M.U. – The Best of Jethro Tull, released in 1976, is the first proper greatest hits album by Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull (band)

Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...

. It spans the years 1969-75. The earlier Living in the Past

Living in the Past (album)

Living in the Past is a double album quasi-compilation collection by Jethro Tull which contains album tracks, outtakes, the "Life Is A Long Song" EP, and all of their singles non-lp tracks except "Aeroplane", "Sunshine Day", "One For John Gee", "17" and the original United Kingdom version of...

compilation mainly dealt with non-album material, but this album only features one previously unreleased song, "Rainbow Blues".

"M.U." in the album title stood for "Musician's Union",David Rees, Minstrels in the Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull, SAF Publishing. 1998. which probably is a reference to musicians from different line-ups of the band being virtually together on the compilation album.

The album peaked at #44 in the United Kingdom charts and #13 in the United States, and went gold in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and Platinum in the US and Canada.Rees

Side one

1. "Teacher" (A,C,E,G,M) – 4:07
2. "Aqualung
   Aqualung (song)
   "Aqualung" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull, and the title track from their Aqualung album. The song was written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson, and his then-wife Jennie Franks....
   
   " (C,E,H,I,J) – 6:34 (alternate mix, including the song's opening guitar riff played twice - previous U.S. edits of the song began three seconds later, with the second playing of the riff)
3. "Thick as a Brick (Edit #1)
   Thick as a Brick
   -Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
   
   " (B,E,H,M,R) – 3:01 (The first three minutes of "Thick As A Brick, Part One")
4. "Bungle in the Jungle" (B,E,H,M,R) – 3:34
5. "Locomotive Breath
   Locomotive Breath
   "Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung. It is notable for a long bluesy piano introduction and its flute solo by rock flute virtuoso Ian Anderson...
   
   " (C,E,H,I,J) – 4:23 (alternate mix)

Side two

1. "Fat Man" (A,C,M) – 2:50
2. "Living in the Past" (C,G,U) – 3:18
3. "A Passion Play (Edit #8)
   A Passion Play
   A Passion Play is a concept album, and the sixth studio album, released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the afterlife, it is similar to Thick as a Brick in that it is one long track split across both sides of the LP vinyl record, save for the interruption...
   
   " (B,E,H,M,R) – 3:28 ("Overseer Overture", which occurs about 11 minutes into "A Passion Play, Part Two")
4. "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)" (B,E,H,M) – 4:02
5. "Rainbow Blues" (B,E,H,M,R) – 3:37
6. "Nothing is Easy" (A,C,G,M) – 4:23

Personnel

As mentioned and sorted on the back cover:

IAN ANDERSON - Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Soprano Saxophone, Mandolin and Voice

(C) CLIVE BUNKER - Drums and Percussion

(G) GLENN CORNICK - Bass Guitar

MARTIN BARRE - Electric Guitar and Acoustic Guitar

(E) JOHN EVAN - Piano, Hammond Organ, Synthesizer and Piano Accordion

(H) JEFFREY HAMMOND - Bass Guitar

(B) BARRIEMORE BARLOW - Drums and Percussion



(M) Recorded at Morgan Studios, London

(I) Recorded at Island Studios, London

(U) Recorded at Vantone Studio, West Orange, New Jerey

(R) Engineered by Robin Black

(J) Engineered by John Burns

(A) Engineered by Andy Johns

(P) 1975, 1974, 1973, and 1972 Chrysalis Records



PRODUCTION BY IAN ANDERSON AND TERRY ELLIS

Orchestrations Arranged and Conducted by David Palmer

Art Direction by OZ Studios

Designed by Eric Michelson