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Post by nonrabbit on Nov 13, 2019 18:58:37 GMT
Many songs are written from both sides of everything which Ian did many during the early years of TULL. I'm sure he felt guilt about many topics including what his reaction to homeless people was during Christmas.
Part fear and part sympathy to those who are wandering the streets looking for a place to live with no money. Aqualung may have been a somewhat easy example of how those without money would be just as bad as those who did. While stalking schoolyards or even city streets their are some who are quite desperate for many things including SEX.
We should not blame Ian for his observation which has some pity over those with no means to correct themselves. Non-Rabbit has valid concerns that a song can be popular for things we normally would condemn. In every level of society there are many who ignore the truth that women are abused by both rich and poor. Within the bounds of British history, an equivalent observer of human morals (if that is what it is) may well be William Hogarth (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) who was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic, and editorial cartoonist. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_HogarthI would argue that, in the case of Cross Eyed Mary, it is an instance of social criticism along the lines that William Hogarth excelled in. www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/william-hogarthHogarth is best known for his series paintings of 'modern moral subjects', of which he sold engravings on subscription. The Collection contains the set called 'Marriage A-la-Mode'. Although pugnaciously hostile to Continental art, he succumbed to French influence. In 1753 he published his 'Analysis of Beauty', in which he stresses the importance of the serpentine line. Hogarth was born in London, the son of an unsuccessful schoolmaster and writer from Westmoreland. After apprenticeship to a goldsmith, he began to produce his own engraved designs in about 1710. He later took up oil painting, starting with small portrait groups called conversation pieces. He went on to create a series of paintings satirising contemporary customs, but based on earlier Italian prints, of which the first was 'The Harlot's Progress' (1731), and perhaps the most famous 'The Rake's Progress'. His engravings were so plagiarised that he lobbied for the Copyright Act of 1735 as protection for writers and artists. During the 1730s Hogarth also developed into an original painter of life-sized portraits, and created the first of several history paintings in the grand manner. Six prints, forming the set 'A Harlot's Progress. The six prints telling the cautionary story of Moll Hackabout, a harlot, were published in April 1732, the first of Hogarth’s ‘Modern Moral Subjects’. Hogarth intended the pictures to stand without accompanying text. The series had 1,240 subscribers and was so popular that pirated versions were quickly issued. www.rct.uk/collection/811512/a-harlots-progressLove William Hogarth's works. I watched this documentary a few years ago which brings his paintings to life in the form of a story.
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Post by nonrabbit on Nov 13, 2019 19:12:05 GMT
I am a woman. I don't mind Ian writing a song about childhood prostitution either in 1971 or 2019 however looking back at the lyrics to Mary I don't feel that it's that sympathetic to her plight. Like I said before, I think the lyrics are strong as they are very descriptive whether you agree with them or not.
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rainbowblue
Journeyman
How can you blame me for the things that I do.
