You really grasped the core of the song! Aqualung is in fact about a homeless man, given the moniker Aqualung here to imply some kind of breathing problem that makes his breathing sound "wet", and it is entirely about that duality. The first impression we get of "Aqualung" is this filthy pervert is intended to represent the way people fear and abhor the homeless, especially those with mental issues. He's a dirty, disgusting thing, to be afraid of, and the narrator is assigning him this "bad intent" that he supposedly has while looking at girls and women. And then of course it shifts to the more sympathetic: a broken and helpless man with poor health and no shelter, living through the icy cold of winter, taking his 'rattling last breaths with deep sea diver sounds' (gurgling), from the point of the view of a narrator who is friends with the poor man, reminiscing (do you still remember). And the final part: Despite what we know from the middle section, everyone else still sees a horrible man to be afraid of. The pervert. Dirty. That he must be bad and that there is "bad intent" behind his eyes. Is there any? We don't know. But that's the perception, the assumption about a filthy homeless man who isn't well, physically or mentally.
To add to this, the hard electric parts of the song were how normal British society viewed homeless people, while the softer acoustic parts reflected those sympathetic to their needs and the causes that got them there. And this back and forth continues until the part where he sings “Do you still remember December’s foggy breeze”, where these two worlds collide.
Once you realize that Jethro Tull are their own genre, it starts to become clearer. At any given moment, they could out hard rock, out quieter rock, out prog, out folk, out blues, and out jazz infusion any band on the planet and sometimes do it in the same song. It's a wild ride. The harsher lyrics in the song reflect societies negative opinions and assumptions about homeless people, while the other part of the song is from the gentler observations of a more compassionate person.
Welcome to the world of Jethro Tull. Their music is masterful and unique. Sadly also very under appreciated. They really deserve to be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Tull is pure genius. Much of their material is social commentary. If this song made you feel uncomfortable, that was its intent. It's based in the reality of how people view the homeless and how it must feel to live penniless on the streets. It's an ugly story, but it increases awareness. You should listen to "Cross-Eyed Mary" where Aqualung the character is mentioned again very briefly. Thanks for taking us with you on a Tull journey.
On the album too is My God. It raised some hackles where I was raised... in the Bible Belt. Found a video on RUclips a yr ago where Barnaby Jones is played by Buddy Ebsen. He of course gained fame playing Jed Clampett (Beverly Hillbillies 😅). Barnaby plays and sings his version of My God and it's almost surreal.
A dog-end is a cigarette butt. Love me some Tull, seen them live 3 times, always entertaining and talented. Ian Anderson is still playing to this day at 77 yrs old.
Aqualung is slang for tuberculosis, which causes the lungs to fill up with fluid, hence the lines "spitting out pieces of his broken lung" and "rattling last breaths, with deep sea diver's sounds". The character, "Aqualing" is pictured on the album cover. My brother had a charcature painting done of that album cover, but putting his face on it instead. And, no, they were never big on Top 40 AM Radio. They hit on "Underground" FM Radio.
Well by time they were around FM radio wasn't underground. I heard them regularly on FM stations in Chicago, NY, New England, and not just the college radio stations
@craigplatel813 That's why I said "Underground" - they really weren't anymore, but a lot of stations that played the more progressive music were still calling themselves that. It was just a marketing gimmick by then. But they were still playing stuff that AM Top 40 wouldn't.
The cover is a drawing of a picture his wife had taken. She was a professional photographer. When he saw that photo, it gave him the inspiration for the song.
the song is sung from 2 perspectives. One a businessman who only sees a dirty shabby bum, ready to assault girls, And the other, an empathetic old friend who understands the man's story.
Yes very true. And the perspectives are very different musically. The judgmental part is the hard rock section, while the empathetic part is softer with acoustic guitar.
I don't know where you get 'businessman.' Could be anyone who has other things to tend to and can only see someone living outside of basic norms as a potential threat. Could be parents supervising kids at the playground or others using the park.
@@thomasmacdiarmid8251 Perhaps they used "businessman" for a generic description of a man with a white collar job earning a decent salary and never likely to experience poverty or become homeless. Ppl (could be a woman too) with the comfort of homes and food at only an arm's length aren't unsympathetic but instead can be lacking real understanding of the lives the poor...a fear of hunger and no means to bathe or close relationships that can offer warmth and understanding and even better....hope. More descriptive words could have offered a better picture in our mind's eye but the word they chose is ok. As a retired teacher I'm able to see that great writing evolves with life's experiences and higher learning. This writer is perhaps writing from these "places" and given some time to evolve they can go from good writings to great writings. I've noticed with myself, as I age, I revert to some old habits. That's OK tho bc my brain tires more easily and it contains a lot of data to sort and retrieve lol. In fact I will actually say to myself, when hearing mundane data, Don't save this in your memory bank. You won't need it later or be able to retrieve bc it's way to full and your processor has slowed a lot. Lol. For me the gist of this writer's meaning suffices and of note is the fact they write much more concisely than I and the meaning is there. The crux of their writing is actually quite good and describes quite well the plight of the poor and those who are not... comfort with few fears V. discomfort and many worries.
I saw them way back in the day. The stage set was a pirate ship. The band was dressed like this and came down a rope net in the stage back. The whole show was spectacular! They knew exactly how to draw the fans in. Loved every show I saw.
Ian Anderson live has been described as a shaman leading his tribe through a spiritual experience. Best summation ever!! The old fashioned clothes and Anderson using his flute like a wand just adds to the feeling. He also has been referred to as a "deranged flamingo" but I like the shaman reference better.
Jethro Tull was an actual person who lived in England from the late 1600s to 1741 - not exactly medieval, but still old. He was credited with inventing the horse drawn seed drill which allowed farmers to plant their fields much faster than in the past. This in turn meant fewer people were needed on farms and they moved to cities in search of work which they found in the form of the newly developing factory system. He was historically a biggie that almost no one has knowledge of.
The seed rill also increased the yield- fewer seeds were wasted. It helped to trigger the agricultural revolution that set the stage for the industrial revolution. The band would change their name almost weekly so they could get rebooking- Jethro Tull was the name they using the first time they got asked back.
Same. I was close to a city that had an arena. The concerts that I went to... Pink Floyd, Journey, Blue Oyster Cult (with laser light show circa 1979) Van Halen, too many to list.
The band that pissed off millions of metal heads when they won the first ever Grammy award for best hard rock/metal performance. The 31st Grammy Awards 😂. It was a brand new category, and Metallica was expected to win with “And Justice For All”. The fallout was spectacular 😂.
You got the gist of the song's message. The song 'Aqualung' is a critique on society and two opposing views on the homeless. One side looks down on the homeless with disgust, while the other side is about compassion and the desire to help. Jethro Tull isn't about hits. They are about hidden gem after hidden gem after hidden gem. Tull has an intellectually vast and deep music catalogue. They should be seriously explored - both studio and live performances. Ian Anderson is a self taught multi-Instrumental genius. The music & lyrics he writes is quite versatile. You will hear fusions of blues, jazz, hard rock, folk, & classical, but Ian states they are a progressive rock band first and foremost.
I don't think anyone has more passion when performing than Ian Anderson. The name Jethro Tull comes from a 17th century agriculturalist by the same name. He lived from 1674-1721. They're my favorite prog rock band
@@threekidzmom04 Class of '74 here too, the 50th reunion was fun this summer! Saw Jethro Tull in I believe '72 at the Baltimore Civics Center on this very tour. Also saw Ten Years After 'Rock n Roll Music To The World' tour there, and many others. Alice Cooper's 'Killer' tour at the Capitol Center in DC. We were Navy brats so I started out seeing Grand Funk Railroad's 'Closer To Home' concert in Memphis in 1970. Here in Michigan I finally got to see Grand Funk again a couple of years ago with Kid Rock over in Grand Rapids. My hubby couldn't go so I took a young business friend with me that had never attended a big concert before, we had a blast. A couple months later I went to see the a cappella group Home Free in a much smaller venue and that was very cool too.
