One of the greatest bands of all time, which also can't be narrowed to simple categorization. They are a genre. They can prog, hard rock, soft rock, folk, etc with the best of any style -- sometimes simultaneously!

I am a loyal Tull fan and to really appreciate their sound you need to hear how it has evolved. Long live Jethro Tull.

Thanks for the reaction, glad you liked them. The 'Minstrel in the Gallery' album was recorded during a short break in the 'Warchild' tour. Then they just went back out on the road and added the material to their set list. Ian Anderson, the main songwriter/singer/acoustic guitarist/flautist, is an absolute firehose of amazing material on a level of say Frank Zappa or Prince, and the band was on fire at that time, super tight and in top form. So the album was an in-the-moment musing on his and the band's observations about having become one of the biggest music acts in the world, for better or worse. One interesting aspect of Jethro Tull is that Tool's drummer Danny loves this drummer, Barriemore Barlow. Apparently Danny has made the comment that the drumming on Tull's album 'A Passion Play' from '73 was part of what made him want to become a drummer. You definitely could get lost in Tull's catalog, I'd say that their run of albums from '68 - '78 is perhaps the strongest series of albums ... ever (except maybe for 'too old to rock and roll, too old to die', that one is a tad off). So distinctive, energetic, innovative and man they rock. People that had a cow - me included, at the time - about Tull winning the first ever Hard Rock/Heavy Metal grammy over Metallica in '89 had forgotten how amazing they were live and how dark and heavy some of their music was. Not to mention that, despite not being 'metal', the album they won the grammy for is very very good. Even Kirk Hammett has recently commented on that 'controversy' and said he'd just never listened to Tull, he didn't necessarily dislike them. But he started checking them out and has now listened to just about everything they have done and he thinks they kick ass. So, I was happy to hear that, Kirk is a decent guy and a great player, so I'm glad he dug in and came to enjoy Jethro Tull. They are a very significant band in my eyes, up there with Pink Floyd or Rush or anyone.

Approaching 60 years for this band, one of my faves

You have to see Tull live to appreciate them. I recommend "Locomotive Breath" live in 1982 and "Thick as a Brick" live in London in1977

You definitely need to see a live performance of Jethro Tull. They really put on a show.

The mid 70's version of Jethro Tull is considered progressive rock, which as a genre tends to be scattered so your description isn't outrageous at all. I love Jethro Tull, and if you really want scattered prog rock (and I don't think you do, but if), look no further than Tull's 20+ minute opus Baker St. Muse which takes up the lion's share of side 2 of the Minstrel In The Gallery album. Damn, I love that song.

You might consider Jethro Tull live version from 1977 of Thick As A Brick,a master piece!

I think if you were to ask Danny Carey he'd tell you Barrie Barlow was a influence on his drumming. Everyone is influenced one way or another and for my generation, these guys were on top of the heap with King Crimson, Yes, ELP, Genesis and Pink Floyd. Tool wouldn't be Tool without the aforementioned bands, especially Crimson.

Tool has been outdueled by Tull, Jethro Tull. They are one of the all time best bands that tool only wish they could play like this! Try the songs Teacher, My God Locomotive Breath, Cold Wind to Valhalla, Dharma For One, Farm On A Freeway, and Hunting Girl. Just to name a very few great songs! They are great musicians and have done this live many times in the past, Living in the Past that is!Try reacting to Nantucket Sleigh Ride by Mountain. A hard driving tune

Oh, you youngster. I am 73 and this was a mind-blowing, crazy good live.

Heavy Horses and Songs from the Wood are 2 albums that's a must listen.

I was 20 when this was released. I bought the album, still got it...

He is a self taught floutist, guitarist, composer and singer.

By far Jethro Tull was one of the best bands to see live, and I’ve seen a few in the last 50y.

Ian Anderson live is like nothing you have ever experienced. Add The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to your list of challengers.

Check out "thick as a brick" Jethro Tull live from Tampa Stadium 1976. So faryou haven't even scratched the surface of Jethro Tull. They have twenty three studio albums. Every song is a great song. Then they've got all kinds of live albums and compilation albums , and greatest hits albums and you name it.

