The times were changing as new genres caught the attention of younger audiences with every new day. So, upon discovering that the youth enjoyed a hip new music form called ‘heavy metal,’ the Grammys thought, ‘Maybe, we should add a new category.’ So, the ‘Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance’ was created in 1989, but the nominees were… well, a bit odd.
You see, there it was, Metallica, most people’s favorite, and then another hard rocker, Iggy Pop, and the one and only Jane’s Addiction. However, then, there was one band, which no one expected to be there at all. It was Jethro Tull, a prog rock band with flute notes, nominated for their album, ‘Crest of a Knave,’ Undoubtedly, many didn’t think the British band would receive the honor.
Even Ian Anderson’s label encouraged the frontman not to go to the awards show since they didn’t think Anderson and his bandmates would get the award. However, later into the night, when award presenter Alice Cooper opened the envelope and announced the winner, it was none other than Jethro Tull.
Yet, the award ceremony and Jethro Tull getting the very first Grammy in the Hard Rock/Metal category was controversial, as many made fun of the organization’s decision. However, some also accepted that even with their folksy tunes, Tull might have been considered an early metal act, though not necessarily much heavy as Metallica, and they could be called a hard rock band at best.
So while chatting with the Quietus in 2012, when it came to naming his favorite heavy metal act and album, Rush’s Geddy Lee honored the prog rock icons. He listed Jethro Tull among his favorites and revealed that he had been a fan of the band from a very young age.
“My favorite Jethro Tull album,” pointed out Lee as he named the Jethro Tull record, ‘Thick As A Brick.’ “I know it is partly a send-up of the idea of ‘concept,’ but it is delivered to perfection. I was a massive Tull fan from very young, and they are one of the bands that I saw live in Toronto… yes, we were lucky to see so many incredible concerts when we were very young, and I hope that too reflects in Rush.”
The singer then noted how much he was in awe of Ian Anderson’s performance. Lee said, “I was mesmerized by Ian Anderson. His presentation was simply magical, and he delivered it with such a sense of humor and great style. There really wasn’t anyone else who looked or sounded quite like them, and that holds true to this day.”
Geddy Lee continued, reflecting on how Tull influenced Rush’s music and stage performances, “We saw it as a huge challenge to try and create something that can seem so dynamic onstage. They are probably best regarded as a live band, although their series of albums around that period was exceptional. This still sounds fresh, and it is great to see that interest in Tull is still growing.”
So, even with all the controversy surrounding Jethro Tull being considered and honored as a metal act by the Grammys, it might be safe to say that they did have the complex tones and heavy bass lying beneath their tunes. Perhaps, we can call them the pioneers of folk hard rock. After all, nothing did sound too ‘heavy’ back in the ’60s and early to mid-’70s, so maybe, Jethro Tull was a trailblazer on the road to the rise of metal.
