Featured Album – Aqualung – Jethro Tull

Written by Jim S.

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, Jethro Tull went from relatively unassuming electrified folk-rock to larger-than-life conceptual rock full of sophisticated compositions and complex, intellectual, lyrical constructs. – Allmusic

Hey! And you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep-sea diver sounds
And the flowers bloom like
Madness in the spring

In 1971, British rock band Jethro Tull released their fourth album, Aqualung. The record was, at the time, taken as an anti-religion concept album but the band has, over the years, strenuously denied this. (Well, at least the concept album part.)

In a Guitar World interview, lead singer/ flutist/majordomo Ian Anderson said, “Aqualung wasn’t a concept album although a lot of people thought so. The idea came about from a photograph my wife at the time took of a tramp in London.

I had feelings of guilt about the homeless, as well as fear and insecurity with people like that who seem a little scary. And I suppose all of that was combined with a slightly romanticized picture of the person who is homeless but yet a free spirit, who either won’t or can’t join in society’s prescribed formats.”

Concept album or no, my chums and I were convinced it spoke to our own nascent soon-to-be-lapsed interest in our Catholic religion. It certainly had a hell of a lot more to say musically and lyric-wise than many of Tull’s peers. And if it doesn’t necessarily hold together as a concept, it sure has a recurring theme as we’ll see in the lyrics.

Jethro Tull (named for an 18th-century agriculturist) had by now been together for four years. They were a growing force in the rock scene and had had some success on the charts. But the song “Aqualung” – with its instantly recognizable opening riff – put them on the map.

The song is co-credited to Anderson and his then-wife, Jennie Franks who wrote much of the first couple verses. It’s kinda hard to tell if she and Anderson are sympathetic or appalled by this guy who “eyes little girls with bad intent.”

At 3:26, Martin Barre plays exactly the perfect guitar solo.* (Honorable mention on my greatest guitar solo list and number 25 on Guitar World magazine’s list.)

Spotify link

It’s almost impossible to feature this album without doing the tune “Cross-Eyed Mary” where our friend Aqualung makes a reappearance. (Hey, guys, maybe this is part of why we thought it was a concept album.) Mary plies her trade in the schoolyard:

Laughing in the playground gets no kicks from little boys 
Would rather make it with a letching grey
Or maybe her attention is drawn by Aqualung 
Who watches through the railings as they play

Spotify link

I went back and listened to this album prior to writing this post. The first thing that struck me was that it’s just as fine an album (with greatly quotable lyrics) as I remembered. The second was how many acoustic bits it contains in that uniquely British folky way. The third was that yes, it really does have the recurring anti-religion (if not anti-God) theme.

And so, the next song is called “My God.” (In the heyday of albums, bootlegs became a thing. There was a somewhat legendary one called My God. I managed to pick this up after a concert in Central Park. It’s somewhere in that stack of vinyl.)

Spotify link

Ian Anderson, in an interview, said that the album was recorded in the new Island Studios facility which, while state-of-the-art, did not quite give the band the sound they would have liked. Uber-producer Steven Wilson – who has called the album a masterpiece – remastered it in 2011 for a 40th-anniversary edition.

“Hymn 43” continues on that thematic non-concept way. A terrific song and more of Anderson’s musings:

If Jesus saves, well He’d better save Himself
From the gory glory seekers who use His name in death
Oh Jesus save me

Well, I saw Him in the city and on the mountains of the moon 
His cross was rather bloody 
He could hardly roll His stone
Oh Jesus save me

Spotify link

I dearly wanted to do “Locomotive Breath” here. But you can listen to that on the album. Instead, I’ll end this visit with the song “Wind Up.” Here’s where Anderson really sums up his contempt for, well, not so much religion as much as the British school system:

And I asked this God a question
And by way of firm reply
He said “I’m not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays”
So to my old headmaster and to anyone who cares
Before I’m through I’d like to say my prayers

I don’t believe you
You had the whole damn thing all wrong
He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays

Spotify link

This album has been widely hailed as perhaps Tull’s finest. (That said, I personally have a great fondness for its follow-up, Thick As a Brick. ) Anderson himself, asked in an interview, said that while yes it’s a good album he doesn’t necessarily believe it’s his Dark Side of the Moon.

He believes his songwriting got much more sophisticated over the years and cites albums such as Crest of a Knave and The Broadsword and the Beast as being just as good if not better.

That may have, as much as anything, been Anderson’s way of saying, Hey, I did a lot of stuff after that. Don’t take that album as my Sgt. Pepper when I equaled or bettered it down the road.

No worries, Ian. As a friend of mine said one time when we saw you long ago and it took you forever to get started –  “Stick the flute in your mouth and play.”

Personnel

  • Ian Anderson – vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, producer
  • Martin Barre – electric guitar, descant recorder
  • John Evan – piano, organ, Mellotron
  • Jeffrey Hammond (as “Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond”) – bass guitar, alto recorder and odd voices (and backing vocals on “Mother Goose”)
  • Clive Bunker – drums and percussion

*Fun fact – Led Zep were recording their fourth album, the so-called ZoSo at the same facility in a different studio. (Tull opened for Zeppelin for some dates on their 1969 tour.) According to Barre, Jimmy Page chose that exact moment to show up and wave to him. He had a choice between waving back or getting the solo right. Knowing that if he didn’t nail the solo he could easily be replaced by a flute, he chose not to wave. Good call.

