In the Prog Seat: Jethro Tull's 'Benefit-50th Anniversary Enhanced Edition' Roundtable Review 

An hour-long discussion on Tull is, by definition, the best hour of content on RU-vid.

I am with you Pete, Benefit is a top three album in the Tull catalogue.

Great show Guys. Benefit is a great album and to have all those extras goodies is like opening a treasure chest.

Benefit has always been my favourite Tull album.

Great review, Pete, with 2 excellent co-pilots. Armando's no-nonsense approach and Eric's touching all bases made this a complete, no-strings-untied video. I agree with Armando-- if I'm shelling out serious cash, I expect what all these deluxe sets have to offer. So far, I haven't been disappointed with the ones I have purchased. Great show as usual-- thanks Pete, Eric and Armando.

2021: Pete Pardo rocks.

'Inside' became my song for the pandemic Love when you talk Jethro Tull...one of my top five al time bands

Great show...👍👍

Interesting hearing guys from the States, talking so passionately about Tull.

I agree with Pete that "Stormwatch" is the best of these. Great bonus tracks and alternate versions. And they hardly ever played most of that album live after that tour so you get to hear those.

Wonderful álbum Benefit . I’m a Tull fan and I’m enjoying your conversation. The book format of anniversary editions of Jethro tull album are gorgeous. Greetings from Rio de Janeiro. I like very much Sea of Tranquility. Muito obrigado

Tull and Steven Wilson set the gold standard with these deluxe sets. I love the book format they used and the extras are a treasure. Thanks for the great video Pete and co.

This album grew on me over the past decades. For the past 30 years, from being a great album between Stand up and Aqualung, it became my all-time favorite. The sound (With You there To Help Me), the atmosphere (For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me), the innovations (Play In Time), the Majestic (Sossity: You're A woman), the sheer energy, the great songwriting, Ian's singing (entire album). It's just a perfect album. The 2013 remixes are simply out of this world. The timeless-ness of songs like Inside which sound as fresh as if it was recorded yesterday. It's not clear why, but everytime I listen to this album, I start crying right when For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me reaches the first chorus. The songs on this album along with a hundred other great songs on JT's catalog make them the best band in the history of rock, right next to the Beatles, IMO.

...another thing. I listened to Benefit a lot these past couple years. These Tull guys were only in their early 20s. Such musical maturity! Just check out the restraint in something like "Alive And Well And Living In".

Thanks, Armando, Eric and Pete, for this very enjoyable episode In The Prog Seat. Like Eric, I often fund that the first albums I hear from a band become favorites and Benefit was my introduction to Jethro Tull. It was played in its entirety on a. weekly Sunday night episode of complete albums done by our local college FM station. Was captivated then and this remains a top 3 Tull album for me - sometimes in the top spot. Thanks to SoT and Pete, heard about this release earlier this year and kept looking for it in the fall and ordered immediately. First such set for me. There are others really desired but hoping for a re-release and more reasonable price. So, LP, then cassette, then original CD, etc. and now this. But it’s worth it. But in the words of King Alo, Pete and others…The curse is REAl! Thanks again, guys for a greatly enjoyed show.

Benefit is my favorite album with them, and some great bonustracks too.

Steven Wilson......the George Martin of the 2010's and beyond. I"ve listened to many of his remixes....and frankly, I think he does an AWESOME job....just my opinion.

IAN ANDERSON really respects his fans with these amazing sets at a FAIR PRICE! Way more content at less than half the price of others. But you HAVE to get them right away or they are gone..

Agree with all the panelists observations, but Pete is spot on with the point of the quality of the unreleased stuff is almost and in some cases as good as the previously released stuff. I love Stormwatch. Much more now than I did originally.

Got to thank you guys. I didn't know about this release went to Amazon and got it for 38 dollars. Can't wait to hear it.

Loved this show...am new to this channel/ program. Great way to spend an hour with you guys! Went over and got the box set on Amazon for $38.

Sadly, I had all of the early boxed sets and my PC died on me. I ended ups auctioning them on Ebay and would up with enough money to buy a NEW PC! Was able to make copies before I sold them, so I still have all the music, just not the amazing packaging. Looking forward to BROADSWORD more than any of the others! Great discussion here!

