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 questions about things like when (and whether) we can expect another new Tull album.
"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."
For Anderson, those solo projects are often quite a departure from what we would think of as typical Tull music. "I've always considered myself to be an unplugged guy surrounded by a bunch of noisy guys in a rock band," he admits. "Sometimes, stepping outside the world of rock music and doing acoustic performances is like a form of recreation or retreat. Playing with symphony orchestras is especially enjoyable. After all, a symphony orchestra is just a big acoustic band, really."
Anderson and Tull guitarist Martin Barr have been performing together for 40 years. After jokingly attributing that remarkable record to the fact that "Martin's wife likes to shop," Anderson gets serious. "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."
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." So, which does Anderson want us to do when we listen to Jethro Tull?
"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."
Anderson isn't much on being a role model. In fact, it makes him a little uncomfortable to have younger musicians tell him what an influence he's had on their music. "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." Ideally, says Anderson, "I think we can all learn from each other."
Interview date: April 28, 2008
