Questa recensione potrebbe tranquillamente avere come sottotitolo: 'Come rendere ancora più spettacolare un disco già spettacolare di per sé'. Questa è la realtà in cui si è trasportati grazie a questo deluxe repackage. St tratta di Benefit (The 50th Anniversary Enhanced Edition), edizione deluxe piuttosto corposa, anche perchè include ben 4 CD e 2 DVD. Questa re-release doveva uscire nel 2020, anno in cui si festeggiava il cinquantesimo anniversario dell'uscita del terzo album dei Tull, ma la pandemia ha rotto le uova nel paniere, quindi l'uscita di questo repackage è stata rimandata al 2021.

Per quanto mi riguarda, c'è ben poco da dire: l'album è spettacolare, gli Associated Recordings (sezione che include anche la primissima versione di My God, canzone che verrà poi inclusa nell'album Aqualung) sono assolutamente da ascoltare, anche perchè permettono di capire quanto lavoro abbia richiesto la registrazione di un album come Benefit.

Ma ciò che rende questo repackage davvero stellare sono i due concerti inclusi, entrambi del 1970: l'uno a Tanglewood e l'altro a Chicago. E questo è un enorme passo avanti rispetto al l'altrettanto spettacolare deluxe repackage Benefit (A Collector's Edition) uscito nel 2013, in quanto la re-release del 2013 conteneva solo materiale realizzato in studio, il repackage che sto recensendo, invece, ci fa ascoltare i Jethro Tull in concerto, in due esibizioni dal vivo assolutamente spettacolari.

Per cui. Non lasciatevi assolutamente scappare questo box set!

Elenco e tracce

01   Original Album (A Steven Wilson Stereo Remix) (00:00)

02   Associated Recordings (A Steven Wilson Stereo Remix) (00:00)

03   Associated Recordings (00:00)

04   Original 1969-1970 Mono Single Mixes (00:00)

05   Original 1969-1970 Stereo Single Mixes (00:00)

06   1971 Stereo Compilation Album Remixes (00:00)

07   Original US Radio Spots (00:00)

08   Live At Tanglewood 1970 (A Steven Wilson Stereo Remix) (00:00)

09   Live In Chicago 1970 (A Mono Mix Taken From The Front Of House Desk By Jethro Tull Sound Engineer John Burns) (00:00)

10   Steven Wilson's 2013 Remix Of The Album And 5 Extra Tracks In DTS And Dolby AC 3 5.1 Surround And Stereo 96/24 LPCM (00:00)

11   [DTS 5.1 Surround / Dolby AC3 5.1 Surround] (00:00)

12   [LPCM Stereo 96/24] (00:00)

13   Original 1970 Album Mixes + Extra Tracks (00:00)

14   UK Version [Flat Transfers In 96/24 LPCM Stereo] (00:00)

15   US Version [Flat Transfers LP Master In 96/24 LPCM Stereo] (00:00)

16   Extra Tracks [Flat Transfers In 96/24 LPCM Stereo ] (00:00)

17   The 1970 Tanglewood Concert On Video With Steven Wilson's 2020 Audio Remix In DTS And Dolby AC3 5.1 Surround And Stereo 96/24 LPCM (00:00)

