There‘s never a dull moment in the Jethro Tull camp as music, both new and old, continues to flood the market. The cycle for the last few years has often been a new album and an expanded box set around a previous album. This is certainly the case for 2025 with the release of Tull’s 24th studio album, Curious Ruminant in the spring, followed by the summer reissue of 1972’s Living In The Past, all fleshed out and gussied up in a six-disc set called Still Living In The Past.
Because Living In The Past is a compilation of A-sides, B-sides, and live tracks, much of what comprises Still Living In The Past has been remixed and reissued before. That does not diminish its value or place in the band’s trajectory. The original Living In The Past album was a major release for the band, especially in the U.S. where it became their third Top 10 release. The album’s title track, previously a hit in the U.K., went on to become the group’s highest ever charting single in the States. While Aqualung and Thick As A Brick treaded the conceptual waters, Living In The Past provided a more accessible snapshot of a group constantly in a state of refinement and innovation.
Still Living In The Past heeds the call and then some. In addition to the album’s 21 songs, there are multiple outtakes, demos, radio edits, remixes, and the Live At Carnegie Hall 1970, also remixed. As with previous box sets, Steven Wilson is behind the newer mixes, as well as the older ones, in 96/24 PCM Stereo. The included Blu-ray Disc has the DTS 5.1 surround mixes, a flat transfer of the original album, bonus unreleased original mixes, the Live At Carnegie Hall 2025 remix in both 24/96 PCM and DTS 5.1, plus four promo films — “A Witch’s Promise,” two versions of “Teacher,” and “Life’s A Long Song” — from the era.
If, like so many Tull aficionados, you’re seeking to round out your mixes database, Still Living In The Past offers original mixes and remixes from 1970-71, to more recent mixes and remixes from 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2025. Even though this is the first Tull box to feature a Blu-ray, as opposed to a DVD, there was apparently no time and space for an Atmos mix. Perhaps that’s something we’ll see down the road. Nevertheless, there’s no shortage of ways to hear the songs. Thanks to the magic of AI, the mono master of “One For John Gee” — a jazzy instrumental dedicated to John Gee, who gave Tull a residency at the famed Marquee in London — comes to a full bloom in stereo and 5.1. Appearing as a B-side for 1968’s “A Song For Jeffrey,” it’s one of a handful added to the original sequence.
There’s no end to the fun of jumping back and forth between the UK and US single versions of “Teacher” even if Ian Anderson isn’t particularly fond of either. Meanwhile, melodic outliers like “Inside” elicit little comment simply because it, like so many, fell through the cracks the first time around. Ah, but there’s usually gold in those crevices. As if the songwriting and recordings weren’t enough, Live At Carnegie Hall dispels any misgivings about Jethro Tull’s velocity as a performing live unit. Though the set has been issued in various forms over the years, it fits well within the semblance of the original Living In The Past, which Chrysalis released as a follow-up to Aqualung to showcase the very best of Jethro Tull.
Indeed, “By Kind Permission Of” and “Dharma For One,” the two live tracks from the Carnegie Hall show included on the original Living In The Past, do wonders to highlight the individual talents of the players, especially keyboardist John Evan and drummer Clive Bunker. The rest of the show, of course, provides a fuller picture of just how tight the young band were at the dawn of the 70s. The roll of “Nothing Is Easy” gets things underway, though the mood is suddenly rerouted by a then new ditty called “My God,” which likely captivated the Carnegie audience into a state of confusion and curiosity. It was a hint of things to come as Tull moved past their blues and folksy roots into a harder, more progressive hybrid that would eventually define their sound. The encore of “We Used To Know” is a subtle reminder of what can happen when the riff is so ripe and vicious, it can win Grammys for other groups like The Eagles.
Living In The Past successfully covered Jethro Tull early, fertile years of 1968 through 1971; Still Living In The Past expands on that notion with winning results. Audiophiles will sift through the mixes, no doubt. Tull fanatics will marvel at Anderson’s direct, self-deprecating, often humorous comments and observations on record and in the liner notes. Collectors will have another fine volume to add to their Jethro Tull box set library. According to Anderson, there’s more to come. For those keeping count, there’s still six studio albums due to be fattened up and sweetened to the ear. That with more new music should keep the Jethro Tull camp busy for the foreseeable future.
~ Shawn Perry