Posts: 193
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Post by rainbowblue on Nov 14, 2019 1:12:59 GMT
I am a woman. I don't mind Ian writing a song about childhood prostitution either in 1971 or 2019 however looking back at the lyrics to Mary I don't feel that it's that sympathetic to her plight. Like I said before, I think the lyrics are strong as they are very descriptive whether you agree with them or not. I have the greatest respect for women and I think I have lived my life that way, so I hope that I don`t offend with my comments. I think things are vastly different in 2019 than 1970, when Cross-Eyed Mary was written. There was a more defined line between right and wrong then, as opposed to now. I don`t know if there were places in England where prostitution was legal, but outside of parts of Nevada, it was illegal in the U.S. Maybe that is why the lyrics were not sympathetic to her plight, just a sign of those times where she would be considered an outcast. Now, in the rush to "Empower" people, we don`t hold anyone accountable for their actions, whether it`s drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution or any illegal activity`s. In the case of prostitution, there are many examples of young girls getting caught up in that lifestyle through no fault of their own. My problem is with the women that openly admit paying their way through college by means of prostitution. To me, that is conscience decision to make money through an illegal activity. I have no sympathy for them, they`re just glorified hookers. Drugs and alcohol abuse is another story. Now, it`s a disease and you can`t be held accountable for a bad decision. To me, getting hooked may be a disease, but getting started is their decision. But there is a lot of money to be made with the rise of drug and alcohol treatment centers, which makes me wonder if they really are interested in your recovery. Why would you help people from addiction if that would ultimately put you out of business? Sorry to stray, but to me there is no indication that Ian`s lyrics to Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper are autobiographical. I think for what we know about him, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
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Post by nonrabbit on Nov 14, 2019 17:55:28 GMT
I am a woman. I don't mind Ian writing a song about childhood prostitution either in 1971 or 2019 however looking back at the lyrics to Mary I don't feel that it's that sympathetic to her plight. Like I said before, I think the lyrics are strong as they are very descriptive whether you agree with them or not. I have the greatest respect for women and I think I have lived my life that way, so I hope that I don`t offend with my comments. I think things are vastly different in 2019 than 1970, when Cross-Eyed Mary was written. There was a more defined line between right and wrong then, as opposed to now. I don`t know if there were places in England where prostitution was legal, but outside of parts of Nevada, it was illegal in the U.S. Maybe that is why the lyrics were not sympathetic to her plight, just a sign of those times where she would be considered an outcast. Now, in the rush to "Empower" people, we don`t hold anyone accountable for their actions, whether it`s drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution or any illegal activity`s. In the case of prostitution, there are many examples of young girls getting caught up in that lifestyle through no fault of their own. My problem is with the women that openly admit paying their way through college by means of prostitution. To me, that is conscience decision to make money through an illegal activity. I have no sympathy for them, they`re just glorified hookers. Drugs and alcohol abuse is another story. Now, it`s a disease and you can`t be held accountable for a bad decision. To me, getting hooked may be a disease, but getting started is their decision. But there is a lot of money to be made with the rise of drug and alcohol treatment centers, which makes me wonder if they really are interested in your recovery. Why would you help people from addiction if that would ultimately put you out of business? Sorry to stray, but to me there is no indication that Ian`s lyrics to Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper are autobiographical. I think for what we know about him, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Hi rainbowblue, you quote me and then finish your post by saying that there's no indication that Ian's lyrics are autobiographical. At no point have I suggested they were. Please reread my posts to see my views on the lyrics.
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Post by geostrehl on Nov 14, 2019 20:17:16 GMT
"I find it a little bit disturbing to walk out on stage and see two 14-year-old girls screaming just like I saw them do to the Beatles. And I'm thinking it's 1977 — it was when I was last on stage — and here's a couple of little girls, much too young to copulate with, actually screaming and doing a number equivalent to Beatlemania. I think this can't be. I'm thirty now and this just isn't really decent. But it's still marginally acceptable at the age of thirty. At the age of forty it's going to be quite indecent." www.tullpress.com/c14apr77.htmSo ... girls are defined by whether IA can copulate with them or not, and a 30 year old guy with a 16 year old girl is ok, but a 40 year old guy with a 16 year old is really not on? I have to say, transcribing these sort of comments in articles does not make me proud to be associated with this band. But at least they are in the public domain for others to read and form an opinion about. A I've never read such a misinterpretation before! Talk about a stretch! Ian didn't say anything in which any reasonable person could possibly find offense, nor was his statement indecorous in the least.
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rainbowblue
Journeyman
How can you blame me for the things that I do.
