Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses: New Shoes Edition - (Parlophone/Rhino)
by Kevin Wierzbicki
.
This year is the 50th anniversary of Jethro Tull and Parlophone and Rhino Records have been releasing expanded box set editions of classic Tull albums in the lead-up to the milestone, all of which feature as their centerpiece a Steven Wilson remix of the original album. So the first disc of this 3CD 2DVD cleverly-named New Shoes Edition of Heavy Horses finds Wilson working his remix magic on the original recording and also includes nine "associated recordings," all but two of which ("Beltane," "Living in These Hard Times (Version One)") are previously-unreleased. Among the unheard folk rockers are an early version of "Jack A Lynn," a manic studio take on "Quatrain" and "Horse-Hoeing Husbandry;" all are well-written and well-performed and it is a bit surprising that these gems are just now being released for the first time. The other two CDs hold a live concert recorded in Switzerland in 1978 featuring a few cuts from Heavy Horses and a bevy of favorites like "Thick as a Brick," "Cross Eyed Mary," "Minstrel in the Gallery," "Locomotive Breath" and "Aqualung." The first (audio) DVD is the same as the first CD except presented in 5.1 stereo; the other DVD holds audio of the Swiss concert, again in 5.1, and videos for "Heavy Horses" and "Moths" along with a couple television ads from the era. The set's accompanying booklet has nearly 100-pages featuring lyrics, rare photos, interview pieces and a track-by-track annotation by Jethro Tull front man Ian Anderson, rounding out a special package that will be treasured by any Tull fan. Get your copy here.
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses: New Shoes Edition - (Parlophone/Rhino)
