Flute Solos Created by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull [Paperback]

OK, here goes:

Ian, I love you more than you will ever know. And Jeff, I applaud your efforts. Really. You went to a LOT of trouble, and many of the transcriptions are very well-done. But you didn't pay enough attention to many of the details. First of all, why did you title the book "Flute Solos Created by Ian Anderson" when much of the book is dedicated to transcribing not just the flute solos, but the melodies of the sung lyrics? And you didn't even bother to tell us which sections were the solos and which were the sung lyrics; I had to figure those out for myself. As a long-time fan, that wasn't that big a problem for me, but a more casual fan would be quite lost rather quickly. Also; a few of the songs transcribed here featured no flute whatsoever in the original recordings, specifically "The Chequered Flag" and "Look Into The Sun"; what was your point?

Granted, the point is valid that the improvisational nature of Ian's flute playing warrants sufficient liberty to be taken in reading any transcription, but that doesn't excuse your interpretation of "The Whistler." This piece is most definitely NOT in 12/8 time, especially the solo whistle sections. Try it again in a very brisk 3/4, and be a lot more generous with your 16th notes. It's not only more accurate, but much more consistent.

Details, dude, details. You failed to include a lot of Ian's flute counter-melodies, not only at the end of "Living In The Past", "Witch's Promise", and "Cross-Eyed Mary", but the vital counter-melody in "Bouree". They're not only fascinating studies in improvisation, but counterpoint as well.

It is not my intention to belittle your ambition. But one of the most amazing things about the analysis of Ian Anderson's music is the depth of his talent. Any transcription of his music warrants sufficient attention to detail, and I think, despite your very noble efforts, you fell just a bit short. Should any aspiring flautist or Tull/IA fan buy this book? Certainly. But they must also be made aware of these small (and perhaps anal) shortcomings. And perhaps in a later edition you will note them.

Thank you for allowing me to speak my piece. Rock on.

This book contains some brief instructions on how to do some of the special techniques Ian uses. It also decodes how those special techniques are indicated in the sheet music. Since this came out in 1978, there are no pieces in it that were produced later than that date. This means the most recent material in it comes from Songs From the Woods. This includes the easy Fire at Midnight, the somewhat more difficult Cup of Wonder and the more difficult Whistler (which is actually easier to play on a tin whistle, except you can't switch from the D whistle to the G whistle fast enough to play it live, so Ian doesn't). That touches on the real value of this book. Even a beginner can get through modest renditions of Living in the Past and Fire at Midnight and perhaps even Look into the Sun, while the extract from A Passion Play is extremely difficult. There is material here for all levels of players, along with motivation to get better so that things like My God can be attempted.
Contents:
Baker St. Muse (Nice Little Tune/Crash Barrier Waltzer), Big Dipper, Bouree (of course), Bungle in the Jungle, The Chequered Flag, Cross=eyed Mary, Cup of Wonder, Fire at Midnight, For Later, Living in the Past, Look into the Sun, My God, Nothing is Easy (including playing this solo the way it is written), Passion play edit., Thick as a Brick edit. (instrumental from "I've come down from the upper class..." section), The Third Hoorah, The Whistler, The Witch's Promise.

Now if only somebody would put out sheet music for Divinities!

I found a few notes/rhythms that are different from the actual sound recordings, but since most of Ian's work in this area is improv, it can be interpreted many different ways.

All of these solos are from the late 60's/early 70's... I would like to eventually see a book of some newer songs as well. Overall, this is a very entertaining book, with some very challenging passages... just make sure you have your favorite Tull CD's handy so that you can play along!