Flute Rock?

Living in the Past by Jethro Tull

When you think of the instruments that make up the powerful soul of what fans endearingly call Rock, undoubtedly the flute is at the top of the list. Just kidding, sort of. The flute is probably not the first instrument to come to mind, unless of course you are a Jethro Tull fan.

Jethro Tull formed in 1967 around lead singer and flute virtuoso Ian Anderson. The band’s sound was as electrifying as any of the great 70s rockers, sprinkled with Classical sensibilities and accents of Jazz Fusion. Every musician in the Tull family is mind blowing and the collective sound rich and complex. Listening to Anderson effortlessly transition between vocals and the flute is enough to overwhelm the senses.

The actual person Jethro Tull was an agriculturist who made major contributions to farming in the 1700s. Interestingly, the lead singer/flutist became the purveyor of fish farms as his parallel career. Anderson, by the way, turned 76 this month, August.

Side note, I married a flutist. She does not play Rock flute, and the fact that I like Jethro Tull had nothing to do with marrying her. Sometimes it is just fun to add a seemingly connected, but not at all relevant fact.  

Living in the Past is a two album, red wine colored, hardcover compilation with gold inking and a twelve-page full spread photo book. It truly is one of the most visually beautiful albums I own, amazing music aside.

For those following Vinyl Notes know that I only (for the most part) collect originally released vinyl, which also means the vinyl is used. Some more well-loved (imperfections, and doodles, and coffee stains) than others. One of the great pleasures of collecting that which was first loved by another is finding some personal keepsake to go with the vinyl, and there are several examples in my collection. In this one, there is a sheet of paper with a pencil sketch of Ian Anderson translated from one of the photos. The drawing is really good, left behind by accident or intentionally. An intimate mark to demonstrate how much the album meant to that person.