Mark Craney

Como um disco solo acaba virando um disco da banda? Com inevitáveis atritos entre integrantes, graças à gravadora. Tvz Tony Iommi e Dave Mustaine já tenham passado por algo similar; mas Ian Anderson entrega esse b.o. na versão remasterizada (2004) de “A” (1980):

“During the hiatus in Tull‘s activities following the Stormwatch album and tours, I decided to make a solo album featuring new Tull member Dave Pegg and new pal Eddie Jobson (ex UK, Zappa band and Roxy Music). Eddie brought along his drummer friend Mark Craney, with whom he had been recording his own solo album, and we set to work in the rehearsal studio with some of the new tunes I had written.

In what was to turn out to be a landmark and not-too-wise decision, I asked Martin Barre to come and play on a couple of tracks. Martin complemented the line-up perfectly and ended up playing on the whole thing. The big and orchestral piano and synth sounds of Eddie’s keyboard rig were a powerful but not dominating feature of the end result and the Jobson electric violin fitted with the folk influences that sneaked into a couple of tracks.

But it was mainly to be a foray into a more hard-edged electric and less quaint music that emerged me to write and arrange the material.

But then came the surprise.

The finshed album was played to the record company guys and their reaction was to strongly suggest that the record be released – not as a solo Anderson Project – but as the new Jethro Tull album.

Tull drummer Barrie Barlow had gone on record as not wanting to continue as a band member anyway, but Evans and Palmer had started a new band called Tallis, to further their interest combining classical and rock music forms.

I deliberated, prevaricated and said I needed to talk to the other Tull musicians first to see where they were headed on their new projects but Chrysalis Records boss Terry Ellis went public in the press with the story that the new Tull line-up was to feature Jobson and that the other guys had been ‘replaced’.

Of course, to read about it in the music press was not the right or proper way for John Evans, Barrie Barlow and David Palmer to find out about the difficult matter and they were understandbly and rightfully pissed off.

(…)

To Mark, all too briefly a member of the extended Tull family: the Ian Anderson solo album that never was“.