You talked me into it…. I got it on Amazon still regular price.thanks for the show guys !

Benefit is really one of the hidden gems of the 70's. No one ever seems to talk about it,and if Tull fans seem to favor Aqualung,TAAB or even SFTW. I think Benefit along with Stand Up is peak Tull. "with you there to help me","to cry you a song" and the tremendous "For Michael Collins,Jeffrey and Me"(my personal favorite) are among Jethro Tull's best songs

Jethro Tull is flat out cool !!!

These releases are so great. I would so love to have the Yes and Genesis catalogues in this way.

Great discussion about Benefit and that whole era of Tull. I'm still waiting for my set to arrive and am even more excited for it after listening to this. Excellent work guys!

Agreed: These Tull special editions are great values, if you can get them when they come out. Probably better than any similar products from other bands.

Excellent box set, great mix, superb initial price ... exemplary approach to reissuing material .... (ditto re Marillion deluxe box sets) ... totally agree re going for Heavy Horses, Stormwatch, A la Mode sets ... the audio quality of the live 2 disc concert on A la Mode is just wonderful ... listen on headphones ... can't wait for the "full fat" Broadsword box due out next year (with a ton of extras promised), the new album - Zealot Gene ... and got the new Silent Singing "coffee table" book edition this week with all lyrics from ALL the Tull / Ian Anderson tracks from the very start right up to / including the yet to be released new album. Great band, great legacy.

Benefit and Thick as a Brick are my favorite albums!

These Books/box sets are deadly. They are AMAZING, but I just don't wanna buy these albums for a third time!!! (LP, then CD, now this?!?!)

Of the several Tull albums I own, Benefit is my favorite. I was in college when it was popular. I had no plans to buy this set until I watched the first several minutes of this video. I went to Amazon and bought it for $38.00. The price dropped on Amazon from just one or two days ago when the set was $50.00. A great deal at $38.00.

Curious how many Surround junkies buy these and other box sets JUST for the 5.1 Surround disc---i know i have

The great Jethro Tull. This album is brilliant. The passion Pete talks with when he talks about Tull, shows that it's his favorite band. Not Purple, Sabbath or Zeppelin.

When does Steven Wilson sleep haha. Great episode gents!

This Was box set currently available on Amazon UK for £37. Not so fussed on box set for this one so just snapped up the break out single disc album while it's available, War Child seems to have disappeared.

39 minutes in and I had to buy it! Thanks!

My favorite Tull album

I'm glad that I bought every one of then new!

I’m going to grab order the few I can get for a decent price. I’m in Canada and Heavy Horses is $200+, Songs from the Wood is $400+, War Child $670, TAAB $420. Can’t even find Minstrel, Aqualung or Stand Up…. I wish they would make more copies of these, obviously there is more than enough demand out there!

Aqualung was one of the first rock albums I ever listened to on headphones.

My copy is now on order. Pete's a few years younger than me but I like that he rates this album so highly. It's not a perfect album by any means but for fans of the early band it always had something special that's hard to explain. If you listen to the track Inside, it illustrates why Glenn Cornick's elastic bass lines and Clive Bunker's rattletrap drum sound were so essential to the sound of the band. It packed an emotional punch too before Ian started eyeing young girls and getting too serious. It still is my favourite song on the album.

This to me is the true beginning of the classic Tull 70s period there's something truly dark and moody about benefit that gives it a nice hard rock edge a Tull classic all the way

We need to come together as a community and ask Ian and the record company to re-release those out of print box-sets. These are excellent. Maybe create a Bandcamp or do a Kickstarter campaign for each so that they don't have to front any money, kind of like an on-demand release, could include Blu-ray instead for DVD for those of us who prefer this format. We need to continue supporting physical media and artists who still believe in it.

I have 3 LP albums by Tull. Thick as a Brick, War Child, and Aqualung. Aquqlung is my favorite .I've had these since they came out

Just got Heavy Horses on ebay! The only other one I really want is Songs From The Wood, sure, I'd love the others, but the prices are just too high. I listen to HH and SFTW the most. Hope to dive into Stormwatch tonight

Benefit definitely the gold standard for these things.

Benefit ior me is the best Tull reissue studio album box set

Great episode

I gotta get this.

You sold me, I've got to get this. It's in my top 3 favorites.

