JETHRO TULL – WAR CHILD 2 (Parlophone) (2023)

This is a vinyl release remastered by Steven Wilson of the remnants of the “War Child” sessions between 1973 and 1974. It has the classic line-up of Martin Barre on guitar; John Evan on keyboards; Jeffrey Hammond on bass and Barriemore Barlow on drums. Despite the rather unprepossessing cover and the fragmentary nature of the music ‘left-overs’ there are some very worthy pieces here that are not new (already released on EP, compilations or the 40th anniversary “War Child” edition), but deserve a place in any Tull fan’s collection: ‘Quartet’, a quaint little piece that demonstrates John Evan’s baroque sensibility with strings, harpsichord and organ; and other songs where Ian Anderson is in great voice like ‘Tomorrow was Today’ and ‘March the Mad Scientist’.