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Rating: 
Summary: The good, the bad & the ugly of Jethro Tull's history
Review: David Rees does an excellent job walking the reader through the history of the band, the band members personalities and the relationships between the band's leader, Ian Anderson, and his band mates. Mr. Rees takes an impartial view of Jethro Tull and does not fall into the trap of perpetual compliments or kudos. Mr. Rees, who is a great fan of Jethro Tull's music, writes about all the sides of the band; the good, the bad and the ugly. This book is fine reading for all Tull fans, progressive rock fans or anyone interested in the 30 year survival of a Rock music icon.
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Summary: The Tale of the One-Legged Flute Player
Review: David Rees has done what no one had previously; which was write a credible book on the band known as Jethro Tull. I like the warm, laid back style of the narrative. Also, another bonus is that Rees is impartial for the most part in relation to the songs and the band's history. However, Rees could have provided more insight into the songwriting and the nasty fallout that led to the dismissal of the classic lineup that lasted from 1972-1979. Overall a good read and a must for anyone wanting to know more about the genius of Tull
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Summary: from roots to branches
Review: David Rees is, for more than a dacade, The Authority on all things Tull, being very close to the band and to all Tull-related subjects. But, a far cry from some books on rock super-egos, this is not the book Ian Anderson would wish for - Rees has done an immaculate job of stating things as they were, without glossing over some of the rough edges. Jethro's history is a complex and, at times, a bizzare story to tell, spanning over 30 years of ups and downs, but, as all readers of the one-and-only Tullzine "A New Day", edited and written by David Rees know - this author has the ability to make any Tull tale an intresting and sometimes pure hillarious read. A great book for everyone, and a must for the 50 millions or so who ever bought an album by Jethro Tull.
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Summary: Thank you, David Rees!
Review: Having been a fan of the music of Jethro Tull for as long as David Rees, I was thrilled to read this book. Just as he has always done in his "A New Day" magazine, Rees doesn't stint on either praise or criticism where either is warranted. Since I have always been most interested in the music (as opposed to the personal lives) of Jethro Tull, I found this book to be the perfect history of my favorite band. There was just enough personal information that I was pleased to learn some new facts (for instance, I never knew that Ian Anderson had a brother!) but with none of the trashy dishing that is usually found in rock biographies. If you want a biography of Jethro Tull, one of the treasures of our age, this is the book to read.
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Summary: Thank you, David Rees!
Review: Having been a fan of the music of Jethro Tull for as long as David Rees, I was thrilled to read this book. Just as he has always done in his "A New Day" magazine, Rees doesn't stint on either praise or criticism where either is warranted. Since I have always been most interested in the music (as opposed to the personal lives) of Jethro Tull, I found this book to be the perfect history of my favorite band. There was just enough personal information that I was pleased to learn some new facts (for instance, I never knew that Ian Anderson had a brother!) but with none of the trashy dishing that is usually found in rock biographies. If you want a biography of Jethro Tull, one of the treasures of our age, this is the book to read.
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Summary: Reviewer Joseph Kimsey should have written this book!
Review: I used to a mad Tull fan thirty years ago. TAAB was my favourite album. Tastes change. I bought this out of interest and for old time's sake. I couldn't believe just how superficial it is! David Rees runs a Tull fan club. Maybe he just hasn't had the time to do this bio justice. Ian Anderson may not be Bob Dylan, but Tull's body of work surely deserves at least SOME analysis! I read it in one sitting and doubt that I'll ever have a reason to go back to it (although a current Tull fanatic may get more out of it!). Now, back to Rogan's Byrds biography!
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Summary: A Somewhat Superficial Read
Review: I'm grateful to Dave Rees for writing the first real bio of Jethro Tull; at first I was exhilarated that there was finally (!) a book on Tull, and I read it in one sitting. But, not to be unkind, it could have been better. David, in my opinion, could have made it more interesting and insightful by choosing many of the songs and explaining what makes them so fascinating (for me at any rate)to people who may have picked up the book but are not familiar with Tull. For example: One Brown Mouse was inspired, according to Ian, by Robert Burns. The song North Sea Oil was written about the touch and go oil economy in Aberdeen in the late 70's, Farm on the Freeway about the financial problems of the American farmers, Moths: the clever metaphor of the lovers being consumed by the flame, Fylingdale Flyer: about an incoming nuclear missle,and the multitude of songs based on Anglo-Scots-Celtic subject matter: Kelpie, Pibroch, Solstice Bells, Jack In The Green, Beltane, etc. And also describe the instrumentation of the songs. Unfortunately, most people seem to know Jethro Tull only by their few radio hits Bungle In The Jungle, Aqualung, & Living In The Past. While these songs are great(except for Bungle), they certainly are not the limit of what Tull are capable of. Perhaps by describing the different changes and nuances of the music, for example: the twists and turns of Thick As A Brick, the unexpected dynamics changes in Minstrel In The Gallery and Baker Street Muse, the charm of Moths and One Brown Mouse, would perk up the interest of people reading the book but are not very familiar with the band. Tull has put out a much greater variety of music than just Bungle In The Jungle. It would have been great to read why Ian is particuarly interested in Celtic subjects (I know he's Scottish, but maybe there are more reasons), what spurs his different interests, what are his favorite books, his political opinions, his views on his music. Also, I would love to know more of Martin Barre's background. Why, exactly, is he attracted to Ian's music? Which guitarists influenced him? Has he ever contemplated leaving Tull? Has he and Ian ever disagreed on the direction of the music? His favorite Tull music? In short, stuff that Tull fanatics (such as I) don't already know and that would intrigue budding Tull neophytes. And not to be ultra-cranky, but I disagreed with a lot of David's opinions on Tull's work. Contrary to David's views, I think Heavy Horses is awesome: JT's best, better than anything I've ever heard from them or anyone else; Stormwatch is excellent, certainly not mediocre; Broadsword is overpraised, Tull sounds dated on it; Too Old Too Rock N' Roll, while not their best, isn't, in my opinion, their least creative album, and most of Under Wraps is dire indeed. I hope people don't think that I disliked the book, I just think it could have been a little better. David's writing style is great: it's very laid-back and familiar, and I love his use of British slang; after all, you can't get much more British than Jethro Tull, can you? All in all, a good book that is certainly worth reading.
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Summary: A chronological history of a band, but not much more.
Review: This book is probably a must for big fans of Jethro Tull. It is a good book, but not a great book. It has extensive quotes from interviews, sometimes conflicting viewpoints - usually without much indication of which is the true story. The format is mostly: who is in the band, who is out, the next album, the next tour, repeated ... Some of the Brittish references are lost upon us Americans.
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