Legendary prog pioneer Ian Anderson is back with a new studio album Homo Erraticus in which his convenient alter-ego Gerald Bostock returns to voice the sentiments that he can’t. In a recent interview (see below) he used the comparison of John Le Carre being able to voice sentiments as ‘John Le Carre’ but not as a serving MI6 Officer. He goes on to explain how we often use alter-egos to express things which are not our views but comes with some authenticity even if via a factious character.
In 1972 Jethro Tull released iconic concept album Thick As A Brick, based on a poem by child prodigy Gerald Bostock; in 2012, as fans wondered what happened to Bostock, Ian Anderson explored the different paths his life might have taken in Thick As A Brick 2. With Homo Erraticus enfant prodigy Gerald is back for real writing songs for a prog-rock album….but, and he emphasised this “it is not Thick as a Brick 3”.
Following a 40 years’ political career, Bostock reunited with Anderson taking the role of tour manager on a string of shows. ‘Homo Erraticus’ marks his return to songwriting, and it’s based on an unpublished manuscript by amateur historian Ernest T. Parritt (1865-1928).
In Homo Erraticus Parritt examines key events of British history with a string of prophecies stretching to the current day and the future; visions of past lives caused by the delirium of malaria generate the characters through whose eyes the stories are told, including a nomadic Neolithic settler, an iron Age blacksmith, a Christian monk, a turnpike innkeeper and even Prince Albert.
The record will be out on 14th April on the artist’s own label imprint Calliandra Records in conjunction with Kscope, to coincide with Anderson’s 2014 UK tour.
Tracklisting
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PART ONE: CHRONICLES
Chapter 1 Doggerland
Chapter 2 Heavy Metals
Chapter 3 Enter The Uninvited
Chapter 4 Puer Ferox Adventus (Wild Child Coming)
Chapter 5 Meliora Sequamur (Let Us Follow Better Things)
Chapter 6 The Turnpike Inn
Chapter 7 The Engineer
Chapter 8 The Pax Britannica
PART TWO: PROPHECIES
Chapter 9 Tripudium Ad Bellum (Instrumental)
Chapter 10 After These Wars
Chapter 11 New Blood, Old Veins
PART THREE: REVELATIONS
Chapter 12 In For A Pound
Chapter 13 The Browning of the Green
Chapter 14 Per Errationes Ad Astra
Chapter 15 Cold Dead Reckoning
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