“So sad”: Ian Anderson’s theory on why nobody really liked Madonna
Ian Anderson might be the flute-wielding frontman of Jethro Tull and a master at crafting intricate prog rock, but do not be fooled by the harmonious flow of his woodwind. Despite his inextricable connection to the musical land of fantasy and out-there sonics, Anderson has always been an outspoken figure, eschewing the hushed, nerdy archetype attached to the realm of music he’s associated with.
At face value, it might seem strange that Anderson is an outspoken character, but when you scratch a little deeper, you find that this brazen attitude is something inherent to practically every single innovator of his generation. After all, it was a time of game-changing innovation across the board, so it was only natural that the leading lights of music should be equally as opinionated; if they weren’t, they wouldn’t have felt so compelled to institute such influential musical shifts. They would have continued plodding along the monotonous track laid out for them by their parents and the rest of society.
While prog has long been considered an uncool genre—unless you’re a diehard fan who was there at its inception when it was undeniably fresh, or perhaps a moderately wealthy, Alfa Romeo-driving small businessman who insists that Genesis represents the pinnacle of rock excellence—Jethro Tull is a band that likely doesn’t receive the full recognition they deserve.
After all, in an era when many bands were still playing it safe by today’s standards, they fused genres uniquely and conceived a wholly unusual sound. They continued on their path regardless of the zeitgeist and struck real gold on albums such as 1971’s Aqualung and the following year’s epic Thick as a Brick, which cemented them as leading lights in this new form of sonic fusion called prog.
Given that Anderson was one of the leading musicians of his generation and has succeeded in trying his hand at an array of sounds, from jazz to rock and electronic to symphonic, he’s as confident in his abilities as you might expect him to be and emboldened to comment on the work of others, free from the fear of offending. Offering insight into his singular being, he even once admitted that he was “never really a Beatles fan”, a brief comment that accounts for much of how Jethro Tull saw themselves and their place in music.
Elsewhere, Anderson has shared that, unlike many of his generation, he approaches new music with an open mind, evaluating it on its merits rather than dismissing it outright. Interestingly, he’s admitted to enjoying some punk, a rarity among his peers. However, he concedes that when it comes to first-wave punk artists, he tends to buy their greatest hits, fearing that much of their catalogue might otherwise be a “pile of shit”.
Of course, Anderson is also an expert on showbiz. He may be a prog rocker, but Anderson has enjoyed immense worldwide success, giving him insight into how other stars operate, including Madonna. Speaking to The Tapes Archive in 1993, Anderson expertly outlined that as soon as someone becomes monetarily successful as a musician, they tread on thin ice with some of the subjects they can address in their music, as opposed to when they were a penniless, struggling musician; that’s just the paradox they have to deal with. He did maintain, though, that it’s best to get rid of the trappings of fame and be as down-to-earth as possible when at the summit.
For this reason, Anderson supposed that Phil Collins making millions was much easier to comprehend for the world than Michael Jackson or Madonna because the English musician doesn’t come across as overly immersed in “showbiz” and is less likely to upset.
Then, he reasoned why no one seems to like Madonna, a reality he dubbed tragic. He said: “Whereas Madonna is sort of archetypal Hollywood show biz power crazy, sort of over the top. I mean I don’t think anybody really likes Madonna, that’s the sad thing, and yet there’s a lot of talent and, you know, character there. It’s just that, you can’t like this woman, you know, it’s so sad, isn’t it?”
It seems that many people of Anderson’s generation take issue with Madonna and her characterising the ridiculous essence of show business. Even Paul McCartney, a man not known to be offensive, has had a significant issue with the American singer due to what he claimed was her deeply haughty approach.
