Aqualung - JETHRO TULL*****

Aqualung/Cross Eyed Mary/Cheap Day Return/Mother Goose/Wond'ring Aloud/Up To Me/My God/Hymn 43/ Slipstream/Locomotive Breath/Wind-Up

Aqualung continued the winning streak for progressive rock group Jethro Tull. Under the guidance of Ian Anderson they reached a creative peak in the early 1970s which, alas, turned out to be unsustainable. (US:7 UK:4)

“Aqualung proved that Jethro Tull could rock with the best of them, but rather than an all out assault on the ears that less skilful bands would have favoured, the heavy rockers are punctuated by a series of delicate acoustic tracks that display Anderson's more sensitive side.”

“Critics have often tried to pigeonhole Aqualung into one of several genres: concept album, progressive rock, folk-rock, et cetera, ad nauseam, but the brilliance of the album is that it transcended what was termed 'hard-rock' back in 1971, and offered a refreshing synthesis of several styles and moods.”

“Very solid progressive rock that has strong folk influences to it. Ian Anderson has a very nice vocal range, which makes this album feel rather much like a whole long story, filled with various moments and excitement as well as feelings. Musically this is very tightly played progressive rock with some nice almost experimental moments, which still are very structured and well played.”

“There are a handful of albums in the annals of rock that simply could not have been better. This is one of them. From the opening riff to the final fade one can only marvel at the complete and total excellence of the entirety of this album.”

“Aqualung is not really a concept record, although many of the songs seem to focus on themes of free-spirited romanticism and religious hypocrisy. Tracks like My God and the title track pull the listener this way and that through tangled webs of odd chord changes, blues riffs, and acoustic moodiness.”

“The quintessential Jethro Tull album, offering a succinct overview of all their strengths. The flute is used tastefully and the music is ripe with memorable, pounding riffs that at times sound almost like proto-heavy metal at its best.”

“It has all the aspects that make up a truly great album. It is majestic and yet intimate, has great power and gentle subtlety. There is far more acoustic guitar than I remember being the case, which is what I loved about the band in their heyday.”