Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!

Template:Short description Template:For Template:More citations needed Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull1976Songs from the Wood1977studioToo Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!JethroTull-albums-toooldtorocknroll.jpgJethro Tull23 April 1976 (UK)
17 May 1976 (US)19 November 1975 – 27 January 1976Radio Monte Carlo by the Maison Rouge Mobile Studio, except tracks 8 and 10, recorded at Morgan Studios, in BrusselsTemplate:Hlist42:26ChrysalisIan Andersonx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the ninth studio album released by British band Jethro Tull, recorded between November 1975 and January 1976 and released in April 1976. It is the first album to include bassist John Glascock who also contributes with backing vocals. Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the last Jethro Tull concept album, which follows the story of Ray Lomas, an aging rocker who finds fame with the changes of musical trends.<ref name="jethrotull.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was Jethro Tull's only album of the 1970s not to achieve Gold certification.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Overview

Recording

Like their previous album, Minstrel in the Gallery, the band recorded the album in the Maison Rouge Mobile Studio. They recorded "Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die" and "The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)" along with the outtakes "Salamander's Rag Time", "Commercial Traveller" and "Advertising Man (Unfinished backing track)" on 19 and 20 November 1975, "Big Dipper" on 3 January 1976, "Pied Piper"Template:Clarify and "Quizz Kid" on 4 and 5 January, "Taxi Grab", "Pied Piper",Template:Clarify "Crazed Institution" and "Old Rocker (Quizz Kid intro)" on 8 January, "From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser", "Salamander" and "Pied Piper"Template:Clarify along with the outtake "A Small Cigar (acoustic version)" on 12 January, and finally "Bad-Eyed and Loveless" along with the outtake "A Small Cigar (orchestral version)" on 27 January 1976.

Background

Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson says the point of the album was to illustrate how his style of music may go out of popularity with every other fashion and fad, but he is determined that if he sticks to it, everything comes back around and the style will rise again.<ref name="jethrotull.com" />

Ian Anderson explains that the concept came from the turmoil of the rise of the punk movement, and was not meant to be autobiographical of him as an ageing songwriter,<ref name="jethrotull.com" /> although "some members of the press took the album as our attempt to 'get with' the punks". Anderson also stated that the basis of the concept is "to point out that this business [music, fashion] is cyclic, and that if you stick around long enough, you do come into fashion again."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Concept

Originally intended to be a rock musical, the story would follow an aging and retired rock star named Ray Lomas - winning money in a 'Quizz' show, trying to commit suicide and waking up years later to find out that the grease fashion has returned. Although much of the album concept is only explained in the cartoons printed in the sleeves, there are changes in the plot or in details between the cartoons and the music.<ref name="jethrotull.com"/>

A clip of the title track was released in the Slipstream video, which returned to much of the original album's concept.

Critical reception

Template:Music ratings Rolling Stone complained about the "muddled story" of the album, saying that "Ian Anderson should stick to music, because he most definitely is not a storyteller." Nevertheless, the same review praised Anderson's skill at musical composition, and the guitar solos of Martin Barre.<ref name="Rolling Stone" />

Chris Welch, writing for Melody Maker, gave a mixed review, saying that he "long(ed) for the beat of Barriemore Barlow to break free, or the guitar of Martin Barre to swoop", at the same time he praised Anderson's poetics.<ref name="tullpress1"/>

AllMusic's review called the album "one of the minor efforts in the [Jethro Tull] catalogue".<ref name="AllMusic" />

Releases

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! was remastered in 2002 and the CD version contains two bonus tracks that were cut from the original LP, "Small Cigar" and "Strip Cartoon".

The album has been released in a box set called Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! - The TV Special Edition in November 2015. The box set contains previously unreleased tracks and outtakes of songs from the album remixed by Steven Wilson, besides an 80-page booklet telling the story of the recording and the video of the special TV show recorded in 1976 and available officially for the first time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Track listing

2002 Remaster

• "A Small Cigar" originally appeared on the 1993 album Nightcap.
• "Strip Cartoon" was first released as the b-side of the 1977 single "The Whistler" (from the Songs From The Wood album); it made its LP & CD debut on the 1988 box set 20 Years of Jethro Tull.

Personnel

Jethro Tull

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, harmonica, additional electric guitar and percussion
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• John Evan – piano, keyboards
• John Glascock – backing vocals, bass guitar
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Dee Palmer – saxophone (on track 5), Vako Orchestron, piano (on track 11)
• Maddy Prior – backing vocals (on track 8)
• Angela Allen – backing vocals (on tracks 2 & 7)

Orchestrations by Dee Palmer. Orchestra conducted by Dee Palmer.

Additional personnel

• Robin Black – sound engineer
• Michael Farrell – cover design, illustrations
• David Gibbons – design, illustrations

Charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	25
Danish Albums (Tracklisten<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>Template:Cite book</ref>	26

Template:Album chart

Chart (2015)	Peak position

External links

• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) album review by William Ruhlmann, credits & releases at AllMusic.com
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) album releases & credits at Discogs.com
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) album review by vanderb0b at SputnikMusic.com
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976/2002 Remaster) album to be listened as stream at Play.Spotify.com
• Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976/2015 The TV Special Edition remixed by Steven Wilson) album to be listened as stream at Play.Spotify.com