He not only provides an account of Jethro Tull, but also some insight into the split in 2011. While there is one book by the members of Jethro Tull (The Ballad of Jethro Tull: The Official Illustrated Oral History), which, as brilliant as it is, is more of a coffee table photobook, which does not go into enough detail. Barre goes into detail with this well written autobiography. It is not about Jethro Tull, obviously the band took up a pretty big chunk of his life, but rather his story before, during, and after his involvement with that band.
The book starts from his childhood in Birmingham and his family. It makes for interesting reading, given it explores life in that area of England during and post-World War II. But also, he explores his family’s involvement with music and where and when he developed an interest. From his first band, The Dwellers, until he joined Jethro Tull, Barre worked his way through clubs and began to develop a name. And he crosses paths with other artists in the beginning of their career. When recording with the band Gethsemane for DJM, a young Elton John helps the band with a recording that is sitting in a vault.
The book will follow Barre's journey from the early times in Birmingham where he played flute and saxophone prior to shifting his focus to guitar to the incredible run of more than four decades that the guitarist enjoyed with Jethro Tull. According to a press release, fans can expect candid thoughts regarding his life on the road, plus the highs and lows of the music industry and the stories behind some of the most memorable moments that he enjoyed during his time with the group.
Iron Maiden's Steve Harris is just one of Barre's peers noting how important his contributions to music have been. "Jethro Tull massively influenced me and what Maiden have been doing over the years," he said in a statement. "I always loved Martin Barre's playing and I'm pretty sure he was a massive influence on [Maiden guitarist] Dave Murray's playing too." The heavy metal legends have long been outspoken fans of the band's work and have covered material from the Tull repertoire.
I’m representing Jethro Tull but I’m not Jethro Tull. Nobody’s Jethro Tull anymore. It was an entity that’s finished and there is sort of remnants. But really, you know that I think people come and see my band, and they really don’t know what they’re gonna get.
The book has many photos of Barre, his family, his bands, and documentation (i.e report cards, newspaper articles). And Barre also utilizes sidebars for, what he calls, tales. The stories are not entirely relevant to his biography but are entertaining and help illustrate points he is trying to make, for example, the first tale, “Wheels,” in which he writes about early transport for his bands (and bands in general in the 1960s in England). One of his early bands, The Noblemen, actually used an ambulance.
( Sources Spill magazine - UCR)
