I swear – not only do I think my musical tastes mirror a teenage boy’s in the 1970s…

But forces have been at work my entire life pointing me in the direction of…

Jethro Tull music!

A friend of mine teased me a few months ago when I posted my annual birthday trivia questions:

https://hebontheweb.blog/2026/02/11/birthday-trivia-questions-vol-11/

“Really? she said. “Two Jethro Tull questions?”

Well…

I did kinda wonder why I asked about Jethro Tull twice in my most recent birthday question set – but also once in my 2024 birthday question set.

First off, I love the eclecticity of Jethro Tull (I just made that word up). You’re not gonna hear lots of flute solos in rock songs unless it’s a song by…(guess who)?

It’s kind of on brand for me to overthink everything in my life – whether it’s a question in a pub trivia game…

Or me trying to wrap my head around my fascination with Jethro Tull!

I recently downloaded the iheartradio app and have the “deep cuts” station as a favorite preset. Guess which band’s songs come up fairly often?

I clicked “like” on so many of their songs that I just had to download some of their songs too!

My first encounter with this band was in the mid 1980s, when a cousin of mine from Florida was staying with us.

While he was out shopping, he bought a cassette copy of Aqualung.

I’ve often wondered…

“Why that album? Why would a teenage boy in the 80s buy an old ass classic rock album from 1971?”

80s teenagers, in general, did not listen to music recorded more than five years ago. Unless they had a good reason. What was my cousin’s reason? 🤔

So…I went into a rabbit hole. Well, not really. I just read the damn  Wikipedia article! 😂

One little thing caught my attention:

Wait WHAT? Iron Maiden recorded a cover of a Jethro Tull song?

Huh. That cousin has been an Iron Maiden fan his entire life. He still is. He follows them in your. Eddie is his co-pilot.

Just yesterday when my husband and I were playing games downstairs, Cross Eyed Mary by Jethro Tull came on Deep Cuts. 

“Ooh I like this one,” I said.

It was also released as a B side for Iron Maiden’s The Trooper in 1983. which would have been right around the time my cousin was visiting us.

I haven’t talked about this with him, but I’m gonna bet money that this is why he bought the Aqualung album!

Thr plot thickens…like a “brick!” My fellow Jethro Tull fans will see what I did there!

About 10 years ago, we visited our friend Archie, who was a big music lover. Especially “classic rock.” He had a vinyl copy of Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick album.

Sadly, Archie passed away in 2019 😢. Every time I listen to a Jethro Tull song – I’m reminded of him!

What music reminds you of departed loved ones?