A work in prog
Jethro Tull's evergreen founder is a man of many opinions and he's not afraid to offer them. Charley Lanyon discovers why Ian Anderson is not your average ageing rocker
A CONVERSATION WITH Ian Anderson, the flautist frontman of prog rock oddballs Jethro Tull, can be a disorienting experience. A 20-minute interview easily stretches into an hour and questions as seemingly innocuous as "What do you do to relax when not on tour?" elicit opinions on everything from overpopulation to groupies, from the dismal state of the Anglican Church to the "draconian" feed regulations constraining commercial salmon farmers.
Those familiar with Anderson's music will not be surprised at the breadth of his interests or the passion of his opinions. While casual concert goers may become distracted by Jethro Tull's theatrical stage shows, and Anderson's tendency to play the flute standing on one leg like a possessed Elizabethan flamingo, true fans - who are many and diehard - are drawn to Anderson's lyrics, which are sometimes confrontational and often inscrutable.
When we speak, Anderson is in his studio in England rehearsing for the tour and spending time with his granddaughter. Discussion about music and Jethro Tull history quickly gives way to the state of the world, religion and politics. When asked why he chose the flute he says he liked it "because it was shiny" and he could no longer afford the payments on his guitar. He doesn't, it seems, have much to say about his chosen instrument.
Instead, the 65-year-old would like to talk about his grandchildren and what he sees as the biggest crisis facing the planet: overpopulation. "I have two children and two grandchildren and I hope it stops at that. I'm a passionate believer in responsible parenting, which means I'm really quite opposed in a moral sense to large families."
Anderson is at pains to stress that he is not your typical rock star. "The last thing I wanted was half-naked girls running around doing whatever drugs they were doing," he says. He says he has no use for drugs at all, although he admits he "used to smoke cigarettes" and still enjoys "a beer and a glass of whisky".
Whatever wild days he may have had are behind him - Anderson says his friends these days are mainly "clergy, politicians, writers and farmers" - but when it comes to music he has no intention of slowing down. He thinks his rocking gets better as he ages: "I am much more moved by what I write today and play today than what I wrote back then. I was fumbling then. I'm an experienced musician now."