Jethro Tull

For anyone who may have missed out on the original, this is a rare treat to behold: gaining access to Tull in their near-prime. With two archived tracks from ’72 and the balance of the repertoire coming from ’82, ’86 and’93, it’s a rich and generous sampling of one of the first bands to fuse traditional English folk to rock, and who have yet to look back. Ian Anderson, Tull’s quintessential front-man, married sheer energy with elements of madness and minstrel charm, absolutely revolutionizing the importance of the flute (and the way it’s played) in many a school orchestra. Better still, their merging of folk melody to hard rock forever altered the pop landscape. There’s no denying the power that remains in featured tracks like "Aqualung,” "Locomotive Breath” and lesser-knowns like "Black Sunday” and "Pussy Willow.” Guitar freaks can also enjoy mainstay Martin Barre as he and the wily Anderson age through the decades. And although Anderson’s Elizabethan fixation cost him some critics along the way, Tull fans will be have trouble taking this 96-minute time trip without getting the goofy grin that comes with any quality flashback