The All Jethro Tull Thread

[Thonolan]

I stopped reading at the "I'm largely allergic to prog" part

 

[JohnN]

I stopped reading at the "I'm largely allergic to prog" part

Yeah, really. Noted and cursed. (I'm not noted to curse.) My God!


timeless - unreasoning
paddle right out of the mess.

 

[ar surround]

I don't think pillock translates into American, so here is the meaning

Once again proof that we in America really do not have a command of the English language. At least some of us try:

For me, Aqualung is the dog's bullocks of the Jethro Tull catalogue.

 

[DuncanS]

Once again proof that we in American really do not have a command of the English language. At least some of us try:

For me, Aqualung is the dog's bullocks of the Jethro Tull catalogue.

Nothing quite like it!

... don't think its brewed anymore

 

[JohnN]

Aqualung is Jethro Tull firing on all jets. (Obvious Jets reference)

 

[JulesRules]

Saying that the guitar riff of "Aqualung" sounds like Spinal Tap is just such a WTF thing. Once it starts going, it constantly changes its key center - it's such a cleverly written thing that still works as a rock song with mass appeal.

 

[Shermatz]

What that dude wrote about Aqualung is blasphemy! Aqualung was my first Tull album. I had never heard anything like it. Now, there was a fellow at the frat who said that Benefit was an even better album. OK, that one was also a Tull classic, and he still really liked Aqualung too.

A lot of these later generation writers just do not seem to have an appreciation the ground breaking impact of many of these releases from the 60s and 70s. For many, Aqualung was epic.

Another example: I Want To Hold Your Hand. It isn't a good song unto itself. But I remember when it came out. I had never heard growling guitars like that, or vocals like that on a pop song. The thing was weird and very unique for the time, and that's what made it great.

My two cents speculation is that much of the hostility toward "Aqualung" is due to seething indignation from Christians offended by Ian Anderson's denunciation of the faith in the track "My God." Truer words have never been spoken, though, "The bloody Church of England, wrapped in chains of history." It's always raised my eyebrows to see infrequent one-star slaggings of "Aqualung" and I'm guessing this is why.

It's a fierce & powerful track, though, and the "Aqualung" LP is indeed an early monolithic work of the '70's, THE pinnacle decade in my estimation. Glad I was there to experience all of it.

 

[ar surround]

My two cents speculation is that much of the hostility toward "Aqualung" is due to seething indignation from Christians offended by Ian Anderson's denunciation of the faith in the track "My God." Truer words have never been spoken, though, "The bloody Church of England, wrapped in chains of history." It's always raised my eyebrows to see infrequent one-star slaggings of "Aqualung" and I'm guessing this is why.

It's a fierce & powerful track, though, and the "Aqualung" LP is indeed an early monolithic work of the '70's, THE pinnacle decade in my estimation. Glad I was there to experience all of it.

Despite Anderson's denials, Aqualung is indeed a concept album. Taken in its entirety, I find that it comes to a very positive spiritual conclusion with the song Wind-Up. Anyway, we have to be careful to not let this discussion delve too much into religion; which is difficult because the album is about religion.

 

[Willie Wilson]

I recall hearing Aqualung when I was 11 years old on my cousin’s quad system and instantly loving it. The shift from acoustic folkiness to full-on electric rock and roll was awesome. I had no idea at that time what the lyrical content meant, but the vocal stylings were interesting and engaging. I thought the singer was the guy on the cover and he seemed sinister, to say the least. Spitting out pieces of his broken lung was what I thought he said and that was wild!

I think that this album went a long way to cultivating my love for eclectic music and artists. Now that I get the whole picture, it doesn’t make a difference at all. It’s all about the tunes - they either cut it or they don’t.

 

[JohnN]

I recall hearing Aqualung when I was 11 years old on my cousin’s quad system and instantly loving it. The shift from acoustic folkiness to full-on electric rock and roll was awesome. I had no idea at that time what the lyrical content meant, but the vocal stylings were interesting and engaging. I thought the singer was the guy on the cover and he seemed sinister, to say the least. Spitting out pieces of his broken lung was what I thought he said and that was wild!

I think that this album went a long way to cultivating my love for eclectic music and artists. Now that I get the whole picture, it doesn’t make a difference at all. It’s all about the tunes - they either cut it or they don’t.

