The English-bred band, best known as one of the giants of 1970s prog-rock, will launch the trek May 22 in Germany and traverse both continents through early December. If all goes according to plan, Jethro Tull will be back for another North American leg in early 2002, according to founder and flautist Ian Anderson.

Tull hits American shores July 17 in Cleveland, and appears at theatres and festivals through August 1.

The American leg of the minstrels’ sojourn winds down September 1 at Trump Marina in Atlantic City, N.J.

After that, it’s back across the Atlantic for Scandinavian dates and more shows in the U.K. and Ireland. By the time they’re done, they will have had their passports stamped in 15 countries.

Jethro Tull is a bit of an anomaly among classic-rockers because they’ve never split up, reunited, or toured the oldies circuit in all their years performing.

They don’t seem to get tired, either. The band mounted a U.S. tour last year and the new album title – named for the band’s Web site – indicates Jethro Tull keeps up with the times, though on their own terms.

“I am not one for nostalgia or reminiscences and prefer to live in the present and the future,” Anderson said. “However, some of our audience obviously like the nostalgia bit, and the old material which we play is, for them perhaps, a trip down memory lane.

“For us, it’s not about playing a song which could be 30 years old. It’s about playing something 24 hours old, since that’s when we probably last played it onstage. Our style of music is, I hope, a little bit timeless and not rooted in a particular fashion.”