I-95 Exclusive: Ian Anderson Nearly Left the Jethro Tull Tour in ’72

Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull are back with a brand-new album, Curious Ruminant, which dropped on March 7 of 2025. After releasing two albums with Jethro Tull in 2022 and 2023, this one’s packed with nine tracks, ranging from short jams to epic 17-minute pieces, all with that signature progressive rock vibe.

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Like all the cool versions of albums these days, Curious Ruminant comes in CD, Vinyl, and a deluxe edition with a CD/Blu-ray combo. Ahead of the album's release we got to talk to the man behind the music, Ian Anderson. This was our favorite moment from the Monday (3/17/25) I-95 Morning Show interview

Lou: Have you ever been on a tour and been frustrated for one reason or another, or sad, or missing home and just said, I'm going home. Were you ever close to just packing up and going home? 

Ian: "Yeah, they had to rescue me from the airport a couple of times. I was about to board a British Airways flight back home, but around 1972, I was getting pretty frazzled from the continuous touring and the lack of any free time—no days off. It didn’t exist. So, at the end of 1972, I told our manager, 'Look, I’m done. I can’t cope with playing these arenas and big sports stadiums anymore. I just want to work a little less frequently and maybe just play theaters and concert halls—comfortable places.' That was the beginning, not a complete cutoff from playing those venues, but gradually, we were able to, I had the occasional day off, which was extremely beneficial in terms of getting my physical and mental resources back in order."

You can listen to the complete interview below.

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