Jethro Tull took the stage 55 years ago this month with a guitarist wearing a floppy, decidedly un-metal white hat. Turns out, that was Tony Iommi.

Jethro Tull was trying to create a pomposity-popping prog-rock caricature. What they ended up with 50 years ago today was a triumph of the form.

Well recorded, well played, straightforward yet intricate, ‘The Zealot Gene’ represents the best elements of the current Jethro Tull / Ian Anderson sound.

When Martin Barre remakes the familiar – or even the not-so-familiar – on ’50 Years of Jethro Tull,’ everything old becomes new again.

Albums by Paul Rodgers, Jethro Tull and Journey have become unjustly forgotten in the collective memory.

Classic rock is a dinosaur still walking the Earth, but there’s still enough life left in it to consider a few points in the twilight of an era.

The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Yes and a host of others have written winter-themed songs over the years. But which was best?

If you’re a cynical type, reissues by the likes of the Beatles, Jethro Tull and Bad Company are just a great way to re-sell music to aging baby boomers.

Mick Abrahams rose to instant fame as a member of Jethro Tull, helping craft a debut album in ‘This Was’ that memorably melded blues with progressive rock.

On stage, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson has been hit with a variety of items: a baseball, a rose, a splash of urine. This, however, may have been the worst.