Chateau D’Isaster Tapes
Thick As A Brick‘s Shelved Follow-Up
After the rousing financial success of Aqualung and Thick As A Brick, Jethro Tull found themselves in French tax exile. And, it was outside of Paris, at the Chateau D’Herouville, where they began work on the highly anticipated, highly contentious, A Passion Play. The sessions ended up mysteriously abandoned, due to “ill health, technical and production problems, and the sudden decision to return to the U.K.” These tapes, The Chateau D’Isaster Tapes, represent the fruits of those labors… material that composer Ian Anderson would later re-evaluate, re-write, re-arrange and re-record. The sessions’ original concept seemed to be a construct about man’s relationship with the animal kingdom, and one of the cornerstone themes would later morph into War Child‘s “Bungle In The Jungle.” But, it’s the maze-like, instrumental extremes of A Passion Play that dominate – performed here in a more palatable, and concisely abbreviated, form which you can witness below in the 9 minute, “Critique Oblique.” Actually, this music comes from disc one of 1993′s Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters, an official 2CD set featuring rarities spanning 1973-1991. Except for fans, however, this post-Brick, pre-Passion material has been largely overlooked, and since this era represents Jethro Tull at their peak, it’s submitted here for your approval. Get the whole thing @ Amazon.
First Post (1:55)
Animelee (1:41)
Tiger Toon (1:35)
Look At The Animals (5:10)
Law Of The Bungle (2:32)
Law Of The Bungle, Part II (5:26)
Left Right (5:03)
Solitaire (1:25)
Critique Oblique (9:03)
Post Last (5:36)
Scenario (3:26)
Audition (2:34)
No Rehearsal (5:13)
17 Comments
Nice find.
Never knew about this!
famousbass
I second that emotion. Easily my favorite era of the mighty Tull. Thanks for sharing, Capt.
This looks very interesting, Willard, and it's been awhile since my curiosity has been piqued by a Jethro Tull post. I'm real selective with these guys, but, yeah, you're right: peak-period JT is damn good stuff indeed. I remember hearing some of this material (e.g. "No Rehearsal") on the Jethro Tull box set that came out back in 1987 if I remember correctly and liking it quite a bit, so I'm game for hearing the complete "Chateau D'isaster" sessions. Much obliged.
RF
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At one time everytime I turned on the T.V. here in the U.K. there was Ian Anderson dressed in a ragged frockcoat, standing on one leg waving his arms about, and staring into the camera like a demented `Fagin`. The theatrics always put me of the fact that this band were great musicians who were at the top of the game.
I later came to buy the albums, and really got into them, but i have not heard of these unreleased sessions, so thanks Willard, this is amazing stuff.
Not exactly unreleased, but that's detailed in the text. I had the fortune to accidently catch their first tour of the US and thought they were wonderful. As a result, I went back to each of the next 5 tours, (A Passion Play twice), and they got better each time. In the end, Jethro Tull was the act I've seen the more than any other (with a few business exceptions). And, while I caught a lot of great shows back in the day, JT were the most consistently entertaining live act I've ever seen.
Thanks for this, Willard. I'm very curious, and I've been a Tull fan for decades.
One quick question — the artwork that is included in the archive is different from the art on the post, and it indicates that it is from a 2 CD collection. To your knowledge, is there a more "complete" version of these sessions floating around somewhere?
Cheers!
Paul
It's all spelled out in the text. There's an Amazon link, too. I used different artwork in the post so people familiar with the album wouldn't ask, 'Where's the rest of it?'
Capt Willard you are a genious. Love right up tothis period of Jethro Tull, I thought they lost their way with Stormwatch and war child ext
Regards
Rhod
Willard – you are naughty.
I get to the point where I think "well I seem to have all the music I need" then you come along with something like this and the Dan Hicks stuff and I'm back searching again.
Thanks for your considerable efforts.
My previous comment will now self destruct. I have destroyed all evidence. They'll never know…
HA! I'm leaving the residue as proof that something, indeed, took place here. Thanks, as always, for commenting.
One can only say, cool.
Saw them twice on the Thick As A Brick tour, at the beginning and the end. One of the most original and unique bands. Thanks very much for this unknown (to me) music!
re-up please?
working through tull, and hendrix.
New link up. Don’t forget the Ian Anderson solo album we’ve got. HERE
Good Point! Thanks for that. I remember when that was released.