Track Listing

1. Song For Jeffrey
2. Love Story
3. Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
4. Living In The Past
5. Driving Song
6. Sweet Dream
7. Singing All Day
8. Witches Promise
9. Inside
10. Just Trying To Be
11. By Kind Permission Of
12. Dharma For One
13. Wond'ring Again
14. Locomotive Breath
15. Life Is A Long Song
16. Up The 'Pool
17. Dr Bogenbroom
18. For Later
19. Nursie

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6295 in Music
• Released on: 1990-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
An unconventional best-of collection at the time of its 1972 release, Living in the Past existed to gain a greater foothold in America for Jethro Tull following the breakthrough success of Aqualung. And it did, by offering a little something for everyone. There are a number of songs that became FM radio staples, ranging from the heavy rock of "Teacher" and "Hymn 43" to lighter fare, such as the title tune. A pair of jam-heavy selections, "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma for One" (featuring the era's requisite in-concert drum solo), were recorded live at Carnegie Hall. Overall, Living in the Past does an excellent job of revealing Tull's achievements and limitations, its ambitions as well as its pretensions. --Daniel Durchholz

CD Description
With hit albums like BENEFIT and AQUALUNG (as well as a spectacular live show), Jethro Tull became one of rock's most popular bands by the early '70s. While many were quick to categorise its music as prog-rock (a la Yes, Genesis, etc.), Tull also dabbled in folk, jazz, heavy metal, and blues. Afterthe K161success of the band's previous two albums, Chrysalis Records issued the double album LIVING IN THE PAST, a mix of hits, important album tracks, single/EP-only material, and previously unreleased live tracks.
As longtime fans know, and as LIVING IN THE PAST makes clear, Jethro Tull produced a wealth of great songs outside of their hits. The best-known song in this collection is undoubtedly the title track,while "Song for Jeffrey", "Witches Promise", and "Hymn 43" also remain classic rock radio staples. There are also numerous lesser-known highlights, many of which were compiled from singles and EPs and are therefore otherwise difficult to obtain. LIVING IN THE PAST, then, is a treasure trove for Tull fans, and a fine place for the uninitiated to start exploring this ambitious band.

Customer Reviews

one of the best compilations
When I first heard this album, I did not realise that it was a compilation album. I think this says something about how well the tracks were chosen and put together on what must be considered as one of Jethro Tull's finest.
The album has all of the traditional elements which make early Jethro Tull music so great. It combines upbeat folk guitar styles, with Anderson's exquisite, and sometimes frantic flute playing. The lyrics are thoughtful and are delivered in such a way by Anderson, that you feel confident in what he is expressing.
What makes this album truly great though is the way it mixes the laid back playful nature of folk with the more jazzy edgier rock motifs which work their way in many songs.
If you are a fan of Jethro Tull and especially early Jethro Tull then you will enjoy this album immensely. As well as containing many great tracks from the adrenaline releasing "locamotive breath" to the funky "For later" and the philosophical "wond'ring again", it contains two astonishing live tracks. These are "By kind permission of" and "Dharma for one" and showcase Clive Bunker's extraordordinary talent.
If you are a fan of progressive music from the early seventies, then I think this should definitely be in your collection.

Tull at their best
This was the first Tull album I heard; As i played flute someone thought that I may like it; Witches Promise was the chosen track and I was instantly hooked. That remains one of my all time favourite Tull tracks.

I was fortunate to see them live twice and they were even better than I expected; Ian Anderson was a mainc genius who could not only write great songs but was a fantastic musician and performer.

The 2 live tracks are amazing and amongst the most played out of the entire collection of Tull albums I have.

The other tracks are shorter and some are more folk like in sound. Up The 'Pool is great fun and some of the accoustic giutar playing is first class. The whole album comes together brillaintly and if you havent heard it or of Jethro Tull then it is a must buy

"...And That The Song I Sing...Will Lead You Astray..."
The 2LP set "Living In The Past" was issued in July 1972 in the UK on Chrysalis CJT 1 and October 1972 in the USA on Chrysalis 2CH 1035 - both originals sporting hardback book sleeves with 12 pages of colour shots inside. The set's title reflected what was inside - a ragbag of previously released albums tracks bolstered up with new live and studio songs, rare single sides and their non-album flips.

This 'full' 23-track 2CD version is an audiophile issue - a Mobile Fidelity ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING housed in a card wrap with two gold ULTRADISC-2 CDs in two separate lift-lock CD cases. The detached oversized booklet slotted in beside the CDs replicates entirely the packaging and liner notes of the original double album - right down to the 'book' texture of the front and rear sleeve. Nice touches it has to be said. However, the liner notes get some details wrong which need clarifying...

Disc 1 (42:55 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 11 and 13 make up the 12 tracks of Side 1 and 2 of the original `UK' double album using strict sequencing

You will notice that Disc 1 has 13 tracks and not 12. The reason for the extra song is that "Inside" (from the "Benefit" LP) appeared as track 5 on Side 2 of the original 'UK' issue, but the original 'US' issue replaced this track with "Alive And Well And Living In" (another "Benefit" track in the UK and the B-side to the UK 7" of "Inside"). Both have been included on this 2CD set for completeness.

Disc 2 (45:35 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 3 and 5 to 10 make up the 9 tracks of Side 3 and 4 of the original 'UK' double album using strict sequencing

However, you will notice that like Disc 1, Disc 2 also has an extra track. Track 5 is "Locomotive Breath" from the "Aqualung" LP - it appeared as track 2 on Side 4 of the original 'UK' issue. However, the 'US' issue replaced this track with another cut from "Aqualung" - "Hymn 43" - again both tracks are included on the Mobile Fidelity issue for completeness.

To confuse matters further, the official EMI release of "Living In The Past" on CD is a truncated single disc of 19 tracks with a crappy inlay and ok-only audio... So this USA-only Mobile Fidelity 2CD issue is the only way to get the full double in one place - either the UK or US variant - and more importantly with truly great sound.

Speaking of which - when I compare "Locomotive Breath" and "Hymn 43" on the 1996 "Aqualung" remaster to these MF versions - the difference couldn't be more marked; the "Aqualung" remaster was to my ears one of the worst and dullest of issues - these MF versions leap out of the speakers. As the recordings vary from 1968 to 1971, the sound does so too, but the Mobile issue excels on them all - especially the beautiful acoustic turns "Just Trying To Be" (lyrics above) and "Up The 'Pool". In fact - excepting the excessive two live tracks, which took up all of Side 3, it's amazing how well the whole set holds together - even to this day.

Bottom line is - this Mobile Fidelity 2CD set has really great sound and the full compliment - it's just such a damn shame that it costs so much...

PS: Given the stunning sound quality on the Collector's Edition of "This Was" achieved by Peter Mew at Abbey Road - surely EMI - both this, "Aqualung" and "Stand Up' could do with the same treatment? It's infuriating that fans have to dig into their wallets to get quality sound...