Review: Jethro Tull – the first concert of the Swedish tour

The Prog Years concert in Umeå on May 2 was the first of eight shows in Sweden. Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson had chosen a good mix of songs from 1968 up to the most recent album The Zealot Gene.
The band (Ian + bassist, guitarist, keyboardist and drummer) is very well rehearsed.
However, the guys behind Ian are somewhat anonymous compared to the Tull of the 70's which really felt like a band and where each member was quite a character.

Ian Anderson is still a terrific stage personality. He has some problems with his singing, difficulties with hitting the right notes. But keep in mind that he is a 74 year old rock legend and suffers from a lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD).

Today's Jethro Tull does not have the big orchestrated sound of the 70's (check out Live Bursting Out from 1978) and we do not get the vocal harmonies from those days, but all in all it was a good concert experience.

Highlights: Songs From The Wood (one of Tull's finest songs), The Dambusters March (what a powerful ending of a concert).