Got the set the day it was released, absolutely fabulous sadly no real rarities contained in the set.

Just got Benefit today. Have all of these now except for This Was. Which I have on a single CD and vinyl.

Looking forward to their new album next year

Not had a chance to listen to properly yet, but as you say a decent price in the first place, unlike some - Black Sabbath for instance, and price will shoot up if you don't get it now. I got the the single album SW remix breakouts from the Minstrel, Passion Play and Stand Up box sets, well worth it. Watch out for TAAB, I believe it's now the only SW remix where he isn't happy with the mastering, so I went for the previous remaster instead. History of the SW remix of Aqualung well worth seeking out.

I don't have this set that you gentlemen are talking about. But I think Ian Anderson plays that flute wonderfully. Martin Barry was a good guitar player also

I have all except Thick as a Brick. Somehow l missed that one😩. 150 bucks is the cheapest l can find it. The Steven Wilson remixes alone are worth the price of admission for me personally. Auqualung being the most improved sound wise. Seeing what most of them are going for now, they are a sound investment😀

Great advice to buy these upon release. We can only hope that there are re-releases of the now unaffordable earlier book sets. I don't think it was made clear that they were limited editions. I have had the same experience as Armando, of having several of these sets in my hands in record shops, but deciding to pick them up another time.

Songs from the Wood my favorite Tull LP.

Can’t wait to watch this when I get a moment. Tull’s run of albums from 1969 to 1979 is pretty much unrivaled. That’s a full decade of masterpieces.

For me only Aqualung tops Benefit.

This box set arrived today. I’ve only listened to Disc 1 so far. Before I get to that, let me say I’ve been reading about my early music roots for over a month now. Currently I’m reading a book on Folk-Rock and I’ve been listening to 60s albums, many I’m not familiar with, that the book talks about. Stuff that isn’t F-R but related. Like earlier today I listened to Hard Day’s Night, an important album leading to F-R. So all this is deepening my understanding of where I musically come from. And Benefit happens to arrive, perfect timing. Although I saw this record in stores, within a year of when it came out, I didn’t hear it until much later. It would have been a good record for me to hear back when I was still a growing child since it has elements of all the music I was into then: Folk, Psychedelic, Progressive and Hard. Anyways, today is what’s happening... best sound I ever heard this album. With all the Folk-Rock on my mind lately, I especially was into that aspect of it. Loved listening to Anderson’s guitar and Barre’s harder guitar. Also, I was delighted when Pete and guests echoed my thoughts exactly on 2 standout versions. The UK single version of “Teacher” was so different. I loved it. That song has always been a favourite of mine because it’s one of the Tull hits I heard on AM radio in the late 60s, early 70s. I was amazed to hear it so different then what I heard as a kid. I also was impressed with the early Version of “My God.” Incredible. Listening to that made me think of the odd choral things in one of my favourite movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of you said the live material makes getting this set worth it. I haven’t gotten to all that yet. I’d say hearing those 2 versions alone makes this set worth getting for me.

For me Benefit sort of “hides” between the two albums that sandwiches it. A bit forgotten but lots great stuff on here. As Armando says it is a transitional album.

@30 min: Tanglewood is edited on cd, 83 min with a 22 min drum solo on the DVD & 69 min with a 13 min drum solo on cd

Hello guys, the Benefit box is really worth it. The live DVD is a great snapshot of that time. As far as the boxes, Stormwatch, A passion play and Heavy horses are the best in my opinion. However, I don't have Minstrel, Songs from the wood, unfortunately. Their price is over the roof now.

On Marillion, I kept looking and was able to get the break out album disc from Clutching and Sunlight.

Glad to hear the love for 'Stormwatch'. That album was my introduction to Jethro Tull and remains my sentimental favourite to this day. I bought the vinyl from a second hand record store back in 1985/1986. I wasn't looking for it. I can't event recall why I bought it. Maybe it was the cover art. Anyway, it lead me into becoming a huge fan and taking up the flute. Probably my second favourite band...

Is the Tanglewood gig where they opened for The Who. There is great footage of them on the 30 maximum Of R&B video. Townshend mentions Tull at that gig.

A very special 40th anniversary set!!