@@ThirdEyeEclipseThere's no doubt we came of age with the best soundtracks ever in the "movies" of our lives. We had every genre of music. Rock and Roll, R&B, Soul, Folk, Country, Broadway hits, movie scores and even some Muppet songs (Rubber Ducky and Rainbow Connection). There were ballads and Motown Sound and then some disco (I liked only one...Turn the Beat Around) And I must add the BeeGees. I've missed some maybe bc there are so many. Wow to my great life I must say.b😊😊
Saw them back in the 70"s at Shea Stadium. We were stamping our feet so much the whole place shook. They were incredible. "Cross Eyed Mary" is a must.✌️🌻🌻
A number called Living in the Past was what broke them through but had been listening to them before that and went to an epic concert at the Brighton Pavilion still the best concert I have been to. They had a loyal following.
I think you did a great job picking up the meaning and message of the song BP and I see others filling in a lot of great information in the comments. One thing I’d add is that I heard Ian Anderson point out in an interview is that this song also is pointing out that the “evil” we see in the homeless (Aqualung is staring a little girls in the park) is a reflection of our own miss guided views. It’s just as likely that the homeless person is has benign intentions and is simply enjoying kids at play and remembering what it was like to be young and carefree. It’s what’s wrong with us and society and that we should be looking at the homeless with empathy and compassion. Keep up the great work!!!!!
My aunts graduating class senior trip in 1974 was to a Jethro Tull concert. These days the seniors usually hit amusement parks. Still flips me out to think how much times have changed!
Only Jethro Tull could write a masterpiece with "snot is running down his nose" in it. They were on the radio a lot where I've lived (central tx & Dallas)... usually this song & locomotive breath.
You caught Salvation Army and the cup of tea for listening to a sermon in a warm place BP. Dog-end is British slang for a cigarette end. or perhaps it's a dog's end is coming soon in response to his leg hurting. A common sign death is near in an old dog or an old man. Bad hips are common in old dogs for real, and they know it. You'll run across Cross eyed Mary on this album. She's the female version of Aqualung watching the little boys run or perhaps lost young in an old person. Ian Anderson is Scottish and consider the accent in 1969 pronunciation. Warming feet in a peat moss bog in chilly weather makes sense. Composting yard trimmings creates heat as it rots. It's a great album in any case Black Pegasus, enjoy it and then dig deeper into this archaic rabbit hole that was named after a farmer living in the 1700's! Look him up. Many good albums and tunes.
Scottish by birth but with an English singing and speaking accent. You are overcomplicating dog-end in your second alternative explanation. Just a used cigarette!
The title, Aqualung, was written to evoke the sound of the old man’s breathing. In fact, Aqualung is a scuba device which was already on the market. The manufacturer was ready to sue the band when their legal department pointed out that this was great, free adverting so they dropped the case. When they said, “The army’s up the road”, they are again referring to the Salvation Army and when they said “and the flowers bloom like madness in the Spring”, they referring to a spasm of tuberculosis when he coughs up blood, like flowers. Jethro Tull has a huge catalog but everyone chooses songs from Aqualung. It is a great album but there so many other songs which quite different. I would recommend the title track from Songs from the Wood or First Snow on Brooklyn from the Jethro Tull Christmas Album.
@@jimglenn6972 Always loved this band but only saw them live once. The Orpheum Theatre in Boston was built in 1852 with maybe 3000 seats. It was the best concert I've ever seen, and I've seen many groups that cost hundreds of dollars more than that pittance I paid Ian Anderson back in those days.
They toured the U.S. almost every year in the 70s and were a staple on FM radio. I saw them each year in high school. A little later they had a commercial hit with "Bungle in the Jungle."
I graduated from high school in 1972 and yes they played on the radio along with Led Zeppelin the Beatles and all the other rock bands along with pop. We had great music back then on radio, Love your reactions.Jethro Trull was one of my favorite bands back in the day.
Fun fact, Ian started as a guitarist, but took up the flute because Martin Barr (lead guitar) was so good he felt he couldn't keep up. BTW, he taught himself to play the flute and traditional flute players can't duplicate his sound.
Bullshit ! Ian heard Eric Clapton... - that was it for him playing the electric guitar. At that time he didn't even know Martin BarrE (!). But Ian was and is (among other things) a very good acoustic guitar player... P.S. Ian NEVER played electric lead guitar in Jethro Tull !
@@huskytully3887 You are correct in that Ian never played Electric guitar on any record.... however, he did play electric guitar on stage when the band performed Steel monkey and Jump Start on the Crest of a Knave tour, where there were multiple guitar parts backing up Martin's lead breaks..
@bishopswoodcrafts I know that - I was a couple of times part of the audience ... - did YOU know, that Ian played keyboard, mandolin, mouth harmonica, clarinet, balalaika, bouzouki, tambourine, sax, claghorn, acoustic guitar, violin, bamboo-piccolo-alto-flutes and a busload of whistles live on stage, too ? 🙋🏻♂️
@@huskytully3887 yes I knew all of that.... just interested, if you knew that he did play electric guitar on stage, why did you emphatically state that he NEVER played it in Tull. Strange.
Try out "Thick as a brick" on of my favorite. When I was much younger and went to their concerts, we did body painting(on ourselves). Great performers.
When FM radio first came out, there weren’t many stations. AM radio played two to three minute songs. Some FM stations would play album cuts that were longer, sometimes whole albums non-stop, just to get listeners. Great music, no static, what a fantastic time for music listening!!
"Dog-end" is a discarded cigarettes'. the opening is the publics view of the homeless. When the music changes he switches to the view point of the homeless guy.
Yeah I always listen to album rock radio, never listen to Pop radio although a lot of classic rock songs did make it to pop radio and and most of them were not the full version they had been edited
bP-- back in the 70's,all things were new/unchartered in rock music. FM radio came about and played everything new under the sun. Bands with a progressive (prog rock) style,aka 'adventurous/outside the comercial box' were commonplace on these sations and DID reach the masses. Rock fans soaked in all types of music with far reaching influences- which started with The Beatles back in the 60's. Ian Anderson / Tull made quite the name for themselves from touring here in the US heavily. The stage show with Ian was incredible performance-wise. And they DID score alot of FM radio attention that just grew & grew back in the early 70's. One of thee top acts ever in rock. THey earned their reputation as a top draw live act. Andersons lyrics were very compicated and at times hard to figure out. I just now learned that a 'dog-end' was slang for a cigarette butt in the UK-almost 53 years after hearing the song/album for the 1st time. So don't feel too bad about trying to dewcipher Ian's complex lyrical bent moving forward. Cheers, T
Got to see Tull with Uriah Heep and what a glorious evening of intellectual, passionate entertainment, and oh yes LOUD AS HECK. Now 47 years later is still ingrained in my mind.
As others mentioned below you hit nail on the head about being homeless. Dog-End is a cigarette butt. He's going down to the bogs because of the warm water they generate to keep his feet warm during the cold.
The level of musicianship required in the band meant that no one in the band could use drugs, not even pot after the show. Eventually a bass player was fired because he was using pot in his off time. The guy in the red plaid coat & tails, who's playing piano, wasn't comfortable with all the girl groupies after the shows, when the other members hooked up. He realized over time that he wasn't a he, but a she. He has lived for decades as a woman now. I hitched 150 miles on two lane blacktop as a freshman in college in August of 1971 to see Jethro Tull live. It was the tour promoting the new Aqualung album, and it was an amazing concert.
When you ask how they got big, it was FM radio where music didn't have to fit the AM format of 2 1/2 minutes. FM was just getting big in the early 70's. Not everyone had a radio with an FM tuner. Plus FM was broadcasting in stereo. FM stations would play complete album sides uninterrupted, which lead to the commercial block while the DJ flipped the album on the turntable.