Jethro Tull is an acquired taste for most. It takes a few listens to really get it, kinda like jazz. Once you appreciate it though...

4/4 time? We're talking prog in the mid 70s where 4/4 was a passing thought as they moved around different time signatures. If your a Tool guy, then listen to bands like Yes, who Tool, Rush, etc were learning from. Go back to the sources. Btw, Tull's 45 minute masterpiece, thick as a brick, incorporates many different time signatures and key changes.. Minstrel in the Gallery is a good introduction to Tull. Passion Play and Brick are them at their most progressive period. If you aren't familiar with much prog in the early seventies, your about to find out what Tool was listening to as they cut their teeth.

I’m a longtime Tull fan. Minstrel can be tough to digest, especially if you aren’t already a Jethro a Tull fan. It’s a favorite among hardcore Jethro Tull fans, but casual Tull listeners often find the album meandering and confused.

Tool comes from this musical tradition...

This is perhaps my favorite song on planet Earth, bar none. In fact, this whole album is also my favorite album on Earth. Another good Tull reaction would be Songs from the Wood, or Hunting Girl, or Velvet Green, all from the Songs from the Wood album.

Tool "Loves" Jethro Tull and most all Classic Prog !!!! 👍🎼🎶

This band is still putting out new music.

In the shuffling madness of the locomotive breath! Check out a live version for Mr Anderson's showmanship. There was a lot of great music. There still is; just remember the 90% rule. [90% of everything is crap] Keep enjoying & reacting.

Best R&R band ever ! Complex and unique !

You just took the Blue Pill. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull was the greatest ROCK PERFORMER OF ALL TIME!. They could do this live EASILY AND just like the record

Tull rules

The great triumvarite of Ian Anderson, Martin Barre and Barriemore Barlow formed much of the language of progressive hard rock... Go back and listen to the beginning again and it will start to make sense...

RökFlöte just came out this year. I'd call Jethro Tull current, just old lol

Yeah you should really delve into jethro One of the greatest bands ever

My god one of my favorites. Need to watch them in concert. Studio does not do justice to there work.

I love Cacophony (Jason Becker & Marty Friedman)

Live Tull kicked. Like the record. On of the best acts of the 70s. It was a theatrical experience.

First off, Happy Thanksgiving! Second, thanks again for the reaction, glad you liked it. A little background: Ian Anderson, Tull's principal songwriter/vocalist/ flutist and multiple instruments, wrote this song about him ( the performer or "minstrel") watching the audience watching him. At first he's pretty contemptuous, with name calling (family-scarred and women haters, overfed and undertakers). By the end of his song, he discards his "looking glass", and looks upon his audience and realizes he is no worse or better than any of them. Pretty heady stuff, but it comes with context: This is a title track for an album recorded in 1975 in France. This was due to them taking a year's tax exile, a tactic taken by many British artists in the 1970s so their earnings and royalities weren't taxed at a rate of 95%! Ian and the band felt the bitter sting of being away from family and friends for that time period (during the exile, the artists were only allowed so many days in Britain before feeling the tax bite). As for the music, I love the signature Tull sound of blending a medieval folk sound with hard rock. Guitarist Martin Barre ( who co-wrote the song with Ian) and drummer Barriemore Barlow (a favorite of John Bonham) shine here, and I feel don't fully get the credit for their respective skills. Again, thanks for the reaction. I'll keep my other coffees brewing, and I look forward to seeing what Rival Sons song you pick.

7:23 Jonathan crossed over...

Check out their "Live At The Isle Of Wight" (1970) . Exceedingly raw and undeniably potent . Then the Album "Thick As A Brick" (Parts 1 & 2) for a highly Progressive taste of their inventory .

So many years, so many albums, you have a HUGE catalog to explore. Completely unique in the real meaning of the word. Can't miss. BTW, the signature of professional musicians is that their job is to remember the music!!! Not a mystery, just what they do.