Posts: 193
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Post by rainbowblue on Nov 14, 2019 23:13:44 GMT
I have the greatest respect for women and I think I have lived my life that way, so I hope that I don`t offend with my comments. I think things are vastly different in 2019 than 1970, when Cross-Eyed Mary was written. There was a more defined line between right and wrong then, as opposed to now. I don`t know if there were places in England where prostitution was legal, but outside of parts of Nevada, it was illegal in the U.S. Maybe that is why the lyrics were not sympathetic to her plight, just a sign of those times where she would be considered an outcast. Now, in the rush to "Empower" people, we don`t hold anyone accountable for their actions, whether it`s drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution or any illegal activity`s. In the case of prostitution, there are many examples of young girls getting caught up in that lifestyle through no fault of their own. My problem is with the women that openly admit paying their way through college by means of prostitution. To me, that is conscience decision to make money through an illegal activity. I have no sympathy for them, they`re just glorified hookers. Drugs and alcohol abuse is another story. Now, it`s a disease and you can`t be held accountable for a bad decision. To me, getting hooked may be a disease, but getting started is their decision. But there is a lot of money to be made with the rise of drug and alcohol treatment centers, which makes me wonder if they really are interested in your recovery. Why would you help people from addiction if that would ultimately put you out of business? Sorry to stray, but to me there is no indication that Ian`s lyrics to Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper are autobiographical. I think for what we know about him, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Hi rainbowblue, you quote me and then finish your post by saying that there's no indication that Ian's lyrics are autobiographical. At no point have I suggested they were. Please reread my posts to see my views on the lyrics. Hi Patti! I quoted you only to give you my opinion of why the lyrics of Cross-eyed Mary might not be sympathetic to her plight. And that is the difference between how thing were viewed in 1970 to 2019. Then I went on a "rant" about how people do things now and are "enabled" because nobody is accountable for their actions any more. This was my rant, not a response to anything that anyone has said or suggested. Finally, I gave MY opinion about the lyrics to Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper not being autobiographical. That was in response to the poster who has interpreted the lyrics of Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper. That person also has his right to his opinion, but it irritated me when he(?) said that he was not proud to be associated with the band. These comments were not directed at you in any way. I don`t generally get into these type of conversations, and now I remember why. I think that when (if) I post again I`ll stick to favorite songs, albums.....things like that.
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Post by nonrabbit on Nov 15, 2019 6:21:31 GMT
Hi rainbowblue, you quote me and then finish your post by saying that there's no indication that Ian's lyrics are autobiographical. At no point have I suggested they were. Please reread my posts to see my views on the lyrics. Hi Patti! I quoted you only to give you my opinion of why the lyrics of Cross-eyed Mary might not be sympathetic to her plight. And that is the difference between how thing were viewed in 1970 to 2019. Then I went on a "rant" about how people do things now and are "enabled" because nobody is accountable for their actions any more. This was my rant, not a response to anything that anyone has said or suggested. Finally, I gave MY opinion about the lyrics to Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper not being autobiographical. That was in response to the poster who has interpreted the lyrics of Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary and Pied Piper. That person also has his right to his opinion, but it irritated me when he(?) said that he was not proud to be associated with the band. These comments were not directed at you in any way. I don`t generally get into these type of conversations, and now I remember why. I think that when (if) I post again I`ll stick to favorite songs, albums.....things like that. No need to stick to one topic rainbowblue - all contributions welcomed here.
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Post by nonrabbit on Dec 3, 2019 12:26:20 GMT
“Well, the character Aqualung was based on a photograph that my first wife had taken. She was studying photography in some college in London and she went off on some student assignment to shoot photographs of homeless people living in south London under the railway arches. She came back with some pictures and one particular character caught my eyes. He was someone who had a defiance about him, maybe even a little bit of anger, but at the same time, he was uncomfortable, slightly fearful, particularly of being photographed by a young woman. I suppose in a way, it made him feel like an object of curiosity or a little ashamed. So with all of those thoughts in my head, I said, “Right, well, let’s write a song about this. You scribble down some ideas on a piece of paper, and I’ll come up with some music.” And so she wrote some words and we fashioned that into lyrics. Some of the lines were definitely not lines I would have written. Like; “Snot is running down his nose” was not one of mine, it was one of hers.” www.unmask.us/songwriters-f-j/jethro-tull/
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Post by rredmond on Dec 4, 2019 17:59:51 GMT
Fantastic link! Thank you!
