Jethro Tull – Aqualung (1971)

I've persevered longer than I should have with some bands, and this is probably the last chance for Jethro Tull. They weren't a thing among my peers at school, and my only exposure to them was a cassette of the Living In The Past compilation borrowed from Liverpool record library, which clearly didn't resonate with me.

I recently picked up a 5 CD 'album reissue' series for less than a pound per disc, and wasn't expecting much, since it was the late70s to 80s albums. What I've listened to so far hasn't inspired. But, on seeing this, regarded as one of their classics in a charity shop, I thought I'd give it a chance. Aqualung is, allegedly, a concept album contrasting religion with God, but Ian Anderson's philosophical musings are largely lost on me. The mixture of Anderson's distinctive vocals, the intrusive flute and the folky guitar strummings leave me absolutely stone cold. From the first section (entitled Aqualung) only the final song Up To Me makes me think "OK, this isn't too bad".

Things look up a little in the second section (My God) with some reasonable bluesy rock in My God (which goes on far too long with an irritating central section) and Hymn 43. There's a tolerable very short folky ballad in Slipstream, while Locomotive Breath, after starting with a barroom piano seems to go into a rocking song, whose verse structure seems very reminiscent of It's Raining Men (which it pre-dates by 8 years, if Ian Anderson's lawyers are reading). The highlight is the closing track (from the original release), the autobiographical Wind-Up, starting slowly then rocking into life.

There's not much to excite in the bonus tracks, the interview with Ian Anderson, probably being the most interesting. That really does put the music into shade.

I think I just have to accept that Jethro Tull have now been given a fair trial, and they really aren't for me. The faux folky rock and that bloody flute just irritate me.

Link to full album

2* - this album at least lets me hear why some people like Jethro Tull. I'm just not one of them