(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Fri 16 January 2026 19:30, UK
From the minute that Ian Anderson formed Jethro Tull, he was never meant to have the traditional career of a musician.
It would have been nice for everything to have been laid out for the band like all the other rock and roll legends, but their unconventional approach to their songs pretty much ensured that they would be one of the most eccentric acts that anyone had ever seen when they took to the stage. And while Anderson could be cordial with pretty much anyone that he worked with, it was impossible for him to roll over and take it when some rock stars treated him like trash.
Granted, a lot of their touring mates may have been standoffish because they were a little bit scared. No one had seen this kind of show before, and while it’s easy to imagine the true rock and rollers of the world shaking in their boots listening to them tear through their version of Bach’s ‘Bouree’, Anderson’s showmanship and the fact that they could play extensions on any given idea was going to leave some acts wondering if they were going to get overshadowed.
But the truth is, Anderson wasn’t doing anything that he hadn’t seen before by other acts. If anything, his stage persona was his only way to compete with what the likes of Eric Clapton was doing on guitar. There was no way in hell he was going to get to be that great on any instrument, so having a few songs that were a bit on the experimental side usually did the trick when working on records like Aqualung.
And when looking at the way that he performs with an acoustic guitar, Anderson was almost a singer-songwriter trapped inside a prog-rock outfit. Thick as a Brick may be one of the most gargantuan pieces that they had ever attempted, but the fact that he’s able to start everything off pretty mellow on an acoustic guitar was like a slightly offbeat version of what someone like Donovan might have done. For Anderson, there were also a few shades of Van Morrison’s old records as well.
Despite being nearly unintelligible at times, Morrison could capture pure heartache better than anyone when listening to records like Astral Weeks. That kind of finesse only comes from someone that’s truly mastered the art of singing, but after one too many times getting sidelined by him, Anderson remembered having enough with Morrison’s habit of being a rock and roll diva.
Though Anderson did get the chance to speak with Morrison on a few occasions, getting the cold shoulder after helping him back in the day made him lose any interest in meeting him again, saying, “All the bad guys in Rock and Roll, some of them are my pals. I mean, the baddest people in Pop and Rock, they turn out to be really nice and fun guys. But the only ones who are truly bad, like really unpleasantly not nice (like) Van Morrison. We were all nice to him and he wasn’t exactly fun and joy to be with. But you know, he was ok. But subsequently, he really snubbed me. All it takes is just to say ‘Oh, hi’ and then you’re on your way.”
While all rock and roll stars have become a bit more standoffish over time, it’s not like Anderson was alone in thinking that Morrison wasn’t the greatest person. There are plenty of songs in his back catalogue where he can come off as a bit of a curmudgeon like ‘Why Are You On Facebook’, and it’s not like he was going to get a warm reception when releasing ‘This Has Gotta Stop’ with Eric Clapton about people sheltering in place in the midst of Covid.
But while Anderson has made his peace with the kind of musician that Morrison is, it’s not like any musician is safe from falling down that rabbit hole. People can catch them on a bad day at the wrong time and turn them into an obnoxious celebrity, so it’s better to use Morrison as an example of someone keeping themselves in check.
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