"A" is the 13th studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released on August 29, 1980, in the UK and on September 1, 1980, in the United States.
Originally intended as frontman Ian Anderson's debut solo album, the album's master tapes were marked "A" for Anderson during recording. However, it was released as a Jethro Tull album due to pressure from Chrysalis Records. Anderson has since expressed regret about this decision.
The album marked a departure from Jethro Tull's previous work, adopting a more electronic rock sound with heavy use of synthesizers while retaining the band's folk influence and Anderson's flute playing. Lyrically, the album shifted from fantasy and folklore themes to contemporary issues such as the Cold War.
A was released after a significant lineup change: drummer Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and keyboardists John Evan and Dee Palmer left the band, and bassist John Glascock had died from heart complications the previous year. The album features Dave Pegg, who replaced Glascock, on bass, Mark Craney on drums, and Eddie Jobson on keyboards and electric violin, with Jobson credited as a "special guest."
