Page 1 of 6 12345 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 142

Thread: Jethro Tull-Aqualung- Classic, Good, or????

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Jethro Tull-Aqualung- Classic, Good, or????

    Just wondering what's the general opinion here about Tull's Aqualung?
    Is it there Magnum Opus or a bit of a wet fish? As good as Thick As A Brick,or Songs From The Wood,or even A Passion Play,or is it just the opposite;disappointing,or just o.k?
    In my opinion it's in my top five but it's not a Tull album i play very often,and as much as i enjoy the rock songs on the album,i actually prefer the acoustic songs like Cheap Day Return,and Wondering Aloud ,though I have to admit My God is superb!

  2. #2
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Utopia
    Posts
    5,390
    A stone classic that tends to be underrated due to the overexposure/burnout factor. Personally I prefer the four albums that followed, by the Anderson-Barre-Hammond-Evan-Barlow lineup, but Aqualung is right up there.

  3. #3
    Overexposed. But good.

  4. #4
    Definitely suffers a bit from burnout factor. Nevertheless, I think the first side (to use the old terminology) is great. OTOH, My God and Wind Up didn't really survive adolescence for me.

  5. #5
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    southern Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    7,122
    It's really only the title track and "Locomotive Breath" that are overplayed IMO. I think it's a killer album, with one of my favourite Tull tracks of all.... "My God". (Although I do prefer the 1970 demo with Cornick.) Probably around my #5 or #6 JT album.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

  6. #6
    From a rock point of view, its a classic and doesn't have a weak song on it. From a prog point of view, it can't compare to TAAB or APP, but you can see the evolution of the band from more blues and jazz based to rock and prog. My problem with Aqualung is how overplayed the title track and Locomotive Breathe are. I never saw why LB so many people feel its such a great song. I prefer Cross Eyed Mary and Hymn 43 among others over LB.

  7. #7
    chalkpie
    Guest
    I would have given my left nut to be able to write that album (but then I would have asked for it back after it was mixed and mastered).

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by chalkpie View Post
    I would have given my left nut to be able to write that album (but then I would have asked for it back after it was mixed and mastered).


    Anderson changed his singing style on this album from robust chest to ominous nasal.

  9. #9
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fluffy Cloud
    Posts
    5,635
    Never liked it very much and still don't. And this is spoken as a big fan of early Tull. It's the only one from the run from This Was to A Passion Play I don't own.

    YMMV.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  10. #10
    Learned every guitar lick on the album as a budding teen guitarist. Haven't listened to it since.
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  11. #11
    aqualung and locomotive breath get far to much radio play, my god and wind up thankfully don't(at least here in nyc)

  12. #12
    A masterpiece! Even if I never listen to Locomotive Breath anymore, the rest is magnificent. My God is a revelation in the power and possibility of dynamics.....

  13. #13
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Madison, WI
    Posts
    11,318
    My e-mail name is aquageezer. Is it possible that I'm somehow associated with the song, if not the album?

    Other than the overexposed title track & "Breath", this album still resonates for me. Agree that "Wondering Aloud" is a beautiful counterpoint to the 3 songs that laughingly were responsible for their Grammy, "Lung", "Breath" & "My God". Did Tull give heavy metal lessons to aspiring metal bands?
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  14. #14
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    in a cosmic jazzy-groove around Brussels
    Posts
    6,091
    Quote Originally Posted by KELLY WELSH View Post
    In my opinion it's in my top five but it's not a Tull album i play very often,and as much as i enjoy the rock songs on the album,i actually prefer the acoustic songs like Cheap Day Return,and Wondering Aloud ,though I have to admit My God is superb!
    Definitely one of my top 5 Tull (and even top three, after Stand UP & TAAB), I adore the A-side (Mother Goose is so much fun, despite a big glitch halfway through), and the flipside is excellent, though ending the album with Wind Up was not their best idea

    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    Overexposed. But very good.
    Fixed that for you

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    Never liked it very much and still don't. And this is spoken as a big fan of early Tull. It's the only one from the run from This Was to A Passion Play I don't own.

    YMMV.




    Quote Originally Posted by progeezer View Post
    My e-mail name is aquageezer. Is it possible that I'm somehow associated with the song, if not the album?
    eyeing all girls (not just the little ones) with bad intent, Steve??

    Cross-eyed Mary probably had many rock fansdaydreaming.

    =====================

    In terms of Anderson finding his lyrics excellence and pertinence, I'd say that Aqualung was the first step (he found perfection with TAAB) and went overboard with APP (especially with that dumb Python-like Hare piece)
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  15. #15
    Side 1 great, Side 2 mediocre.
    I really like the quad version of Hymn 43 though and the album left overs such as Life is a long song, Up the pool, Dr bogenbroom, For later, Wondring again are just as great as Side 1 of the album. So the remix is a fine purchase. As for Side 2, if the songs were replaced by all the quad versions I would think it was decent. My god, Locomotive breath, Hymn 43 and Wind up all sound better as quads imo.

  16. #16
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Sunset Blvd.
    Posts
    385
    You know, for all its overplayed-ness, it still makes me happy to hear this album every once in awhile, especially if I haven't heard it in a long time.

    Still, perhaps the least interesting album in the catalog, IMO. But that doesn't mean it isn't good. Agreed that the off-cuts are better, though "Up to Me" is terrific.

  17. #17
    Suspended
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    32S 116E
    Posts
    0
    "Seminal" is the word I would use to describe Aqualung.

  18. #18
    There are songs I like, but more I don't. And like many others here, I'm (still) a fan of early Tull (until '78) and listen to them more often than I would, say, Pink Floyd or Yes.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  19. #19
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    4,485
    Definitely a classic. But I hated the sound of the 90s CD- flat and dry. The Steven Wilson remix was pretty much the only one he did that I bought, and I enjoyed it a lot.

    It's not so overexposed in the UK- in fact 'Stand Up' was their biggest hit here (Number 1) and the 'classic rock' radio format doesn't really exist in quite the same way.

  20. #20
    Member Jack in Wilmington's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Wilmington, De.
    Posts
    90
    [QUOTE=JJ88;431427]Definitely a classic. But I hated the sound of the 90s CD

    You bring up Steven Wilson and was wondering if you are familiar with his remix of A Passion Play. I downloaded it the other day and on track 10 around the 1:50 mark, does the music change and the lyrics also change from the original? Or did I get a strange download? Thanks, Jack

    Sorry for the slight derailment of the thread.

  21. #21
    A great album. I would venture to say that non-proggers would be considered it their best work.

    The only songs that I think were over-played are "Bungle in the Jungle", "Skating Away", and, "Too Old to Rock 'n' Rock".

  22. #22
    Boo! walt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Oakland Gardens NY
    Posts
    5,626
    Not my favorite of the five early Tull cds i own(my entire Tull collection)but i love it.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  23. #23
    Its their best selling album. Of course its overplayed,but its no Songs from the Wood

  24. #24
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Sunset Blvd.
    Posts
    385
    ^ Yes, there's a new verse in Foot of Our Stairs.

  25. #25
    Member Jack in Wilmington's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Wilmington, De.
    Posts
    90
    Quote Originally Posted by zombywoof View Post
    ^ Yes, there's a new verse in Foot of Our Stairs.
    Thank you. I played the download the first time and I thought I was having a stroke. I complained to HD Tracks and they let me download it again and same result. Mystery solved. I guess I'll get used to it, or I'll go back to my gold CD. Again, thanks.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •