Former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin
Barre asserted a year ago that the Jethro Tull brand is now... "Very
diluted!"
Former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre spoke a year ago about his breakup with the band, claiming that his absence from the line-up since 2012 has "diluted" the Jethro Tull brand.
Barre dwelt on the end of his relationship with Tull frontman Ian Anderson, saying, "It's a shame!", before continuing to make comparisons with several iconic partnerships. "Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I'm not saying we're in that sphere, but Ian and I had a connection, much more than music, and it's over forever. And this is really sad."
Emphasizing his separation from Anderson, Barre said, "I always tell people that it's the worst business decision that's ever been made in the history of Jethro Tull, because you look around and you see musicians doing these huge tours and you don't just think about the money, you think about the attention they get. And the brand is now really diluted. It's a real shame and I feel like the way it's been watered down has an impact on all of us."
Of Ian Anderson's tour under the Jethro Tull banner, Barre said, "I'm Jethro Tull's guitarist. I was, I am now and I always will be. Ian himself will always be the singer and flutist of Jethro Tull. None of my bands will ever be Jethro Tull. In my mind, there is no Jethro Tull line-up different from the historical one. There's Ian's band, there's my band, and we both represent the importance of the Tull era."
"It's a really difficult world and people have to make a lot of decisions, and, you know, there's room for everyone. "
Barre then discussed the ups and downs of his long career, including sharing a stage with Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and making the band's classic '70s albums.
In 2020, Anderson told Classic Rock: "I've always felt uncomfortable thinking about putting the old band back together, because what edition of the band could we talk about? Choosing some people and not others would be favoritism. And I have no favorites."
Who will be right?
