Jethro Tull - Aqualung
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.50 You Save: $11.48 (68%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.80 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Aqualung
Free Music Review: Hmm... What can you say? This album is.........
Hit: 5 Stars
Dull, Overated, Short, boring, lyrically stupid, full of filler, and definitely NOT a Rock Classic. I was tricked into buying this scum by the masses of reviewers who hailed this as "One of the Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All-Time!". Well, I'd heard Aqualung on the radio and thought that that was a good song, so what was to lose? Well, my money! Surprisingly to me, Aqualung turned out to be 1 of the only 2 good songs on this album! Fair warning to all potential buyers, if you buy this expecting this album to be a "Rock" album, you'll be disappointed! What you ACTUALLY are getting is a combination of blues and jazz, with almost no guitar and an over-emphasis on the flute. THE FLUTE! Granted, if you are a fan of any of those musical styles that I just mentioned, you will LOVE this album! Although, if you're not, like me, you will HATE this album! After rocking with the song Aqualung, Jethro Tull then plunges into suicide by playing 7 straight songs that are simply a flute with some backup drums! Finally, we get to the other good song Hymn 43, which is a radio staple and happens to be the only one with a guitar all throughout the song! Note that I'm reviewing the Aqualung without the extra tracks, but even if they are good it's simply not enough to make up for the rest of the album. I thought I would fall asleep during the misery that is My God and Wind-Up, which drag on for 7 and 6 minutes respectfully. Jethro Tull never tries inventiveness or originality, as all the songs are typical folk songs with tinges of jazz and blues, with hardly any vocals and mostly just flute solos! Also, the lyrics are childishly stupid, and are some of the worst I've ever heard. Since the album doesn't include the lyrics, simply download some of Aqualung's songs of the net and read them! They never fail to get a laugh out of you! And seriously folks, out of 11 songs, you only get 5 songs that are over 4 minutes, with the rest(Excluding Hymn 43) being just boring filler that takes up space! While Led Zeppelin and America manage to do good and even great folk/rock, Jethro Tull has never impressed me at all. This CD is really overated, and it's saddening to look at all the good reviews. If you're a fan of Rock, you won't like this. If you're a fan of folk, jazz, blues, or play a flute you will like this. Otherwise, this CD will simply bore you to sleep. Good for K5 teachers trying to find a way to get the kids to go to sleep at nap time! Also, if you listen to "Aqualung", the guitar riff is casually ripped off of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"! That really angers me that one of only a few good songs on this album isn't even original!(...) Thanks for reading!
Free Music Review: Masterpeice
Hit: 5 Stars
(...)This album is definately Jethro Tull's most dark work. Ian Anderson's talents explode on this album. His obvious anger toward organized religion seems to lean towards the Roman-Cathlic church. This albums lyrics aren't always consistant, however, take my favorite song "Mother Goose" what the heck is that about? Not religion. And then there is the overrated but stil good "Locomotive Breath" that doesn't mean anything either.
Aqulung--The title track is absolutely amazing. This was the first song of Tull's that I had ever heard. Thanks to my Mom. Anway this whole song is absolutely wonderful, there is nothing else like it. My mom is getting a record player with a CD player built in as well, and you can bet that, after I get "Stand Up", and Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica" on vinyl, That Aqualung is next on my list.
Cross-eyed Mary and Cheap day return--C.E.M. is a slightly disturbing song (lyrically) but absolutely amazing musically. Cheap day return is sort of stupid. Also it's very short, it kind of gave me the feeling that I was listening to filler. I still like it though.
Mother Goose--This is my favorite track on the album. It sounds very folk-like, wiht very little electric guitar. I guess why I like it is because of Ian Anderson's absolutly amazing voice. Not to mention the percussion which is no less than wonderful. Over all an absolutely fabulous song.
Wond'ring Aloud & Up to me--W.A. is soft, and perfect (in that all it is is what it's supposed to be). Up to me is harder and more electric than W.A., with a wonderful flute runnng thru the entire thing. Also I must again mention the drums,
absolutely amazing.
My God & Hymn 43-- Are Anderson's two main songs about the Roman Catholic Church. What's he got against them? I dunno, but good music.
Slip Stream & Locomotive breath--Sklipstream is one of those songs that don't really make it a priority to be consistant with the rest of the album. It is unfortunately short, but it is still wonderful. Locomotive breath is far to overrated, it sounds very jazzy which is good, but there's just this lack af lyrical genious that Tull is none for.
Wind Up (regular and quad--Definately a stand-out on the album. Lyrical genious shines on this song. This, if I'm not mistaken, is talking about Anderson's schoolteachers. Very good.
Lick Your Fingers Clean--My other favorite song on the album. Completely perfect. The guitar shines on this song like a strobe light in a 3000 year old cave. Not to mention the tremendous vocals.
Over all, this is a must-have rock album, and quite possibly one of the top twenty. Buy it, you will not be sorry.
Free Music Review: Excellent Album, But Only One Problem!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is one of Jethro Tull's greatest albums, but if you notice, you might have to turn the volume up on your stereo *much* louder than usual to hear the thing -- at least on the remastered copy that I own. That's the major complaint I have with this; it has nothing to do with the music, which is an easy 5 stars.
Speaking of the music...
Like Jethro Tull of usual, they create their unique brand of heavy rockers mixed with folk, jazz and classical with a touch of English Renaissance and medieval. Singer/flautist/main songwriter Ian Anderson has said that this was not intended to be a concept album, although one does sense a constant-running theme on the album. Speaking of the themes, this is not exactly a happy album. The subject matter deals with a homeless man named Aqualung (the first half), and the dishonesty of the church (second half.) To top it all off, the music has a cold, dry and wintry atmosphere to it; you can almost imagine the horror of being homeless on a bitterly cold, barren Winter day, when listening to this. Yet, it's an excellent album, and worthy of it's *classic* status.
