My Top 100 Albums: #95 - Jethro Tull, ‘Aqualung’
95.
Jethro Tull, ‘Aqualung’
Chrysalis, 1971
Jethro Tull’s discography is, to put it mildly, extensive. In their busiest period between 1968 and 1980, the band released a studio album every year. From their roots in rhythm and blues to the more synthesiser-based sound they would develop in the early 1980s, few artists could claim to have such a varied and dense catalogue as ‘Tull can boast. Any number of their albums could find themselves a berth on lists of top rock albums: the bluesy deep-cut Stand Up, the prog epic Thick as a Brick, the acoustic folk Minstrel in the Gallery, or the folklore-inspired hard-rock Songs from the Wood. Yet even in such a profound oeuvre, Aqualung stands out as a particular accomplishment. By far the most influential record the band ever released, Aqualung ruminates for 45 minutes on faith and religion; on the institutionalisation of belief and the differences between dogmatism and culture. Kicking off with the eponymous prog anthem Aqualung, songwriter Ian Anderson makes clear his intention not to shy away from scathing lyricism and complicated, labyrinthine musicality, while keeping a tight leash on all of his divergent threads and intricate structures. Other bold and brash highlights include Mother Goose, My God, Wind-Up and, in particular, the heart-pumping Locomotive Breath, which Anderson claims to have conceived and performed almost entirely by himself and entirely spontaneously in the studio when recording the album, before inviting the other members of the band in to add colour. If this is true, this track truly showcases Anderson’s compositional genius, not to mention his pure musical ability (Anderson is a multi-instrumentalist who is proficient in flute, keyboard, guitar and bass, as well as bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone, harmonica and a variety of whistles). Aqualung announced prog in bombastic style in 1971 and still feels fresh and relevant half a century later.
Hidden Highlight: Wond’ring Aloud
Aqualung
Cross-Eyed Mary
Cheap Day Return
Mother Goose
Wond’ring Aloud
Up To Me
My God
Hymn 43
Slipstream
Locomotive Breath
Wind-Up