Jethro Tull- Benefit @55- Ian Anderson

April 1970’s third Jethro Tull album, Benefit, was my gateway drug into a lifelong relationship with the music and mind of Ian Anderson. Songs including “With You There to Help Me”, “Nothing to Say”, “To Cry You A Song”, and “Teacher” all benefited (sorry) from the addition of John Evan on piano and mellotron, and from a more assertive approach on lead guitar from Martin Barre. The approach resulted in Benefit just missing Top Ten sales in America and an even more impressive #3 in Jethro Tull’s native UK. Ian Anderson tells some great stories to celebrate the double-nickel anniversary here In the Studio  for our collective benefit.

This is the most highly-detailed oral history of Jethro Tull’s first formative years from the “Inside” by Ian Anderson that exists to our knowledge, with some stories he’s never previously revealed, such as why Mick Abrahams exited Jethro Tull after the debut This Was; how the late Joe Cocker was a messenger in Tull’s #1 success with Stand Up in the UK;  that neighbor John Evan was studying to be a pharmacist before Anderson enticed him to play keyboards on Benefit, sidetracking the would-be chemist; and which member of the band YES  wore paper underpants on tour!

Many Americans, such as my lifelong friend to this day, attorney Bob Lyon of the Dallas Texas area, first saw Jethro Tull with me in Fall 1971 because of their soon-to-be-classic album release earlier that year, Aqualung. But they were the changes  in musical direction and key personnel made on Jethro Tull’s critical preceding third album Benefit,  in April 1970, that provided the oxygen in “Aqualung” ‘s  tank a year later, as you will hear in this exclusive classic rock interview with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson. -Redbeard