(Eagle Vision)

www.eaglerockent.com

When it came to prominence in the world of Rock, Jethro Tull were well past their prime when they were filmed for Germany's "Rockpop in Concert" television series in the mid ‘80s.  Yet, judging from the two segments included on this new high-quality DVD compilation, you'd never know it.  An anthology of sorts that includes a series of German TV concerts spanning the years 1970 through 1993, Jack in the Green spotlights a band that refuses to concede any mishaps brought on by aging and a waning reputation. 

Nevertheless, braving their way forward was not without its risks, as Jack in the Green makes abundantly clear.  The fascinating footage of the younger Tull in a pair of rare but abbreviated performances recorded in 1970 and ‘71, and a look at a later Tull, as seen in 1993, offers what could have been an unintentionally cruel contrast.  Fortunately, all the group's various incarnations redeem themselves admirably, thanks mostly to Ian Anderson's undiminished enthusiasm and his tireless ability to put his band through its paces.

The disc's opening segment, recorded in 1982, find Anderson and company as tenacious as ever as they work through a set list consisting of songs from their folk-baroque period of Heavy Horses and Broadsword and the Beast, along with the obligatory "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath."   Anderson, hyper-animated as always, proves the perfect master of ceremonies; a hairy shaman clad in leather waist jacket and yellow tights, he mugs, postures, gestures and grimaces with a frenzy and fury befitting his reputation as a showman extraordinaire.  The rest of the band also rises to the challenge, with guitarist Martin Barre in fine form in his role as musical foil and faithful sidekick.  Unfortunately, the DVD jacket, while offering reflections from Anderson and others, neglects to give musician credits, which, given Tull's rotating cast of characters, leaves all but the most knowledgeable fans groping to guess the names of the other players.

The shows that follow, though more abbreviated, are equally effusive and, as a plus for the more casual fan as they focus mostly on familiar fare like "Thick As A Brick and "Too Old To Rock ‘n' Roll, Too Young To Die" (1986), "My Sunday Feeling" (1993) and the perennial classics "With You There To Help Me" and "Nothing Is Easy" (1970, 1971).  Despite considerable gaps in the dates between these sessions and an increasingly crustier appearance, they‘re neither staid nor sedate in those later years, given that their electricity, enthusiasm and eccentricity remain unabated.  That provides the Tull trademark with a consistency that's not only admirable but extraordinary as well.

Spotlight Tracks: "Nothing Is Easy," "Heavy Horse," "Aqualung" LEE ZIMMERMAN