Sources: Wikipedia, AllMusic, Ian Anderson interview. (on the Spotify playlist.) 

25 thoughts on “Featured Album – Aqualung – Jethro Tull”

  1. Coincidentally, I listened to “Aqualung” just yesterday! I only got it last year as a used LP after I had rediscovered vinyl and gotten my first turntable in more than 20 years. Other than that record, I only have a Jethro Tull compilation on CD called “Original Masters,” which has many of their best known songs.

    As such, I can’t claim to know the band’s music in great detail and how “Aqualung” compares to their other albums. I feel the title track and the amazing “Locomotive Breath” by themselves already make this record an absolute classic.

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    1. I knew their stuff fairly well for their first couple of years then pretty much lost track. But for that period of time, a pretty big fan. They were bluesy at first, you know. But Anderson said in that interview that while he loves to listen to blues, as a player and songwriter he needed to stretch out.

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    2. Christian, I urge you to check out “Stand Up” and “Living in the Past.” The former is more bluesy than later efforts but also has some fine melodies. The latter is one of the best double LP studio/live albums around, up there with Cream’s “Wheels of Fire.”

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      1. Definitely agree with “Stand Up.” Don’t know the other one. “Wheels of Fire” is a high bar. Have to give “Living” a spin. Thanks.

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      3. Thanks again for the tip. I’ve listened to both albums and also the band’s debut.

        I can’t quite decide yet what I prefer, their early more blues rock-oriented or their later more progressive rock-oriented phase.

        In both phases Anderson’s flute playing gives Jethro Tull a cool signature sound. I really know of no other band that sounds like them. That in and of itself is something I find pretty remarkable!

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        1. It’s a good point. I really like their bluesy stuff and I wish they had intermingled that in more over the years. But the stuff like ‘Thick as a Brick are great. BTW, if you get a chance, search my site for Blodwyn Pig. You’ll see why.

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        2. Totally agree. Anderson’s flute playing is remarkable, and unusual in rock (Chris Wood of Traffic and Jimmy Hastings, who worked with the Canterbury progressive rock band Caravan, are also excellent flautists). Anderson was heavily influenced by the flamboyant jazz flautist Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

          Yes, the first Tull album (This Was) is nice, but a little too bluesy for me. The later records were either spotty or pretentious (though Songs From the Wood and Heavy Horses are good). Their peak period, for me, are the years ’69 thru ’72 (Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, Living in the Past). They were also incredible on stage. I saw them in the early ’90s, and it was entertaining, but not like what I’ve heard they were in the ’70s.

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        3. Agreed about that time period, Pete. I was living in NY at the time and was fortunate to see them at Fillmore East. I recall “To Cry You a Song” and “Teacher” being popular, whatever album that was. Saw them again later in Central Park. After that, well, I somewhat skated away. 😁

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        5. Yea, I got to see a number of shows there. Lives up to its reputation. Right place, right time. I’d thought about doing a post on it but figured I’d just sprinkle it in as those posts came up. Funny to think of us all back then with long hair, skinny, pot filling the room. Now if I go to shows there’s a lot less hair, we’re paunchier and many have to call the babysitter. C’est la vie.

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        6. My wife hates to hear it, but I told her as soon as I retire, I’m growing a ponytail and keeping a stash on hand. Looking forward to it.

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        8. One other thing. Anderson said he switched over to flute as he’d “never be Eric Clapton.” I guess if everybody took that stance we’d have an awful lot of flautists.

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  2. Nice review, Jim. Not my favorite Tull album, but the one most identified with them. The sleeve of Zeppelin’s “ZoSo” is real similar to this, and Page was even more steeped in English folk music than Anderson, I think.

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    1. Yeah, I actually think my favorite is “Thick as a Brick.” From what I read, Anderson reacted to the idea of “Aqualung” being a concept album by doing sort of a parody concept album in “Brick.” But damn it’s good. As mentioned, kinda lost touch with them after that.

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      1. The title cut “Thick as a Brick” is one of my favorite Tull songs. Another concept album by them is “A Passion Play,” but by then Anderson was starting to lose his mojo, from what I’ve read. Critics were also souring on rock concept albums, and I feel Tull has been unfairly maligned ever since. I thought their mix of blues, folk, rock and jazz produced some really great music.

        “Pass us that bottle, Santa.”

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        1. All true, Pete. Did you know there was a Thick as a Brick Part II? Haven’t heard it but discovered its existence as part of this write-up. Released in 2012.

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  3. A brilliant review, Jim. I have this album at home, but I don’t know much about it (or Tull for that matter) and I still haven’t spent much time with it. I’m thinking I really ought to rectify that.

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    1. Give it a spin. I hadn’t listened to it in quite some time but I spun it a couple times this weekend. Love it.

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  4. This is just a really good album. Still sounds good. It was on repeat back in the day (CB there was no repeat you goofball). I’ll just re post your take and sign my name. This album was coming up on my list.

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  5. Have played this album many times through out the years and your post does it great justice. Having many Tull albums I tend to play “Brick” and “Songs from the Wood ” a little more then this classic gem before.

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    1. Love “Brick.” Oddly, I’ve heard the abbreviated version on satellite twice lately. Time to take it out for a spin. BTW, I mentioned to another commenter there’s actually a “Brick 2” but I’ve never heard it.

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