JETHRO TULL – SONGS FROM THE WOOD
40th Anniversary Edition Featuring Mixes By Steven Wilson
3CD/2 DVD Set With Rare Live Records And Footage Available On May 19
Vinyl, Digital, And Standalone CD Versions Will Follow In July
LOS ANGELES - Jethro Tull’s tenth album was inspired by Ian Anderson’s departure to a more rural environment in a transition which bore clear influence on the writing and recording process, with the band notably doffing a cap to British folklore and countryside.
SONGS FROM THE WOOD: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available as a limited edition 3-CD/2-DVD set on May 19 for a suggested list price of $49.98.
Highlights from the set include:
- Original album remixed in stereo by Steven Wilson on CD.
- Unleased tracks and alternate versions on CD.
- Unseen footage from the flat transfers of the original stereo masters on DVD.
- DTS/DD 4.0 Surround flat transfers of the quadrophonic master on DVD.
- An 80-page booklet featuring an extensive history of the project, a film script synopsis, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson, plus rare and unseen photographs.
Songs From The Wood is often referred to as one of the most commercially appealing Jethro Tull albums, containing elements of rock, prog and folk-rock. Although media reaction at the time divided opinion, the album has certainly developed a nostalgic rapport with fans through the years and it is perceived today as one of the band’s most popular albums.
Drummer Barrie Barlow comments that it sounds “Fresh, unique, great textures, interesting and dynamic!,” while guitarist Martin Barre remembers that, “It was a very tight band, one of the strongest line-ups Tull ever had… I think that Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses [the follow up album] as a pair of albums are near the top of the tree.”
The first disc of the set contains the Steven Wilson remix of the original studio album, accompanied by associated recordings. This includes the tracks “Old Aces Die Hard” and “Working John, Working Joe,” which are being released here for the first time on any format. “Old Aces Die Hard,” a title Ian Anderson recently gave the track in a subtle nod to Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, is, according to Ian “an extraordinary find, because it’s a long piece, and quite evolved, and one that sounds like it is pretty much complete – it doesn’t sound as if it was waiting for me or anyone else in the band to go back and redo vocals or guitars or whatever.”
Discs 2 and 3 form 22 live tracks recorded on the Songs From The Wood Tour across two dates: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on December 6, 1977 and Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, USA on November 21, 1977. These tracks have been reconstructed as a complete set and then remixed to stereo by Jakko Jakszyk and are completely unheard.
DVD 1 contains 5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Stereo Surround and 96/24 LPCM stereo versions of the original album mixed by Steven Wilson, along with selected associated tracks and various quad mixes and flat transfers.
The final disc in the package is the video footage taken live at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland on November 21 1977 mixed to 16/48 stereo LPCM and 5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital surround by Jakko Jakszyk. This footage has never been publicly seen before. The concert venue was the home for Washington Wizards basketball team, then known as Washington Bullets – so the video footage comes directly from the film that was played to the big screens in the venue during the show and has since been seen nowhere else.
Completing the set is a beautiful 96 page book which contains extensive writing on the history of the album and how it came to be. Martin Webb reflects on the writing, recording and touring of the album while Ian Anderson gives a track by track annotation of the album and associated recordings. Alongside lyrics, there’s an interview with assistant engineer Trevor White, relevant photos and imagery and a full recording and touring chronology.