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Post by maddogfagin on Mar 20, 2020 14:28:38 GMT
www.ctpost.com/local/article/During-this-break-in-live-shows-wise-words-from-15145265.phpDuring this break in live shows, wise words from previous Go subjectsBy Joe Amarante Published 9:05 am EDT, Friday, March 20, 2020 Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, who played at Mohegan Sun in mid-September, told us how he came up with “Aqualung”: He said it began with him sitting in a Holiday Inn room in 1970 New York City with his guitar. “It was kind of eureka moment where you just find a passage of notes, very few notes, that just suddenly jump out out at you,” Anderson said. “So I had this ‘Da-da-da-da-DAH-DUM,’ and that led me on through ... an unusual progression of chords to find in rock music or pop music. ... And at that point, I didn’t have any lyrics and I got Martin Barre over to my room and said, ‘I’ve got this song idea coming and I’ll play you a line.’ ” Barre didn’t get it at first, and Anderson later found the words with help from his first wife, who had taken photos of homeless men in a London park. (“Sitting on a park bench...”)
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Post by JTull 007 on Mar 25, 2020 0:03:23 GMT
Has anyone seen this before ? Just popped up on Deskgram LINK dee_fuller_dj Day 2 of #30daysongchallenge The mighty Jethro Tull with Hymn 43 Proggy Bluesy loveliness from 1971.
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Post by maddogfagin on Mar 25, 2020 7:39:18 GMT
It's from Germany and a fine example of a European picture sleeve.
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Post by bunkerfan on Apr 1, 2020 11:22:14 GMT
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull talks Aqualung
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Post by JTull 007 on Apr 2, 2020 2:12:43 GMT
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Post by JTull 007 on Apr 23, 2020 11:00:06 GMT
IN THE STUDIO #2: JETHRO TULL “AQUALUNG”- IAN ANDERSON 7-4-88 AQUALINK
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Post by JTull 007 on Apr 28, 2020 2:01:49 GMT
Just arrived ... QUAD is GOD Aqualung was one of only two Jethro Tull albums released in quadraphonic sound, the other being War Child (1974). The quadraphonicversion of "Wind Up", which is in a slightly higher key, is included on the later CD reissue of the album as "Wind Up (quad version)"
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Post by JTull 007 on May 28, 2020 23:53:58 GMT
EXCELLENT TULL Instrumentals by Giacomo Lelli "Cross Eyed Mary" By Ian Anderson CRANK IT UP !!! Giacomo Lelli "Mother Goose" By Ian Anderson
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Post by jackinthegreen on May 29, 2020 0:06:48 GMT
and it is probably the worst thing they ever recorded, it is horrible. The original album track is brilliant, especially the guitar solo, but the quad thing is a nightmare, IMHO of course.
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Post by JTull 007 on May 29, 2020 1:10:48 GMT
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Post by maddogfagin on May 29, 2020 6:38:56 GMT
and it is probably the worst thing they ever recorded, it is horrible. The original album track is brilliant, especially the guitar solo, but the quad thing is a nightmare, IMHO of course. Now I'll have to take your word about the sound of the quad version as I've never heard it through a decent sound system or headphones, only copied onto a cassette many years ago and pre internet, by a friend in California who worked for the publisher Prentice Hall who I did work for over here in Blighty. The cassette is long gone and I reckon I'm correct in saying that quad never "took off" over here but I'm more than happy to be corrected about this.
