The classic-rock world lost another of its members last month with the passing of Jethro Tull's original bass player, Glen Cornick. They, alongside Deep Purple and Judas Priest, are one of what I consider the last three bands unjustly omitted from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For those familiar with early Tull images, Cornick was the animated member. He could be found on album covers and press photos with his glasses, long black hair and usually sporting a headband or a stylish derby. Known as a partier, he was asked to leave shortly before the recording of 1971's Aqualung album -- not necessarily as a result of his behavior, but because those ways didn't fit the with the other members' more subdued personalities.
REWIND: The Fast-Moving Mind (and Mouth) of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson
While the band achieved success in their homeland during the early years, Tull's early days seem to have been lost to American audiences save "Living in the Past" and "Teacher." Up until the release of Aqualung, they were seen by the press as a blues-based rock band similar to Led Zeppelin. [Tull's longtime front man, Ian Anderson, plays "The Best of Jethro Tull" at Stafford Centre Sunday night with his eponymous band...so figure that one out -- ed.]
Their identity evolved into a progressive rock band after the release of their next two albums, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, which both topped the Billboard album charts. Most of the Jethro Tull you hear on today's classic-rock playlists are from this era and forward.
It took Cornick's passing for me to realize that I can't recall any great bass-driven songs or bass parts in Tull's catalogue that weren't performed by him. This is not because of the lack of talent from the bassists who succeeded him, but because of the band's change in direction after his departure.
You can't be a great blues-rock band without a qualified bassist to drive it along. The highly energized Cornick performed on par with his contemporaries -- Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Cream's Jack Bruce and the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Noel Redding -- while getting none of the accolades that seemed reserved for them.
I took Cornick's death as an opportunity to revisit his time in Jethro Tull, which consists of their first three albums: This Was (1968), Stand Up (1969) and Benefit (1970). Material from this period was also released on 1972's Living in the Past, a compilation of singles, B-sides, concert performances and outtakes from the band.
These albums may be unfamiliar to most on this side of the Atlantic, but some of Tull's best songs come from this period. In honor of Cornick, I'd like to highlight ten tracks from these albums to shine some light on material that gets overshadowed by the band's '70s staples.
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