Epic rock band Jethro Tull [ tickets ] has lined up a tour in support of its forthcoming career retrospective DVD.

The jaunt kicks off on April 23 in Philadelphia, and is tentatively scheduled to run through June. The band's lineup will feature frontman Ian Anderson, guitarist Martin Barre, drummer Doane Perry, keyboardist Andrew Giddings and bassist Jonathan Noyce.

Anderson explained that the as-yet untitled DVD will include footage from live concerts, as well as songs re-recorded with original Tull members--himself, Mick Abrahams, Clive Bunker and Glen Cornick--and a string quartet. It is scheduled to be released in April.

"It's not just of a single concert. We're mixing in a whole bunch of historical stuff and interviews. It's the big picture of Jethro Tull on a DVD. It was a lot of work to put together," said Anderson, who is also writing material for the DVD's booklet and designing the artwork.

"It's basically been interesting. I watch hairlines recede and watch us gain and lose a few pounds. I watch myself over the years going through different sorts of dress and appearance. It's quite strange."

He said that that are several working titles for the DVD, including "Living with the Past," a name he saw posted on a Tull fan website.

"That's quite a good title. It's kind of what we do. ... You reprise your earlier work. You rearrange it and fool with it. If you're a painter, you don't necessarily have to do that. With performing artists, you do tend to do some of your earlier work."

While not working on the DVD, Anderson has been writing material for a forthcoming solo effort due to hit stores later this year. This summer, Anderson has scheduled concerts with classical symphonies in Europe, and solo performances toward the end of 2002.

"I'm essentially an acoustic musician," said Anderson. "If the power goes down, you can still make a noise. ... I'd like to learn some different instruments. I'm currently looking to find some relationships with a few other musicians, people who play some different instruments that I don't play, and just working through a bunch of songs that I've written."