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Post by JTull 007 on May 29, 2020 11:11:04 GMT
and it is probably the worst thing they ever recorded, it is horrible. The original album track is brilliant, especially the guitar solo, but the quad thing is a nightmare, IMHO of course. Now I'll have to take your word about the sound of the quad version as I've never heard it through a decent sound system or headphones, only copied onto a cassette many years ago and pre internet, by a friend in California who worked for the publisher Prentice Hall who I did work for over here in Blighty. The cassette is long gone and I reckon I'm correct in saying that quad never "took off" over here but I'm more than happy to be corrected about this. Basically the vinyl version was more difficult to achieve without a special turntable and decoder. I was fortunate to have a Car System with 4 channel discreet capability.
In most 8 tracks you could listen to 4 different songs with continuous play. In QUAD there were 2. When the sound was on you could hear 4 separate parts in each speaker which was mixed to create a very nice effect. The music would swirl around the interior in a very amazing way better than previous stereo recordings. Since QUAD was not as effective without the new equipment people tended to search for less expensive cassettes.
QUAD Vinyl became less important without the decoder but it still means alot to me.
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Post by ash on May 29, 2020 19:11:57 GMT
EXCELLENT TULL Instrumentals by Giacomo Lelli "Cross Eyed Mary" By Ian Anderson CRANK IT UP !!! Giacomo Lelli "Mother Goose" By Ian Anderson Giacomo kindly told me where he gets his backing tracks from. Now I know his secret
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Post by JTull 007 on Jun 23, 2020 1:33:56 GMT
Jethro Tull - Cross-Eyed Mary - Live Berkeley 1971
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Post by JTull 007 on Jul 23, 2020 1:13:25 GMT
eutermangiafotografia 1 day ago LINK Locomotive Breath is the most Rock'n Roll track on the Aqualung album ...
It was the first Rock LP I had! I won it already used and with the cover all detonated ... I think it's fair to pay homage to the classic of 1971 (year of my birth), which was responsible for me falling in love for good old ROCK'N ROLL And save JETHRO TULL !!!!
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 28, 2020 16:41:04 GMT
www.analogplanet.com/content/jethro-tulls-aqualung-%C2%A0gets-analogue-productions-double-45-rpm-uhqr-releaseJethro Tull's Aqualung Gets Analogue Productions Double 45 RPM UHQR ReleaseMichael Fremer | Sep 24, 2020 Analogue Productions announced yesterday a limited to 5000 copies deluxe double 45rpm 200g UHQR release of Jethro Tull's enduring 1971 classic Aqualung. The pressing and presentation will be similar to that of the Axis: Bold As Love box released in 2019. This edition cut by Chris Bellman using the original master tape will be the best sounding Aqualung. I can say that with confidence since I've compared an early Clarity Vinyl test pressing to: an original U.K. Chrysalis, an original French "Pink Label Island", an American Chrysalis, the Mobile Fidelity and the DCC Compact Classics version. Whew! However, I promise to again go the distance with all of those when the final version arrives. The records will be "hand pressed" one at a time at QRP on the plant's Finebuilt press and packaged in a deluxe box that will include a booklet detailing the entire UHQR record making process along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. Acoustic Sounds is now taking pre-orders for the record, which is scheduled to ship October 16th, (the 2000 year old man's birthday)! Please do not expect sonic miracles. For whatever reason or reasons this was never a great sounding record, especially compared to the band's previous great sounding releases This Was and Stand Up, but it will be as good as it can be, something to which we all should aspire every day! And was there ever a better riff than the one accompanying "Sitting on a park bench da da da da"? Is that a snot green box?
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Post by jangast on Sept 28, 2020 17:54:17 GMT
... this was never a great sounding record, especially compared to the band's previous great sounding releases This Was and Stand Up... Really? JG
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 29, 2020 9:14:45 GMT
... this was never a great sounding record, especially compared to the band's previous great sounding releases This Was and Stand Up... Really? JG If the company pressing this vinyl release DOES HAVE the original tapes then the sound should be top quality, allowing for the recording techniques of the early seventies. It did strike me as an odd thing to say by the company promoting this edition.
