Jethro Tull - Nothing is Easy: Live At The Isle of Wight 1970 [CD+DVD] (2004)

CD Review by ZowieZiggy (Daniel), Prog Archives:

This is really a fabulous document. What I do not understand though is why it took more than thirty years to release the live performance of the Tull at the Isle of Wight. A mystery. How happy would have been the million of fans to get this in those ancient days. At the time, the Tull was already well established. "Stand Up" has been number 1 in the UK so the Tull will be at the high in the hierarchy of bands to play there.

Actually they will play the last day of the festival (on Sunday, August 30th). After Donovan and before Jimi (Hendrix) : another god of mine.

As usual, the band sounds very hard on stage. The opener "My Sunday Feeling" is absolutely fabulous. The band explodes really from the first seconds of their set. Really great and already a highlight.

The best moment of this live set is IMO the track "My God" (almost a year BEFORE its release). This complex Aqualung track is superbly rendered (no choir of course but a superb flute solo).

Some songs though will not please that much in this Wight festival : "Bouree" for instance with a useless bass soloing in the middle. Even this track is as "hardened" as it can be (but it shouldn't be).

Another one is "With You there to Help Me" : there is a long piano improv which is completely out of tune here. The fanstastic studio version from "Benefit" is definitely better.

"To Cry You a Song" on the contrary pleases me better than the "Benefit" version : Ian's voice has not been "doctored" here. That was exactly what I was hoping to hear in the studio version. So, I can only be pleased. It is another highlight.

"Dharma For One" is a classic of the Tull's performances in those days but this track has never been a fave of mine. Quite extended, it will be the pretext of a drum solo which is better appreciated when you can SEE it. Rather average (the track, not the solo although we do not reach the levels of Ian Paice or John Bonham's ones).

"Nothing Is Easy" was already a good rocking song on "Stand Up" so you can imagine how strong it can be in this live version. Gorgeous. This is music history and is really representative of a (golden) era.

The sound is really great. Four stars.




DVD Review by Cluster One (James), Prog Archives:

Ian ANDERSON is insane! Or more appropriately, he is an insane performer! The energy he brings live to stage is nothing short of 'disturbing'. Think Joe Cocker with a weapon (flute) in his hand! Truly Ian ANDERSON is one of the most charasmatic and humourous characters in prog music.

This lovely DVD is not just for TULL fans, although they will no doubt consider this performance at The Isle of Wight in 1970 a masterpiece! Any fan of Prog music NEEDS to see TULL perform live in their 'prime'.

In actuality there are only 5 songs performed by the TULL from the actual Isle Festival (plus 'Bouree' in the form of a small interlude). There is also another performance included from "The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus" in which the TULL perform 'A Song For Jeffrey' with none other than Tony IOMMI on guitar. The performances here sum up EXACTLY what the TULL are: Ian ANDERSON dominating the stage, backed up by competent performances by the rest of the band (too bad not enough is seen of underappreciated guitarist Martin BARRE, as well as John EVAN on keyboards who is not seen at all!)

The highlight (for me) from this show was Ian's performance of 'My God'. This tune had not yet been released ("Aqualung" not coming out until the following year). Very powerful stuff! However this is the only 'real' prog tune you will be exposed to here from the TULL. Most of the other tunes (while excellent) are from their earlier, bluesy years.

Modern day Ian ANDERSON wittily narrates the entire show, discussing the Isle of Wight Festival, its bands, the atmosphere and politics at the time. But coming in at a mere 1 hour 20 minutes (short for most musical DVD's) and having zero in the way of bonus material, I was left wanting more, more, more! And much to my chagrin, Stevie NICKS is nowhere to be found in this concert. Damn you Hugues! ;-)

So, the performances by TULL are powerful and excellent. It's just that there are only 5-6 of them, and only 1 of these are definitively a progressive tune. Otherwise this DVD would have warranted a masterpiece rating to be sure! Highly entertaining and recommended. TULL fans if you don't have this in your collection, you should be ashamed!

In this DVD , you will see:

- how the Isle Of Wight Festival was actually a fiasco
- Glen Cornick play bass guitar on My God (the Aqualung album was not yet out)
- the Tramp tearing and ripping apart his long tailcoat by stepping wildly on the tail
- Tony Iommi (of Black Sabbath fame ) play guitar on the Rolling Stone RNR Circus
- the Clive Bunker technique of tightening his drum skin while soloing
- hear and see Ian talking of his phallic flute
- hear how Tull became original by not being a guitar god
- Ian explain the one-legged stance and its over-use
- feel the extraodinary power of the early Tull
- how Ian anderson is probably the most outspoken and colourful/hilarious character around.
- the light (or the Enlightenment!!!!)



Tracklisting:
CD:
1. My Sunday Feeling (5:21)
2. My God (7:31)
3. With You There To Help Me (9:59)
4. To Cry You A Song (5:41)
5. Bourée (4:35)
6. Dharma For One (10:11)
7. Nothing Is Easy (5:36)
8. Medley: We Used To Know/For A Thousand Mothers (10:38)

Total Time: 59:29

DVD:
1. Introduction - "Just an Old Guy Having Fun"
2. Festival Opens
3. Sound Check - "Fences Ruin the World"
4. Bouree
5. Jethro Tull - Stage Introduction & Tuning Up
6. My Sunday Feeling
7. Origins of Jethro Tull - The Only Rock and Roll Flute Band
8. Song for Jeffrey - The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus
9. Phallic Flute
10. Ian Anderson Banter
11. My God
12. Something Different About Jethro Tull
13. Dharma for One
14. Tension and Violence at the Festival
15. Nothing Is Easy
16. "A Festival With All Stops Pulled Out"
17. Encore Medley Intro
18. We Used to Know/For a Thousand Mothers
19. Watershed Time - Hippies vs. Establishment

Total Time: 79:29