First off, thanks for the reaction as Jethro Tull has been a favorite of mine for decades now. Back in the early 70's, while I was in high school, there was a teacher who would play their albums in class and then we would discuss the social significance of the lyrics. Homelessness has been an issue in the UK for a lot longer than it has been here in the US. We felt like, at the time, part of the lyrics were basically attitudes like you discussed. You hit a lot of the ideas of the song, spot on. You may consider listening to Thick As A Brick. Thanks again, Peace.
@@leekraker5763Huge story in its day. I googled it, love me some Google, and added more info to your facts. Posted the info above. Fascinating stuff. 😊
The category was Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, and these old folks who picked the nominations considered Jethro Tull hard rock. This was the first year of the category.
Back in fall 1975 i seen Reo Speedwagon (Ridin the Storm out) at the Silver Dollar Saloon near MSU in Lansing. The backup band played Jethro Tull music. Lead singer played the flute just as well as Ian Anderson. I was very impressed. The place was packed. Julie Olson and I got good seats next to a really big guy who would not let anyone stand in front and block our views. 18 and loving every minute of it. btw drinking age was 18 then
In those days AM radio was "pop" music FM radio was "album" rock, which turned in classic rock over the years. Yes, some classic rock was pop hits, but bands like Led Zepplin had very few "pop" hits but they have many "classic" songs. I miss the old FM album rock stations.
@@briangulley6027 Here in N.Y AM radio played all the pop hits from The Partridge Family , Sly Stone, Glen Campbell , Otis Redding, It was a stew of great pop songs of all musical styles . Them were the days.
I've been lucky enough to see that lead guitarist Martin Barr live twice in the last 3 years He's still out there touring he's unbelievable he does cuts from Jethro Tull that Ian Anderson never would do... If you get a chance to see Martin barre band live you should take it up it's just amazing
I first listened to this band in 1966 and was hooked and they still sound fresh. Jethro Tull was a person in the middle ages who brought in a system of rotating crops on a 7 year cycle leaving each field fallow once every 7 years with a high nitrogen crop which is plowed in to enrich the soil. This system revolutionised farming and greatly increased production. It is his name the band is using and why they wear those clothes, all probably to honour him. We learnt about Jethro and systems of farming in primary school and it is sad it is no longer taught.
"... and why they wear those clothes, probably to honour him." That's rubbish. The concert was part of the BROADSWORD & THE BEAST tour '82. Each band member wore album-related clothes...
@@doomhunter697 Similar clothing, yes - but ALWAYS with ZERO reference to the PERSON Jethro Tull. Uh, and by the way: What do forest songs or a minstrel have in common with farmers sowing seeds?
@@huskytully3887 The first time I saw the band Jethro Tull was 1966 and they were wearing that style of clothing. There style of music is also similar to the old style minstrels, something they referred to at that time.
They have always been a 'niche' band! Totally great, but under rated! Not in the Rock hall of fame, but should be!!! They have an extensive catalog, still touring, writing! Ian is in his late 70's. Please continue your journey into their works! Try 'Thick as a Brick' Live!!! Thank You!!!!
Long time Tull fan, and I see you’ve been getting response from a lot of us. Rather than tell you my favorite, I suggest your follow up song to this would be Cross Eyed Mary. That song even references Aqualung. Be interesting to see what you pick up as you caught a lot of the fun nuance in this. Also, Martin Barr is fire on the guitar, and Ian Anderson is a legendary frontman.
Back in the 70's progressive rock era you had Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and others, and then you had Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull who were in their own league. The stories in the songs makes reading the lyrics and listening to the music a few times to get the feel and understanding. I actually asked my grandfather who was a Brit what some of the sayings meant.
Jethro Tull performed at Winterland in San Francisco in 1969: Year: 1969 Venue: Winterland my only JT performs. I was 16-year-old imagine impression that show had on me
It's two perspectives of the same homeless man. The first perspective is that of regular society thinking the worst of him and imagining that he has only evil intentions. A "dog-end" is a mostly smoked cigarette that is bent from being put out, that someone was finished with, but he could light and get a few drags off of. The "army" down the street is the salvation army, that might provide something warm for him to drink or eat. The second perspective is of Aqualung himself, much closer to the truth.
I saw Jethro Tull in concert in 1977, and I suspect this video is on the same tour. It was one of my very first concerts, I was 17 years old and was a student of guitar; the concert was a gift from my Sister. I didn't know what to expect, and WHAM !!!! I came out of there a changed musician, never to be the same. I admire Ian Anderson's musical journey, and saw him in Concert many times afterwards..... One of the best..... Check out the studio song "Budapest".
Ian Anderson is incredibly talented and real. I saw Tull in DC in DAR Constitution Hall. In the lobby before the concert, Ian Anderson walked through the crowd. I saw him and stopped DEAD and just stared. Didn't say anything ... respected his right to not be "called out". His head turned, he saw me staring and he just smiled, nodded once at me (like a mini-bow) and kept walking. Also saw them at King's Dominion amusement park for their "Oh no not another 25 years" show sponsored by a radio station. It was outdoors and the radio station DEMANDED we stay SEATED. Ian came out with the band and immdiately said "Come on up, we're all old friends here".
Jethro Tull's fan base grew by their constant touring. I remember when I was a junior in High School older friends/acquaintances would go to Port Chester, NY on Friday + Saturday nights to see Till @ the Capitol Theater. This was when Benefit was out, their 3rd album. They blew up when Aqualung came out and got substantial airplay on both AM + FM radio. Before this you would only hear Tull on FM, which wasn't around until late 60s. The entire Aqualung album has provocative songs and titles, " My God", "Hymn 43" + "Wind Up" come to mind. I'd recommend the album closer "Wind Up" which uses the perfect phrase regarding the Almighty, "He's not the kind you have to wake up on Sunday". Worth a deep dive. Tull, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Allman Bros.,Grateful Dead, Santana etc. were coming into their own at the same time. I971 was an incredible time to be 18 years old (me).
Another East Coaster here! We used to go to Port Chester to continue partying after everything shut down at 2am in CT. That was the time when you were legal at 18. We had fun times, but we also tragically lost quite a few schoolmates on the road home. 😢
@LaPinturaBella Yeah, I'm from West Haven. It got better when drinking age became 18,in 71 or '72. BTW one of the acquaintances I mentioned was Steve Busloe who became bass player for Meatloaf on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". Crazy, good times.
The Cap! Ian Anderson and band (I hesitate to refer to them as Jethro Tull at this point) were there this year. I lived in Westchester at various points in my life, including four years on King Street in Port Chester and worked right on the border at 777 West Putnam Avenue in Greenwich for 8 years when that location became an office building after the deadly fire.
Fun fact: they usually "roadie" their own stage. You'll see hooded figures setting up equipment on stage, for quite awhile before showtime, then, all of a sudden, they'll take their places, throw off the robes, and start rocking!!! Did it all 3 times i saw them!!! K was introduced to Tull by my older brother,, but in the 70s we had album -orienged radio stations that would play full versions of songs like this. YES, IT WAS A RADIO HIT. Some of us chose to dig deeper into their catalog and became life long fans ❤❤❤
This is SUCH A GREAT SONG!!! I think you really should give the studio cut a listen. I LOVE WATCHING JETHRO TULL: LIVE - but, this performance sounds a little "tinny".....I'm SO GLAD that you GRASPED IT! So many don't. It's about the different ways society judges people and comparing it to that person's REALITY. Jethro Tull is SO GOOD, LIVE!! Have seen them, several times....each time was JUST a FABULOUS SHOW!!! LOVE their CHRISTMAS ALBUM!!! SO, SO GOOD!! ENJOY!!! HUGS from TEXAS!