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Post by maddogfagin on Nov 12, 2020 13:22:12 GMT
www.docwirenews.com/The anesthetist’s view on Jethro Tull’s AqualungBy DocWire News Featured Reading -November 9, 2020 This article was originally published here Anaesthesist. 2020 Nov 9. doi: 10.1007/s00101-020-00882-8. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT In 1971 the British rock band Jethro Tull published their milestone album Aqualung with a song of the same title. The song tells the story of a character also named “Aqualung”, a homeless person, who spends a cold day on a bench in a park in London. Nothing much happens: he watches little girls playing, bends to pick up a cigarette butt, walks to a public restroom, is offered a cup of tea by the Salvation Army, is scared by and flees from a young prostitute called “cross-eyed Mary”, and then finally dies with “rattling last breaths with deep-sea diver sounds”. Apparently, Aqualung is severely ill. He might suffer from pulmonary edema, peripheral artery disease, posttraumatic stress disorder and possibly from many other diseases typical of the homeless. The description of his final breaths may remind the anesthetist of the death rattle. One avenue for mediating medical knowledge to physicians is to link data and facts on diseases to elements of popular culture. This essay strives to use a still extremely popular rock song to sensitize and educate anesthetists and intensive care physicians regarding diseases of the homeless relevant to critical care. link
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Post by JTull 007 on Nov 21, 2020 23:22:34 GMT
IN THE STUDIO #2: JETHRO TULL “AQUALUNG”- IAN ANDERSON 7-4-88 LINK
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Post by maddogfagin on Dec 13, 2020 7:27:39 GMT
www.loudersound.com/Album Of The Week Club Review: Jethro Tull - AqualungJethro Tull's fourth album, Aqualung, is the biggest selling of the band's 50-year career. But is it a concept album? It's not, says Ian Anderson By Classic Rock March 26, 2018In April 2015, Sex Pistols’ frontman John Lydon took to the stage at London’s 100 Club for a Q&A session with fans. Asked about his music taste, he said, “I love anything made by anyone… Just don’t play the f**king flute.” When someone in the audience shouted out Jethro Tull’s name in response, he changed tack. “I like Jethro Tull!” he said. “I do! No, you gotta get this: this is the nonsense, thinking ‘what’s punk and what’s not’. f**kin’ hell, Aqualung, that’s a f**kin’ stunning record, you know? It is!” You can see draw parallels between Lydon’s snotty onstage persona and the leering, sneering Aqualung character who inhabited the album of the same name. And both Lyon and Anderson share a loathing for organised religion. But such was the strength of Anderson’s character that many assume Aqualung to actually be a big issue concept album. “It had two or three songs that were kind of about difficult topics, about organised religion, about homelessness, prostitution, whatever it might be,” Anderson told Newsweek. “But also there were whimsical, fun, upbeat songs that I felt quite deliberately should be there in order to balance the album up so there wasn’t just too much of the same thing.” Background In 1970 Jethro Tull released Benefit. It just failed to make the US Top 10, and Ian Anderson knew the band had to push themselves to reach a mainstream American audience. Aqualung did that: it was a deft mix a folk, prog and hard rock, with at least a couple of proto-metal riffs thrown into an already bubbling stew. At first, Anderson wasn’t sure if they’d got the balance right. “We were getting quite esoteric on the album, and I felt that we might have pushed things too far in that regard,” he told Music Aficionado. “What gets you noticed in one territory might not have the same appeal elsewhere. The record had a lot of more acoustic singer-songwriter material on it, and Jethro Tull had become thought of as more of a rock band. The riffy rock material had a pretty immediate appeal to live audiences, so I felt reasonably confident and gratified. But you never know until you put it out, and then the record did very well, so it all worked.” It really was. The definitive Jethro Tull album, it was evidence of the band’s constant musical evolution, aided and abetted by a bewildering, ever-changing cast of musicians alongside leader Ian Anderson and his long-time lieutenant guitarist Martin Barre. The title track and