In 1991, Jethro Tull was still riding on the success that was started in 1987 with Crest Of A Knave.  That record started a resurgence in the Tull fan-base that carried them along with some modest record sales, but in concert is where they started doing better.  I remember seeing them a few times on this tour, and every one of the shows was extremely crowded is not sold out.  It only makes sense that they would want to capitalize on the momentum and release a live snapshot of what they were up to in 1991.  Captured in that same year at the Hammersmith Odeon in London this is a good representation of latter day Tull.  Unfortunately, this is not a full concert so what we get are only a few highlights. I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t add more material on here since they only utilized approximately 53 minutes.  Surely they could have added a few more tunes to give us value for the money.  I also have to take a few points off due to the song titles being wrong (more on that later).  All that being said, I will take any Jethro Tull release, and this is one still captures the band in fine form.

Although it states “Minstrel in the Gallery” at the beginning of the song, there is just the slightest of snippets of that track.  It is fully “Cross-Eyed Mary” that is being played here, and they do a great version of this Aqualung classic.  The ominous start lets Ian Anderson put his signature flute over the top.  Although prog, it is still one of the heavier Tull compositions.

Hailing from the Catfish Rising record, this is the first single released from that album.  It has a rockier sound that reminds me a little of Dire Straits.  There is definitely a late 80s/early 90s rock sound with a very hit-single structure.

This track is where Jethro Tull blended their earlier folky sound with some elements of their later material.  The structure of the song is based on acoustic guitar but there is some great lead guitar work provided by Martin Barre.  They also manage to squeeze in a cool little jazzy flute and piano section to break up the verses.  By far, this track alone is worth picking up this disc.

Culled from the album of the same name, this folk classic is again built around some renaissance sounding acoustic guitar work.  There are a few parts where the band starts to rock out is a glorious sonic-scape but overall, it is very folkish.

Here is where we get the first of the misnamed song titles.  This track is off of Catfish Rising and is called "Like a Tall Thin Girl.”  That kind of stuff drives me up a wall but there you go.  This one has a bit of a Moroccan sound that is based off acoustic guitar, but there is some very cool drum work.  Barre also makes his presence felt with some nice lead guitar work here and there.

The actual title of this one is "Still Loving You Tonight".  This one is a bit of a bluesy piece that showcases Barre’s playing throughout.  The lyrics are more latter day Tull, but the main focus is still on the music with the focus on the blues guitar playing.

For Jethro Tull fans, this is the height of their prog glory.  Although it is from a record where it takes up both sides of the vinyl. Here we only get approximately eight minutes of the 43-minute original.  What we do get is the most popular part of the track and the one they performed after they no longer played the whole thing in concert.  It starts off with the familiar acoustic guitar but builds to a more rocking section towards the end of this truncated version.

Harkening back to the early days with Stand Up, this old favorite finds the band back in their heavy blues roots.  Although some of the rougher edges are stripped for a cleaner sound, Ian Anderson and company play it with the same conviction as the original.  Barre in particular, puts in a fierce performance.

I know I have heard this song before (not as an instrumental) but I can’t put my finger on it.  It starts off with some whimsical keyboards, and then the other instruments join in, first being the acoustic guitar.  As it progresses, it morphs into a blues jam (no pun intended) with some harmonica thrown in for good measure.  While it is a nice little instrumental jam, this release would have benefitted from a different song.

The Dire Straits sound comes in again on this Crest of a Knave track.  Although the Tull sound is diluted, it is still a cool rocking song where they start with some acoustic guitar but give way to more of a hard rock structure.  Even the solo by Barre does not sound like his usual bluesy playing.