Friday Full-Length: Jethro Tull, Aqualung
Jethro Tull, Aqualung (1971)
I love this record. Jethro Tull‘s oh-yeah-they’re-the-band-with-the-flute reputation and the sort of over-the-top aspects of Aqualung, whether it’s Ian Anderson‘s vocal delivery or grandiose songwriting too often get the focus when it comes to modern perceptions of Tull, but their early work is a landmark in heavy rock as well as prog, albums like 1968’s debut This Was and 1969’s Stand Up setting the stage for the proggy indulgences that really took hold with 1972’s single-song wonder Thick as a Brick and continued to develop from there. Aqualung, released in 1971, is sort of the middle ground between the impulses of blues rock and prog. You of course have the opening title-track, a great, crashing thing, with its vocal proclamations and guitar-led grandeur, but it’s still the riff that makes it, and later cuts like “Hymn 43,” “Locomotive Breath” and “Wind-Up,” let alone the unmitigated groove of the subsequent “Cross-Eyed Mary,” follow a similar course. Even “Mother Goose,” which is acoustic, follows its central guitar figure. That song is practically flute-less, as is the subsequent quiet contemplation “Wond’ring Aloud,” but perhaps the best blend of Anderson‘s flute and Martin Barre‘s guitar is the expansive side B opener “My God.” There’s an audible switch in the tape when the choral vocals and extended flute solo kick in (it’s 25:03 into the album), and that’s a pivotal moment for the band. The tone of the woodwind instrument changes and the feel becomes more orchestral, brazenly moving away from heavy rock to something with greater aspirations.
Tull would of course head in that direction in the years that followed, forging an influential legacy in classic prog, but Aqualung remains their defining moment and it’s easy to speculate that the reason why is because songs like “Up to Me” refuse to give up their rock and roll swagger in the name of forging a new take on classical music’s technical focus. Of course, “Aqualung” became one of rock’s great characters — do I need to reference “Sgt. Pepper” or “Corporal Clegg”; two military figures, yes, but “Aqualung”‘s veteran status is unknown — but even in its smallest passages, “Cheap Day Return,” “Wond’ring Aloud” or “Slipstream,” Aqualung is afraid to be neither sweet nor sour, and even if Jethro Tull had never released another album, it would be enough to ensure legendary status.
As always, I hope you enjoy.
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Had a pipe burst this week. It froze. The townhouse we’re in apparently isn’t much for insulation, so much to the surprise of The Patient Mrs. and I on Monday afternoon, steam started flooding the guest room and water started streaming down from the kitchen ceiling. That ceiling, now stained, will need painting. The carpet upstairs, maybe cleaning will do it rather than outright replacement? Took two days to dry out the floor, dehumidifier and box fan and towels. Took the plumber about 20 minutes to fix the busted pipe. Suggested we keep the heat up more on colder nights. It was at 60 when it broke. Also had the plumber back this afternoon to look at our hot water. These are the joys of home ownership. The American Dream: A Year on Unemployment Spending Money on Home Repair. At least it’s supposed to be above freezing this weekend, though as I understand it will rain the whole time.
Oh, I used to go to shows. Now I just stay home and think about the weather. That’s my life now. I’ve canceled my trip to Roadburn in favor of the Northeastern Meteorological Conference in New Haven.
Not really, but it has been a lot about the weather. I’m still going to Roadburn. One must get right with one’s gods, after all.
Seems kind of like I’m checking out early, but what the hell. A particularly efficient day is a welcome change from the norm, and a (lukewarm) shower and a run to the grocery store await. Monday starts with a video premiere from Mammoth Mammoth, and then we get deeper from there. Reviews of Blut and Mansion, and hopefully The Midnight Ghost Train, and a look at the Skunk Hawk tape and a little more of this or that. The early part of this week — like, Monday through Thursday — had a lot of premieres, and I’m into that since it’s basically just a review with some exclusive audio attached, but those don’t always do a lot to whittle down the stuff on the pile. And after the late-2014 50-reviews-in-one-week purge, there’s already a pile built back up. Might have to make “Last Licks” a seasonal thing.
Whatever. Too much music is a good problem to have, and if I can’t keep up, well at least that keeps me busy. Sometimes it’s worth stepping back and realizing how much more I need this than it needs me, I guess is what I’m saying.
On that note, I’ll skip out. Not actually skipping because my foot’s all messed up, but figuratively skipping for the deep, resonant, warm joy I feel inside. Dianetics!
Have a great and safe weekend, and please check out the forum and radio stream. If you get the chance to dig into the new podcast, that’d rule as well.
Tags: Aqualung, Chrysalis Records, Jethro Tull, Jethro Tull Aqualung, UK
Corporal Clegg, that’s a reference. You don’t even like Floyd.
Massive bummer about the pipe dude. Carpet cleaning might work, but really hard to air all that out in the winter, and the mold may stick regardless. Might be best just to rip up and replace, depending on what’s underneath.
Bought a boxfan and have a dehumidifier and that seemed to do the trick. Not sure what’s underneath, but am sure money’s too tight to go around tearing up carpets. Some stain-killing primer on the kitchen ceiling did pretty well there too. Was a bummer about the pipe though.
I think I’m coming around on earlier Floyd. I listened to A Saucerful of Secrets not too long ago and was into that. Trying to give it an honest shot, anyway, which is something I never really did.
That album is a unique mix for them, because of the personnel change. Some elements from Piper, and some from what was to come. You might like Piper, although the Sgt. Pepper comparisons are unavoidable.
Following the first two records, and a few singles released around the time, the album work is interesting, but inconsistent. Meddle is probably the best of them, though far different from the first two records by that point. A few tracks on the More soundtrack are cool but mostly from a historical perspective (Floyd being stripped down heavy – “The Nile Song”).
I think part of my problem with Pink Floyd is Roger Waters and David Gilmour have always come across so pretentious. Plus stuff like The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon? It’s inevitable. You don’t even have to hear it to have heard it. The earlier stuff that I’ve heard though is pretty solid.
I’ve heard a lot of people point to Meddle as being about as good as it gets. I’ll probably get there, but would like to spend some time with the first couple records to start with. I doubt Piper at the Gates of Dawn being Sgt. Pepper-esque would put me off it.
If you haven’t seen Live at Pompeii, I definitely recommend it. Coming from a non-fan of Floyd, that video is in-fucking-credible.