Tip for the upcoming holidays: Jethro Tull's Christmas album is one of the best you'll ever hear! It has almost a medieval feel to some of the songs, mixed with their distinctive rock style. Oh, and they also had a moderate radio hit with their version of a Bach bourré featuring Ian Anderson on flute. The medieval-madrigal fashion style was a thing with some bands in the mid-'70s, so they'd dress like that. Still rockers!
It's great that you mentioned it ! 🎅🏻🎅🏾 The RELEASE of an EXPANDED and REMIXED EDITION of 2003's THE JETHRO TULL CHRISTMAS ALBUM is DUE on the 6TH DECEMBER 2024. 🙏🏻
Your eyes (and ears) can see, my friend. So happy you’re passing this music on to the next generation. Also, bringing forward the idea that music can change the world if you really listen and let it take you there - to open up the spiritual and philosophical nature of music to each human creature in creation. Continue, Captain Pegasus.
They’ve got one of the greatest portfolios of “WTF” was that ? 😳mix of classical-crossed rock with great lyrics you’ll ever hear going back to the late 60’s. By all means, blow your mind away with Minstrel In The Gallery and follow it up with Songs From the Wood. Both are albums AND songs. JT is like the rock roll equivalent of going topsy-turvy, Alice in Wonderland. PS - 2 fantastic ways to enjoy some of their greatest hits - The Best of Acoustic JT and also Ian Anderson and Martin Barre with the London Symphony in “ A Classic Case”. JT, Yes, Moody Blues, and Rush…Progressive at its best!
I saw them in 1974 when the album War Child came out. Ian Anderson the singer was very theatrical and dramatic in his stage performance adding to the experience.
Ian Anderson is a genius, singer, song-writer, multi-instramentalist ... taught himself to play the flute. Jethro Tull began in 1967 ... 23 studio albums .. lots of fabulous music. Next one should be .... Thick As A Brick, live .. mind blowing
They're not only a good rock band they're a legendary rock band. Started in the late 60's and were still winning Grammy's in the 30 years later. They have years of great music, and not only hard rock. Try Locomotive Breath or Thick as a Brick (providing you have time for the latter, cause the REAL version lasts 45+ minutes (they cut it way short when they play it live)
Grear reaction and again ive not heard of him before till i saw your reaction of a song you reacted to ( cant remember the name but hes playing a flute ) im so glad you reacted ro him as im loving his stuff 😊
I am one of the fortunate to be in one of their Aqualung tour after they released the album. Jethro Tull are one of the best bands in the the early seventies. The concert was awsome
Oh JT is so cool to see LIVE !!! 2015 he did a show in my country NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 boy what a awesome show I was 45years old Been listening to him since a kid especially when you have aunties & uncles who raised us on all the Old school
❤ 🤘 Jethro Tull was my 1st live band I ever saw 1975 when I was 15. For Years I thought the Singer Was Jethro Tull, then I Found out that was the Band's name, Ian Anderson Is the Singer's name. When I Saw them in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Big Hit it was Bungle in the jungle, Check It when you get a chance. 💎And thanks for Reacting to all the song's I Put on the Comments, your Really True to your Word.. Another one to Check out Call To The Heart ♥ by Giuffria 🤘
Jethro Tull was one of the first concerts in the 70s. In between songs, we heard a loud telephone ringing. Someone brought a telephone out on the stage to Ian Anderson. He put the receiver to his ear, listened for a moment, then held the receiver out to us in the audience, saying " It's for YOU!" ❤
Started in 1967, they defy all categories. I have been to a number of their Concerts, they always put on a great show. Ian Anderson is a Multi Instrumentalist, he’s also a Scottish Laird who owns a number of Salmon Farms. Other great tracks are Teacher and Minstrel in the Gallery!
Mate I love Jethro Tull . This is classic Tull and Ian Anderson . Seen them live in Melbourne bk in the 70’s been a fan ever since . Great reaction mate . Sub from me
One of my favorite artists is performing one of my favorite songs by him. I saw him at the Orion concert in Landover Maryland's capital center. Awesome performer. I was in the early stages of labor and refused to leave until after the encore.
Tull was a huge band back in the day, I saw Jethro Tull, Robin Trower, Johnny and Edgar Winter back in the day at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Fl. back in the day and it was packed!
I saw JT at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA in 1970. Yes, I am that old! They are one of the best live bands I ever saw. May I suggest you check out their earlier albums, "This Was", "Benefit", "Stand Up" . . . I think you will enjoy them.
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You really grasped the core of the song! Aqualung is in fact about a homeless man, given the moniker Aqualung here to imply some kind of breathing problem that makes his breathing sound "wet", and it is entirely about that duality.
The first impression we get of "Aqualung" is this filthy pervert is intended to represent the way people fear and abhor the homeless, especially those with mental issues. He's a dirty, disgusting thing, to be afraid of, and the narrator is assigning him this "bad intent" that he supposedly has while looking at girls and women.
And then of course it shifts to the more sympathetic: a broken and helpless man with poor health and no shelter, living through the icy cold of winter, taking his 'rattling last breaths with deep sea diver sounds' (gurgling), from the point of the view of a narrator who is friends with the poor man, reminiscing (do you still remember).
And the final part: Despite what we know from the middle section, everyone else still sees a horrible man to be afraid of. The pervert. Dirty. That he must be bad and that there is "bad intent" behind his eyes. Is there any? We don't know. But that's the perception, the assumption about a filthy homeless man who isn't well, physically or mentally.
To add to this, the hard electric parts of the song were how normal British society viewed homeless people, while the softer acoustic parts reflected those sympathetic to their needs and the causes that got them there. And this back and forth continues until the part where he sings “Do you still remember December’s foggy breeze”, where these two worlds collide.
Dude you are totally either stoned or drunk but we forgive you🎉
Sorry my son had it on slow mo apologies 😊
This song always got me in the feels
Yes he really did. You you have provided the best synopsis of these lyrics I have ever read. Well done.
A dog end is a cigar or cigarette that has enough tobacco to still be smokable.
Thank you for the explanation
I was wondering about that myself
Nothing with to do with a dog's end😂😂😂😂😂😂. I guess you had to have been there
When you look it up and put dog end from the song Aqualung it means distaste , etc of the homeless
Yes, that's exactly it, a cigar or cigarette that has enough tobacco to still be smokable.
A cigarette butt. Picked up off the ground.
Once you realize that Jethro Tull are their own genre, it starts to become clearer. At any given moment, they could out hard rock, out quieter rock, out prog, out folk, out blues, and out jazz infusion any band on the planet and sometimes do it in the same song. It's a wild ride.
The harsher lyrics in the song reflect societies negative opinions and assumptions about homeless people, while the other part of the song is from the gentler observations of a more compassionate person.
Welcome to the world of Jethro Tull. Their music is masterful and unique. Sadly also very under appreciated. They really deserve to be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The RRHofF have their collective heads stuffed up their collective arses.
Tull is pure genius. Much of their material is social commentary. If this song made you feel uncomfortable, that was its intent. It's based in the reality of how people view the homeless and how it must feel to live penniless on the streets. It's an ugly story, but it increases awareness. You should listen to "Cross-Eyed Mary" where Aqualung the character is mentioned again very briefly. Thanks for taking us with you on a Tull journey.
On the album too is My God. It
raised some hackles where I was raised... in the Bible Belt.
Found a video on RUclips a yr ago where Barnaby Jones is played by Buddy Ebsen. He of course gained fame playing Jed Clampett (Beverly Hillbillies 😅).
Barnaby plays and sings his version of My God and it's almost surreal.
Yeah, get a job and do better.
Not complicated.
No social implications needed, figure your life out.
A dog-end is a cigarette butt. Love me some Tull, seen them live 3 times, always entertaining and talented. Ian Anderson is still playing to this day at 77 yrs old.
Aqualung is slang for tuberculosis, which causes the lungs to fill up with fluid, hence the lines "spitting out pieces of his broken lung" and "rattling last breaths, with deep sea diver's sounds". The character, "Aqualing" is pictured on the album cover. My brother had a charcature painting done of that album cover, but putting his face on it instead. And, no, they were never big on Top 40 AM Radio. They hit on "Underground" FM Radio.