Great review gentlemen . Yes , these Tull box sets are the gold standard . Everyone of them is great . Thick as a Brick has the least number of discs , but so what , the mixes and the book are great . I'm really looking forward to Broadsword & the Beast , which I understand might be coming in February . I will even spring for Under Wraps when it comes out , even though it is one of my least favourite Tull albums . As for Benefit , it would rank in the Top 5 Tull albums . Cheers !

I have three of the boxsets namely This Was, A and now Benefit. From memory the first to be released were Aqualung and Thick As A Brick in large boxes. Stand Up I think was the first book set which they continued with for A Passion Play then going back and updating Aqualung and TAAB in the new format. As I had missed the first two sets I wasn't too sure about having an out of sequence set as APP works into a trilogy of sorts like the first three albums. I was interested in getting the folk trilogy but after getting money out to pay for Songs From The Wood somebody had bought it under my nose as it was reduced to £12.99. So it wasn't until This Was that I decided to invest in the series as it was the first album and possible as a 50th anniversary release that they'd update Stand Up and Benefit. I'm sure Stand Up will see a revisit seeing as we don't have the Carnegie Hall show from the first edition on either the second edition or Benefit.

This is the one I was really waiting for as the album is a favorite - I think the piano from John Evan really brings something special to the Tull sound that would just expand on Aqualung & TAAB and beyond. All 4 discs are excellent, but I was prepared for one of them being a new version of the 1970 Carnegie hall show that was on the 2010 version of stand up - I don't know it it will eventually show up again but both Tanglewood & Chicago here are no slouches. I have preferred the sonic quality of many of the 1997-2004 ish remasters as they remind me more of what I remember hearing when I had them on vinyl played on decent turntables from the 70's & 80's - the 2001 version of Benefit being a particular favorite - but these SW remasters do bring out some things which have been interesting to find. The only new versions of reissues that possibly have more "stuff" than these books from JT might be the King Crimson retrospectives that have 20+ discs or maybe the Gentle Giant or Caravan box sets but the formats for those is very different than these books - would a separate book of 4 discs "work" for each KC album? Maybe, but there is just so much KC stuff that would be left out. For each Caravan album? Harder to answer. The Moody Blues has a book for In Search Of The Lost Chord but not one (yet) for the seminal Days of Future Passed. The Sabbath boxes aren't bad but they "feel" a little cheap with too much paper construction. If I had one complaint about this hardbound book format is that it puts discs over each other in a way that could too easily lead to scratches/damage to one disc when trying to take it out or put it back in. The only one I currently lack is the TAAB book - which is usually in the 300 range right now when it shows up but it only has 2 discs with early versions of the issue having glitches that were corrected on a subsequent replacement disc - wouldn't mind TAAB being redone properly with some extra material. From watching an earlier SOT video about the JT books I went out & acquired several in the last year - Stand Up $180, Passion $130, Aqualung $250, Too Old $85, Warchild $150, Songs $180, Minstrel $200, but This Was, Heavy Horses, A, Stormwatch and Benefit I was lucky enough to purchase new in the 45-60 range, probably because they are the most recent. Certainly nice buys when comparing to, say, the super deluxe issue of All Things Must Pass which has 5 discs and retails $150 new. Who knows - maybe ELP will get a decent treatment similar to these and we can have a version of Brain Salad Surgery which can shake the walls of the house when the Hammond & Moog are at full force instead of all prior CD versions which are so thin & quiet sounding compared with what I got from playing it on vinyl decades ago. A fine discussion from the three of you on this issue of one of Tull's most fascinating records.

Armando with 2 great puns in this one!

The books are great and it's fun to have the bonus tracks and, in some cases, the live tracks that might be less common. Frankly, I'm not a fan of Hack Wilson's remixes as I think they tend to bury some of the instruments. So I've only bought the ones with significant new material. This one is under $40 right now online.

Big box sets are not in my budget. I need to REacquire Benefit on CD, but I need an affordable version which preferably has those nice bonus tracks on it... and what I now understand is the AMERICAN release version of the song "Teacher". That is the version I heard first, (it was on the original version of the Living In the Past compilation) ....and the UK version sounded far too tame when I heard it later. But as the years go on it seems like the American, harder rocking version of the song "Teacher" is hard to find. Track listings never tell you which version you are getting!

