Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull - Between Imagination and Reality

interview by Marco Sgrignoli

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the compilation "M.U. – The Best Of Jethro Tull" and its reissue out July 31st on half-speed remastered vinyl, overseen by Ian Anderson himself and cut at Abbey Road, we caught up over video call with the leader of Jethro Tull. Starting from the band's first true hits collection, the conversation moved on to artistic freedom, progressive rock, the humor of "Thick As A Brick", and the fine line between observation and political invective in songwriting.

M.U. stands for “Musicians' Union”. Fifty years on from the original release, do you still see Jethro Tull as a kind of “musicians' union”, or has the nature of the band changed over time?
The idea behind that title was to bring together a number of tracks featuring musicians who had been part of Jethro Tull since the early years, but who weren't necessarily still in the band. In a way, it meant reuniting people. And I think that, deep down, that's been the story of Jethro Tull since 1968.
The other day I was in Padua, where we were supposed to play a show that was sadly cancelled because of terrible storms and torrential rain. It was our bass player's birthday, so while there was thunder and lightning outside, the band and crew stayed together and had a few drinks. That's a kind of union too, in that sense: people coming together and staying together.
Of course, the title was also alluding to the Musicians' Union, the British musicians' trade union, commonly known as the M.U. I was a member for a great many years, until about ten years ago, when it started taking a very explicit political stance against one party and in favor of another. At that point I decided to leave. I still support, in principle, the role of trade unions, which in this case is to protect the interests of professional musicians, but I don't think politics should play such a prominent role within them.
Some people see their music, their painting, or their artistic work as a political statement. That's their opinion and their way of working, but it isn't mine.

The first Jethro Tull record I ever owned was actually a greatest hits: I discovered the individual songs first, and only later found their place within the albums. As a songwriter, what's your relationship with the album as a complete artistic statement, compared with individual songs and the life they can have on their own?Once an album is finished and released, I become quite pragmatic about accepting that compilations, best-ofs, or greatest hits – whatever you want to call them – are a good entry point into an artist's work. I myself discovered a great many artists through their compilations, from Beethoven and Handel right through to contemporary rock and pop musicians. They let me get a general sense of their work, and then dig deeper into one, two, or three specific albums, once I've figured out what interests me about that artist.
If I listened to a Beethoven compilation, for instance, I'd probably be drawn more to his orchestral music than to his string quartets. It's an entry point. It's a bit like opening the door of a shop: once you've seen what's inside, you can head straight for the specific shelf where the things that interest you are displayed. That's why I'm a pragmatic supporter of compilations.
I have to say, though, that "M.U." was put together and released to fulfil a contractual obligation. Chrysalis needed to deliver another album through Warner Brothers in the United States to close out the contract, so they put together a compilation. At the time, then, I didn't see it as a particularly important new release for Jethro Tull. There were a couple of songs that hadn't appeared on albums, which made it somewhat interesting. Neither the artwork nor the concept itself was especially inspired, but it did contain some great Jethro Tull songs plus a couple of new tracks.

Looking at the tracklist of "M.U.", “Teacher” is an interesting case: it started out as a B-side, and its American version later took on a life of its own thanks to FM radio. How much did radio, the market, and record labels influence your choices and the path Jethro Tull took?
As far as radio's influence goes, I'd say practically none, at least back then. In 1972, when we released "Thick As A Brick", we went directly against the conventions of radio programming. Radio stations might play five- or six-minute tracks, but the idea of an entire album with no breaks was considered very risky. The record label was genuinely terrified: they thought no one would play it and no one would listen to it because it was too long. I, on the other hand, thought that was exactly what set it apart. Maybe people would be intrigued by forty-plus minutes of continuous music. The audience, of course, had no idea what they were going to find. Those are difficult moments you run into along the way, but if the music is ultimately worth something, sooner or later it manages to make its mark. That's what happened with "Thick As A Brick": it eventually became popular in many countries. Interestingly, in Italy, which has always had a tradition of interest in progressive rock and more complex music, it was easier to bring it to audiences.
Generally speaking, I've been very fortunate in my relationship with record labels. They've always given me the freedom to choose the songs, the album material, the artwork; they let me write the music I wanted and present it the way I wanted. Most of the time the results were positive enough that everyone was satisfied. I've heard countless stories from other artists about record labels trying to control them and shape their careers. I, on the other hand, have always received great support from labels, both in the United States and in Europe, and I'm very grateful for the freedom I've been given.