SONGS FROM THE WOOD – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Track Listing:
CD 1:
Stereo Steven Wilson Mixes:
1. Songs From The Wood
2. Jack-In-The-Green
3. Cup Of Wonder
4. Hunting Girl
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells
6. Velvet Green
7. The Whistler
8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
9. Fire At Midnight
Associated Recordings:
10. Old Aces Die Hard [previously unreleased]
11. Working John, Working Joe [previously unreleased]
12. Magic Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)
13. Songs From The Wood (Unedited Master)
14. Fire At Midnight (Unedited Master) [previously unreleased]
15. One Brown Mouse (Early Version)
16. Strip Cartoon
17. The Whistler (US Stereo Single Mix)
CDs 2 & 3:
Live in Concert 1977- Disc 1
1. Wond’ring Aloud
2. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day
3. Jack-In-The-Green
4. Thick As A Brick
5. Songs From The Wood
6. Instrumental
7. Drum Solo Improvisation
8. To Cry You A Song
9. A New Day Yesterday
10. Flute Solo Improvisation interpolating - God Rest Ye Gentlemen/Bourée
11. Living In The Past/ A New Day Yesterday (reprise)
Live in Concert 1977- Disc 2
1. Velvet Green
2. Hunting Girl
3. Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die
4. Minstrel In The Gallery
5. Cross-Eyed Mary
6. Aqualung
7. Instrumental Improvisation
8. Wind-Up
9. Back Door Angels / Guitar Improvisation /Wind Up (reprise)
10. Locomotive Breath
11. Land Of Hope And Glory / Improvisation / Back Door Angels (reprise)
DVD 1:
96/24 LPCM Stereo (Steven Wilson Remix):
1. Songs From The Wood
2. Jack-In-The-Green
3. Cup Of Wonder
4. Hunting Girl
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells
6. Velvet Green
7. The Whistler
8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
9. Fire At Midnight
10. Old Aces Die Hard
11. Working John, Working Joe
12. Magic Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)
13. Songs From The Wood (Unedited Master)
14. Fire At Midnight (Unedited Master)
15. One Brown Mouse (Early Version)
16. Strip Cartoon
DD/DTS 5.1 Surround (Steven Wilson Remix):
1. Songs From The Wood
2. Jack-In-The-Green
3. Cup Of Wonder
4. Hunting Girl
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells
6. Velvet Green
7. The Whistler
8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
9. Fire At Midnight
10. Old Aces Die Hard
11. Working John, Working Joe
12. Magic Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)
13. One Brown Mouse (Early Version)
14. Strip Cartoon
96/24 LPCM Flat Transfer – Original Stereo Master:
1. Songs From The Wood
2. Jack-In-The-Green
3. Cup Of Wonder
4. Hunting Girl
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells
6. Velvet Green
7. The Whistler
8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
9. Fire At Midnight
Flat Transfer of Original Quad Master-DTS/DD 4.0 Surround
1. Songs From The Wood
2. Jack-In-The-Green
3. Velvet Green
4. The Whistler
DVD 2:
Live at The Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, 21st November 1977:
1. Wond’ring Aloud
2. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day
3. Jack-In-The-Green
4. Thick As A Brick
5. Songs From The Wood
6. Instrumental/ Drum Solo Improvisation
7. To Cry You A Song
8. A New Day Yesterday
9. Flute Solo Improvisation interpolating - God Rest Ye Gentlemen/Bouree/A New Day Yesterday
10. Living In The Past /A New Day Yesterday (reprise)
11. Second half of concert - Introduction
12. Velvet Green
13. Hunting Girl
14. Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die
15.Minstrel In The Gallery
16. Cross-Eyed Mary
17. Aqualung
18. Instrumental Improvisation
19. Wind-Up
20. Back Door Angels / Guitar Improvisation /Wind Up (reprise)
21. Locomotive Breath
22. Land Of Hope And Glory/ Improvisation / Back Door Angels (reprise)
Beethoven’s Ninth (with original audio)
The Whistler (promo footage)(mono)
96 Page Booklet:
An extensive note by Martin Webb about the writing, recording and touring of Jethro Tull’s tenth studio album - Songs From The Wood.
A track by track annotation of the album and associated recordings by Ian Anderson
Lyrics for the album and bonus tracks
An interview with studio engineer Trevor White.
Steve Jeal explores the legends, myths and historical facts behind some of the album’s songs
A recording and touring chronology from April 1976 to December 1977
Jakko Jakszyk describes the technical challenge of synchronising video and audio recordings of a 1977 live concert
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