Minstrels in the Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull

by David Rees

Fronted by Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull were one of the biggest grossing acts of the 1970s. Published to coincide with their 30th anniversary, this book features interviews and photographs of the band. The author has produced the Jethro Tull magazine, A New Day.

Genres: Music, Biography

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 1998

Reviews

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Three decades during which a remarkably gifted band of minstrels, guided by one of the true musical geniuses of our time, have created a unique brand of music. You can't dance to it, many simply can't listen to it, but to the millions of delighted record buyers and concert goers that discovered the special sound of Jethro Tull at various points of the epic journey, there is nothing quite like it. The sound is still undefinable, yet instantly recognisable."

David Rees' Minstrels In The Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull (1998, 2021) can hardly be considered a traditional biography-type book. The author had been the editor and publisher of a Jethro Tull fanzine, The New Day, for many years; thus Minstrels In The Gallery reads as a collection of fanzine issues. It is a thirty-year-long compilation of news about the band, about insanely frequent personnel changes, descriptions of performances, and some gossip. It is a difficult read because of the stunning amount of detail provided on every page. The overlong paragraphs filled with dense text do not help either.

Jethro Tull, one of the most famous rock bands in the popular music history, has been one of my favorite groups. Being a member of a generation for whom rock music used to be the single most important thing in life, I advanced from late teens to early twenties listening to Jethro Tull's music. I loved their progressive sensibilities and their ventures into classical music (remember Jethro Tull's version of J.S. Bach's Bourrée?) I loved Ian Anderson's flute playing and the British folk music influences.

Jethro Tull's story begins in 1963, when three school friends form The Blades, which - after countless personnel and band name changes - evolves into Jethro Tull. The big breakthrough comes in August 1968, when their performance at Sunbury Jazz and Blues Festival receives both popular and critical acclaim. Their first album, This Was, is released the same year, and the band begins getting invitation to play as a supporting act for such hyper-popular groups like Led Zeppelin. The peak of their world fame occurs during the 1970 - 1973 period; the band tour almost continuously all over the world and keeps releasing new albums. In fact, they keep touring and performing individual concerts all the way until 1998, when Mr. Rees' narration ends.

The author includes several fragments that break the monotony of personnel changes and performance descriptions, such as a passage about Ian Anderson (the only permanent member of Jethro Tull) as a very successful salmon farming and processing businessman, creating jobs in Scotland.

While the book is an absolutely essential read for any Jethro Tull fan, I doubt if it will be interesting for anyone who has not listened to their music.

(Let me note that, contrary to the Goodreads blurb above my review, there are no pictures in the book.)

Two-and-a-quarter stars.

[Astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited, damn excited. And I kind of still am in a fan-girling-mood. It felt for me like the story of one of my favourite bands is coming to an end with the last chapter of this book. But fortunately it's not. It was an open end obviously as it was written in 1998 and speculated about another album of Jethro Tull which in fact came a year later. I haven't listened to it yet though (I'm stuck with older stuff due to its impressive beauty)
To a lot of reviews and statements regarding some of the albums I could not agree. Mostly when Reeves called the music "no traditional Tull". But I came to the simple conclusion that I just experienced Jethro Tull's music complete out of chronological order. I cannot remember with what Album I started but it certainly was not the first one or the breaking through Aqualung. So to me there never was anything like a traditional or original Tull, I never compared Tull's music with the earlier or the best reviewed stages. I just listened and was most of the time overwhelmed. Of course there are differences and they are as obvious to me as to every other interested listener but I usually welcomed those, rating them rather as genius varieties than as fails or downgrades.

So as you can see I am really in love with that unique music and am happy about now having an idea about the names and changes behind it.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps a little worse than Minstrels in the Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull but not by much. This book was written 15 years before, but has more thorough coverage of the 1980s and 1990s (personally not of great appeal for me).

Both books are written by passionate longtime fans who are not really qualified researchers, interviewers, or writers. Musical discussion is not the focus and any that is included is very superficial. Each author got some interviews (neither book has a monopoly on good sources) and tried to weave long quotes into a narrative. One wishes that the two books could be combined and then given a thorough reworking by a good editor.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

#111 of 120 books pledged to read during 2018

Excellent book about one of my favorite bands, Jethro Tull, (shamefully not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet-- in fact I don't think they've ever even been nominated). There are very few books about the band out there in comparison to other bands who have been as successful, and this book covered the essentials; in fact, discussed a few albums I haven't heard and want to seek out now!

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite bands. This quick dash through their career is excellent. I wish he'd spent more time on the making of Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, and A Passion Play, simply because those 3 albums are special to me.

[Gregory Dewaegheneire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, I would have given it a 5 star if it was updated and more exhaustive.

[Kevin O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Rees is the publisher of the Jethro Tull fanzine A New Day, which takes its name from a song on the album Stand Up, and he wrote this book to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the group. This book is a history of the group, and of interest to fans. If you aren't a fan of Jethro Tull you should pass this up.

[Cheri Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this group. Was hoping for a little dirt on something....anything. It was an ok book.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the band, but the Kindle sample for this book was rambly, disjointed, and just too hard to follow. I doubt I'd ever read the full book.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satisfying history of the band; good interview sources.