Benefit (Collector's Edition)

Jethro Tull’s third album, 1970’s Benefit, zoned away from blues and into the classic Jethro Tull sound. This 2013 collectors' edition features newly mixed tracks by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson, all approved by Tull leader Ian Anderson, and an abundance of alternate tracks and mixes. From the first notes of “With You There to Help Me”—where one hears Ian Anderson’s flute and Martin Barre’s electric guitar working in tandem to achieve a multilayered sound that blends hard rock with English folk—it’s apparent that Tull has hit on an unusual and individual sound that would serve as a blueprint for albums such as Aqualung and Thick as a Brick. The songs are sequenced as on the British LP, with “Teacher” appended with the U.S. and U.K. mixes. Rare tracks and singles from the Benefit era are added to give a better sense of the times and the group’s progression. Pianist John Evan was still considered a guest, but he makes his presence heartily felt.