Locomotive Breath are among the most celebrated and heavy tracks in Tull’s enormous repertoire, with acoustic tracks like Mother Goose providing the light relief. Other albums release in March 1971 Alice Cooper - Love It To Death Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate Black Oak Arkansas - Black Oak Arkansas Jimi Hendrix - The Cry Of Love Delaney & Bonnie - Motel Shot Steeleye Span - Please To See The King Humble Pie - Rock On Amon Duul II - Tanz Der Lamminge Mott The Hoople - Wildlife What they said “From the packaging to the music it contains, this album is a complete work and this is from a group who were considered basically a live act. They improve every time out.” (Sounds) “While Anderson is adept at conceiving a musical approximation of an idea, his lyrics are overly intentional, ponderous, and didactic. It would be possible to ignore the lyrics, as lyrics can usually be ignored, except that Anderson sings them so melodramatically. Nor is his theatricality appropriate to the ideas or words. The over-enthusiastic delivery is probably meant to compensate for his inherent vocal limitations, but the original problem is Anderson’s choice of subject. At a time when the more arcane varieties of religious experiences are trumpeted far and wide, and atheism and agnosticism still more than hold their own, it is difficult for the modern temper to get worked up over good old-fashioned Christian hypocrisy” (Rolling Stone) “More than anything else, Ian Anderson’s lyrics are many degrees better than those of his prog brethren. More to the point, his lyrics are many degrees better than rock songwriters in any era. The list of rock musicians whose lyrics can be considered apart from the music and appraised as poetry is small, but Anderson is at the top of the list. In terms of output alone, his work necessarily ranks about Roger Waters and Peter Gabriel, two of rock’s better wordsmiths. The fact that he was only 23 when Aqualung was recorded is remarkable enough; the fact that the themes and words in many ways remain relevant today is sufficient evidence of his genius. (Pop Matters) “Ian Anderson is like the town free thinker. As long as you’re stuck in the same town yourself, his inchoate cultural interests and skeptical views on religion and human behaviour are refreshing, but meet up with him in the city and he can turn out to be a real bore. Of course, he can also turn out to be Bob Dylan–it all depends on whether he rejected provincial values out of a thirst for more or out of a reflexive (maybe even somatic) negativism. And on whether he was pretentious only because he didn’t know any better. (Robert Christgau) “The leap from 1970’s Benefit to the following year’s Aqualung is one of the most astonishing progressions in rock history. In the space of one album, Tull went from relatively unassuming electrified folk-rock to larger-than-life conceptual rock full of sophisticated compositions and complex, intellectual, lyrical constructs. While the leap to full-blown prog rock wouldn’t be taken until a year later on Thick as a Brick, the degree to which Tull upped the ante here is remarkable.” (AllMusic) What you said Shane Hall: This album, like Beggars Banquet the week before, puts the “classic” in classic rock. With Aqualung and its preceding album, Benefit, the classic Jethro Tull sound solidified. After the blues influences of This Was, Tull began to integrate English folk and create its own brand of progressive rock. Forget the endless debates of “concept album” or not; Aqualung and much of Jethro Tull’s recordings for the remainder of the 70s are just essential classic rock. Maxwell Martello: A huge influence on heavy metal. I love some of the songs, but I could never get into the whole vibe. I put it on sometimes and I find myself either pushing the repeat or the skip button far too often. Vinnie Evanko: Great, great album. It’s one of the best rock albums of the 70s (if not ever). The Steven Wilson remix and bonus tracks are great. This is one of those albums I played to death (with the help of FM radio at the time) so it doesn’t get as much playing time for me as other Tull albums but it is undoubtedly a classic and one of their best. Pete Mineau: A true Classic Rock classic! Coming out in a year (1971) that produced a multitude of time-honored albums, Aqualung easily places in the top ten LPs of that era and is still, to this day, a great listen straight through! Martin Barre is one of the most underrated guitarist