WarChild II

Jethro Tull Warchild II will be released on vinyl for the first time. WarChild II is a collection of a number of tracks recorded during the War Child sessions from late 1973 and early 1974.

Mixed by Steven Wilson, all were included on CD2 of the War Child 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition in 2014. These tracks are on vinyl for the very first time with the running order chosen by Ian Anderson. The album features Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, saxophones), Martin Barre (guitars), John Evan (keys), Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (bass) and Barriemore Barlow (drums and percussion).

Reflecting on 1974, the year of release, Ian Anderson says “Verging uncomfortably on Glam Rock – at least in terms of stage clothes – JT was on the rebound from the excessively proggy A Passion Play of 1973. Still having not quite got over my brief flirtation with the alto saxophone, I warbled through a few choruses and riffs with the wretched thing in an album of nice and mostly brief tunes. But looking back, the music and performances were no disappointment in hearing it all again – especially in its remixed form – and the fine musicality puts it up in the top few albums of the years with the Martin Barre, John Evan, Barrie Barlow and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond line-up. David (as he then was) Palmer provided wonderful orchestrations for several tracks. I kissed goodbye to the saxophone after the final sessions and returned, to the relief of all, to the flute as my principal wind instrument of choice. Of course, my flute did feature on several of the WarChild tracks, but I always saw the album as representing the best of my sax-playing and being an important part of the instrumentation, especially in the slightly sleazy, clubby material of the title track. Dear old Alto sax – RIP.”