1. MUSIC 39
Ian Anderson chats up his tour
SHOWTIME • SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
BY NICK TATE
STAFF WRITER
IAN ANDERSON Do you like Radiohead?
They’re possibly the worst
Jethro Tull frontman Ian An- Where: Carefree Theatre, 2000 S. band I’ve ever heard in my life.
derson has played several roles Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. They were playing at the Mon-
during the band’s 36-year run: When: 8 p.m. Thursday. treaux Jazz Festival the night
Brit-folk troubadour, wild-eyed Tickets: $52.50; Ticketmaster after us this recent July. . . .
r&b flutist and Elizabethan (561-966-3309, 954-523-3309, They were dreary, drab. The
prog-rocker. But the latest in- 305-358-5885). lighting was just awful and the
carnation is the strangest yet: sound was even worse. The
talk show host. going back to 1968 when I guy [Thom Yorke] sings like,
Anderson’s new Rubbing El- wrote a song called A Christ- well, he’s out of tune, he’s out
bows tour, which plays the mas Song. So that’s one of the of time and sounds like he
Carefree Theatre in West Palm songs I decided we would re- doesn’t want to be there. . . .
Beach on Thursday, combines record, along with some newly But, having said that, if they’d
acoustic rock and talk in a club written music, and some been there the night before to
setting that allows fans to ask church music and classical mu- watch us, they probably would
questions. sic. I’ve taken a couple tradi- have walked out after 10 min-
“This is a different thing al- tional melodies and tried to utes. So it takes all kinds.
together from a Jethro Tull give them that kind of folky, What do you make of the
show,” says Anderson, 56, jazzy Christmas-y feel that’s controversy over sharing mu-
from his offices in England. something indefinable but sic online?
“It’s very chatty, very informal, comes from old Europe. . . . I think the basic question
very ‘living room.’ I try to give The danger, obviously, is that here is not to do with stealing
them the impression that I am people will say, “Oh, goodness money from, you know, Ma-
accessible. But we don’t take me, Ian Anderson has turned riah Carey or Britney some-
requests!” into Bing Crosby with a flute.” body-or-other — whatever her
Anderson and a quartet That’s not my primary aim. name is. The issue is that the
showcase the softer side of Tull Do you think pop music will major record companies — like
with favorites including Life’s ever again see albums like them or loathe them — are the
a Long Song and Skating Thick as a Brick or A Passion folks who pay for the develop-
Away, and material from two Play, which contained single ment, the signing, the research
new albums: the solo Anderson tracks that ran 40 to 45 min- . . . for new talent. And if you
set Rupi’s Dance and the Jeth- utes? take away their profit margins,
ro Tull Christmas Album. I can’t see it ever happening you take away the opportunity
He spoke by phone about the again, because I don’t think for them to invest in the talent
sun-sentinel.com
shows, the new albums and we’ll ever go back to that naive of tomorrow, and they’re going
what’s ahead for the Edin- and innocent welcoming of rel- to play the sure bet. And that
burgh, Scotland, native, who atively complex music. . . . We means more of what we had
once observed, “You’re never live in a much faster world, yesterday, with a new haircut
too old to rock and roll if you’re where people want the payoff and a new dress on it. We won’t
too young to die.” even quicker than ever before see anything like the taking of
What kind of response are and certainly in pop or rock chances that gave rise to all the
you getting on tour? Do you music terms. great music of the ’70s and in-
have to deal with people Although progressive rock deed the ’80s.
shouting for Aqualung? does seems to be making a bit
Actually, hardly anybody of a comeback with bands like
shouts for anything because Radiohead. Nick Tate can be reached at
they understand in the first 30 Yes, but wearing my cynical ntate@sun-sentinel.com or
seconds of the show that this is hat I do sometimes find myself 954-356-4512.
something that doesn’t obey thinking, “oh God, please stop
rock ’n’ roll rules. I’ve been trying to sound like Genesis
really heartened to have this in 1976.” . . . What I like
level of communication with about progressive rock is
audiences who, at a rock con- when it isn’t ostensibly
cert, are just necessarily a little imitating the ’70s
bit more removed. I think they bands, but is taking pop
instinctively know what to do, and rock forms and do-
just because they’ve been ing something original,
brought up with it. . . . These interesting and develop-
are people who’ve been fed on mental with them.
a diet of the American talk
show.
What does a solo album
PB • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2003
give you that the band experi-
ence doesn’t?
[The music] can go wherev- TALK
er it wants to go. It has no pre- SHOW:
conceptions that it has to have Jethro Tull’s
a part for drums or electric gui- Ian
tar. Now the Jethro Tull Anderson
Christmas Album that we’ve talks with his
just made, obviously, does em- audience —
ploy the talents of the other just don’t ask
musicians extensively. for requests.
Why a Christmas album? File photo
Jethro Tull has a few songs,