VWMusic

All images courtesy of Martin Barre/Lappen Enterprises

By Joe O’Brien
joe@vinylwriter.com

In the late ’60s, Jethro Tull was a burgeoning talent shooting to the top of a bustling British rock scene.

It wasn’t long before Ian Anderson, Mick Abrahams, and company were signed by Island Records, which led to a well-received album, This Was (1968). While acclaimed, the album’s established essence was that of a blues rock effort, not that of the grand, genre-defining prog rock epics Jethro Tull would become known for.

Exiting stage left, Mick Abrahams formed Blodwyn Pig as a vehicle for an increased focus on the blues. In his wake, a hole was left vacant for a new six-stringer to aid Anderson with the desired approach the minstrel longed for.

Anderson’s search ended with now legendary guitarist Martin Barre. Barre’s effect was immediate; consequently, Jethro Tull, as we came to know it, took shape, starting with the now revered, Stand Up (1969).

“Martin was a good musician, but he didn’t have a developed style,” said Anderson. “It was very useful for the two of us to sit together and work on songs. Songs that I’d written would evolve after we sat down together.”

With Barre in Anderson’s corner, Jethro Tull quickly evolved, as did Barre’s skills. This guided Jethro Tull to groundbreaking success and international fame in the ’70s, with albums such as Aqualung (1971) and Thick as a Brick (1972).

“Martin’s playing would also evolve over the next year or two,” Anderson reflected. He developed a musical style that was very much compatible with and a strong part of the Jethro Tull recordings in ’69. His playing continued to be a strong point moving forward. He was just a different kind of player with a different sort of background.”

For 43 years, Jethro Tull continued its prolific pace, with Barre helping to define their sound as a mainstay. A well-respected and sought-after guitarist with a diverse set of skills, Barre began a vibrant solo career that continued after he and Anderson parted ways. Currently, Martin Barre leads a strong group of musicians, playing unique shows in celebration of the music of Jethro Tull.

Dialing in from his hotel room – while on the road for the Aqualung 50th Anniversary Show – Barre took the time to talk about the current tour, Aqualung, and all things Tull.

Joe:
Tell me a little about the tour for the 50th anniversary of Aqualung.

Martin:
It’s a log jam of gigs that we were unable to do the last couple of years. We’ve rolled it forward a couple of times. There are a few variables that we can’t do anything about, weather and COVID. Those things, well, they are in the lap of the gods. I will say as far as the band goes, everyone is rock solid. They are ready, able, and willing to play. I wouldn’t say it’s at ease, but I would say that I’ve done everything I possibly can to make sure that the tour goes ahead.

Joe:
As I understand it, you’re Aqualung from start to finish. There must be some songs that you haven’t played in some time. How did you prepare?

Martin:
At first, I thought it wouldn’t work because, inevitability, on any album, there’s going to be tracks that don’t work live. But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that it was entirely possible to do. I started looking at arrangements, and it all came together. As soon as I realized it would work, it became an exciting project. We’ve sort of tweaked it to make it flow as well as possible, but it really works great live.

Joe:
Are arrangements for the live show different from those presented on Aqualung or faithful to the original album?

Martin:
In general, it’s faithful to the recording. I feel that it’s pointless to say we’re gonna do the whole of Aqualung and then just tear it apart. The only major change is that there’s no flute solo in “My God.” That particular song works well as a classical piece of music. Our version is very powerful, and the audiences we have played to so far have absolutely loved it. It all works really well. Nothing is missing. We made it stronger where it needed to be as a live entity. Essentially, it does the album justice.

Joe:
Jethro Tull’s original drummer Clive Bunker is joining you on select dates for the tour. How did that come about?

Martin:
On the last U.S. tour, Clive was with us, and it was a great bonus for the audience. Of course, he was on Aqualung. He was a very important part of it. So, it makes sense that he’s involved with the tour.

Joe:
Is the band for the tour just put together, or have you been working with this group for some time?

Martin:
It’s a mixture. Dan [Crisp], the singer, and I have been working together for eight years. Alan [Thomson], the bass player, maybe five or six years. Darby [Todd], the drummer, three or four years. We’re a very well-established and good working unit. A strong, tight band, playing music at the top of our game.

Joe:
Aqualung has long been considered one of the most revered albums of Jethro Tull’s career. What is it about Aqualung that has resonated with so many people?

Martin:
I get asked about this a lot. The answer is more with the fans because they’re the ones that made it what it is. It could have been just another album in the pipeline. It could have been an album that people didn’t take to, but they did. It was the right thing at the right time. There’s always an element of luck or circumstance. I don’t analyze it myself. I like the music. It really works great as a live performance. There isn’t another album besides maybe Stand Up or possibly Benefit, where you could play the whole album, and it would work in concert. It’s a rarity. It’s a nice sort of combination of light shade and a lot of dynamics – a challenging and rewarding piece of music.

Joe:
What is your recollection of your early days as a musician?

Martin:
As a teenager in the ’60s, it was a sort of very humdrum life. There wasn’t a lot to do. So, music had a really important role to play. Most kids wanted to play an instrument and be in a band. There were a lot of opportunities, and you still had the ability to work. Even kids at school and college could play three, four, or five nights a week. On top of all that, it was fun and a great hobby. I wouldn’t say there was a eureka moment. I never picked up a guitar and thought, “Wow, I’m going to do this for the rest of my life.” I just enjoyed it. I loved the challenges music presented. I loved the learning process and the excitement of playing live.

Joe:
How did those experiences eventually lead to you joining Jethro Tull?

Martin:
I went to college, but I got fed up with it. Disillusionment set in, and I decided to take a year off from college. Go play music and have a bit of fun. Some kids would go backpacking with a year off. I went to play music. One year became three years, and I met up with the guys in Tull. There was a blues scene in the U.K., and everybody knew of everybody else. The bands all went to go see each other play. It was a community of musicians that wanted to do something a bit more with music. We were all part of that community and were on the same page as far as the music we wanted to make. Year by year, it all expanded with no plan behind it. Things fell into place and got bigger and bigger. It was all very natural.

Joe:
As the 80s started, Jethro Tull adopted a synth-heavy approach on albums such as A, a stark contrast to the more guitar-forward attack that began with Crest of a Knave. How did those swings in sound affect your approach as a guitarist?

Martin:
I think we just had fun with electronics as most bands did. It was a novelty. In retrospect, it was a regret. When I hear music, from the 80s and early 90s, with sequences and synthesizers, I hate it. It’s a horrible sound. But at the time, they were exciting tools to write music. I could set up a sequencer and have a bit of fun. I couldn’t play keyboards, but sequencers enabled you to do anything you wanted. Electronic drums enabled you to suddenly not need a drum kit. It made things more accessible for a music writer, and we sort of got carried away with it. You cannot deny that it’s an important part of music history. When I hear that music, I grimace and feel nostalgic at the same time. I didn’t change what I did because I had that big guitar sound. I would have played the same had it been a live drummer and keyboardist. We just sort of grew out that sound and matured as a band.

Joe:
What are your plans after the tour? Are there any new releases planned?

Martin:
I’ve got a lot of music from the early days that I want to rerecord. Time is a factor, though. It’s going to be a project. I’d like to rework it and see what happens with it. I’d like to do an album of new music as well. I’ve got lots of ideas. We’ve been so full-on with the touring. I am just trying to make up for being sidelined the last couple of years. That schedule makes it difficult to record right now.

– Joe O’Brien (@JoeOB1005) is the Senior Columnist for www.vwmusicrocks.com and may be reached at joe@vinylwriter.com