Benefit [The 50th Anniversary Enhanced Edition]

by Jethro Tull

Overview

Benefit was the album on which the Jethro Tull sound solidified around folk music, abandoning blues entirely. Beginning with the opening number, "With You There to Help Me," Anderson adopts his now-familiar, slightly mournful folksinger/sage persona, with a rather sardonic outlook on life and the world; his acoustic guitar carries the melody, joined by Martin Barre's electric instrument for the crescendos. This would be the model for much of the material on Aqualung and especially Thick as a Brick, although the acoustic/electric pairing would be executed more effectively on those albums. Here the acoustic and electric instruments are merged somewhat better than they were on Stand Up (on which it sometimes seemed like Barre's solos were being played in a wholly different venue), and as needed, the electric guitars carry the melodies better than on previous albums. Most of the songs on Benefit display pleasant, delectably folk-like melodies attached to downbeat, slightly gloomy, but dazzlingly complex lyrics, with Barre's guitar adding enough wattage to keep the hard rock listeners very interested. "To Cry You a Song," "Son," and "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" all defined Tull's future sound: Barre's amp cranked up to ten (especially on "Son"), coming in above Anderson's acoustic strumming, a few unexpected changes in tempo, and Anderson spouting lyrics filled with dense, seemingly profound imagery and statements. As on Stand Up, the group was still officially a quartet, with future member John Evan (whose John Evan Band had become the nucleus of Jethro Tull two years before) appearing as a guest on keyboards; his classical training proved essential to the expanding of the group's sound on the three albums to come. Benefit was reissued in a remastered edition with bonus tracks at the end of 2001, which greatly improved the clarity of the playing and the richness of the sound; the four additional tracks are "Singing All Day," "Witch's Promise," the elegant, gossamer-textured "Just Trying to Be," and the original U.K. mix of "Teacher." Written and recorded prior to Benefit, they're all lighter in mood than the material from the original album, adding some greater variety but fitting in perfectly on a stylistic level. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	11/05/2021
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0190295201616
Rank:	1627

Tracks

Disc 1

1. With You There to Help Me [2013 Stereo Mix]
2. Nothing to Say [2013 Stereo Mix]
3. Alive and Well and Living In [2013 Stereo Mix]
4. Son [2013 Stereo Mix]
5. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me [2013 Stereo Mix]
6. To Cry You a Song [2013 Stereo Mix]
7. A Time for Everything [2013 Stereo Mix]
8. Inside [2013 Stereo Mix]
9. Play in Time [2013 Stereo Mix]
10. Sossity: You're a Woman [2013 Stereo Mix]
11. Singing All Day [2013 Stereo Mix]
12. Sweet Dream [2013 Stereo Mix]
13. 17 [2013 Stereo Mix]
14. Teacher [UK Single Version]
15. Teacher [US Album Version]
16. My God [Early Version]
17. Just Trying to Be [Steven Wilson Stereo Remix]

Disc 2

18. Singing All Day [Mono/2013 Remaster]
19. Sweet Dream [Mono/2013 Remaster]
20. 17 [Mono/2013 Remaster]
21. The Witch's Promise [Mono/2013 Remaster]
22. Teacher [UK Version/Mono]
23. Teacher [US Version/Mono]
24. Inside [Mono/2013 Remaster]
25. Alive and Well and Living In
26. A Time for Everything [Mono/2013 Remaster]
27. Sweet Dream [Stereo/2013 Remaster]
28. 17
29. The Witch's Promise [UK Single Version]
30. Teacher
31. The Witch's Promise
32. Teacher [US Version/2013 Remaster]
33. Singing All Day
34. Sweet Dream
35. The Witch's Promise
36. Teacher
37. Reprise AM Radio Spot 1
38. Reprise FM Radio Spot 2

Disc 3

39. Introduction and Tuning
40. Nothing Is Easy
41. My God
42. With You There to Help Me
43. Dharma for One
44. We Used to Know
45. Guitar Instrumental
46. For a Thousand Mothers

Disc 4

47. Introduction and Tuning
48. My Sunday Feeling
49. My God
50. To Cry You a Song
51. With You There to Help Me
52. Sossity: You're a Woman/Reasons for Waiting
53. Nothing Is Easy
54. Dharma for One
55. We Used to Know
56. Guitar Instrumental
57. For a Thousand Mothers

Disc 5

58. With You There to Help Me [DTS]
59. Nothing to Say [DTS]
60. Alive and Well and Living In [DTS]
61. Son [DTS]
62. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me [DTS]
63. To Cry You a Song [DTS]
64. A Time for Everything [DTS]
65. Inside [DTS]
66. Play in Time [DTS]
67. Sossity: You're a Woman [DTS]
68. Singing All Day [DTS]
69. Sweet Dream [DTS]
70. 17 [DTS]
71. Teacher [UK Stereo/DTS]
72. Teacher [US Stereo/DTS]
73. With You There to Help Me
74. Nothing to Say
75. Alive and Well and Living In
76. Son
77. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me
78. To Cry You a Song
79. A Time for Everything
80. Inside
81. Play in Time
82. Sossity: You're a Woman
83. Singing All Day
84. Sweet Dream
85. 17
86. Teacher [UK Stereo]
87. Teacher [US Stereo]
88. With You There to Help Me [2013 Stereo Mix]
89. Nothing to Say [2013 Stereo Mix]
90. Alive and Well and Living In [2013 Stereo Mix]
91. Son [2013 Stereo Mix]
92. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me [2013 Stereo Mix]
93. To Cry You a Song [2013 Stereo Mix]
94. A Time for Everything [2013 Stereo Mix]
95. Inside [2013 Stereo Mix]
96. Play in Time [2013 Stereo Mix]
97. Sossity: You're a Woman [2013 Stereo Mix]
98. Singing All Day [2013 Stereo Mix]
99. Sweet Dream [2013 Stereo Mix]
100. 17 [2013 Stereo Mix]
101. Teacher [UK Stereo/2013 Mix]
102. Teacher [US Stereo/2013 Mix]
103. With You There to Help Me
104. Nothing to Say
105. Alive and Well and Living In
106. Son
107. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me
108. To Cry You a Song
109. A Time for Everything
110. Inside
111. Play in Time
112. Sossity: You're a Woman
113. Sweet Dream
114. 17
115. The Witch's Promise

Disc 6

116. Introduction and Tuning
117. Nothing Is Easy
118. My God
119. With You There to Help Me
120. Dharma for One
121. We Used to Know
122. Guitar Instrumental
123. For a Thousand Mothers
124. Introduction and Tuning
125. Nothing Is Easy
126. My God
127. With You There to Help Me
128. Dharma for One
129. We Used to Know
130. Guitar Instrumental
131. For a Thousand Mothers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jethro Tull   Primary Artist,Vocals
John Evan   Piano,Organ,Keyboards,Mellotron
Ian Anderson   Lute,Flute,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Balalaika,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background)
Clive Bunker   Drums,Percussion
Martin Barre   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Glenn Cornick   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Organ (Hammond)

Technical Credits

Ruan O'Lochlainn   Cover Design,Photography
Ian Anderson   Composer,Producer
Clive Bunker   Composer
Dee Palmer   Brass Arrangement,String Arrangements,Orchestral Arrangements
Steve Wilson   Mixing
John Evan   Composer
Martin Barre   Composer
Steven Wilson   Mixing,Engineer
Andy Johns   Engineer
John Burns   Assistant Engineer
Robin Black   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Terry Ellis   Producer,Cover Design,Executive Producer