He spits out pieces of his broken LUCK ! 🤦🏿♀️🙃
Well by time they were around FM radio wasn't underground. I heard them regularly on FM stations in Chicago, NY, New England, and not just the college radio stations
@craigplatel813 That's why I said "Underground" - they really weren't anymore, but a lot of stations that played the more progressive music were still calling themselves that. It was just a marketing gimmick by then. But they were still playing stuff that AM Top 40 wouldn't.
The cover is a drawing of a picture his wife had taken. She was a professional photographer. When he saw that photo, it gave him the inspiration for the song.
I remember underground Radio thats where they played the best most creative even long version music.
the song is sung from 2 perspectives. One a businessman who only sees a dirty shabby bum, ready to assault girls, And the other, an empathetic old friend who understands the man's story.
Exactly
Ah that’s cool, I never caught that
Yes very true. And the perspectives are very different musically. The judgmental part is the hard rock section, while the empathetic part is softer with acoustic guitar.
I don't know where you get 'businessman.' Could be anyone who has other things to tend to and can only see someone living outside of basic norms as a potential threat. Could be parents supervising kids at the playground or others using the park.
@@thomasmacdiarmid8251 Perhaps they used "businessman" for a generic description of a man with a white collar job earning a decent salary and never likely to experience poverty or become homeless. Ppl (could be a woman too) with the comfort of homes and food at only an arm's length aren't unsympathetic but instead can be lacking real understanding of the lives the poor...a fear of hunger and no means to bathe or close relationships that can offer warmth and understanding and even better....hope.
More descriptive words could have offered a better picture in our mind's eye but the word they chose is ok.
As a retired teacher I'm able to see that great writing evolves with life's experiences and higher learning. This writer is perhaps writing from these "places" and given some time to evolve they can go from good writings to great writings.
I've noticed with myself, as I age, I revert to some old habits. That's OK tho bc my brain tires more easily and it contains a lot of data to sort and retrieve lol.
In fact I will actually say to myself, when hearing mundane data, Don't save this in your memory bank. You won't need it later or be able to retrieve bc it's way to full and your processor has slowed a lot. Lol.
For me the gist of this writer's meaning suffices and of note is the fact they write much more concisely than I and the meaning is there. The crux of their writing is actually quite good and describes quite well the plight of the poor and those who are not... comfort with few fears V. discomfort and many worries.
I saw them way back in the day. The stage set was a pirate ship. The band was dressed like this and came down a rope net in the stage back. The whole show was spectacular! They knew exactly how to draw the fans in. Loved every show I saw.
BROADSWORD-Tour in '82 ...
Ian Anderson live has been described as a shaman leading his tribe through a spiritual experience. Best summation ever!! The old fashioned clothes and Anderson using his flute like a wand just adds to the feeling. He also has been referred to as a "deranged flamingo" but I like the shaman reference better.
Jethro Tull was an actual person who lived in England from the late 1600s to 1741 - not exactly medieval, but still old. He was credited with inventing the horse drawn seed drill which allowed farmers to plant their fields much faster than in the past. This in turn meant fewer people were needed on farms and they moved to cities in search of work which they found in the form of the newly developing factory system. He was historically a biggie that almost no one has knowledge of.
The seed rill also increased the yield- fewer seeds were wasted. It helped to trigger the agricultural revolution that set the stage for the industrial revolution.
The band would change their name almost weekly so they could get rebooking- Jethro Tull was the name they using the first time they got asked back.
I grew up as a teenager in the 1970s and these songs were on the radio!!!!
Same. I was close to a city that had an arena. The concerts that I went to...
Pink Floyd, Journey, Blue Oyster Cult (with laser light show circa 1979)
Van Halen, too many to list.
@@Mytruenatureyep. I remember hearing Lola by The Kinks on the radio. Probably wouldn’t happen.today. Man, we were so lucky.
I saw JT in my Jr. High gym in 71. Also the A tour & I got to see Ian at the Roxy in Atl. in 96.
The band that pissed off millions of metal heads when they won the first ever Grammy award for best hard rock/metal performance. The 31st Grammy Awards 😂. It was a brand new category, and Metallica was expected to win with “And Justice For All”. The fallout was spectacular 😂.
Yes. Ian's reaction to the award was funny. Who knew, even them, that they were a heavy metal band.
But I think a lot of metal fans also like Jethro Tull
lol yeah that shocked us all that Tull was downgraded to a metal band! Ian Anderson’s wife wrote the lyrics to aqualung
This band didn’t piss off any metal heads - the organisers of the grammys did that
@@MikePhillips-pl6ovI certainly do!
You got the gist of the song's message.
The song 'Aqualung' is a critique on society and two opposing views on the homeless. One side looks down on the homeless with disgust, while the other side is about compassion and the desire to help.
Jethro Tull isn't about hits. They are about hidden gem after hidden gem after hidden gem. Tull has an intellectually vast and deep music catalogue. They should be seriously explored - both studio and live performances.
Ian Anderson is a self taught multi-Instrumental genius. The music & lyrics he writes is quite versatile. You will hear fusions of blues, jazz, hard rock, folk, & classical, but Ian states they are a progressive rock band first and foremost.
BP " Thicke as A Brick" is another BIG hit for them. Thanks
Good tune
I think he'd like Thick As A Brick.
I don't think anyone has more passion when performing than Ian Anderson. The name Jethro Tull comes from a 17th century agriculturalist by the same name. He lived from 1674-1721. They're my favorite prog rock band
Ian is the only musician who could get away with playing flute in a rock band. 😁🌠
Going to high school in the 70s was the best. 😊
Amen sister!
Class of '73!! Hell, yeah, girl!!!!!
Class of 74!! Oh yes!
@@threekidzmom04 Class of '74 here too, the 50th reunion was fun this summer! Saw Jethro Tull in I believe '72 at the Baltimore Civics Center on this very tour. Also saw Ten Years After 'Rock n Roll Music To The World' tour there, and many others. Alice Cooper's 'Killer' tour at the Capitol Center in DC. We were Navy brats so I started out seeing Grand Funk Railroad's 'Closer To Home' concert in Memphis in 1970. Here in Michigan I finally got to see Grand Funk again a couple of years ago with Kid Rock over in Grand Rapids. My hubby couldn't go so I took a young business friend with me that had never attended a big concert before, we had a blast. A couple months later I went to see the a cappella group Home Free in a much smaller venue and that was very cool too.
@@ThirdEyeEclipseThere's no doubt we came of age with the best soundtracks ever in the "movies" of our lives. We had every genre of music. Rock and Roll, R&B, Soul, Folk, Country, Broadway hits, movie scores and even some Muppet songs (Rubber Ducky and Rainbow Connection). There were ballads and Motown Sound and then some disco (I liked only one...Turn the Beat Around) And I must add the BeeGees.
I've missed some maybe bc there are so many. Wow to my great life I must say.b😊😊
Saw them back in the 70"s at Shea Stadium. We were stamping our feet so much the whole place shook. They were incredible. "Cross Eyed Mary" is a must.✌️🌻🌻
Cross Eyed Mary! Yes!
Ahhh, the Robin Hood of Highgate. Yes
A number called Living in the Past was what broke them through but had been listening to them before that and went to an epic concert at the Brighton Pavilion still the best concert I have been to. They had a loyal following.
'he goes down to the bog and warms his feet' - a bog is a lavatory - he is going to the public conveniences to get warm.
I think you did a great job picking up the meaning and message of the song BP and I see others filling in a lot of great information in the comments. One thing I’d add is that I heard Ian Anderson point out in an interview is that this song also is pointing out that the “evil” we see in the homeless (Aqualung is staring a little girls in the park) is a reflection of our own miss guided views. It’s just as likely that the homeless person is has benign intentions and is simply enjoying kids at play and remembering what it was like to be young and carefree. It’s what’s wrong with us and society and that we should be looking at the homeless with empathy and compassion. Keep up the great work!!!!!
