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

  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
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    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
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    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.
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  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
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    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
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    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.

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

  9. #9
    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"

  10. #10
    aqualung and locomotive breath get far to much radio play, my god and wind up thankfully don't(at least here in nyc)

  11. #11
    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.....

  12. #12
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    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"

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  13. #13
    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.

  14. #14
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    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.

  15. #15
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    "Seminal" is the word I would use to describe Aqualung.

  16. #16
    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
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  17. #17
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    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.

  18. #18
    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".

  19. #19
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    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

  20. #20
    Its their best selling album. Of course its overplayed,but its no Songs from the Wood

  21. #21
    Member Jack in Wilmington's Avatar
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    [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.

  22. #22
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    ^ Yes, there's a new verse in Foot of Our Stairs.

  23. #23
    Member mellotron storm's Avatar
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    My favourite TULL album. I love how it rocks at times and the lyrics are thoughtful to say the least. Even the cover art back and front of the same man through different eyes was brilliant in my opinion.
    "The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
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  24. #24
    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.

  25. #25
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    Liked it when it first came and and still like it today. I think what has helped keep this fresh for me is I don't listen to "Classic" rock radio. Which was already mentioned as basically playing a few tunes to death. I read somewhere that the average play list for "Classic" rock stations is 500 songs. More on the east coast. Hell, my playlist on my iPod for prog is over 10,000 tunes. When I'm in the mood for shuffle I have my own radio station. It's nice for long trips to the Mountains. By the way it's a classic masterpiece imho.

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