The classic rock band that showed Ian Anderson “the way”
Blackpool’s bluesy hard rock/flautist prog/synth-heavy fantasy theatre Jethro Tull has endured as one of UK music’s most eccentric and confounding bands. Led by sole constant member Ian Anderson, his lyrical musings on philosophy and folklore—coupled with his wildman woodwind fronting—saw ‘The Tull’ coast through the Woodstock era to MTV bombast without ever shaking off their distinctive warts ‘n all character.
Success came to them quickly. Playing the London pub circuit under an ever-changing cycle of monikers before their booking agent staff named them after the 18th-century agriculturalist, a rapturous performance at Sunbry-on-Thames’ National Jazz and Blues Festival won them a dedicated fanbase before an album was even out. Barely two months after their 1968 debut This Was, Jethro Tull was filming The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus along with John Lennon, The Who and Eric Clapton.
Once Martin Barre had joined as guitarist, Jethro Tull supported Jimi Hendrix for several Scandinavian dates before joining Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer on a mammoth North American tour. Sharing an affinity for hard rock mixed with a hunger for exotic and far-flung musical textures, Anderson has stated that Led Zeppelin had shown he and others “the way” come the following decade.
“I think what they showed to all their peer group as musicians, was that there was, first of all, a very powerful and dramatic way to perform simple, direct rock music and also to introduce elements of more eclectic music,” Anderson told Songfacts in 2009. “Because Zeppelin, near the beginning, there were a lot of elements of folk music, and Asian music, and African music that crept into their stuff”.
He added: “Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin did share that same interest, even passion, for music that was not the normal stuff of rock and roll. And perhaps they, too, were influenced in some ways by what influenced me: Indian music, Mediterranean music, and British folk music”.
The archetypal 1970s classic rock band and exemplary of the AOR era, Led Zeppelin’s mystical aura at their hard rock centre was owed to the band’s vast creative hinterland they’d grab from. Be it ‘Stairway to Heaven’s folkloric intro, ‘Kashmir‘s desert strings, or ‘In the Light’s bent-note synthesizer, Zeppelin indeed along with Jethro Tull cast their creative net wide when conjuring their classic run of mythic LPs.
Despite Anderson’s admiration, the feeling wasn’t mutual. Prickly and aloof during the tour, it turned out Led Zeppelin just didn’t think much of their shaggy-maned support act—drummer John Bonham dubbing them “Jethro Dull” and their show “‘Bore ’em At The Forum”. Indulging in a highly fixed setlist including routine scripted interactions with the audience, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was allegedly so irked by the act he would give them the cold shoulder after each night’s performance.
While mutual tensions are without doubt, bad blood between Anderson and Plant has perhaps been overstated. “So when people ask me about my ‘feud’ with Robert Plant, then they can expect a sharp retort because there was never a feud between me and Robert Plant,” Anderson told Eon Music. “It’s one of these absurd things that seems to come up”.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.