Customer Reviews

Aqualung (W/6 Bonus Tracks)

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

For the new Tull enthusiast: Don't forget the overlooked but equally amazing songs on this album: Wond'ring Aloud, My God, Cheap Day Return, and Wind Up. Also, even though this album is amazing, please don't think Aqualung is the ultimate Jethro Tull experience and that you need look no further to fully appreciate them. You must check out a few other albums to comprehend the many facets of this incredible band. The short list: "Minstrel in the Gallery" and "Songs From the Wood." These are often overlooked, but are two of the musically strongest Tull albums. Start there, and then add "Heavy Horses," "Too Old...," and the blues based "This Was," to better appreciate this finest ever art-rock band. There's much more, but this would be a great beginning introduction past "Aqualung." Happy listening!

Aqualung was Jethro Tull's fourth Studio Album, and was recorded at the exact same time, in a different part of the same studio as Led Zeppelin 4. This said, Aqualung is not a straight forward rock album, as the previous reviewer loved to point out. What Aqualung is is a wonderful mix of inventive blues, folk, Celtic and rock music. Their are great heavy tracks, such as Aqualung, Cross Eyed Mary, Hymn 43 and in its own patient way Locomotive Breath. But, even more striking to a listener with a broad palate, are short acoustic and flute based songs such as Cheap Day Return and Wondering Aloud. Jethro Tull was a brilliant inventive band that combined incredible skill and musical knowledge with intensive rehearsal and recording to produce very tight skillful albums. Many of the songs have more than one time signature, and the shifting tempo and rich music is a refreshing contrast to most standard timing, and tuning rock music. (Zeppelin also varied timing up a lot on 4)

As for the previous reviewers claim that Jethro Tull ripped of the riff from War Pigs for Aqualung, they should note that Toni Iommi from Black Sabbath actually tried out for Jethro Tull, but was turned down for current guitarist MArtin Barre, and far from expressing any views such as those expressed by the reviewer, Iommi has stated that it was Jethro Tull that had a profound impact on his own career, and taught him the work required to be a professional musician.

One should note that Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull talks in a recent live release of Aqualung about the lead riff, which he says they wrote by rearranging the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, he went on to sing the notes of many other famous rock tunes and describe how they are also rearrangements of those notes.

So there it is, everyone is simply ripping off Beethoven, at least though Jethro Tull is doing it with some sense of musicianship.

(By the way, if you are buying the album for the bonus tracks, don't. They are not very good. The remastering of the album though is quite good, although not worth the purchase price if you already own it.)

Not only is this a fantastic Jethro Tull album, but it is simply a fantastic Rock n' Roll album. The guitar-driven songs which everyone who hasn't lived in a cave (Yes..I mean You Bin Laden), have heard hundreds of times, still sound new and original today. Despite Classic Rock stations across the country who play Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, Locomotive Breath and Hymn 43 only, there are more songs here to enjoy. "Mother Goose" is a catchy little song that will keep you humming. "My God" is just a masterpiece, and the message it contains is interesting to say the least, give it a listen after watching the two hour torture-fest Mel Gibson put out in movie form with the "Passion of Christ". There is good reason why Aqualung pushed Tull to the forefront of the music scene in the 70's. Once you put Aqualung on your CD player I guarantee it will stay there for days, and will stay even longer in your head!!

I agree with all the reviews, this is JT's crowned jewel. What nobody seems to notice is the sound quality. This so-called "remaster" falls in the category of rip-offs that many labels are re-issuing in order to attract the music purist seeking the best sound. The quality of this re-issue is questionable for various reasons, while it offers slightly increased overall volume and a little more bass, the highs were compromised. I made a track-by-track comparison with my older Chrysalis CD and came to the conclusion that many of the instruments, except bass, sound sharper in the older release. I can't recommend purchasing this re-issue to anyone looking for a true remastered recording. The bonus tracks were a nice inclusion, but to me they were just icing on poorly mixed cake.

This is where it all started for me as a Tull fan. My friend let me borrow it and I ended up buying the CD. I've listened to other Tull and while they are brilliant in their own ways, nothing seems to measure up to this album. Everything flows together beautifully.

My copy arrived today and I can say that there are some
interesting tracks here. I have the first four, Tull remasters.
"Benefit" and "Stand Up" are my two faves. "This Was" and still is
my least loved of the bunch. "Aqualung" comes in at number 3 in my books.
I don't believe I will be going any farther down the road with the band.
If you want to hear the roots of the group start with these choices. I'm
sure all 4 are availble in this forum. Once again......"worth it"...

Aqualung (1971.) Jethro Tull's fourth album.