You mentioned “Thick As A Brick”. The album was also born as a parody of the grandiosity and pomposity of progressive rock at the time, but it went on to become a monument of the genre itself. How did the parodic element coexist with your genuine engagement in that musical language?
Oh, it really was a parody. And it all started from the lyrics. I had this little figure I was playing on acoustic guitar, in F, and the first line I wrote was: "I really don't mind if you sit this one out". It was like saying to the audience: "I really don't care whether you want to listen or not". It was a provocation, a gauntlet thrown down right from the very first line.
It started as a parody, but by the time I'd written twenty minutes of music I was completely absorbed in the compositional style and its technical aspects. Still, I tried to keep an element of surreal humour, both in the music and especially in the lyrics. You have to remember the climate of British humour at the time, and in particular "Monty Python's Flying Circus". It was surreal humour, beyond reality, and not everyone got it. That sensibility went above all into the lyrics of "Thick As A Brick": I wanted to create a form of surreal, dark humour, which in fact permeates the whole album. Here too it was a challenge: to see whether it would be accepted. I was, let's say, fifty percent sure it would be a success. [laughs] And it was.

Speaking of "Skating Away", you mentioned the “classic folk route: using music to spread awareness of an issue that concerns everyone". Earlier you said you don't think of your music as a political statement: how do these two ideas coexist? And more generally, what relationship do Jethro Tull have with folk music?
Folk music means different things to different people. Sometimes it's about issues of social division. If we're talking about traditional music from two, three or four hundred years ago, it can tell of social and cultural traditions, but it does so in an observational way. And that's what I did in 1973, when I wrote a song about climate change at a time when the prevailing opinion was that we might be plunged into a new ice age. And, because of global warming, it could still happen. When the climate's temperature rises – which is different from individual weather events – one of the possible effects is a disruption of the North Atlantic Drift, the Gulf Stream. If that happened, northern Europe could be plunged into a new ice age. Our dependence on fossil fuels, and our reluctance to give them up, continue to be part of the problem. "Drill, baby, drill", says Mr. Trump. The irony is that global warming could lead us to a new cooling, at least on a regional level.
When I wrote "Skating Away", though, I didn't do it from a political standpoint. The lyric is observational: it imagines a future in which, as the song says, we're "skating away on the thin ice of a new day". Skating on thin ice means being in a dangerous situation. I wasn't telling people who to vote for. That doesn't mean I don't have personal opinions. I believe, for instance, that Donald Trump's motivations are deeply wrong and selfish. And here in the UK we see an echo of that in those who argue we should start drilling again for more oil in the North Sea. The short-term political reality seems to be to keep using fossil fuels, perhaps even to increase their use.
But a song like "Skating Away" isn't born of a political motivation. It's observational: it wants to make people think and question things. And that's why it retains its relevance. I don't want to scare people, just put a little fear into them. [laughs] It's not a disaster movie. It's just a little song that reminds people of the fragility of the world we live in.

(26 July 2026)

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Silent singing

An account of a brief chat with Ian Anderson, legendary frontman of Jethro Tull. The help of music journalist Silvano Pertone, a leading expert on music and on the artist in question, was invaluable in putting together the questions.

by Francesco Franchini

Hi Ian, I'd like to start by asking you whether, after the 17 minutes of the song "Drink From The Same Well", we can expect another similar piece in the future.
Hi, well, maybe, but I need to take a break of a few months from recording because of other commitments and the upcoming tour!

How did the idea for the book "Silent Singing" come about? Is it true you weren't very satisfied with the previous books published about Jethro Tull?
"Silent Singing" is a very carefully curated book, a collection of lyrics with photos and very detailed descriptions. A lot of work, and only I could handle it, I wouldn't have left it to others. They might have made mistakes!

What is your view on religion today?
Look, it's more or less the same as it always was, the same as when I was a boy. You might think I'm a pantheist. I place great value on Christian teachings and support the Church through various annual donations, but organised religion is a gateway to spiritual awareness and in itself can offer a sense of salvation and fulfilment. To me, organised religions are different paths to reaching awareness through worship and a faith rooted in prayer and an interventionist God. I think I prefer a more esoteric spiritual path.

