Living in the Past is adouble LPcompilation album byJethro Tull, released in 1972. It collects album tracks, outtakes and several standalone singles spanning the band's career up to that point. Also included are the 1971Life Is a Long Song EP and two live recordings taken from a performance atNew York City'sCarnegie Hall in November 1970.
The album was named after the single released in May 1969 and was released in an elaborate gate-fold packaging that contained a large colour photo booklet with over 50 photos of the band.[1]
Two songs, "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma for One", were recorded live atCarnegie Hall inNew York City, United States. The former would be extended to include "With You There to Help Me" and would be included in complete form, along with "Dharma for One", on the separate LP releaseLive at Carnegie Hall 1970 (2015).
"Love Story", "Christmas Song", "Living in the Past", "Driving Song", "Sweet Dream" and "The Witch's Promise", some of which had only appeared on mono versions before, were given new stereo mixes for inclusion on the album.[2] Additionally, "A Song for Jeffrey" and "Teacher" were also remixed.[3] Many of the tracks only appeared as British releases before being compiled onLiving in the Past for the first time in the American market. Spurred on by radio airplay of the single, "Living in the Past", US rock fans who bought the album were treated to three years of UK releases.
In the United States,Living in the Past was the first Jethro Tull album to appear on theChrysalis Records label; while each of the band's previous albums were marked as "a Chrysalis Production", the albums were released byWarner Bros. Records'Reprise Records subsidiary. Early U.S. editions ofLiving in the Past bore both a Chrysalis catalogue number (2CH 1035) and a Reprise catalogue number (2TS 2106), suggesting that the album was scheduled to appear on Reprise Records but that Chrysalis gained control of the band's USA releases in late 1972.
All of the tracks that were not on the originalThis Was (1968),Stand Up (1969) andBenefit (1970) albums have appeared as bonus tracks on their 2001 Digital Remasters.
AllMusic review the collection positively, stating that: "Not only was Ian Anderson writing solid songs every time out, but the group's rhythm section was about the best in progressive rock's pop division. Along with any of the group's first five albums, this collection is seminal and essential to any Tull collection, and the only compilation by the group that is a must-own disc."[2]
The album peaked at No. 3 on theBillboard 200 charts and wentgold not long after its release. The title track from the album became Tull's firsttop-40 hit in the United States, reaching No. 11, a full three years after it performed well in Britain. In UK, the album reached No. 13. In Norwegian charts, the album hit No. 5.
"Wond'ring Again" (previously unreleased, recorded in 1970, the second part of the first version of "Wond'ring Aloud", see the tracklist ofAqualung 40th anniversary adapted edition, particularly CD 2, Steven Wilson remaster of associated recordings 1970–1971)
Differences in the song selections between the US and the UK editions of the album resulted in different track listings for the various CD releases. Most CDs had to further alter the track listings, due to time constraints as CDs at the time could only hold up to 74 minutes of music. Since the original American CD edition ofBenefit was released with the alternative track list omitting "Alive and Well and Living In", many of the US CD editions ofLiving in the Past add that track. All of the single CD reissues omit two songs ("Bourée" and "Teacher") in order to reduce the running time to fit the album on one disc, but both countries' versions include "Inside", which originally was only on the UK vinyl. A 1997 two-discMobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissue contains every song selected for the UK and US vinyl editions.
On the 11th July 2025 came the Expanded EditionStill Living in the Past - a 5CD/1BD Set which features Stereo and Surround mixes of the compilation plusLive at Carnegie Hall 1970 in its entirety, also remixed bySteven Wilson. Many previous Wilson remixes were presented in past Anniversary Edition sets (many of listed under Associated Recordings) hence the year of the remixes listed below.
Same track list as the UK single-disc re-issue but with additional track "Alive and Well and Living In", and "Locomotive Breath" is replaced by "Hymn 43".
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab edition (UDCD 2-708, 1997 remaster)
"Sossity; You’re a Woman (including Reasons for Waiting)"
5:36
3.
"Introduction to Dharma for One"
1:36
4.
"Dharma for One"
21:31
5.
"Introduction to We Used to Know"
2:29
6.
"We Used to Know"
3:18
7.
"Guitar Solo"
8:33
8.
"For a Thousand Mothers"
4:56
Bluray contains Steven Wilson's Remixes ofStill Living in the Past andLive at Carnegie Hall 1970 in High Resolution 24/96 PCM Stereo and DTS HD 5.1 Surround, along with a Flat Transfer of the original 1972Living in the Past album with combined US & UK Reels - also in High Resolution 24/96 PCM Stereo. 7 Bonus Unreleased Tracks from CD1 also presented in High Resolution Flat Transfers. Promo Films of "The Witch's Promise", US & UK Versions of "Teacher" and "Life Is a Long Song" also included.
Martin Barre – electric guitar, acoustic guitar (on "The Witch's Promise" and "Life Is a Long Song"),backing vocals and additionalpercussion (on "Dharma for One")
Jeffrey Hammond (as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond) – bass guitar (on "Hymn 43", "Locomotive Breath", "Life Is a Long Song", "Up the 'Pool", "Dr. Bogenbroom" and "From Later")
Clive Bunker –drums, percussion, backing vocals (on "Dharma for One")
Barriemore Barlow – drums (on "Life Is a Long Song", "Up the 'Pool", "Dr. Bogenbroom" and "From Later")
^Pennanen, Timo (2006).Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
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