Jethro Tull Live At Montreux 2003

On DVD and CD

I’m in my late teens and early 20s, very much the iconoclast. If my peers wear their hair long, I cut mine short. If they shave, I grow a beard. Anything to be different.

So when Jethro Tull released Thick As A Brick in 1972, they had me from 'I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.'

How cool is this? They named themselves after the inventor of an agricultural implement. They used flutes and lutes and all manner of other non-conformist instruments. They were part of a budding young genre called Progressive Rock.

Tull. The young iconoclast's dream

As befits a band which has thrived by being different (even from other prog rock bands) Tull's unique style developed over a period of several years, and several albums. Astonishingly, they have thrived for nearly 40 years, during which time it is most unlikely that they have ever been mistaken for any other band.

Montreux, Switzerland is primarily known in the world of rock music for two things: a casino fire during a Frank Zappa performance that inspired Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" and the annual Montreux Jazz Festival. Like other famous jazz festivals, Montreux hosts a goodly number of artists from other musical genres, too.

It was Jethro Tull's performance at Montreux in 2003 that brings us here today, it having been electronically preserved, and now, released on DVD and CD.

One thing that's different about Jethro Tull Live At Montreux 2003 is that the CD (actually a two-disc set) mirrors the DVD. Often when live performances are released in both versions, the set list is shorter on the CD than the DVD. This is a welcome exception.

In a way, this was actually two concerts: the first half being the laid back, chatty half and the second half running much more toward full tilt electric rock.

Tull have seen many personnel changes over the years, but two constants have served as the core of the group. Founder Ian Anderson, and guitarist Martin Barre, who joined the band in 1968, shortly after it formed. These many years together have served to sharpen their musical chops.

Anderson's trademark is the flute, which he has mastered magnificently. One forgets (until watching this concert) that he is just as accomplished as a guitarist. Likewise, Barre is just as comfortable setting his guitar down and picking up the flute.

Anderson is witty and erudite, and speaks with the kind of voice that Shakespearean actors try to cultivate. How else could he pull off commenting on the effect of doing the laundry on the fit of his underwear?

His patter between songs in the first half of the concert is engaging, but rather slows down the proceedings when it comes between each and every song. The flow would have been better if, like the second half, it was more about the music.

Honestly, though, that's about the only thing I could find to pick on. The production, staging, audio and video quality are all outstanding. You really do get the feeling of being there. And the musical talent contained in this band is absolutely first rate.

It's always good to see a band performing material they've performed for decades, but do it energetically, enthusiastically, and with entertaining new twists.

The only new material here is from Tull's Christmas album, released the same year as the concert. The set list is made up mostly of familiar staples from the band's back catalog, building up to a strong ending with their two most recognizable songs, "Locomotive Breath" and "Aqualung."

I lean slightly toward recommending the DVD, since the visual experience enhances the sense of being there, but I don't think you'd be at all disappointed with the CD set.

Go buy it. Listen to it. Watch it. Revel in the joy of being different.