My aunts graduating class senior trip in 1974 was to a Jethro Tull concert. These days the seniors usually hit amusement parks. Still flips me out to think how much times have changed!
Only Jethro Tull could write a masterpiece with "snot is running down his nose" in it. They were on the radio a lot where I've lived (central tx & Dallas)... usually this song & locomotive breath.
The album Auqualung is story telling at it's best need to listen to from beginning to end. Privileged to have seen them live twice
You caught Salvation Army and the cup of tea for listening to a sermon in a warm place BP. Dog-end is British slang for a cigarette end. or perhaps it's a dog's end is coming soon in response to his leg hurting. A common sign death is near in an old dog or an old man. Bad hips are common in old dogs for real, and they know it. You'll run across Cross eyed Mary on this album. She's the female version of Aqualung watching the little boys run or perhaps lost young in an old person. Ian Anderson is Scottish and consider the accent in 1969 pronunciation. Warming feet in a peat moss bog in chilly weather makes sense. Composting yard trimmings creates heat as it rots. It's a great album in any case Black Pegasus, enjoy it and then dig deeper into this archaic rabbit hole that was named after a farmer living in the 1700's! Look him up. Many good albums and tunes.
A bog is also slang for a toilet a public toilet would be a warmer place than outside if it was cold and wet.
Scottish by birth but with an English singing and speaking accent.
You are overcomplicating dog-end in your second alternative explanation. Just a used cigarette!
The title, Aqualung, was written to evoke the sound of the old man’s breathing. In fact, Aqualung is a scuba device which was already on the market. The manufacturer was ready to sue the band when their legal department pointed out that this was great, free adverting so they dropped the case. When they said, “The army’s up the road”, they are again referring to the Salvation Army and when they said “and the flowers bloom like madness in the Spring”, they referring to a spasm of tuberculosis when he coughs up blood, like flowers. Jethro Tull has a huge catalog but everyone chooses songs from Aqualung. It is a great album but there so many other songs which quite different. I would recommend the title track from Songs from the Wood or First Snow on Brooklyn from the Jethro Tull Christmas Album.
@@jimglenn6972 Always loved this band but only saw them live once. The Orpheum Theatre in Boston was built in 1852 with maybe 3000 seats. It was the best concert I've ever seen, and I've seen many groups that cost hundreds of dollars more than that pittance I paid Ian Anderson back in those days.
cigarettes are also sometimes called a "fag"
They toured the U.S. almost every year in the 70s and were a staple on FM radio. I saw them each year in high school. A little later they had a commercial hit with "Bungle in the Jungle."
Saw them in 76 in high school, to this day one of the best shows ever. I have seen everybody.
I graduated from high school in 1972 and yes they played on the radio along with Led Zeppelin the Beatles and all the other rock bands along with pop. We had great music back then on radio, Love your reactions.Jethro Trull was one of my favorite bands back in the day.
At 13, 1971 my first rock concert Jethro Tull, the Aqualung Tour. My brain exploded I was hooked
Fun fact, Ian started as a guitarist, but took up the flute because Martin Barr (lead guitar) was so good he felt he couldn't keep up. BTW, he taught himself to play the flute and traditional flute players can't duplicate his sound.
Bullshit ! Ian heard Eric Clapton... - that was it for him playing the electric guitar. At that time he didn't even know Martin BarrE (!). But Ian was and is (among other things) a very good acoustic guitar player...
P.S.
Ian NEVER played electric lead guitar in Jethro Tull !
@@huskytully3887 You are correct in that Ian never played Electric guitar on any record.... however, he did play electric guitar on stage when the band performed Steel monkey and Jump Start on the Crest of a Knave tour, where there were multiple guitar parts backing up Martin's lead breaks..
@bishopswoodcrafts I know that - I was a couple of times part of the audience ... - did YOU know, that Ian played keyboard, mandolin, mouth harmonica, clarinet, balalaika, bouzouki, tambourine, sax, claghorn, acoustic guitar, violin, bamboo-piccolo-alto-flutes and a busload of whistles live on stage, too ? 🙋🏻♂️
@@huskytully3887 yes I knew all of that.... just interested, if you knew that he did play electric guitar on stage, why did you emphatically state that he NEVER played it in Tull. Strange.
@bishopswoodcrafts As a lead guitarist, Sherlock, as THE TULL guitarist ... 🕵🏿♂️
Try out "Thick as a brick" on of my favorite. When I was much younger and went to their concerts, we did body painting(on ourselves). Great performers.
When FM radio first came out, there weren’t many stations. AM radio played two to three minute songs. Some FM stations would play album cuts that were longer, sometimes whole albums non-stop, just to get listeners. Great music, no static, what a fantastic time for music listening!!
"Dog-end" is a discarded cigarettes'. the opening is the publics view of the homeless. When the music changes he switches to the view point of the homeless guy.
Radio was much different in the early 70’s. They would take chances that might not make money.
Yeah I always listen to album rock radio, never listen to Pop radio although a lot of classic rock songs did make it to pop radio and and most of them were not the full version they had been edited
@ I remember listening to college radio and heard a lot of different bands. Some went on some didn’t but was it great times!
WIOT Toledo and WMMS Cleveland played Jethro Tull. I bought the albums.
Could you imagine if they tried to play "Walk on the Wild Side" today? There would be such an uproar.
Love Jethro Tull. “Bungle in the jungle’ is a fun song. ❤
Favorite 😊
Absolute CLASSIC!! Thanks for THIS one P!
bP-- back in the 70's,all things were new/unchartered in rock music. FM radio came about and played everything new under the sun. Bands with a progressive (prog rock) style,aka 'adventurous/outside the comercial box' were commonplace on these sations and DID reach the masses. Rock fans soaked in all types of music with far reaching influences- which started with The Beatles back in the 60's. Ian Anderson / Tull made quite the name for themselves from touring here in the US heavily. The stage show with Ian was incredible performance-wise. And they DID score alot of FM radio attention that just grew & grew back in the early 70's. One of thee top acts ever in rock. THey earned their reputation as a top draw live act. Andersons lyrics were very compicated and at times hard to figure out. I just now learned that a 'dog-end' was slang for a cigarette butt in the UK-almost 53 years after hearing the song/album for the 1st time. So don't feel too bad about trying to dewcipher Ian's complex lyrical bent moving forward. Cheers, T
well said!!
Locomotives Breath from this same concert is the bomb! Flute on fire in a rock-n-roll song!
I saw them in Tokyo, Japan when I was in the Navy back in 1972 and they filled a stadium !
One of favorite albums when I was a young teen back in the early seventies
YOU MUST WATCH "LIVING IN THE PAST" FROM JETHRO TULL
Got to see Tull with Uriah Heep and what a glorious evening of intellectual, passionate entertainment, and oh yes LOUD AS HECK. Now 47 years later is still ingrained in my mind.
As others mentioned below you hit nail on the head about being homeless. Dog-End is a cigarette butt. He's going down to the bogs because of the warm water they generate to keep his feet warm during the cold.
Generally they are heated too with radiators but either way, or both, you are right. Bog a slang word that not many countries use as such
A "dog end" is a discarded cigarette which may still have some tobacco and could be smoked again.
The level of musicianship required in the band meant that no one in the band could use drugs, not even pot after the show. Eventually a bass player was fired because he was using pot in his off time. The guy in the red plaid coat & tails, who's playing piano, wasn't comfortable with all the girl groupies after the shows, when the other members hooked up. He realized over time that he wasn't a he, but a she. He has lived for decades as a woman now. I hitched 150 miles on two lane blacktop as a freshman in college in August of 1971 to see Jethro Tull live. It was the tour promoting the new Aqualung album, and it was an amazing concert.