Do you agree with William Blake's line that "imagination and reality are the same thing"?
He was referring to "poetic genius", I think he simply meant the creative spirit. I agree with him on many things, even though he was a bit mad and contradictory at times.

"Crest Of A Knave" won a Grammy in the heavy metal category in the '90s. What do you remember about that evening?
I was in the recording studio when a phone call came in from Los Angeles saying we'd won the Grammy. I hung up and went back to work.
I don't think it's a good idea to indulge too much in self-congratulation, but it was nice to see that we had supporters in the selection process.

What was the influence behind the song "Bourée"? I read that you were inspired by a performance from one of your neighbours.
Yes. I heard a student practising classical guitar in the room below mine. He played a part over and over and it stuck with me. Martin Barre recognised it when I played it to him, and then I improvised the rest of the piece during the recording sessions.

You turned down an invitation to play the Woodstock Festival. Do you still think that was the right choice for you?
Even Led Zeppelin turned it down! With them we went and played in Chicago and Detroit. Even Bob Dylan didn't take part…

(29 March 2026)

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Rock's pied piper

by Michele Savoldi

It's not every day you get to chat amiably with a legend of the calibre of Ian Anderson, a figure who has lived in my memory – as a bizarre and atypical rock and roll icon – since early childhood, thanks to my father's musical upbringing. The man himself proves he's not yet "too old to rock'n'roll", and we're certainly convinced he's also "too young to die"! His overflowing creativity lets him express himself through multiple forms of communication and art. Ian has a lot to say, and he didn't hold back for OndaRock's readers either. Enjoy the read.

So, dear Ian, what should fans expect from Jethro Tull's 50th anniversary shows next March?
Well, they'll see… to start with, in chronological order through the bulk of the show, they'll see the early days of Jethro Tull, like the beginnings at the Marquee Club in 1968. They'll encounter some of the musicians we've played with over the years thanks to the screen behind me: there will be 36 musicians who have played with Jethro Tull over these fifty years. Some will appear alongside other special guests on the screen. I think it'll be a bit of a journey through the first decade, the period when Jethro Tull became popular all over the world, the period when Jethro Tull were an internationally successful band. I'll mostly focus on that period from the late Sixties to the end of the Seventies.

What do you remember about the concerts in Italy in the Seventies?
I remember the out-of-tune piano, I remember the riots, the tear gas, the delays, the terrible organisation from promoters who seemed not to understand, or maybe not to care about, the details. It was hard work… I mean, the audience was very enthusiastic and supported us a lot, but the organisation, the practical side of putting on shows, wasn't good at all! Unfortunately you had to weigh up the two hours on stage against the other 22 hours of the day, when things weren't going so well… it wasn't a very pleasant experience back then!

…tough times!
It wasn't just that, in Italy – particularly one promoter I won't bother naming – it was known, among English bands, as a place to work. It was always very, very hard work! In Germany, for example, everything went well and was well organised, as it was in Switzerland and even in France. But it was a genuinely tough period in Italy, and it took a few years for Italian promoters to become more professional and to realise they needed to do as good a job as promoters elsewhere in the world. That's how it went, although I've had some recent issues… but that happens everywhere anyway. I have a lot of not-so-pleasant memories of Italy, but once the Eighties came around, things went decidedly better, and we had lots of great experiences playing in many Italian venues where we were lucky enough to perform. Recently, also in a couple of Italian churches, at Christmas last year.

What can you tell us about “The Ballad Of Jethro Tull”, the first official book about Jethro Tull? What will fans find in it?
Honestly, I don't know, because I'm not the one writing it! I'm definitely in touch with the writer and the publishers, who are responsible for digging up a lot of information and organising interviews with former members... I'll read it with interest to see if it reflects the history of Jethro Tull well! It's written by someone whose work I've read, whom I approved as a writer because he's very objective and thorough in his research, in piecing things together. There have been other books about Jethro Tull, but basically they were copy-and-paste jobs: they found things on the internet, copied and pasted them into the book as if they were facts, and of course there are plenty of things that are wrong. Historically, in terms of opinions, or in telling stories that are simply false, since people had just copied and pasted without checking the accuracy of what they found: so their mistakes kept getting repeated. The author, Mark Blake, has just written the book on Peter Grant, the Led Zeppelin manager, and before that he wrote the book on the early Who. He's also written for many British rock and pop magazines and newspapers over the years, he's a very well-informed person, and I'm sure he'll tell the story the right way.

