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DISC & MUSIC ECHO
2 August 1969
DON'T JUDGE JETHRO BY THE COVER!
Jethro Tull: Stand Up (Island)
In rock music, there are two kinds of groups: the live bands and the record bands. Beatles are a perfect example of the latter, and to a lesser extent so are the Byrds. And there are an awful lot of bands, too, which fall into the first category — bands which no one should ever miss the chance of seeing live but on records you can take them or leave them. Good examples are Chambers Brothers, Led Zeppelin — and, apparently, Jethro Tull.
In fact the most impressive thing about the whole album is the sleeve, with the most beautiful wood-cuts of the band and (of course — see the title!) pop-out, cut-out figures of the group inside the double-gatefold sleeve, a la children's picture books. Obviously it cost someone a large packet, but just as obviously it will sell an awful lot of copies since Jethro are a very popular band — and deservedly so, because they ARE a live gas.
It's a shame that with so many albums which are musically far more interesting, more will choose to spend their money on this than look around for the best. Stand Up is by no means a bad album, but it could be, certainly, one whole lot better.
Thanks to Mike Wain for this article, and Gerrit de Geus for confirmation of source and date.