18   With You There To Help Me (06:21)

19   Sossity; You're A Woman (04:39)

20   Singing All Day (03:10)

21   Sweet Dream (04:08)

23   Teacher (UK Single Version) (05:00)

24   Teacher (US Album Version) (04:08)

25   My God (Early Version) (09:07)

26   Just Trying To Be (01:39)

27   Nothing To Say (05:20)

28   Alive And Well And Living In (02:48)

30   For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me (03:55)

31   To Cry You A Song (06:16)

32   A Time For Everything? (02:44)

33   Inside (03:51)

34   Play In Time (03:55)

35   Singing All Day (03:04)

36   Sweet Dream (04:03)

38   The Witch's Promise (03:51)

39   Teacher (UK Single Version) (04:40)

40   The Witch's Promise (03:50)

41   Teacher (US Album Version) (03:56)

42   Singing All Day (03:08)

43   Sweet Dream (04:05)

44   The Witch's Promise (03:51)

45   Teacher (US Album Version) (04:18)

46   Sweet Dream (04:03)

47   Benefit AM Radio Spot #1 (01:03)

48   Benefit FM Radio Spot #2 (01:03)

50   The Witch's Promise (03:57)

51   Teacher (UK Single Version) (04:53)

52   Teacher (US Album Version) (03:58)

53   Inside (02:40)

54   Alive And Well And Living In (02:47)

55   A Time For Everything? (02:43)

56   Introduction And Tuning (01:43)

57   Nothing Is Easy (06:05)

58   My God (Incl. Flute Solo) (11:51)

59   With You There To Help Me / By Kind Permission Of (13:00)

60   Dharma For One (Incl. Drum Solo) (12:36)

61   We Used To Know (03:21)

62   Guitar Instrumental (15:48)

63   For A Thousand Mothers (04:54)

64   Introduction And Tuning (01:24)

65   Guitar Instrumental (05:39)

66   For A Thousand Mothers (03:58)

67   My Sunday Feeling (04:50)

68   My God (Incl. Flute Solo) (10:46)

69   To Cry You A Song (05:50)

70   With You There To Help Me / By Kind Permission Of (13:04)

71   Sossity: You're A Woman / Reasons For Waiting (06:01)

72   Nothing Is Easy (06:24)

73   Dharma For One (Incl. Drum Solo) (14:06)

74   We Used To Know (03:16)

75   With You There To Help Me (00:00)

76   Sossity; You're A Woman (00:00)

77   Singing All Day (00:00)

78   Sweet Dream (00:00)

80   Teacher (UK Single Version 1969) (00:00)

81   Teacher (US Single Version 1970) (00:00)

82   With You There To Help Me (00:00)

83   Nothing To Say (00:00)

84   Alive And Well And Living In (00:00)

86   Nothing To Say (00:00)

87   For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me (00:00)

88   To Cry You A Song (00:00)

89   A Time For Everything? (00:00)

90   Inside (00:00)

91   Play In Time (00:00)

92   Sossity; You're A Woman (00:00)

93   Singing All Day (00:00)

94   Sweet Dream (00:00)

96   Teacher (UK Single Version 1969) (00:00)

97   Alive And Well And Living In (00:00)

98   Teacher (US Single Version 1970) (00:00)

99   With You There To Help Me (00:00)

100   Nothing To Say (00:00)

101   Alive And Well And Living In (00:00)

103   For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me (00:00)

104   To Cry You A Song (00:00)

105   A Time For Everything? (00:00)

106   Inside (00:00)

107   Play In Time (00:00)

109   Sossity; You're A Woman (00:00)

110   With You There To Help Me (00:00)

111   Nothing To Say (00:00)

112   Inside (00:00)

114   For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me (00:00)

115   To Cry You A Song (00:00)

116   A Time For Everything? (00:00)

117   Teacher (00:00)

118   Play In Time (00:00)

119   For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me (00:00)

120   Sossity; You're A Woman (00:00)

121   Sweet Dream (00:00)

123   The Witch's Promise (00:00)

124   To Cry You A Song (00:00)

125   A Time For Everything? (00:00)

126   Inside (00:00)

127   Play In Time (00:00)

128   Introduction And Tuning (00:00)

129   Nothing Is Easy (00:00)

130   My God (Incl. Flute Solo) (00:00)

131   With You There To Help Me / By Kind Permission Of (00:00)

132   Dharma For One (Incl. Drum Solo) (00:00)

133   We Used To Know (00:00)

134   Guitar Instrumental (00:00)

135   For A Thousand Mothers (00:00)

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