“The String Quartet” is one of your records made with the Carducci Quartet, arranged and orchestrated by John O'Hara. What can you tell us about how it was recorded — you made it in two churches, right?
Yes, it was recorded in Worcester Cathedral – one of the largest medieval cathedrals – in September 2017. We also recorded in a small church out in the countryside, the exact opposite of the cathedral, a genuinely tiny church about the size of an average family's flat, a historic church! I didn't do it for the acoustics, people seem to think that's the reason and it wasn't at all: acoustics are something you have to fight against to get a clean recording, without all the complications of an acoustic identity that's often quite unpleasant if you do it in buildings that weren't designed for neutral acoustics. It had much more to do with the spiritual side of the atmosphere I wanted the musicians to record their performance in, so that it would feel a touch reverential, given that they were dealing with music that in some cases was written before they were born.

A couple of years ago you recommended the band Edensong. What music do you listen to when you're not busy with your own?
I often listen to music by artists who've asked me to take part in a track on their album or something like that. Mostly, when I sit down to listen, it's something I'm not familiar with and that I have to learn and really try to understand, to get a feel for their music so I can add something – as a musician – that complements what they're doing. It could be a heavy metal band, a punk artist, classical, jazz... I guest on a fair number of things every year. But when I listen to music in a more relaxed, recreational way, it's usually classical music. I usually do that on planes, because I'm not a happy flyer, I get pretty nervous. I think listening to classical music is a way of calming myself down when I'm facing long, turbulent flights through storms.

What can we expect in the future: new recordings from Ian Anderson or from Jethro Tull?
Well, both, or one of the two, I haven't decided yet. There are seven songs still unfinished that we recorded months ago, which I hope to complete in February and May, and I hope to release them towards the end of this year. I'm also working on a book of lyrics, which includes the words to 250 songs that have been part of my life over the last 50 years... It'll be a full book with photographs that I'll pull from my personal collection. Other projects... yes, there's another project I'm keeping quiet about because it's planned for 2020 (laughs, ed.). I've got quite a bit to keep me busy, as a musician and as a writer, for the next few years. I'm also thinking of writing a biography that's not just about me and my personal story, it'll be something broader... the way I intend to write this autobiography has a lot to do with what's unique to me, it's not something that can be written by anyone else, so I have to write it myself. I think I'll do it sometime between 2020 and 2021... I've got plenty to keep me occupied, and at my age it's important to have a lot of work to carry forward with energy and enthusiasm, to enjoy life!

Away from music, in Italy we have some excellent Indian restaurants. What advice would you give to newcomers to Indian food?
Indian restaurants in Italy are relatively new, because just a few years ago I really struggled to find one... maybe there were some in Rome, and there was one in Bologna. Now they've become more common in the restaurant scene in big cities, and of course Japanese places are everywhere, sushi bars on every corner. Everything has become more cosmopolitan; there used to be only Italian or Chinese restaurants, now you have many other kinds of dining to draw on, including vegetarian and vegan: there's something for everyone these days, and that's a good thing. But I would never send anyone to a particular restaurant just because I might have gone there and enjoyed it, but maybe I was there on a good day. Even choosing the right things on the menu, someone else could go to the same restaurant and have a terrible experience. It's like telling you: “Go and watch this film! It's up for the Academy Awards this year!” You might watch it and hate it, while I watch it and think it's great. Or a book, some music... I really don't like recommending things to people who might end up disappointed. If I recommend something I say: “Give it a listen, it's worth it!” There might be connections if it's a group covering Jethro Tull, or maybe a band I think deserves some support, but I'm still very careful about the fact that other people might or might not like it. The same goes for other ethical matters, such as conservation, animal rights and climate change: these are things that a lot of our fans might disagree with. So you have to accept that you can't expect people to be won over just because they like your music. That's why I keep politics out of the public eye, especially American politics, because I'm not American and I need my visa, so I don't want to annoy Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin or the presidents of some other countries! If they read some criticism of mine on file, they might cancel my visa. So you have to be pragmatic, I wouldn't want to disappoint thousands of fans (laughs, ed.) because I lost my American visa after saying something that, as a musician, wasn't really mine to say.

