‘New Shoes’ edition released 9 February
2018 marks 50 years since progressive folk-rock band Jethro Tull jumped onto the British music scene. To kick off this exciting anniversary year, we present you with the 40th anniversary ‘New Shoes Edition’ of Heavy Horses, a 3CD/ 2DVD boxset released by Parlophone Records. This edition will feature the original album, plus additional studio recordings, live material and an extensive new booklet.
Released between Songs From The Wood (1977) and Stormwatch (1979), Heavy Horses was the second of a trilogy of folk rock albums from Jethro Tull. Lead singer and flautist Ian Anderson explained its particular focus on horses and agricultural life saying, “As a child, my big passion was to get off the leash and explore the local wooded and leafy suburbs. So it didn’t suddenly become new in 1977, it was just that the subject matter fitted what I wanted to write about at the time.”
Upon release, Heavy Horses was a top 20 album on both sides of the Atlantic. Commercial success was met equally with critical praise for its melodies, instrumentation and Anderson’s signature flute playing. More recently, critics have described the album as “daring, experimental, literate, and often thrilling”, and a “testament to the men who made it”.
This anniversary edition features the original album with nine additional bonus tracks, seven of which are previously unreleased. The ‘New Shoes Edition’ also contains a live concert from May 1978, and two DVDs which feature the original, bonus and live tracks all mixed to surround sound by Steven Wilson and Jakko Jakszyk. A 96-page booklet covers a history of the album and corresponding tour, complete lyrics, rare photos and exclusive interviews.
Track listing
CD1 [A Steven Wilson Stereo Remix]
1. …And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps
2. Acres Wild
3. No Lullaby
4. Moths
5. Journeyman
6. Rover
7. One Brown Mouse
8. Heavy Horses
9. Weathercock
Associated Recordings
10. Living In These Hard Times (Version Two)*
11. Everything In Our Lives*
12. Jack A Lynn* (early version)
13. Quatrain* (studio version)
14. Horse-Hoeing Husbandry*
15. Beltane
16. Botanic Man*
17. Living In These Hard Times (Version One)
18. Botanic Man Theme*
* Previously unreleased material
CD2 [Live In Concert In Berne, Switzerland, May 1978 – Part One]
A Jacko Jakszyk stereo remix
1. Opening Music (Quartet)
2. Introduction by Claude Nobs
3. No Lullaby
4. Sweet Dream
5. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day
6. Jack In The Green
7. One Brown Mouse
8. Heavy Horses
9. A New Day Yesterday
10. Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bouree
11. Living In The Past / A New Day Yesterday (reprise)
12. Songs From The Wood
CD3 [Live In Concert In Berne, Switzerland, May 1978 – Part Two]
1. Thick As A Brick
2. Hunting Girl
3. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll
4. Conundrum
5. Minstrel In The Gallery
6. Cross Eyed Mary
7. Quatrain
8. Aqualung
9. Locomotive Breath
10. Dambusters March / Aqualung (reprise)
DVD 1 [Audio/Video]
Heavy Horses full album plus the additional:
Living In These Hard Times (versions 1 & 2)
Everything In Our Lives
Jack-A-Lynn
Horse-Hoeing Husbandry
Beltane
Botanic Man & Botanic Man
Quatrain (stereo only)
Mixed 5.1 DTS & DD surround sound and 96/24 LPCM stereo.
DVD 2 [Audio]
Jethro Tull recorded live to 24 track at The Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland by The Maison Rouge Mobile mixed to 5.1 DTS & DD surround sound and 48/24 LPCM stereo
Promotional video footage for the tracks Heavy Horses & Moths. and 2 period TV ads
Lando Cakes says
Looking forward to this, I must admit. Heavy Horses was one of the first albums I ever bought.
Baron Harkonnen says
I`ve been lovin` these JT special editions, especially the Steven Wilson 5:1 surround mixes. I`ll be in for this.
Lando Cakes says
Top tip: do not, under any circumstances, order it from Spin CDs.
Voice of sad experience here, particularly – but by no means exclusively – re the Songs From the Wood boxset.
Baron Harkonnen says
I stopped ordering from Spin quite a while ago. I don’t know if the staff are completely bonkers or dead.
Lando Cakes says
I have a theory that they spend much of the working day off their tits on sinse. Hands down, the worst business I have ever dealt with, in terms of unreliability and poor communication.
SteveT says
I had major problems with them re the Neil Young boxsets. Cut a long story short they had my money since April, the albums were released I think end of August and by end of October still not received. Numerous phone calls and emails either unanswered or inadequately answered.
After reaching the end of my tether I sent a message to the owner saying he was a lying, thieving c**t but without the asterisks.
He replied that he had put my order in the post and was sorry that my feathers had been ruffled. That was a bit of an understatement,
Lando Cakes says
Very similar with Songs From the Wood and others. I ended up getting a refund via my credit card company – the only time I’ve ever had to do this.
Colin H says
I tried to give Spin a go a while back with, I think, one of the Jethro Tull box sets – specifically in a bid to give the small man rather than amazon my business. A mistake. The album was out three weeks or more before my copy arrived and no emails in between asking what the problem was were answered. The small man turned out to be an idiot.
LesterTheNightfly says
And here are some more comments from “satisfied” customers including Steve T by the looks of things!
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.spincds.com
Richie B says
Lads, try Burning Shed. My SFTW boxset arrived in great nick and early doors.
Looking forward to this one too.
Colin H says
It’ll be legendary. And Byron Ferrari would be wise to look at the RRP and ponder his out-of-touchness.
Junior Wells says
96 page book on this album. Crikey. Can I assume big print and a lot of pics.
fatima Xberg says
Not at all. Have you actually seen any of the other editions in this series?
Junior Wells says
No. Wonder what they can write about for 96 pages.
Lando Cakes says
Interviews with the people involved, contemporary reviews etc. They really are brilliant productions. Though, to be fair, it probably does help if you like Jethro Tull.
Junior Wells says
Oh I like Tull alright. Guess I need to have a look.
Bargepole says
Release date now put back until March 2nd.
Johnny99 says
Already on order – really looking forward to this as the original was one of my favourite Tull albums
LesterTheNightfly says
Burning Shed are offering a signed Ian Anderson postcard to the first 500 pre-orders so if you fancy one I’d get in quick!!
https://burningshed.com/jethro-tull_heavy-horses-anniversary_cd_dvd
Bargepole says
For anyone in the London area, Ian Anderson will be appearing at the Word In Your Ear event, 7.15 on 13 Feb. Tickets from the usual place.