Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson (vocals, acoustic & 12-string guitars, mandolin, violin, balalaika, flute, whistle, Hammond organ); Martin Barre (acoustic & electric guitars, recorder, percussion, background vocals); Mick Abrahams (electric guitar); John Evan (piano, harpsichord, celeste, Hammond organ, Mellotron, percussion, background vocals); Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (recorder, bass, background vocals); Glenn Cornick (Hammond organ, bass); Clive Bunker (glockenspiel, drums, percussion, background vocals); Barriemore Barlow (drums, percussion).

Producers: Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis.

Recorded between July 1968 and May 1971.

Listen to this collection, put together to capitalize on the explosive growth in the group's audience after Aqualung, and it's easy to understand just how fine a group Jethro Tull was in the early '70s. Most of the songs, apart from a few heavily played album tracks ("Song for Jeffrey," etc.) and a pair of live tracks from a 1970 Carnegie Hall show, came off of singles and EPs that, apart from the title song, were scarcely known in America, and it's all so solid that it needs no apology or explanation. Not only was Ian Anderson writing solid songs every time out, but the group's rhythm section was about the best in progressive rock's pop division. Along with any of the group's first five albums, this collection is seminal and essential to any Tull collection, and the only compilation by the group that is a must-own disc. ~ Bruce Eder

With hit albums like BENEFIT and AQUALUNG (as well as a spectacular live show), Jethro Tull became one of rock's most popular bands by the early '70s. While many were quick to categorize its music as prog-rock (… la Yes, Genesis, etc.), Tull also dabbled in folk, jazz, heavy metal, and blues. After the K161success of the band's previous two albums, Chrysalis Records issued the double album LIVING IN THE PAST, a mix of hits, important album tracks, single/EP-only material, and previously unreleased live tracks.

As longtime fans know, and as LIVING IN THE PAST makes clear, Jethro Tull produced a wealth of great songs outside of their hits. The best-known song in this collection is undoubtedly the title track, while "Song for Jeffrey," "Witches Promise," and "Hymn 43" also remain classic rock radio staples. There are also numerous lesser-known highlights, many of which were compiled from singles and EPs and are therefore otherwise difficult to obtain. LIVING IN THE PAST, then, is a treasure trove for Tull fans, and a fine place for the uninitiated to start exploring this ambitious band.