We also know you love cats very much, what do you think of these adorable creatures?
When I was a child I had a cat, the first animal to share our home, and I've always felt closer to cats than to dogs. I prefer cats and I've had them my whole life, they're part of the family! Right now I've got two extra cats here because my son left them with me to look after for a day and a night while he's in London. Other times it's my daughter who goes away, and we have to look after her cat for a couple of days or a week. Our house usually plays host to a few cats in search of food and private places to sleep, usually upstairs on our bed, and things get tricky when more than one of them wants to do that, so they fight, they're very territorial. Yes, I love cats very much, and I'm very worried that small wild cats in various countries are under threat and that their future is in doubt, even more so because of climate change, which is doing serious damage to many species on planet Earth — perhaps a third of species will be badly affected by the end of the century. The species likely to be hit hardest is probably Homo sapiens, so take note!

Absolutely! Memento! A final message, greeting and invitation for the Italian Jethro Tull fans waiting for you in Brescia?
Well, I hope they have a good time and find us interesting, sometimes with some nostalgic music. It's always lovely to see smiling Italian faces, I really hope they enjoy the show, we can't wait to come, and I'd invite them to leave their mobile phones at home. Or at least keep them in their pockets, because I find it incredibly annoying when people set off flashes at me without actually listening to or watching the show, just trying to film a video. I'd like people to use their eyes, their ears and their memories: it's much more enjoyable than spending the evening with a phone that bothers not just me but also the people sitting around a lit-up screen firing off flashes the whole time. So, keep your phone in your pocket, that would be very kind... thank you so much for being good enough to do that!

(21 March 2019)

Ride the wave of great music

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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Marco Sgrignoli, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition

Jethro Tull on OndaRock

Discography

This Was (Chrysalis, 1968)	7
Stand Up (Chrysalis, 1969)	7.5
Benefit (Chrysalis, 1970)	6.5
Aqualung (Chrysalis, 1971)	8
Living In The Past (anthology, Chrysalis, 1972)
Thick As A Brick (Chrysalis, 1972)	8
A Passion Play (Chrysalis, 1973)	8.5
War Child (Chrysalis, 1974)	5.5
Minstrel In The Gallery (Chrysalis, 1975)	8
M.U. - The Best Of Jethro Tull (anthology, Chrysalis, 1975)
Too Old To Rock'n'Roll, Too Young To Die (Chrysalis, 1976)	6
Songs From The Wood (Chrysalis, 1977)	7
Repeat - The Best Of Jethro Tull vol. II (anthology, Chrysalis, 1977)
Heavy Horses (Chrysalis, 1978)	6.5
Live - Bursting Out (Chrysalis, 1978)
Stormwatch (Chrysalis, 1979)	7
A (Chrysalis, 1980)	5
The Broadsword And The Beast (Chrysalis, 1982)	6
Under Wraps (Chrysalis, 1984)	4.5
Original Masters (anthology, Chrysalis, 1985)
Crest Of A Knave (Chrysalis, 1987)	6.5
20 Years Of Jethro Tull (triple CD, anthology, Chrysalis, 1988)
Rock Island (Chrysalis, 1989)	6
Catfish Rising (Chrysalis, 1991)	6
Live At The Hammersmith 1984 (DEI, 1991)
A Little Light Music (Chrysalis, 1992)
The Best Of Jethro Tull: The Anniversary Collection (double CD, Chrysalis, 1993)
Roots To Branches (Chrysalis, 1995)	5.5
In Concert (live, Windsong, 1995)
Dot Com (Varese, 1999)	6
The Christmas Album (Fuel 2000, 2003)	6
The Best Of Acoustic (anthology, Emi, 2007)
Thick As A Brick 2 (Emi, 2012)	6
The Zealot Gene (Inside Out Music, 2022)	6.5
RökFlöte (Inside Out Music, 2023)	6
Curious Ruminant (Inside Out Music, 2023)	6