I believe the red plaid coat is keyboardist John Evan. The band added a second keyboardist, David Palmer, who later became Dee Palmer.
@@PRWphoto Thank you for correcting my mistake. I wondered why there weren't two keyboard players.
When you ask how they got big, it was FM radio where music didn't have to fit the AM format of 2 1/2 minutes. FM was just getting big in the early 70's. Not everyone had a radio with an FM tuner. Plus FM was broadcasting in stereo. FM stations would play complete album sides uninterrupted, which lead to the commercial block while the DJ flipped the album on the turntable.
Yep, they called it block parties , it was a good time.
First off, thanks for the reaction as Jethro Tull has been a favorite of mine for decades now. Back in the early 70's, while I was in high school, there was a teacher who would play their albums in class and then we would discuss the social significance of the lyrics. Homelessness has been an issue in the UK for a lot longer than it has been here in the US. We felt like, at the time, part of the lyrics were basically attitudes like you discussed. You hit a lot of the ideas of the song, spot on. You may consider listening to Thick As A Brick. Thanks again, Peace.
They never won a Grammy but they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The academy voted for them.
They did win a Grammy, beat out Metallica in the heavy metal category. Big controversy
@@leekraker5763Huge story in its day. I googled it, love me some Google, and added more info to your facts. Posted the info above. Fascinating stuff. 😊
As much as I love Crest of a Knave, I wouldn’t call it heavy metal. Not even back in 1987 standards.
The category was Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, and these old folks who picked the nominations considered Jethro Tull hard rock. This was the first year of the category.
Back in fall 1975 i seen Reo Speedwagon (Ridin the Storm out) at the Silver Dollar Saloon near MSU in Lansing. The backup band played Jethro Tull music. Lead singer played the flute just as well as Ian Anderson. I was very impressed. The place was packed. Julie Olson and I got good seats next to a really big guy who would not let anyone stand in front and block our views. 18 and loving every minute of it. btw drinking age was 18 then
Yes, I'm here! Seen Jethro Tull in the 70's and early 80's about 4 times. What a talent. Aqualung is my absolute favorite!!
Saw Jethro Tull in the 70's! Named our first born Ian because I fell in love with that name.
saw them early 80's in germany
@@barrybritt2210 that had to be very cool!
Their songs were all over the Rock radio stations all over the country in the 1970's , maybe the world too
In those days AM radio was "pop" music FM radio was "album" rock, which turned in classic rock over the years. Yes, some classic rock was pop hits, but bands like Led Zepplin had very few "pop" hits but they have many "classic" songs. I miss the old FM album rock stations.
@@briangulley6027 Here in N.Y AM radio played all the pop hits from The Partridge Family , Sly Stone, Glen Campbell , Otis Redding, It was a stew of great pop songs of all musical styles . Them were the days.
Thick As A Brick was No.1 in the US Album Charts in '72.
You gotta do Cross eyed Mary by Jethro Tull next!!
I've been lucky enough to see that lead guitarist Martin Barr live twice in the last 3 years He's still out there touring he's unbelievable he does cuts from Jethro Tull that Ian Anderson never would do... If you get a chance to see Martin barre band live you should take it up it's just amazing
Dude can play a flute like crazy
Even though he didn't bring it out in this song. Truly an artist of his time.
Used to go every year to see Jethro Tull. Loved it.
I first listened to this band in 1966 and was hooked and they still sound fresh. Jethro Tull was a person in the middle ages who brought in a system of rotating crops on a 7 year cycle leaving each field fallow once every 7 years with a high nitrogen crop which is plowed in to enrich the soil. This system revolutionised farming and greatly increased production. It is his name the band is using and why they wear those clothes, all probably to honour him. We learnt about Jethro and systems of farming in primary school and it is sad it is no longer taught.
Next time look him up before you spout rumor. You are off by a couple of hundred years and his invention was not crop rotation.
"... and why they wear those clothes, probably to honour him."
That's rubbish. The concert was part of the BROADSWORD & THE BEAST tour '82. Each band member wore album-related clothes...
@@huskytully3887 They wore such clothing before, since their album Minstrel In The Gallery, and then during their Songs From The Woods tour.
@@doomhunter697 Similar clothing, yes - but ALWAYS with ZERO reference to the PERSON Jethro Tull.
Uh, and by the way: What do forest songs or a minstrel have in common with farmers sowing seeds?
@@huskytully3887 The first time I saw the band Jethro Tull was 1966 and they were wearing that style of clothing. There style of music is also similar to the old style minstrels, something they referred to at that time.
Songs were held to the 3 minute rule for AM radio, then came FM. 1/2 hour version of Light My Fire, no problem.
They have always been a 'niche' band! Totally great, but under rated! Not in the Rock hall of fame, but should be!!! They have an extensive catalog, still touring, writing! Ian is in his late 70's. Please continue your journey into their works! Try 'Thick as a Brick' Live!!! Thank You!!!!
They were the best live rock act in the world between about 1972 and 1975. They were originally an 'underground band' like Yes.
Long time Tull fan, and I see you’ve been getting response from a lot of us. Rather than tell you my favorite, I suggest your follow up song to this would be Cross Eyed Mary. That song even references Aqualung. Be interesting to see what you pick up as you caught a lot of the fun nuance in this.
Also, Martin Barr is fire on the guitar, and Ian Anderson is a legendary frontman.
Back in the 70's progressive rock era you had Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and others, and then you had Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull who were in their own league.
The stories in the songs makes reading the lyrics and listening to the music a few times to get the feel and understanding.
I actually asked my grandfather who was a Brit what some of the sayings meant.
King Crimson 😊👍
Jethro Tull performed at Winterland in San Francisco in 1969:
Year: 1969
Venue: Winterland my only JT performs. I was 16-year-old imagine impression that show had on me
It's two perspectives of the same homeless man. The first perspective is that of regular society thinking the worst of him and imagining that he has only evil intentions. A "dog-end" is a mostly smoked cigarette that is bent from being put out, that someone was finished with, but he could light and get a few drags off of. The "army" down the street is the salvation army, that might provide something warm for him to drink or eat. The second perspective is of Aqualung himself, much closer to the truth.
I'm a flute player I love him
He's a great performer. 😊
I saw Jethro Tull in concert in 1977, and I suspect this video is on the same tour. It was one of my very first concerts, I was 17 years old and was a student of guitar; the concert was a gift from my Sister. I didn't know what to expect, and WHAM !!!! I came out of there a changed musician, never to be the same. I admire Ian Anderson's musical journey, and saw him in Concert many times afterwards..... One of the best..... Check out the studio song "Budapest".
The last minute....you sir, we're mesmerized. 😮
Ian Anderson is incredibly talented and real. I saw Tull in DC in DAR Constitution Hall. In the lobby before the concert, Ian Anderson walked through the crowd. I saw him and stopped DEAD and just stared. Didn't say anything ... respected his right to not be "called out". His head turned, he saw me staring and he just smiled, nodded once at me (like a mini-bow) and kept walking. Also saw them at King's Dominion amusement park for their "Oh no not another 25 years" show sponsored by a radio station. It was outdoors and the radio station DEMANDED we stay SEATED. Ian came out with the band and immdiately said "Come on up, we're all old friends here".
Jethro Tull's fan base grew by their constant touring. I remember when I was a junior in High School older friends/acquaintances would go to Port Chester, NY on Friday + Saturday nights to see Till @ the Capitol Theater. This was when Benefit was out, their 3rd album. They blew up when Aqualung came out and got substantial airplay on both AM + FM radio. Before this you would only hear Tull on FM, which wasn't around until late 60s. The entire Aqualung album has provocative songs and titles, " My God", "Hymn 43" + "Wind Up" come to mind. I'd recommend the album closer
"Wind Up" which uses the perfect phrase regarding the Almighty, "He's not the kind you have to wake up on Sunday". Worth a deep dive. Tull, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Allman Bros.,Grateful Dead, Santana etc. were coming into their own at the same time. I971 was an incredible time to be 18 years old (me).