Bought this early (got burned on the other Tull boxes)...got it...but giving it to myself for Christmas. I'll wait. But lovin' this show. I didn't own BENEFIT until adulthood. As a kid, I always loved the cover of BENEFIT. Shoulda bought it after I bought AQUALUNG & LIVING IN THE PAST.

Pete, did you ever think of interviewing Ian Anderson? I can see another epic show similar to your Dennis De Young multi-part video.

On Pete's recommendation I just ordered Stormwatch as new copies are still available. Regretted not ordering Warchild at the time.

Hey Pete, did any of you guys wind up getting this benefit box set with dents and dings? I ordered two from Amazon and yeah, the ive got the old return exchange game going on on my end over here😕

Jethro Tull is like Rush for me.I couldn't give you my best Tull album over another .It's like which one of my sons do I like better.Just can't do it with Tull

The Curse Is Real

An important LP in my life; I remember the first time I heard it in 1971. I was the renegade who still preferred Benefit after Aqualung was released. Benefit was my favorite Tull release until Passion Play debuted. No Tull fan I’ve ever spoken to even likes this album. Your thoughts?

Tull have got to do the proper works on TAAB. The original was meagre, barely anybody has it and the 2012 issue has reached an absurd and ridiculous cost. Anyway Tull haven't covered it as an anniversary - yet - and it's coming up. I'd love to hear the complete album live - a massive Tull fan but I never have. And there must be a lot of outtakes. Come on Ian.

39:00 "8 track Dolby" Collector's Edit 2CD+ADVD was released in 2013. Same mix released in 2021. There are 4 live concert releases from 1970. 2 on video. None from 1971, 1972 or 1973: The golden years.

All Tull till and including broadsword are always top notch..then they started to lose steam..

Clive & Glen Forever ❤

Pete - You're focus is on the musicality of an album and lyrics are secondary, which is okay. But Jethro Tull albums have great lyrics. I've watched Ian Anderson interviews and he has pointed out that many songs come from lyrics and then music is figured out for the lyrics. Benefit may not have evolved the same way. I am missing the first album and some of the newest albums, but got everything in between. Love them ALL!!

Only realised reading the book which Michael Collins was being referred to, I thought it was just some random guy they knew.

Correct me if I'm wrong-this box contains the same 2013 Steven Wilson remixes for the original album and associated tracks that many o' us bought years ago. It would have been nice to get new remixes o' this material for the new release. I also noticed a mistake in the tour show by show info. May 15, 1970 City Coliseum, Austin, TX Support: Space Opera (no other support). Clouds was the opening act. So pleased otherwise with this fantastic document o' Jethro Tull in 1970. Moody Blues catalog is certainly overdue for first class remix/remaster/ bonus live footage/extensive book reissues like these by Jethro Tull. Mr. Hayward and Mr. Wilson...are you listenin'?

Thanks Pete, thanks guys, for a most enjoyable hour of talking Tull, great stuff. I have all those box. sets apart from Thick As A Brick and War Child, both the hardest to come by, and also the most expensive. I wasn't aware of these sets so missed out on Thick As A Brick, War Child, and A Passion Play. I've bought the rest as they've been released at the normal selling price and was lucky to pick up a sealed copy of A Passion Play for £50 on Ebay which wasn't too bad price wise. But like you guys said, if you're a Tull whore, these sets are a must have, especially for the normal selling price. Ive seen Thick As A Brick and War Child go for as much as £500.

I just ordered this box set from Sanity for $ 99.99 Australian . Do you have sanity in the U.S. ? ( he asked facetiously ) . Currently out of stock , but they must sell it to me for the advertised price . With postage ( shipping as you Americans say ) $ 106.00 Australian . Stay cool . Greetings from Australia .

Pete, I was wondering why you never talk about Rory Gallagher?

Armando makes a great point. I don't want to keep re-buying these sets. I already purchased the Aqualung set twice, and I hardly listen to it. Regarding the Kiss box set: hard pass. Why release a remaster nine years after a remix? It was already remastered.

What 70's era Tull have they yet to release a box set for?

The Curse is real, bought Stormwatch last night, and just bought "A"

I like the album but find the drum mix too subdued

Reissue after reissue after reissue. No thanks.