At 15 going on 16 (1971) I missed Jethro Tull except for the Living in the Past song. At 16 got a free ticket to Thick As A Brick and FM radio is playing Aqualung a lot. A too Tull is born.

 

[Petr Kropotkin]

I stopped reading at the "I'm largely allergic to prog" part

I got past that bit, but stopped when he called the album "pretentious"... no, sorry ..."extremely pretentious".

Such a profound, original insight from someone who admits they don't like the genre. He'd really love Tales From Topographic Oceans; he could extend his vocabulary by calling it "the most extremely pretentious album ever", and thus conclude that his previous view of Aqualung was "extremely wrong" as it's now just "pretentious" in comparison.

As with Christgau, I learn more about him from a review than I do about what they're reviewing.

 

[Shermatz]

Martin Barre is still waiting for his notice.

Laugh a lot
Cheers!

I personally find it hard to accept any new "Jethro Tull" output as legitimate without Martin Barre's participation. I suspect I'm not alone in this preference.

 

[jimfisheye]

My two cents speculation is that much of the hostility toward "Aqualung" is due to seething indignation from Christians offended by Ian Anderson's denunciation of the faith in the track "My God." Truer words have never been spoken, though, "The bloody Church of England, wrapped in chains of history." It's always raised my eyebrows to see infrequent one-star slaggings of "Aqualung" and I'm guessing this is why.

It's a fierce & powerful track, though, and the "Aqualung" LP is indeed an early monolithic work of the '70's, THE pinnacle decade in my estimation. Glad I was there to experience all of it.

I don't think this one ever hit their radar. Even though it's not subtle and had those bits on the back cover! The church people needed Motley Crew "shouting with the devil" (or was that Guns and Roses?) and Twisted Sister videos. Or Ozzy!

I knew this guy in college (housemates, friend of a friend). Seemed genuinely brainwashed. Cheated on his girlfriend and seemed genuinely hypocritical too like often goes with. Listened to radio pop country genre mostly but had a few non sequitur favorite albums. Aqualung was one of them. He had absolutely no idea. He truly never picked up on it. I didn't say anything. He would have lit the tape on fire and freaked right out.

Ian seems to be focused on the hypocrisy too. "He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays." They don't pick up on that. Or if they do, they pretend they didn't!

 

[Blackwood]

I personally find it hard to accept any new "Jethro Tull" output as legitimate without Martin Barre's participation. I suspect I'm not alone in this preference.

Somewhere Mick Abrahams, without really knowing why, feels sad and unappreciated.

Meanwhile, Tony Iommi feels just a slight twinge of unexplained sadness, but quickly gets over it.

 

[JulesRules]

Tony Iommi feels just a slight twinge of unexplained sadness, but quickly gets over it.

(I think Tony said that he knew he was the wrong guy for Tull, and Sabbath was what he was right for.)

Despite Anderson's denials, Aqualung is indeed a concept album.

It depends on how you define the term. There are some songs about outsiders on Side 1, and Side 2 mostly concerns religion from various angles, but it's only the text on the cover that makes a connection between the two sides (basically, if God created Man in his image, that would include the homeless and prostitutes as well, so why do we not give them the same respect as everyone else?).

 

[ar surround]

t depends on how you define the term. There are some songs about outsiders on Side 1, and Side 2 mostly concerns religion from various angles, but it's only the text on the cover that makes a connection between the two sides (basically, if God created Man in his image, that would include the homeless and prostitutes as well, so why do we not give them the same respect as everyone else?).

OK, I capitulate. Aqualung is a concept EP on Side 1, a another concept EP on Side 2.

 

[JohnN]

OK, I capitulate. Aqualung is a concept EP on Side 1, a another concept EP on Side 2.

Side one is Aqualung and side two is My God

 

[JohnN]

Jethro Tull Manages An Unusual Achievement On The Charts With Several Albums

 

[JulesRules]

Jethro Tull Manages An Unusual Achievement On The Charts With Several Albums

Article that's all "huh" without explaining the "why" (the repress of the bookset reissues).

 

[JohnN]

Article that's all "huh" without explaining the "why" (the repress of the bookset reissues).

It's the vinyl sales for sure.