Crikey....... no review of this one? A double compilation which does, for JT, what "Smiling Phases" does for Traffic. An excellent double cd retrospective of the group's shift from a bluesy sound into something rather folkier. My overwhelming preference is for the earlier albums, up to and including "A Passion Play". Thereafter, my interest fades.
I bought this for six quid, so it was an absolute no-brainer of a purchase. Whilst it is a bit pricier than the numerous other compilations on the market, i feel it is well worth the extra. If "Living In The Past" is an excellent double LP-cum single cd compilation of the early period, the "M.U. Best Of Jethro Tull" volumes one and two are largely redundant relics. Likewise with the "Original Masters" compilation. The single disc "Very Best Of Jethro Tull" manages to do a reasonable job, but uses the odd edit version. This two disc edition succeeds in stretching things out very nicely, having far more breadth of coverage.
Disc one is a trawl through the first seven studio releases. Top-quality album tracks are interspersed with excellent non-album singles of the era, like "Living In The Past", "Christmas Song", "Teacher", "Sweet Dream" and "Life's A Long Song". It is an unimpeachably brilliant resume of this period, even if "Thick As A Brick" and "A Passion Play" are sorely under-represented. Those releases cannot, however, be done justice by a three or four minute edit.
Disc two is nothing like as big a favourite with me, but it also does a great job of showcasing the highlights from "Minstrel In The Gallery" onwards. Material is drawn from seminal JT albums like "Songs From The Wood" and "Heavy Horses". A friend really dug that period. I had more difficulty, so the second disc is a good overview for those like me.
Thirty-six quality tracks and a generous running time make for a compilation which really does satisfy. (No decent booklet, however.) Don't be drawn into buying one of the cheaper compilations, as you're likely to end up having to replace it!!