Jethro Tull’s STORMWATCH 40th Anniversary Edition FORCE 10 EDITION

by Unqualified-Kritic | Jul 17, 2019 | New Releases, News

4CD/2DVD Collection Expands The Legendary Group’s 1979 Album
With Steven Wilson’s Newly Remixed Version Of The Original, Plus Studio Outtakes, An Entire Unreleased Concert Recorded In 1980, And More!

LOS ANGELES – Jethro Tull released Stormwatch in September 1979, completing a folk-rock trilogy the band started with Songs from the Wood in 1977 and continued the following year with Heavy Horses. Certified gold in the U.S., Stormwatch was also the final album to feature the classic late-1970s Jethro Tull lineup, which included Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, John Glascock, John Evan, David (now Dee) Palmer, and Barriemore Barlow.

To celebrate the album’s upcoming anniversary, Rhino will release STORMWATCH: 40^th ANNIVERSARY FORCE 10 EDITION. This new 4CD/2DVD set will be available on October 11. 

Highlights include:
–    Original album and associated recordings newly remixed by Steven Wilson
–    Full concert from the Netherlands recorded in March 1980
–    Original album and 13 associated recordings mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital
–    Flat transfer of the original 1979 mix at 96/24 LPCM stereo
–    15 associated recordings mixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and five original mixes at 96/24 LPCM stereo 
–    Presented in a case-bound DVD book filled with an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Anderson and Palmer, rare photographs and more

The recording sessions for Stormwatch stretched from August 1978 to July 1979 as the album’s ecological and maritime themes slowly came into focus on songs like “North Sea Oil” and “Flying Dutchman.” The band recorded several tracks that were left off the album because they didn’t fit the theme. Many of those can be found on the second disc of this set, including “Man Of God,” “Crossword,” “Kelpie” and “The Lyricon Blues.” In addition to those outtakes, the disc also features early versions of the album tracks “Dark Ages” and “Dun Ringill.”

STORMWATCH: 40^th ANNIVERSARY FORCE 10 EDITION also includes a previously unreleased recording of Jethro Tull’s concert at Congreßgebouw in the Netherlands on March 16, 1980. The career-spanning performance mixed new Stormwatch tracks (“Something’s On The Move,” “Home” and “Elegy”) with older hits, like “Locomotive Breath,” “Aqualung,” “Thick As A Brick” and “Minstrel In The Gallery.” 

STORMWATCH: 40^th ANNIVERSARY FORCE 10 EDITION concludes with two audio-only DVDs that feature various mixes of the original album along with the associated recordings featured in this set.

Stormwatch marked the end of an era for Jethro Tull. Due to his deteriorating health, bassist John Glascock missed most of the sessions for the album and only appears on three of its songs (“Flying Dutchman,” “Orion” and “Elegy.”) Tragically, Glascock died shortly after the album was released. The lineup changed even more following the tour to promote the album as Barlow, Evan and Palmer left the group.

STORMWATCH: 40^th ANNIVERSARY FORCE 10 EDITION

Track Listing:

Disc One: Steven Wilson Remix of Original Album

1.      “North Sea Oil”
2.      “Orion”
3.      “Home”
4.      “Dark Ages”
5.      “Warm Sporran”
6.      “Something’s On The Move”
7.      “Old Ghosts”
8.      “Dun Ringill”
9.      “Flying Dutchman”
10.  “Elegy”

Disc Two: Associated Recordings

1.      “Crossword”
2.      “Dark Ages” (early version) [Previously Unreleased]
3.      “Kelpie”
4.      “Dun Ringill” (early version) [Previously Unreleased On CD]
5.      “A Stitch In Time”
6.      “A Single Man” [Previously Unreleased]
7.      “Broadford Bazaar”
8.      “King Henry’s Madrigal”
9.      “Orion” (full version) [Previously Unreleased]
10.  “Urban Apocalypse” [Previously Unreleased]
11.  “The Lyricon Blues”
12.  “Man Of God” [Previously Unreleased]
13.  Rock Instrumental (unfinished master) [Previously Unreleased]
14.  “Prelude To A Storm” [Previously Unreleased]
15.  “Sweet Dream” (live)

Disc Three: Live in the Netherlands (March 16. 1980) [Previously Unreleased]

1.      Intro
2.      “Dark Ages”
3.      “Home”
4.      “Orion”
5.      “Dun Ringill”
6.      “Elegy”
7.      “Old Ghosts”
8.      “Something’s On The Move”
9.      “Aqualung”
10.  “Peggy’s Pub”
11.  “Jack-In-The-Green”
12.  “King Henry’s Madrigal”/Drum Solo
13.  “Heavy Horses”

Disc Four: Live in the Netherlands (March 16. 1980) [Previously Unreleased]

1.      Flute Solo (incl. “Bourée/Soirée/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Kelpie”)
2.      Keyboard Duet (Bach’s Prelude in Cm from the “Well-Tempered Clavier 1”)
3.      “Songs From The Wood”
4.      “Hunting Girl”
5.      “Jams O’Donnel’s Jigs”
6.      “Thick As A Brick”
7.      “Too Old To Rock ’n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!”
8.      “Cross-Eyed Mary”
9.      Guitar Solo
10.  “Minstrel In The Gallery”
11.  “Locomotive Breath”
12.  “Dambusters March”

DVD One: Audio Only

–          Stormwatch mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital
–          Flat transfer of the original 1979 mix at 96/24 LPCM stereo

DVD Two: Audio Only

–          Contains 13 associated recordings mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital 
–          15 associated recordings mixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo 
–          Five original mixes at 96/24 LPCM stereo