As Jethro Tull gears up to release the 40th-anniversary box set of ‘The Broadsword and the Beast‘ on September 1, lead vocalist Ian Anderson recently spoke with Classic Album Review. In the interview, he not only delved into his views on Bruce Springsteen’s music but also commented on his lyrical content about the ‘real’ America.
Referring to the track ‘Falling on Hard Times’ from the 1982 album, Anderson first explained:
“It’s still a relevant song because of the subject matter not going away, as, indeed, the subject matter of 95% of all the great pop and rock songs ever. It’s the timeless bleeding about being in love or out of it, which makes up obviously the vast majority of the song lyrics. It’s timeless because it doesn’t go away.”
He went on to mention the political and cultural context of Springsteen’s songs by saying:
“From Shakespeare’s sonnets to the Tinseltown [even] pop divas of today, it’s all the same topic. Hardly anybody writes about real stuff. Bruce Springsteen does. You know, he’s someone – I’m not exactly a huge Bruce Springsteen fan because it’s Americana, and it’s something I feel [which] for me a little alien even though I’ve been to America many, many times. But Bruce Springsteen, I have huge respect and admiration for because he sings about real things.”
Sharing what set the ‘Dancing in the Dark’ singer’s music apart from his, the vocalist added:
“He sings from the heart and from personal experience. It’s observational, but you get the feeling that he has the authority to give it that personal touch, whereas I don’t. I just make it up. [Laughs] I fake it.”
The lyrical content is not the only difference between the two musicians’ songs, according to a 2019 interview. While talking to the Art Fuse for the band’s 50th-anniversary tour, the Jethro Tull frontman revealed that he damaged his vocal cords in 1984. Then, comparing himself to Mick Jagger and Bruce Springsteen, he said:
“Mick Jagger doesn’t really sing; he just tosses it out; he always sang well within his range, but he doesn’t put stress on his voice. Some people just shout it out, like Bruce Springsteen. But I have tricky melodies to sing, and as I get older, I have to work to do what I do. I have to practice every day to keep myself conditioned.”
Now, the singer is getting ready to hit the US roads with Jethro Tull again for the 2023 ‘The Seven Decades’ summer and fall tour. The series of concerts will kick off at the Ravina Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, on August 18.