The sixties found Jethro Tull trying to find their sound. Their first album, This Was, featured them doing blues rock, while their second album, Stand Up, incorporated elements of progressive rock. Their first release of the seventies, Benefit, is where the band truly came of age, combining a plethora of styles and creating one of the finest sounds in rock and roll. But, come 1971, and the band would release what would ultimately go on to become their most popular album of all - Aqualung. Does the band's fourth album live up to the hype that so many people built around it, or is it just an overrated and overhyped album? Read on for my review.

To put it simply, there is a reason that this is Tull's most popular album - it's one of the best. Though not my personal favorite (that honor would have to go to the previous year's release, Benefit), it's an excellent record nonetheless. The album is broken into two parts - Side A: Aqualung, and Side B: My God. Kicking off Side A is the title track. This has gone down as one of the band's most popular tracks, and why not? The hard rocking intro and outro is one of the finest in classic rock, and it helps to make this song priceless. Track two, Cross-Eyed Mary, is another hard rocker that would become very popular (although oddly enough, the band rarely puts it on their hits compilations!) This is an excellent song that has stood the test of time, no questions asked. Next up come two softer and more melodic songs, Mother Goose and Wond'ring Aloud. If you've got an open mind, these two tunes won't fail to please. Side A closes with the excellent Up To Me. The guitar stylings are a typical seventies rock breed, but Anderson's lyrics are distinctly poetic, as only he could do. And then, Side B begins. The title track of Side B, My God, kicks it off. This was an excellent way to kick off this side of the album. While the songs on Side A were descriptive and to the point, those of Side B accuse religion of not living up to its own standards - and do a damn good job of it. Among the tracks are are the legendary Locomotive Breath, which became every bit as popular as the two hits from the A Side. Although I personally prefer the A Side of the album, the B Side is solid nonetheless. In the end we are left with an album that stands the test of time as a true rock classic. Ian Anderson is a musical genius, as are his bandmates, and it really shows on this album.

Like the other Tull remasters, here you get remastering, expanded liner notes, and bonus tracks. But, like many others, I feel that the record company "overdid" it a bit on the remastering process, and ended up doing more harm than good in the process. The bonus tracks include an interview, outtakes from the Aqualung sessions, and some BBC session versions of Song For Jeffrey, Fat Man, and Bouree (the "final" versions of these songs were featured on the band's first two albums.) However, like many of the bonus tracks included on the Tull reissues, many of these (especially the BBC sessions) don't belong on THIS album. Why didn't the record company just include the early versions of the songs on the respective albums that included the final versions? That would have made more sense.

Aqualung has long been revered as a rock and roll classic, and I have no choice but to agree with that. The album explores a plethora of styles, and does a better job of it than any other band ever could. If you're new to Jethro Tull, this album makes the perfect place to start your collection (don't bother with hits compilations!) It's an excellent album, plain and simple.

Aqualung (1971.) Jethro Tull's fourth album.

The sixties found Jethro Tull trying to find their sound. Their first album, This Was, featured them doing blues rock, while their second album, Stand Up, incorporated elements of progressive rock. Their first release of the seventies, Benefit, is where the band truly came of age, combining a plethora of styles and creating one of the finest sounds in rock and roll. But, come 1971, and the band would release what would ultimately go on to become their most popular album of all - Aqualung. Does the band's fourth album live up to the hype that so many people built around it, or is it just an overrated and overhyped album? Read on for my review.

To put it simply, there is a reason that this is Tull's most popular album - it's one of the best. Though not my personal favorite (that honor would have to go to the previous year's release, Benefit), it's an excellent record nonetheless. The album is broken into two parts - Side A: Aqualung, and Side B: My God. Kicking off Side A is the title track. This has gone down as one of the band's most popular tracks, and why not? The hard rocking intro and outro is one of the finest in classic rock, and it helps to make this song priceless. Track two, Cross-Eyed Mary, is another hard rocker that would become very popular (although oddly enough, the band rarely puts it on their hits compilations!) This is an excellent song that has stood the test of time, no questions asked. Next up come two softer and more melodic songs, Mother Goose and Wond'ring Aloud. If you've got an open mind, these two tunes won't fail to please. Side A closes with the excellent Up To Me. The guitar stylings are a typical seventies rock breed, but Anderson's lyrics are distinctly poetic, as only he could do. And then, Side B begins. The title track of Side B, My God, kicks it off. This was an excellent way to kick off this side of the album. While the songs on Side A were descriptive and to the point, those of Side B accuse religion of not living up to its own standards - and do a damn good job of it. Among the tracks are are the legendary Locomotive Breath, which became every bit as popular as the two hits from the A Side. Although I personally prefer the A Side of the album, the B Side is solid nonetheless. In the end we are left with an album that stands the test of time as a true rock classic. Ian Anderson is a musical genius, as are his bandmates, and it really shows on this album.