Another East Coaster here! We used to go to Port Chester to continue partying after everything shut down at 2am in CT. That was the time when you were legal at 18. We had fun times, but we also tragically lost quite a few schoolmates on the road home. 😢
@LaPinturaBella Yeah, I'm from West Haven. It got better when drinking age became 18,in 71 or '72. BTW one of the acquaintances I mentioned was Steve Busloe who became bass player for Meatloaf on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". Crazy, good times.
The Cap! Ian Anderson and band (I hesitate to refer to them as Jethro Tull at this point) were there this year. I lived in Westchester at various points in my life, including four years on King Street in Port Chester and worked right on the border at 777 West Putnam Avenue in Greenwich for 8 years when that location became an office building after the deadly fire.
Fun fact: they usually "roadie" their own stage. You'll see hooded figures setting up equipment on stage, for quite awhile before showtime, then, all of a sudden, they'll take their places, throw off the robes, and start rocking!!! Did it all 3 times i saw them!!! K was introduced to Tull by my older brother,, but in the 70s we had album -orienged radio stations that would play full versions of songs like this. YES, IT WAS A RADIO HIT. Some of us chose to dig deeper into their catalog and became life long fans ❤❤❤
This is SUCH A GREAT SONG!!! I think you really should give the studio cut a listen. I LOVE WATCHING JETHRO TULL: LIVE - but, this performance sounds a little "tinny".....I'm SO GLAD that you GRASPED IT! So many don't. It's about the different ways society judges people and comparing it to that person's REALITY. Jethro Tull is SO GOOD, LIVE!! Have seen them, several times....each time was JUST a FABULOUS SHOW!!! LOVE their CHRISTMAS ALBUM!!! SO, SO GOOD!! ENJOY!!! HUGS from TEXAS!
Tip for the upcoming holidays: Jethro Tull's Christmas album is one of the best you'll ever hear! It has almost a medieval feel to some of the songs, mixed with their distinctive rock style. Oh, and they also had a moderate radio hit with their version of a Bach bourré featuring Ian Anderson on flute. The medieval-madrigal fashion style was a thing with some bands in the mid-'70s, so they'd dress like that. Still rockers!
Dude, great idea. Probably get some extra views with the Christmas angle, and get us old Tull fans at the same time.
It's great that you mentioned it ! 🎅🏻🎅🏾
The RELEASE of an EXPANDED and REMIXED EDITION of 2003's THE JETHRO TULL CHRISTMAS ALBUM is DUE on the 6TH DECEMBER 2024. 🙏🏻
One of the best bands I have seen live.
Your eyes (and ears) can see, my friend. So happy you’re passing this music on to the next generation. Also, bringing forward the idea that music can change the world if you really listen and let it take you there - to open up the spiritual and philosophical nature of music to each human creature in creation. Continue, Captain Pegasus.
Friggin' awesome. I love the way the melody still carries through the acoustic section. Then it picks up and powers through to Martin's guitar solo.
They’ve got one of the greatest portfolios of “WTF” was that ? 😳mix of classical-crossed rock with great lyrics you’ll ever hear going back to the late 60’s. By all means, blow your mind away with Minstrel In The Gallery and follow it up with Songs From the Wood. Both are albums AND songs. JT is like the rock roll equivalent of going topsy-turvy, Alice in Wonderland. PS - 2 fantastic ways to enjoy some of their greatest hits - The Best of Acoustic JT and also Ian Anderson and Martin Barre with the London Symphony in “ A Classic Case”.
JT, Yes, Moody Blues, and Rush…Progressive at its best!
I saw them in 1974 when the album War Child came out. Ian Anderson the singer was very theatrical and dramatic in his stage performance adding to the experience.
Ian Anderson is a genius, singer, song-writer, multi-instramentalist ... taught himself to play the flute. Jethro Tull began in 1967 ... 23 studio albums .. lots of fabulous music. Next one should be .... Thick As A Brick, live .. mind blowing
Great show every time ! We saw them everytime they toured SoCal in the 70’s & 80’s . They always played the Long Beach Arena.
There is a second song "Cross-Eyed Mary". You should hear it when he is playing the Flute. I heard this on the radio.
They're not only a good rock band they're a legendary rock band. Started in the late 60's and were still winning Grammy's in the 30 years later. They have years of great music, and not only hard rock. Try Locomotive Breath or Thick as a Brick (providing you have time for the latter, cause the REAL version lasts 45+ minutes (they cut it way short when they play it live)
Grear reaction and again ive not heard of him before till i saw your reaction of a song you reacted to ( cant remember the name but hes playing a flute ) im so glad you reacted ro him as im loving his stuff 😊
An incredible, legendary band. I grew up on JT. I ADORE them. Top 3 favorite. Respect please.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I am one of the fortunate to be in one of their Aqualung tour after they released the album. Jethro Tull are one of the best bands in the the early seventies. The concert was awsome
Oh JT is so cool to see LIVE !!! 2015 he did a show in my country NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 boy what a awesome show I was 45years old
Been listening to him since a kid especially when you have aunties & uncles who raised us on all the Old school
❤ 🤘 Jethro Tull was my 1st live band I ever saw 1975 when I was 15. For Years I thought the Singer Was Jethro Tull, then I Found out that was the Band's name, Ian Anderson Is the Singer's name. When I Saw them in Terre Haute,
Indiana, the Big Hit it was
Bungle in the jungle, Check It when you get a chance.
💎And thanks for
Reacting to all the song's I
Put on the Comments, your Really True to your Word..
Another one to Check out
Call To The Heart ♥ by
Giuffria 🤘
Jethro Tull was a AWESOME SHOW TO SEE Saw them in 1977, THEY ARE PERFORMERS AND MUSICIANS!!!🐐😍🔥
Saw him live in the 70’s was brilliant and the most fun concert ever
I bought this album when it first came out, and it's still a favorite! I was 14.
Jethro Tull was one of the first concerts in the 70s. In between songs, we heard a loud telephone ringing. Someone brought a telephone out on the stage to Ian Anderson. He put the receiver to his ear, listened for a moment, then held the receiver out to us in the audience, saying " It's for YOU!"
❤
Started in 1967, they defy all categories. I have been to a number of their Concerts, they always put on a great show. Ian Anderson is a Multi Instrumentalist, he’s also a Scottish Laird who owns a number of Salmon Farms. Other great tracks are Teacher and Minstrel in the Gallery!
Saw them live twice! It was like going to a play that rocked the hell out!
Broadsword is fire but my personal favourite by Jethro Tull is Heavy Horses always brings a tear to my eye. Basically everything by Tull is 🔥😊
Love those songs. I could play them on repeat all day. The beat on Broadsword is something else.
Mate I love Jethro Tull . This is classic Tull and Ian Anderson . Seen them live in Melbourne bk in the 70’s been a fan ever since . Great reaction mate . Sub from me
One of my favorite artists is performing one of my favorite songs by him. I saw him at the Orion concert in Landover Maryland's capital center. Awesome performer. I was in the early stages of labor and refused to leave until after the encore.
Dog end is a British slang for a cigarette butt.
Mind blowing live! I’m so glad I saw JT live. Mesmerizing concert!
Tull was a huge band back in the day, I saw Jethro Tull, Robin Trower, Johnny and Edgar Winter back in the day at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Fl. back in the day and it was packed!
I saw JT at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA in 1970. Yes, I am that old! They are one of the best live bands I ever saw. May I suggest you check out their earlier albums, "This Was", "Benefit", "Stand Up" . . . I think you will enjoy them.
BP fan signing in!❤ hold on enjoy Jethro Tull jams!!!
I saw them front row center at Michigan State University in 1973....the ballerina tour....it was such a great show....