Jethro Tull / “Warchild” 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition

Parlophone will reissue Jethro Tull‘s 1974 album WarChild this November as a limited edition 2CD+2DVD set that includes a 5.1 remix by Steven Wilson and a wealth of additional material, much of it previously unreleased.

The album originally formed part of a broader project that was to encompass a feature-length film and a soundtrack album but the latter two elements never materialised. This new edition of WarChild is dubbed the 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition and includes on a second CD many orchestral pieces written for the film’s soundtrack, most of which are unissued until now. Alongside the orchestral pieces on the second disc set some ‘associated recordings’ from the original sessions.

The orchestral pieces have also been remixed by Steven Wilson into hi-res stereo and 5.1 surround sound. These mixes can be found on the one of two DVDs within this package. Joining that material are a further six additional orchestral recordings mixed by Robin Black in 1974. These are all 96/24 PCM stereo.

Another DVD combines audio and video; the audio element includes flat transfers of the original LP mix at 96/24 along with the quadrophonic version (with two bonus tracks) in 4.0. In terms of video we are offered ‘The Third Hoorah’ promo footage as well as film from a a January 1974 photo session and press conference when the whole WarChild project was announced.

An 80-page booklet comes with the ‘bookset’ packaging and includes new writings on the preparation and recording of the album, a film script synopsis, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson and rare and unseen photographs.

WarChild 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition will be issued on 24 November 2014. The full track listing is below.

Burning Shed: 

• Pre-order WarChild 4-disc Theatre Edition via BurningShed

Amazon: 

• • UK Pre-order: Warchild (The 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition)
• • USA Pre-order: WarChild (Limited Edition 2xCD+2xDVD)
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Warchild (Limited Edition 2CD+2DVD)
• • ITALY Pre-order: Warchild (The 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition)

WARCHILD: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY THEATRE EDITION

Disc One (CD)

1. WarChild
2. Queen and Country
3. Ladies
4. Back-door Angels
5. SeaLion
6. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day
7. Bungle in the Jungle
8. Only Solitaire
9. The Third Hoorah
10. Two Fingers

Disc Two (CD) – The Second Act: Associated Recordings:

1. Paradise Steakhouse
2. Saturation
3. Good Godmother*
4. SeaLion II
5. Quartet
6. WarChild II*
7. Tomorrow Was Today*
8. Glory Row
9. March, The Mad Scientist
10. Rainbow Blues
11. Pan Dance

WarChild Orchestral Recordings:

12. The Orchestral WarChild Theme*
13. The Third Hoorah (Orchestral Version)*
14. Mime Sequence*
15. Field Dance (Conway Hall Version)*
16. Waltz Of The Angels (Conway Hall Version)
17. The Beach (Part I) (Morgan Master Recording)*
18. The Beach (Part II) (Morgan Master Recording)*
19. Waltz Of The Angels (Morgan Demo Recording)*
20. The Beach (Morgan Demo Recording)*
21. Field Dance (Morgan Demo Recording)*

* Previously Unreleased

DVD 1 (Audio & Video):

Contains:
* WarChild remixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound and 96/24 PCM stereo.
* A flat transfer from the original 1974 LP master at 96/24 PCM stereo.
* A flat transfer of the original 1974 Quad LP (with additionally Glory Row & March, The Mad Scientist) at 5.1 (4.0) DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound.
* Video clips of a Montreux photosession and press conference on 11th January 1974 and The Third Hoorah promo footage with remixed stereo audio.

DVD 2 (Audio):

Contains:
* An additional eleven group recordings from the WarChild sessions and later, including 3 previously unreleased tracks, and 4 orchestral recordings from the WarChild sessions mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound and 96/24 PCM stereo.
* Six additional orchestral recordings (five previously unreleased) mixed by Robin Black in 1974, now in 96/24 PCM stereo.