A passion play by tull. Sound chaser by YES or close to the edge , gates of delerium.

One of my favorite albums. Glad you used the album version. Who is Tool? Glad you liked it.

I will never ever buy someone a coffee, but I've got no problem with buying you a decent beer, when you sit next to me at a bar.

Ian Anderson and the band, Jethro Tull, one of the most creative bands ever. YOU KNOW TOOL WAS INFLUENCED BY THE BAND YES! Have you done Yes yet? Yes, Tull, Rush all have influenced so many artists. Only thing about Tool, all their songs are good, but sound the same.

This was not the original studio version of the song. This was actually a live version of the song from their 1978 concert album, "Bursting Out." Great album, and a great version of the song! The original studio version, from the '75 album of the same name, is better though, especially in terms of Ian Anderson's powerful vocal performance.

No band has the same percussive guitar style as Tool which is maybe why you rank them No 1. But Tull were a fantastic band in their own right with all sorts of sounds blended together - and scattered throughout their songs - that were highly entertaining and original in their day.

Tull or Tool…give me the great JT!!!

I think live video would be better to show the talent of the band / oh that dude made that sound out of .... what the heck is that thing . The old is amazing ,Tool is amazing , also would love to see what they listen to . 🙂

I still think Led Zepplin's Kashmir is still the greatest rock n roll song ever written. The original studio is of course important. But...there is a reunion re-issued version with an entire middle eastern orchestra backing up the band...recorded in a box canyon or something. Anyways...you really oughta do the original, then take in that remake with Page unleashed. Its like early 2000s i think.

Maybe try "Stargazer" by Rainbow?

Excellent song and album, you’d very much enjoy thick as a brick live as well I’d imagine!

When you asked for requests, I thought of the list I had made of my personal favorite bands, and some of the songs, from the 50s-70s: Pink Floyd's 'Echoes' and 'Time'. Martin Denny- 'Quiet Village' and 'Exotica'. Moody Blues- 'Nights in White Satin' and 'Legend of a Mind'. Supertramp- 'Goodbye Stranger' and 'Even in the Quietest Moments'. Rush- 'Freewill' and 'Xanadu'. Frank Zappa- 'I'm the Slime', 'Pink Napkins' and 'Inca Roads'. Steely Dan- 'Deacon Blues'. Led Zeppelin- live versions from the TSRTS concert, ('Dazed and Confused', and 'Stairway to Heaven'), ELO- 'Livin' Thing', and 'Tightrope'. Yes- 'Wonderous Stories', 'Awaken', and 'I've Seen all Good People'. I can't stop! Joao and Astrud Gilberto- 'The girl from Ipanema'. Also, groups like ELP, the Beatles, Renaissance, the Who, (Tommy), and Jethro Tull- 'Sossity,' 'Songs from the Wood'. Also, a novelty parody band 'Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band'. Oh- I want to add, Alan Parsons Project- 'Eye in the Sky', 'Time', and 'The Raven'.

Pink Floyd - "Echoes" Live at Pompeii 1972 (Part I) is a must

Great song and a fun reaction! I didn't see Yes - Close to the Edge in your videos, and if you haven't given that a listen for your channel, it's well worth it. Many people consider it the greatest progressive rock song of all time, and it has a lot of elements that I think a Tool fan would enjoy.

Hi Jonathan! I just stumbled on your channel and I accept your challenge! There is only one band I can think of that. Well should sit at the number 1 spot with Tool. That band is Haken. They are a prog metal band from the UK. So many songs to suggest from straight up metal to the quirky winding roads of their catalog. My suggestion is start with Invasion. If this piques your interest I would suggest Puzzle Box next and go to the quirky side and listen to Cockroach King.

You've barely even scratched the surface of jethro Tull. I would suggest "my god" from the aqualung album. They have about 23 studio albums. and there's not a bad song on any of the them. So I would almost say pick one at random. And check it out..