in rock. This album proves he has the chops to be compared with the greats of AOR. Jacob Carman: There’s a lot of focus lyrically on this album about people who have had or are having a string of bad luck. Aqualung is a homeless tramp with impure thoughts, Cross-Eyed Mary is uglier than sin and Locomotive Breath’s life is completely falling apart like a train wreck. The lyrics are as brilliant as the music. Lisa Lodsun Vanden Heuvel: This reminds me of sitting on the beach at night in Ocean City, Maryland, listening to it play from the pier. Great album! Kaine Smith: It seems to be rooted in Folk music rather than Progressive Rock, which isn’t a bad thing at all, quite a welcome change for me in fact! I like the lyrics too, they definitely paint a picture and create great detailed imagery in your mind. The musical accompaniment is of a good standard, though a little flat in timbre in a couple of spots. Whether this is down to mixing and production limitations at the time, or just how Jethro Tull were, I’m not sure… Though on the contrary, none of the album seems forced and it is a particularly organic and natural listening experience that never outstays it’s welcome and is the perfect length for an album. Jeff Tweeter: Hate to be the dick here, but I think this is an okay album. Much prefer Stand Up, Benefit, Minstrel In The Gallery - and even Crest Of A Knave and Roots To Branches. Alistair Gordon: The Steven Wilson remaster of this is stunning thoroughly recommend listening to it rather than the original the remaster really brings it to life. Mike Knoop: The Classic Rock Album of the Week Club is reinforcing my belief that the older I get, the more I like my music mean, loud, and HEAVY. Jethro Tull scores the hat trick with Aqualung. Ian Anderson’s vocals and lyrics spit venom as Martin Barre’s guitar matches the nasty tone with searing solos and raunchy riffs. While there are plenty of folksy acoustic bits, it serves as counterpoint to the crunchy stuff. And, man, do Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath still crunch. Album tracks like Up to Me, Dear God, Hymn 43 and Wind Up might be less known but they keep the heavy groove going. I have long been a Tull fan at the “greatest hits” level but this makes me want to seek out more of their albums. Harrison Wells: Overall a brilliant album with no especially weak songs in my opinion, while for me Aqualung, Mother Goose and My God are particularly excellent. This paved the way for my favourite Tull album - Thick As A Brick - perfectly. Edward Victor: Edward Viator I’ve never been Jethro Tull fan. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I hit play and heard the opening song. Holy $h1t, it was actually good. The next song, Cross-Eyed Mary, blew me away. And I was beginning to think that maybe I had gotten it wrong. Then I heard the rest of the album. Nah, they still suck. I mean, am I at a renaissance fair or something? I just can’t get into the flutes and stuff. And I’m not a fan of the vocals. I was digging the intro to My God, and then the vocals kicked in and that was that. The whole album is like that; great moments interrupted by something lame. I can’t dismiss the album completely, because there’s clearly a lot of talent there, and I can see where some people may enjoy it. But it’s just not my style. Jacob Carman: OK, so I sat down and spun this album in its entirety for the first time. Side A seems to have less of a focus on religion and more of a focus on life and people whereas Side B focuses more on religion. Ian Anderson insists that Aqualung isn’t a concept album and it isn’t really. Each side seems more like its own miniature concept album but only because of the shared themes. NE MO: We had a party one night, all nighter, background music Aqualung. We forgot that most of us were working at the factory at 7.00am. We all stumbled in. Four got sacked and the rest had sympathetic supervisors. Hangovers all round but what a soundtrack. Mike Bruce: Really enjoying getting to know this album better. In the past I’ve just cherry picked the title track, Cross-eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath so the rest of the album was almost an unexpected pleasure especially My God and Wind Up. Love the light and shade and yes, the flute. Although at times it gets a bit like the SNL cowbell sketch: We need more flute!! Final Score: 8.66⁄10 (319 votes cast, with a total score of 2764) link
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