Vocal ANALYSIS of Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath" and some classic rock flute!

My best friend suffers from Alzheimer’s, and a memory she has lost was of meeting Ian Anderson after one of his concerts. She went to Waffle House before going home. And there he sat. She was never shy, so she walked str8 up to him and offered to buy him coffee. He looks up and said “Oh, the hat I kept seeing has followed me here!” And she sat down and they talked. She was wearing a purple sequined hat. Her husband described Ian as a dirty little bald man, that pisses in the sink! Just to get her goat. When she told him that, he says “Well, Lass, he’s not too far wrong” he has an amazing sense of humor. This song was a favorite of hers. She taught both of my children an appreciation for music they still enjoy today. She literally was an encyclopedia of Rock n Roll. She would say things like, when I grow up I wanna be Neil Young’s Guitar, lol. She was a Beatle Baby and George was her favorite. And she got to meet him. I miss my friend. Alzheimer’s is a thief.

my guitar teacher said he witnessed Ian Anderson indeed toss his flute, catch it, and immediately begin playing. I always feel like all he needs is some antlers and fuzzy legs hahaha

Please listen to the studio version. It’s quite different and even though this performance is amazing the original is a masterpiece ❤

Ian is the truest Bard. He pulls you into a story with his singing and music. Jethro Tull is being brought into another reality, totally amazing!

I used this song to inspire my daughter when her school band director recommended she play a flute. She eventually became 1st chair. ❤

Jethro Tull is without a doubt the MOST underrated band in rock. They've produced over 20 studio albums spanning 4 decades and filled arenas during their heyday of the 70s. How they are not in the HoF is beyond me.

Martin Barre went for an audition with Tull when he was a kid, got so scared he chickened out, then rang Ian and asked for another go. I think the world is a better place for that second chance.

Fun Fact, it wasn't until his daughter began music classes that Ian began to actually learn music. He wanted to understand what his daughter was talking about, which means he was doing all of this by ear. This is after he had performed with symphonies and had written to truly epic length musical pieces like Passion Play and Thick as a Brick.

So happy to see Elizabeth react to one of the most Iconic voices. So unmistakable. Not many can match Ian Anderson's stage presence.

When I was young, we used to listen to our favorite records. Now we watch a young person listening to our music.

You are the only musical analyst that I will watch. I'm 68 years old. I was there. You completely get it !!

When you went to a Tull concert you were fully engaged and by the end of the show, you were exhausted. Their show was an onslaught of sounds, feelings, and tempo changes.

Her genuine geeking-out always brings a smile to me and makes me laugh. No one delves deeper in their analyses... A joy to watch and learn with her.

Ian Anderson was self taught on the flute, picking up the instrument for the first time in 1968. He played the instrument incessantly for 2 or 3 years and gained this proficiency. Martin Barre is the lead guitar, and is seriously underrated.

I have never found anyone other than Ian Anderson that can pull off all of this live. A lot of artists can get great things in the studio but very few can even come close to Jethro Tull. Huge part of my teen years.

I promoted the first U .S.Tull tour in 70&71. Ohio Stater’s said “we will make enough on the “Osmond Brothers “to be able to take a chance on Jerry Tull! Sold 10,000 tickets in 4 hrs. They thought I brought in the Devil!

Ian Anderson, the mad minstrel. He brought a sound to rock that has never been imitated.

I once sat, with a few friends, at the front for Tull at Hammersmith. When the band came on, a bloke in a long coat who had been sitting at the end of the row got up onto the stage - it was Ian Anderson - and started singing "Songs from the Wood". He had had to sit there for some time listening to our opinions of his work.

Stunning for the 70's? This type of creativity might not be possible today.

the studio version has one of the most epic intros in all of Rock, and you miss it in this live version.