Editorial Review:Description:Jethro Tull is one of the most successful British acts of all time with a career reaching from the late sixties to the present day. In 2003 they made their first (and so far only) visit to the Montreux Festival. Split into a semi-acoustic first half and a full on electric second half, the concert was a triumph combining newer songs such as 'Dot Com', 'Pavane' and 'Budapest' with classic favorites. As ever Ian Anderson leads from the front with his instantly recognizable voice and inimitable style of one-legged flute playing.
Tracklisting 1) Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You 2) Life Is A Long Song 3) Bourée (Version de Noël) 4) With You There To Help Me 5) Pavane 6) Empty Café 7) Hunting Girl 8) Eurology 9) Dot Com 10) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 11) Fat Man 12) Living In The Past 13) Nothing Is Easy 14) Beside Myself 15) My God 16) Budapest 17) New Jig 18) Aqualung 19) Locomotive Breath
Amazon.com:Two hours. 19 songs. And 35 years, which is the time that elapsed between Jethro Tull's first record and
Live at Montreux 2003. Pretty amazing when you consider that when the punk and new wave brigade first hit the scene, Tull, with their tarted-up progressive rock sound, was one of the first 'dinosaur' bands to be run out of town on a rail. Except not. Decades later, the punks have scattered, but Ian Anderson and company are still at it, and sounding good to boot. Only Anderson and guitarist Martin Barre, whose power chords matched with Anderson's flute to define the original Jethro Tull sound, are still around from the early days. But this particular lineup (with Jonathan Noyce on bass, Doane Perry on drums, and Andrew Giddings on keyboards) was the most enduring in the band's history, remaining intact from 1995 to 2006, and it shows; the musicians are tight and totally on their game as they make their way through what amounts to a career retrospective, with a couple of new songs to round out the set. They draw on their entire catalogue, from the first (the bluesy 'Someday the Sun Won't Shine for You') second ('Fat Man,' 'Bouree'), and third (the exquisite 'With You There to Help Me') albums through relatively obscure recordings like
Crest of a Knave,
Roots to Branches, and
Songs from the Wood. 'Living in the Past' is also there, as are the crowd-pleasing hits from
Aqualung, and they even play a few holiday tunes to hawk the then-new
Christmas Album. Although he gives ample space to the others, this is primarily Anderson's show. His stage demeanor has changed little over the years; his impish court jester shtick (what his fellow Brits might call 'twee') may or may not be to one's taste, but the guy has always been a gifted songwriter, with an ear for melody and an innate feel for rhythm and interesting arrangements. The DVD includes no bonus material, but there's still plenty here to satisfy most music lovers--except maybe the punks.
--Sam Graham
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Tull at Montreaux -- Almost Perfect
I already owned this item but couldn't resist upgrading to Blu-ray just to see the improvements and, yes, they're worth shelling out the extra dollars. Now, the reason this product is "almost perfect" as opposed to just plain "perfect" is the sound. It's not the fault of the band, but the fault of whomever was mixing the audio. There are some very treble heavy moments in "Pavanne," "Empty Cafe," "Hunting Girl," and "Fat Man." It makes the high guitar and flute notes screech and me very annoyed, and the annoyance only comes from the fact that Jethro Tull's performance is so good. It's a shame that this DVD is marred by a technical flaw. This band is so professional, but still makes the performance appear as if it's the very first night of the tour. Ian Anderson's guitar and flute playing is exquisite (and his song introductions continue to be very funny), Martin Barre's guitar playing is stunning, Andy Giddings' keyboard sounds still boggle my mind (where does he get them?), Jonathan Noyce's bass playing is rock solid, and Doane Perry's drumming is lyrical and rocking, giving every song exactly what it rhythmically calls for (even his bongo playing on "Fat Man" is exciting). Yes, I am a hard core Tull fan, so my review is perhaps a tad short on objectivity, but having seen them quite a few times, I think I can tell a great Tull performance from a merely good one, and this performance definitely ranks with the former. The Blu-ray does improve on the flaw I referred to earlier, so if you plan to purchase "Live at Montreaux" and you have the necessary equipment, definitely go with the Blu-ray. Enjoy!
Rating: 
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Awesome
I fell in love with J. Tull in my late teens. Although Anderson's voice is not as full-bodied now, he does not disappoint one in concert. He is a consummate showman. Excellent choice of songs and this new band (drummer, bass guitar and keyboard) are quite good at even the old songs. Don's miss "Don't Want to be a Fat Man" on this DVD. Great fun! One of my old favorites.
Rating: -
JETHRO TULL IN BLUE-RAY -------INCREDIBLE
FINALLY A BAND OF TRUE GENIUS AND CRAFTMENSHIP COMES LIVE INTO YOUR HOME WITH THE VIDEO CLARITY AND THE DTS MASTER SOUND TO LET US KNOW WHAT BLUE-RAY IS TRULY ALL ABOUT.
I HAVE SEEN JETHRO TULL LIVE SINCE 1974 UNTIL RECENTLY 8/10/08.
LET ME TELL YOU THE QUALITY OF THE BLUE-RAY VIDEO AND THE SOUND OF THIS DISC HAVE FINALLY GIVIN ME THE LOOK,FEEL AND ULTIMATE TULL EXPERIENCE.
I WAS FLOORED BY THE PICTURE AND I HEARD EVERY INSTRUMENT CLEARLY AS IF I WERE IN 3RD ROW CENTER.
THIS BAND HAS NEVER GOT THE PRAISE THEY HAVE DESERVED FOR SO MANY YEARS.
THE GENIUS BEHIND ANDERSON AND HIS CREW CAN BE SEEN IN ALL ITS GLORY WITH THIS DISC.
IN MY OPNION THIS IS THE BEST CONCERT DISC THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED ON BLUE-RAY SO FAR.
THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND THE INSTRUMENT PLAYING IS ALL THERE TO SEE CLEARLY AS IF YOU WERE ON STAGE YOURSELF.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THIS FANTASTICK,UNDERATED BAND UP CLOSE AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME I'M TRULY SATISFIED.
I HAVE TO THANK EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT FOR SUCH AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH THE VIDEO QUALITY AND SOUND REPRODUCTION.
ALSO AMAZONS PRICE OF $16.95 IS A NO-BRAINER FOR ANYONE NEW TO THIS BAND OR FORMAT.
YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO PURCHASE THIS DISC AND GET THE ENTERTAINMENT YOU DESERVE FROM YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY HOME THEATRE SYSTEM.
EAGLE ROCK WILL GET MY FUTURE BUSINESS BUT IF THEY DO MORE TULL IT WILL DOUBLE.
THANKS AGAIN BOYS FROM THE BAND YOU LOOK AND SOUND GREAT HERE.
THANKS BLUE-RAY ALL THE HYPE IS WORTH IT NOW.
PS.........CAN YOU TELL ME WHO PLAYS FLUTE WITH IAN ON "FAT MAN" ?
GET THE DISC AND FIND OUT.
BRAVO
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Super concert experience!
Fastastic video, great sound and a lively set.
The wide screen experience is really amazing and the lighting is great.
Nice camera work and close-ups!
Still awesome musicians after all these years.
Rating: 
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Ian Anderson in 2008
I was a huge Jethro Tull fan in the 70's...Ian Anderson unlike some of the rockers in their 60's should have hung it up a number of years ago and just listened to other musicians or old tapes in his retirement.
