The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull

AMG Review of The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

To some, Jethro Tull will always be associated with Ian Anderson's flute playing and more rocking, arena-worthy moments. Like Led Zeppelin, Tull was all about balancing their sonic mood swings, as they could effortlessly transform between being loud & proud rock & rollers to more tranquil folksmen in the blink of an eye. The 2007 compilation, The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull is quite self-explanatory, as the 24-track set focuses solely on the "unplugged" side of Tull. But some of Tull's finest moments were acoustic guitar-based, including such early classics as "Mother Goose," "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)," and "Fat Man" (here's a fun game to play: the next time you watch the movie Boogie Nights, try to spot the scene that uses the latter song). And while the never-ending title track from Thick as a Brick is primarily a rocking prog number, its intro is certainly one of Tull's finest acoustic moments, and is included here. However, The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull isn't just about the early-'70s era, as it includes selections from all eras, including such forgotten or oft-overlooked tracks as "Jack in the Green," "Weathercock," and "One Brown Mouse." As an overview of Tull's acoustic side, The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull thoroughly covers all the bases.