course we try to do both. We've always been a more cerebral band than most rock bands. That has made us fair game for accusations of bombast, or being overly clever, but that's been mostly from critics who are afraid of anything more artsy or thoughtful. I'd say we try to maintain a mixture of head and heart.
About Classic Rock:
You said recently that it makes you a little nervous to have younger musicians tell you what an influence you've had on their music. Why is that?
Ian Anderson:
There's an awful lot to live up to when you consider all of the musicians of the past fifty years and what they've contributed to the influences on young musicians. To find myself being feted by some young musician puts me in some pretty grand company and I'm not sure I'm worthy of being there. Sometimes the young can learn from the old, but the old can learn from the young, too. I think we can all learn from each other.
About Classic Rock:
You speak often in interviews about environmental issues and concerns. Do you consider yourself an activist in that regard?
Ian Anderson:
No, I'm not an activist. If asked, I comment on things like climate change, food production, and the biggest issue, which no politician wants to go anywhere near, of global population management. When my own children reach the age of 70, there will be 50% more people than there are today, and there will be poverty, hunger, drought. Even 15 years ago you weren't playing with such high stakes. As the population grows unchecked, so do the effects on the environment. I'm just concerned about the future for my children and their children.Interview date: April 28, 2008
