The collection of Jethro Tull tracks recorded during the 1973-1974 "Warchild" sessions has been remixed by Steven Wilson and is released on vinyl for the first time as "Warchild II". The eleven tracks selected by Ian Anderson are a selection of fan favorites that were previously included on CD2 of 2014's "War Child 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition."
Speaking about 1974, the year of the release, Ian Anderson says, "JT was on the mend after 1973's excessively proggy A Passion Play and bordered uncomfortably on glam rock - at least in terms of stage attire. Still not quite over my brief flirtation with the alto saxophone, I warbled a few choruses and riffs with the wretched thing on an album of nice and mostly short tunes.
But looking back, the music and the performances were no disappointment when I heard it again - especially in its remixed form - and the fine musicianship puts it in the ranks of the best albums of the years with the lineup of Martin Barre, John Evan, Barrie Barlow and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond. David (as he was then known) Palmer provided wonderful orchestrations for several tracks.
After the last sessions, I said goodbye to the saxophone and, to everyone's relief, returned to the flute as my main wind instrument of choice. Of course, my flute was featured on some of the "Warchild" tracks, but I always saw the album as the best of my saxophone playing and an important part of the instrumentation, especially in the slightly grungy, clubby bits of the title track.
Black vinyl pressing.
Tracklisting:
1. Paradise Steakhouse
2. Sealion [Part 2]
3. Saturation
4. Quartet
5. Good Godmother
6. Warchild [Part 2]
7. Tomorrow Was Today
8. Glory Row
9. March, the Mad Scientist
10. Pan Dance
11. Rainbow Blues