Nice reaction to a great band I saw twice. Judging by your comments you will love a band called Yes and a song called Roundabout is a good place to start. Enjoy your Tull and YES journey 🙏🍁

Not sure if I've ever heard this one. Aqualung, cross eyed Mary, bungle in the jungle, and thick as a brick are the only ones I'm positive I've heard. This is a maybe a bit more aggressive

Jethro Tull > Tool

If he REALLY is listening to this song for the first time, how did he know to stop the song at 5:58, just when the song was about to change, he does this again later and he does this in other video's he makes, Hmmmmmm?

Sometimes Ian and this brand of progressive rock is a bit scattered but other times its amazing. When it comes to Prog Rock sometimes less is more. This band has so much material so its a great one to come back to. You appreciate them more and more when you realize just how much they put out that was high caliber and again "progressive" for that time period. Really interesting band and thier live stuff is great but audio sounds like garbage until about the early 90's in my opinion.

What is the point of designating a band as on top? There's lots of good bands. Enjoy them all in their own unique way. You could miss out.

Duuude.. dude.. no seriously... duuude! You haven't reacted to Rush?? Ya know, the band that Tool pretty much designed their entire sound around? Look up "Xanadu Live 1981" to get the full effect of the Rock & Roll Hall of famer power-trio that inspired Tool.

Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, Thick As A Brick, Songs From The Wood, Minstrel In The Gallery, Broadsword and the Beast, Heavy Horses, Crest Of A Knave are solid all the way through. My All time Favorite Band!!!!!!!

I suggest 21st Century Schizoid Man, by King Crimson... you may find that one a bit "scattered" as well, but it's also mind blowing! I believe Tool has named King Crimson as a major influence on them, and had Crimson as their opening band for some shows in Summer 2001.

A lifetime of jethro Tull I've marvelled and worshipped them ! The fact that they're better live than any recording can tell you what millions of us have known since the 1960's ! Can't imagine life without them ! There's never been a band like them brilliance is a very difficult thing 2 follow they were and are so unique they've been around 4 ever ! Thank god 4 this band and their brilliance also Ian Anderson who's song writing is 2nd 2 none yet he's a very approachable and so intelligent man he's been in my part of Great Britain and it's like he's visiting family ? A very large 1 where he meets and greets the fans that he knows from so many visits ! Thanx jethro Tull 4 everything !

A challenge! What is better than TOOL? Sincerely, I have not heard much of TOOL(!). So, now I listened through a couple of songs. It reminds me of Frank Zappa's "Sinister footwear" (any version or movement). Or maybe a little of Gentle Giant: try "The advent of Panurge". Or maybe "Propellerhäst" by Mats & Morgan. These are not my first hand personal favourites, but what I think are good candidates in this competition! 😊

No quarter live by Led Zeppelin

Tull's 70's output is all superb..... listen up dude it's better than anything Tool have ever done.... grow your attention span some.

Have you ever listened to Dancing Madly Backwards by Captain Beyond?

Don't compare Tull and Tool. Not fair to either of them. I'm happy to listen to both.

Eventually you will get to the artist that Tool thinks is god... Zappa...

Im probably a bigger tool fan than u i think Maynard is the greatest vocalist ever seen him over 20 times. But Jethro tull is amazing check out locomotive breath ian Anderson is the best flute player ever just a fact

For a Tool fan you sure couldn't figure how to move to the music

TOOL??? REALLYYYYY??? 😊 THERE'S NO NONE ZERO COMPARISON😮., TO TULL, RUSH, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, NONE JONATHAN😊, BUT I SUPPOSE YOU'LL LEARN THAT AS YOU GO ALONG ENJOY AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU & YOURS! 💯

Many many better JT songs than this (1970's) that should eventually knock Tool off the top spot.

You pronounce it totally wrong. You don't look sympatic.

Okay....pretty much most 70's bands are better than Tool. Hey! I gave them plenty of rope with listening to their music and they fell flat. Boring and with no imagination. Very much like Muse. I will say, Tool is a bit proggy with very weak vocals but I will take Gentle Giant or Jethro Tull any day of the week. Thanks for trying.