Like the other Tull remasters, here you get remastering, expanded liner notes, and bonus tracks. But, like many others, I feel that the record company "overdid" it a bit on the remastering process, and ended up doing more harm than good in the process. The bonus tracks include an interview, outtakes from the Aqualung sessions, and some BBC session versions of Song For Jeffrey, Fat Man, and Bouree (the "final" versions of these songs were featured on the band's first two albums.) However, like many of the bonus tracks included on the Tull reissues, many of these (especially the BBC sessions) don't belong on THIS album. Why didn't the record company just include the early versions of the songs on the respective albums that included the final versions? That would have made more sense.

Aqualung has long been revered as a rock and roll classic, and I have no choice but to agree with that. The album explores a plethora of styles, and does a better job of it than any other band ever could. If you're new to Jethro Tull, this album makes the perfect place to start your collection (don't bother with hits compilations!) It's an excellent album, plain and simple.

I've just been introduced to Jethro Tull. I love many late 60's and early-late 70s bands, but I never realized that Jethro Tull was this good. At this point, I've heard Aqualung and Passion Play. Both are wonderful, but for different reasons.

Aqualung plays almost like a storybook for older people. It takes place in mideval England under the rule of the Church. This story is one about a man named Aqualung and his problems and observations. It is truly great.

The lyrics alone are magnificent because they are intelligent, witty, and serious all at the same time. The lyrics, when I first listened to the album, helped me see how great the music is.

I'll rate the songs for you:

PART I: AQUALUNG

Aqualung: 10/10. This is the first song I ever heard by Tull. Oh, and if you're one of those people like me who likes the electric guitar, one of the best solos I have ever heard is on this song. It could be the best song on the album.

Cross-Eyed Mary: 8/10. Another very good song, but there are better on the album. This one is more dark.

Cheap Day Return: 9/10. A bit of a break from more rock-oriented songs. Cheap Day Return is acoustic and it's quite good.

Mother Goose 10/10. I bet you weren't expecting a song of this nature on such a serious album. Don't worry. You will love this one. It's uppity and a bit witty. Ian Anderson is a genius.

Wond'ring Aloud 9/10. Another very good song [imagine that]that starts of a bit sad, but becomes a good acoustic peice.

Up to Me 9/10. If you liked the title track and Cross-Eyed Mary, this will be one of your favorites, too. It's a very good rock song that quickly gets your attention. I'm sure everyone will like this one. The only reason I didn't give it a ten is because its the only song on the album I haven't listened to from start to finish.

PART II: MY GOD

My God 10/10. Fantastic song. Makes you feel for Aqualung. Electric guitar doesn't start for a while, but it's in there.

Hymn 43 8/10. I am not familiar with this hymn because I don't go to church, but this version is pretty good.

Slipstream 7/10. Not much to say about this one except that it's not bad -- there are much better songs within the album.

Wind Up 10/10. I LOVE THIS SONG. Wind Up is pretty much the conclusion to the album and it is FANTASTIC. Aqualung talks again a bit about his childhood and how he wants to stick it to everyone in his Sunday school who was mean to him or just tried to make religion his life. This song is VERY good. The beginning is slow, but it becomes a little roller coaster after that.

TOTAL : 90/110. yeah.

This is a really cool story that's a bit sad, but you side with the underdog. You need to listen to the entire thing in onw day. Hopefully, all the way through.

The extra tracks are good, but they really just threw them onto Aqualung to make more money -- they aren't required to listen to Aqualung.

The only bad thing about this album is the "remaster." Thay tried WAY too hard to make it sound perfect. As I've said before, records are much better than cds. I first heard this on record and was a bit disappointed with the cd version -- the music isn't quite as clear. Also, I think thay sped the tracks up by a tiny bit. It's certainly good enough, though. They did that on Layla which royally pissed me off.

Anyway, this is a classic which any music fan, period, should own. Trust me -- I listen to everything from Frank Zappa to Pink Floyd to Richie Havens to Jorma Kaukonen to the Beatles to the Who.

I remember when Aqualung was just released, and everybody had the album. It was extremely popular here in Denmark, along with "Who's Next" and the Led Zeppelin and Ten Years After albums. It probably Tull's most hard-rocking album, and at least at that time it was comsidered "heavy" rock.

I saw them perform in Holstebro with new member John Evan - and it was really a great hard rocking performance; I was very impressed by guitarist Martin Barre.

Songs like "Locomotive Breath" and "Aqualung" are great live rockers - but also very melodic.
I never cared much for "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Hymn 43" and "Up to Me", but acoustic songs like "Cheap Day Return", "Mother Goose" and "Wondering Aloud" and still favourites of mine.

"My God" is too much an integrated part of the album-concept to be judged on its own.

The highlight is the great finale "Wind Up"

There are six bonus tracks.

"Lick Your Finger Clean" is okay for an outtake.

the alternate version of "Wind Up" is interesting, but not nearly as good as the released version.

The Ian Anderson interview is very interesting, as is the BBC takes of "Song for Jeffrey", "Fat Man" and "Bouree"