Jethro Tull announce 40th anniversary reissue of The Broadsword And The Beast

Jethro Tull
(Image credit: Warner Music)

Jethro Tull's 1982 album The Broadsword And The Beast is the latest of their albums to receive the 40th Anniversary deluxe treatment, with a new eight disc CD/DVD version and a four-disc vinyl reissue to be released through Warner Music on September 1.

The 40th Anniversary packages includes new mixes from Steven Wilson, demos, rough mixes, a 1982 live recording from Germany and sessions from 1981 with five CDs and three DVDs forming the Monster Edition and the four-disc vinyl edition. An accompanying 164-page booklet tells the tory of the album and accompanying tour with the band and crew plus an accompanying reproduction tour programme from the 1982 tour.

Originally released in 1982, The Broadsword And The Beast featured a distinctive blend of rock, folk, and progressive influences accompanied by Ian Anderson's storytelling lyrics and unmistakable flute, which reached the Top 20 in the USA.

"There was some great playing on it by the band," Anderson recalls. “I think that was very much to do with the rhythm section of Dave Pegg and Gerry Conway, it was very solid and positive. Peter Vettese’s inclusion on the album was also very positive in the way that he brought some thoughtful musicality to it. And Martin did what Martin was getting better and better at doing throughout the eighties, which was being an amazingly good guitar player.

"Regarding The Broadsword And The Beast in relation to other Jethro Tull albums, personally I would definitely put it in the upper half, in terms of there being some really good songs, and a definite feeling of there being a slight return to that more conceptual thing, without it being too heavy-handed. Overall, I think that the music was amongst some of our best."

You can see pack shots for both versions of the reissue below, along with complete tracklistings.

Pre-order The Broadsword And The Beast.

Jethro Tull

(Image credit: Warner Music)

Jethro Tull

(Image credit: Warner Music)

Jethro Tull: Broadsword And The Beast 40th Anniversary Edition

CD/DVD

Disc One
‘THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST’   A Steven Wilson stereo remix

1. Beastie
2. Clasp
3. Fallen On Hard Times  
4. Flying Colours  
5. Slow Marching Band  
6. Broadsword  
7. Pussy Willow  
8. Watching Me, Watching You  
9. Seal Driver  
10. Cheerio

ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS     A Steven Wilson stereo remix
Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, December 1981 – January 1982 (unless otherwise noted)

11. Fallen On Hard Times (1st master, Dec ’81 sessions)
12. Beastie (2nd master, Dec ’81 sessions)
13. Fallen On Hard Times [2nd master, Dec ’81 sessions)
14. Seal Driver (1st master, Dec ’81 sessions)  
15. Cheerio (ensemble vocal version)  
16. Jack-A-Lynn (acoustic version)  
17. Beastie Shouts!

Disc Two
ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS (Early 1981 Sessions) A Steven Wilson stereo remix
Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, March 1981 – July 1981

1. Roland's  Entry [Instrumental]
2. Lights Out
3. The Curse (version 1)  
4. The Curse (version 2)
5. Too Many Too
6. Calafel [Instrumental]  
7. I’m Your Gun  
8. No Step  
9. Down At The End Of Your Road  
10. Mayhem Maybe [with 1988 overdubs]
11. Commons Brawl [with 1993 overdubs]
12. Return To Calafel [Instrumental]
13. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow
14. The Swirling Pit [Instrumental]  
15. Inverness Sleeper

FURTHER ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS A Steven Wilson stereo remix
Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, December 1981 – January 1982

16. Crew Nights (combined version) [with some 1993 overdubs]  
17. Rhythm In Gold  
18. Overhang [with 1988 overdubs]
19. Jack-A-Lynn (band version)
20. Motoreyes
21 Drive On The Young Side Of Life [with 1993 overdubs]

Disc Tree

DEMO RECORDINGS
Recorded directly to stereo in Maison Rouge Studio 1 on 15th December 1981

1. Flying Colours 
2. Me, Dinosaur
3. Crew Nights
4. Rhythm In Gold
5. Honest Girl
6. DJ Dream
7. Seal Driver
8. Jack-A-Lynn
9. Fallen On Hard Times
10. Drive On The Young Side Of Life

ORIGINAL 1981 MASTER MIXES
Early master mixes prepared in July 1981. The master mix of ‘Watching Me, Watching You’ used on the album was also prepared during these mixing sessions. 

11. Beastie
12. Too Many Too
13. I’m Your Gun
14. Down At The End Of Your Road
15. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow

EARLY 1982 ROUGH MIXES
Rough mixes of work-in-progress album tracks prepared in January 1982

16. Slow Marching Band
17. Pussy Willow
18. Fallen On Hard Times

ORIGINAL 1982 RADIO ADVERT
UK local radio advert promoting the band’s headlining appearance at the Theakston Music Festival, Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire, England on Saturday 28th August 1982

19. Theakston Music Festival Advert

Disc Four

LIVE IN GERMANY 1982  

1. Clasp
2. Hunting Girl
3. Fallen On Hard Times
4. Pussy Willow
5. Broadsword
6. Jack-In-The-Green
7. One Brown Mouse
8. Seal Driver
9. Heavy Horses
10. Weathercock/Fire At Midnight
11. Keyboard Instrumental
12. Sweet Dream

Disc Five

LIVE IN GERMANY 1982  

1. Flying Colours
2. Songs From The Wood
3. Watching Me, Watching You
4. Band Introductions
5. The Swirling Pit
6. Pibroch/Black Satin Dancer
7. Beastie
8. Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die!
9. Aqualung
10. Minstrel In The Gallery
11. Locomotive Breath/Black Sunday
12. Cheerio

DVD 1 (unit 6)

Audio only
The Broadsword And The Beast album remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound + flat transfer of the 1982 original mix and other associated tracks in 96/24 LPCM stereo

DVD 2 (unit 7)
Associated Recordings remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound

DVD 3 (unit 8)
Live in Germany (as per DISCS 4 & 5) remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 4.1 surround sound

Four LP Set

LP 1
The Broadsword And The Beast (Steven Wilson remix of original LP) 

Side 1
1) Beastie 
2) Clasp 
3)Fallen On Hard Times 
4) Flying Colours 
5) Slow Marching Band 

Side 2
1) Broadsword 
2) Pussy Willow 
3) Watching Me, Watching You 
4) Seal Driver 
5) Cheerio 

LP 2
Double-Edged Sword (Steven Wilson mixes of additional Broadsword recordings March 1981 to January 1982) 

Side 1
1) Rolands Entry
2) Lights Out
3) The Curse (Version 1)
4) The Curse (Version 2)
5) Too Many Too (3.44) 

Side 2
1) Calafel
2) I’m Your Gun
3) No Step
4) Down At The End Of Your Road
5) Mayhem, Maybe
6) Commons Brawl

Side 3
1) Return To Calafel
2) Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow
3) The Swirling Pit
4) Inverness Sleeper
5) Motoreyes
6) Rhythm In Gold

Side 4
1) Overhang
2) Jack-A-Lynn (Band Version)
3) Crew Nights
4) Drive On The Young Side Of Life
5 Jack-A-Lynn(acoustic version)

LP 3
The Broadsword And The Beast - The Maison Rouge Demos

Side 1
1) Flying Colours
2) Me, Dinosaur
3) Crew Nights
4) Drive On The Young Side Of Life
5) Seal Driver

Side 2
1) DJ Dream
2) Rhythm In Gold
3) Honest Girl
4) Jack-A-Lynn
5) Fallen On Hard Times

The Broadsword And The Beast album remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound + flat transfer of the 1982 original mix and other associated tracks in 96/24 LPCM stereo.

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.