The Jethro Tull Christmas Album

Studio album (Christmas) by Jethro Tull

Released

30 September 2003 (US)

Genre

Progressive rock, folk rock, jazz fusion, Christmas

Length

62:16
126:29 (with Christmas at St Bride's 2008)

Label

Fuel 2000 , RandM

Producer

Ian Anderson

Jethro Tull chronology

Essential
(2003)

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
(2003)

Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
(2004)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)^[2]

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album is the 21st and final studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003 (see 2003 in music).

Content

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album is a mix of new material, re-recordings of Tull's own suitably themed material and arrangements of traditional Christmas music. In 2009, the live album Christmas at St Bride's 2008 was included with the original album on CD.

Ian Anderson about the song "Birthday Card at Christmas": "My daughter Gael, like millions of other unfortunates, celebrates her birthday within a gnat's whisker of Christmas. Overshadowed by the Great Occasion, such birthdays can be flat, perfunctory and fleetingly token in their uneventful passing. The daunting party and festive celebration of the Christian calendar overshadows too, some might argue, the humble birthday of one Mr. J. Christ. Funny old 25ths, Decembers…"

Track listing

"Birthday Card at Christmas" (Ian Anderson) – 3:37
"Holly Herald" (Instrumental medley arranged by Anderson) – 4:16
"A Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 2:47
"Another Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 3:31
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (Trad. instrumental arranged by Anderson) – 4:35
"Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow" (Anderson) – 3:37
"Last Man at the Party" (Anderson) – 4:48
"Weathercock" (Anderson) – 4:17
"Pavane" (Instrumental, Gabriel Fauré, arranged by Anderson) – 4:19
"First Snow on Brooklyn" (Anderson) – 4:57
"Greensleeved" (Trad. instrumental based on "Greensleeves". Arranged by Anderson) – 2:39
"Fire at Midnight" (Anderson) – 2:26
"We Five Kings" (Instrumental "We Three Kings", Rev. J. Hopkins, arranged by Anderson) – 3:16
"Ring Out Solstice Bells" (Anderson) – 4:04
"Bourée" (Instrumental J. S. Bach, arranged by Anderson) – 4:25
"A Winter Snowscape" (Instrumental, Martin Barre) – 4:57

Tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, and 15 are all re-recordings of previously released pieces. 'Bourée', however, has significant alterations to the musical arrangement.

Christmas at St Bride's 2008

Recorded Live at St Bride's Church

"Weathercock" (Ian Anderson) – 4:41
"Introduction: Rev. George Pitcher / Choir: What Cheer" (William Walton) – 3:32
"A Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 3:19
"Living in These Hard Times" (Anderson) – 3:44
"Choir: Silent Night" (Traditional) – 3:06
"Reading: Ian Anderson, Marmion" (Sir Walter Scott) – 2:17
"Jack in the Green" (Anderson) – 2:33
"Another Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 3:56
"Reading: Gavin Esler, God's Grandeur" (Gerard Manley Hopkins) – 1:50
"Choir: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" (Traditional) – 3:50
"Reading: Mark Billingham, The Ballad of The Breadman" (Charles Causley) – 3:33
"A Winter Snowscape" (Martin Barre) – 3:39
"Reading: Andrew Lincoln, Christmas" (Sir John Betjeman) – 3:12
"Fires at Midnight" (Anderson) – 3:38
"We Five Kings" (Instrumental "We Three Kings", Rev. J. Hopkins, arranged by Anderson) – 3:19
"Choir: Gaudete" (Trad. arranged by Anderson) – 3:39
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen / Thick as a Brick" (Trad. arranged by Anderson / Anderson) – 10:25

Personnel

Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson – flute, vocals, acoustic guitars, mandolin, piccolo, percussion
Martin Barre – electric and acoustic guitars
Andrew Giddings – keyboards, accordion and keyboard bass
Jonathan Noyce – bass guitar
Doane Perry – drums and percussion

Additional personnel

James Duncan – drums and percussion
Dave Pegg – bass, mandolin
The Sturcz String Quartet:

Gábor Csonka – 1st violin
Péter Szilágyi – 2nd violin
Gyula Benkő – viola
András Sturcz – cello (leader)

References

↑ Dave Sleger, Bruce Eder. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album at AllMusic
↑ Rolling Stone review

