“Back to the Family” is from Stand Up, their second studio album, released in 1969. It was the first Jethro Tull album to feature guitarist Martin Barre, who would go on to become the band’s longtime guitarist until its initial dissolution in 2012. Before recording sessions for the album began, the band’s original guitarist…

“Ears of Tin” is from Rock Island, their 17th studio album, released in 1989. The album continued the hard rock direction the band took on the previous effort, Crest of a Knave (1987). The line-up now included Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Dave Pegg and drummer Doane Perry in his first full recording with the band,…

  Catfish Rising is the 18th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991. It is the first Tull album to feature keyboardist Andrew Giddings (on this and 2 other tracks.) The album forgoes the synthesizers and electronic instruments that were prominent in Tull’s 80’s albums, instead opting for a hard…

According to [guitarist] Martin Barre, “To Cry You a Song” was a response to Blind Faith’s “Had to Cry Today“, “ although you couldn’t compare the two; nothing was stolen… The riff crossed over the bar in a couple of places and Ian and I each played guitars on the backing tracks. It was more…

“Bourée” was recorded at Olympic Studios (the only song on the album that was.) Some regarded Olympic Studios as important as Abbey Road Studios. It proved the most difficult to record, with the band unsatisfied with any of the takes they recorded. The final version of the song was compiled later from several takes, with…