My favorites would be: "Aqualung"; a heavy-rocker with beautiful, yet ominous riffs, which give way to softer acoustic-like parts, with Ian's voice sounding a bit in the distance. "Cross-Eyed Mary" features Ian's quirky and sneering vocals, while "Mother Goose" and "Wond'ring Aloud" are beautiful English-folk/rock tunes. "My God" is a dramatic rocker with multi-sections, and features a middle-section of medieval choiral-like vocals fronted by Ian Anderson's orgasmic classically-tinged flute solos and overdubs. As beautiful as the music is, the lyrics are quite ugly and sarcastic, yet thought-provoking, and Ian sings in quite a fiery, scathing, and embittered tone throughout. "Hymn 43" is another rocker, this time with a heavier focus on jazzy soundscapes. "Locomotive Breath" is a rocker with sarcastic humor, and I can't help but laugh when I hear Ian Anderson's sneering vocals on this track. "Wind-Up" also continues the thought-provoking stream started earlier.
The rest of the disc features bonus tracks. "Bouree" (a number by J.S. Bach) is arranged in D minor, and in jazzy/folk fashion. This is my personal favorite of these. (This track can also be found on 1969's _Stand Up_.)
Overall, this is a Jethro Tull classic which will only continue to age very nicely, and is highly recommended for music lovers who are fans of "musical" music.
Free Music Review: As Relevant As Ever
Hit: 5 Stars
On a whim and a one-click-to-buy impulse I finally bought the CD of this classic Jethro Tull album the other day. It's been many years since I listened to my scratchy old vinyl copy, but I remember now why it was one of my favorites.
Aqualung was released in the early '70s. There was an awful lot of "progressive rock" around in those days, produced by myriad groups like Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. It was an era of Great Pretension. The murky and inane lyrics of practically illiterate English rock stars were subjected monthly to fawning exegesis in the pages of Rolling Stone, and the music was heavy with ethereal (and still novel) banks of synthesizers and 20-minute drum solos.
In the midst of this abysmal arena-based "serious art rock" era, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson (J.T. is a group, not a person) produced a work of real intellectual content, a searing indictment of organized religion and hypocritical society. Perhaps the targets are a bit obvious, but they're the perennial ones, especially tasty to the nascent alienated adolescent. Aqualung has, unlike so many other works of that era, aged well to my ears. The signature Tull sound of acoustic guitar, flute, "English folk" style melodies and raw heavy metal realized on this classic was never surpassed even by the group themselves. Guitarist Martin Barre's bank of Marshalls blisters throughout. It is a rocking album that tells all the organized institutions, the ones you're learning to hate at 15, to stuff it. Yeah, it was just the right thing at just the right time for me.
I remember listening to that lime-green Chrysalis 8-track tape over and over through my first car's puny stereo speakers, as they emitted a puff of dust at the first power chords of "My God."
There was a time I was convinced Ian Anderson was the greatest musical genius in rock. He tried too hard in later years, though, and produced stuff as pretentious and self-indulgent as anyone. (What the hell was A Passion Play all about?) Ian has retired the tights and codpeice but is still living well, a salmon farmer in the English countryside. A grayer but (I hope) still angry Tull tours the U.S. regularly. Their best lyrics are as relevant as ever:
If Jesus saves-well, He'd better save Himself
from the glory glory seekers who use His name in death...
-Hymn 43
Free Music Review: I...love....this....album!
Hit: 5 Stars
Tull is the most underrated band of all time. They are better than Led Zep (you heard me right..foo). Ian Anderson is the best songwriter to ever live. The musicianship is top notch from all the guys. Aqualung, though not their best like most say, is a very good album.
Aqualung - This is the immortal song that opens up the album. The immortal riff leads to the immortal middle part before it hits the immortal guitar solo by Barre (his best studio recorded solo ever).
Cross-eyed Mary - Wow, what an ugly song! In a good way, though. It's very bass oriented and reverbial. It'll really test out your stereo like there's no tomorrow.
Cheap Day Return - A little acustic diddy from Ian. I love these little songs, they add so much flavor to the essence of Tull.
Mother Goose - A very flutey song that sounds like it belongs at a renaissance fair. But it doesn't, it belongs right friggin here!
Wond'ring Aloud - The most well known of all the acustic diddies. It deserves the title.
Up to Me - A kinda darkly funny song with a cool riff and some guy laughing in the background.
My God - My God, this is a good song! An amazing acustic intro, a dark theme, and a fantastic flute solo make this the best song on the original LP.
Hymn 43 - This is a very loud and sarcastic song criticizing the church of England (a common theme here).
Slipstream - Another acustic diddy! HAAZAA!
Locomotive Breath - A brilliant song. It starts of slow before it gets into the hard pounding riff. It also has an amazing flute solo.
Wind Up - A story of a boy and church. It's a great song that changes speed and rythm halfway through. A bit like Aqualung only it's the complete opposite. Fitting aye?
BONUS TRACKS!!!
Lick Your Fingers Clean - This is an awesome song to sing when you're drunk. It sounds like a bunch of drunken Irish men, I love it!
Wind Up (quad version) - Snore
Ian Anderson Interview - Interesting.
Songs For Jeffrey - A cool kinda throwback song.
Fat Man - A simple song that always makes me laugh.
Bouree - Words cannot describe how cool this song is. Seriously, if your too cheap to buy this album, at least download this song.