External links

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album 2003 at AllMusic
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album 2004 at AllMusic (bonus DVD)
Official Website
Progressive Archives
DPRP CD Review
Rolling Stone Review

Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson Clive Bunker Glenn Cornick Mick Abrahams Tony Iommi Martin Barre John Evan Jeffrey Hammond Barriemore Barlow John Glascock David (Dee) Palmer Dave Pegg Mark Craney Eddie Jobson Peter-John Vettese Gerry Conway Paul Burgess Doane Perry Don Airey Maartin Allcock Andrew Giddings Dave Mattacks Jonathan Noyce David Goodier John O'Hara

Studio albums	This Was Stand Up Benefit Aqualung Thick as a Brick A Passion Play War Child Minstrel in the Gallery Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! Songs from the Wood Heavy Horses Stormwatch A The Broadsword and the Beast Under Wraps Crest of a Knave Rock Island Catfish Rising Roots to Branches J-Tull Dot Com The Jethro Tull Christmas Album

Live albums	Bursting Out Live at Hammersmith '84 A Little Light Music Jethro Tull in Concert Living with the Past Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 Aqualung Live Live at Montreux 2003 Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 Live at Carnegie Hall 1970

Compilations	Living in the Past M.U. – The Best of Jethro Tull Repeat – The Best of Jethro Tull – Vol II Original Masters 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights Nightcap The Best of Jethro Tull – The Anniversary Collection Through the Years The Very Best of Jethro Tull The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull The Essential

Boxed sets	20 Years of Jethro Tull 25th Anniversary Box Set

Videos	Slipstream 20 Years of Jethro Tull 25th Anniversary Video Living with the Past A New Day Yesterday Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 Live at Montreux 2003 Jack in the Green Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 Live at AVO Session Basel Around the World Live (Jethro Tull)

Singles / EPs	"Sunshine Day"/"Aeroplane" "A Song for Jeffrey"/"One for John Gee" "Love Story"/"Christmas Song" "Living in the Past"/"Driving Song" "Sweet Dream"/"Reasons for Waiting" "Bourée"/"Fat Man" "The Witch's Promise"/"Teacher" "Inside"/"Alive and Well and Living In" (UK)/"A Time for Everything" (US) "Hymn 43"/"Mother Goose" "Life Is a Long Song"/"Up the Pool"/"Doctor Bogenbroom"/"From Later"/"Nursie" "A Passion Play" (Edit #8)/"A Passion Play" (Edit #9) "A Passion Play" (Edit #6)/"A Passion Play" (Edit #10) "Bungle in the Jungle"/"Back-Door Angels" "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)/"Sealion" "Minstrel in the Gallery"/"Summerday Sands" "Living in the Past"/"Requiem" (UK)/"Christmas Song" (US) "Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die"/"Rainbow Blues" (UK)/"Bad-Eyed and Loveless" (US) "Locomotive Breath"/"Fat Man" "The Whistler"/"Strip Cartoon" "Moths"/"Life Is a Long Song" "A Stitch in Time"/"Sweet Dream" "North Sea Oil"/Elegy" "Home"/Warm Sporran" "Working John, Working Joe"/Fylingdale Flyer" "Beastie"/"Pussy Willow" "Fallen On Hard Times"/Broadsword" "Lap of Luxury"/Astronomy" "Living in the Past"/"Cross-Eyed Mary" "Coronach"/"Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow" "Farm on the Freeway"/"Said She Was a Dancer" "Steel Monkey"/"Down at the End of Your Road" "Said She Was a Dancer"/"Dogs in the Midwinter" "Part of the Machine" (Edit)/"Stormy Monday Blues"/"Lick Your Fingers Clean"/"Minstrel in the Gallery" "Kissing Willie"/"Heavy Water" "Another Christmas Song"/"Intro - A Christmas Song" "Rocks on the Road"/"Rocks on the Road" (Live)/"Bouree" (Live)/"Jack-A-Lynn"/"Night in the Wilderness"/"Jump Start" "Living in the (Slightly More Recent) Past" "Bends Like a Willow"/It All Trickles Down"

Tours	Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll Tour Heavy Horses Tour Stormwatch Tour

Related	Discography A Billion Hands Concert The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus A Classic Case Thick as a Brick 2

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