Just to reiterate, the only reason we mentioned that this didn't get much radioplay is because the frontman himself was quoted as saying such. Thank you for all the Tull requests! We will get back to them in the future.
It didn't get much radio play on the mainstream rock stations because they still avoided songs longer than 3 minutes or so, and this goes well over six minutes... The "album rock" stations would play it on occasion though.
Aqualung is about our view of the homeless (sitting on a park bench, watching little girls). Then it changes to a sympathetic view of an old man going up the road to the Salvation Army for a cup of tea. This song doesn't have the famous flute that the band is known for. You have GOT to see a live performance. I suggest .. Locomotive Breath
Wait till you see him dancing around with his flute singin lead then playin his flute. His stage presence was just magical!!!!1 Locomotive Breath! cheers
This song was huge, and got lots of air play on FM radio. The album launched Tull into super stardom. By the 3rd album after this, the War Child tour sold out the LA Forum 5 nights, something that had never been done to that point.
Untrue, Ian Anderson on flute and acoustic guitar and vocals. Martin Barre on lead guitar, Jefferey Hammond Hammond on bass, John Evan on Keys, and Clive Bunker on drums. Thats pretty much the original band Jethro Tull.
Some reactors misinterpreted this song…”eyeing little girls with bad intent”. This was meant to be OUR view of him, not what he actually was. It was, indeed, a sad song.
This song offers both perspectives of the homeless. The regular voice is that of societies view of a homeless man, the distorted voice signifies the mans personal perspectives from his point of view. Aqualung refers to his labored breathing, like the sound of a scuba diver under water. A great song musically and a sociological masterpiece!!!
The song was not played on AM radio, which back then was just all about hit singles and the Billboard Hot 100. But this was a staple on the newly emerging FM radio that played album rock and where many people discovered the great artists of all time. FM drove album sales, which was the benchmark for great bands like Tull.
Some 15 years ago, I worked at a gas station and, talking to the girl I worked with, I referred to an old homeless dude as Aqualung. When I was young, this song was so ubiquitous, that I was surprised that she didn't get the reference.
The guitar solo was one take. Martin Barre' on a Les Paul JR. He started playing it and noticed through the control room window,,, he saw Jimmy Page watching him, and thought,,, oh $hit,, not Jimmy Page, not now, but he killed it in one take.
Thank god I was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 70's. Nothing more fun than getting a copy of a new album and having a listening party with all your buds. We actually listened to and were invested in the music, literally because we had to pay for it.😁
True fact! While Jethro Tull were recording the Aqualung album, Led Zeppelin shared the same studio to record their legendary Stairway to Heaven album!
same building.... different studios, and when Martin Barre was recording his solo, Jimmy Page popped in to watch and listen to him, Barre was determined to record it in one take - and apparently did so.
This was the first song of theirs I heard in late 70's. Bour'ee was next and I was craving more. Next was Locomotive Breath and I have been hooked ever since. Never a bad song by them )
By older brother was a Jethro Tull fan. I remember listening to this one and Thick As A Brick cross-legged on the floor reading the liner notes.I was 9 or 10 at the time.
One of the few songs (and albums) that really defined my musical taste in my early twenties. Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd were my entry point into the world of progressive rock. I was lucky enough to see them live a few times, it was amazing!
Jethro Tull carved their own niche! They had such an amazing career! They are a cult with many generations of fans! Thank University and FM radio stations for introducing Tull to the world!
Ian Anderson's wife was a photographer and this song is based on her photos of homeless people. The first part is what people think homeless people are and the acoustic part is what they actually are. Wait until you have 45 minutes and do the song/album 'Thick As A Brick'. Especially live- they MUST be see live. brilliant band with an amazing catalogue.
They actually DID play this song on the radio; not on AM radio, but on the far superior FM dial. It just wasn't a single. Look, "Stairway To Heaven" was also not a single. Most of the greatest rock songs were not singles!!!! You definitely need to play "Cross-Eyed Mary" next, as it is the sequel to "Aqualung." Then, from the same album, you need to play "Locomotive Breath" and "Hymn 43." Then, from other Jethro Tull albums, you need to play "Living In The Past," "Teacher," "Minstrel In The Gallery" (one of the longest songs they ever did, at 8+ minutes), "Bungle In The Jungle," "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die," "Lap Of Luxury," "Farm On The Freeway" and "Kissin' Willy." Jethro Tull is a deep rabbit hole, guys: Go down and enjoy it!!
I could add another twenty or thirty songs to your fine list - but I'd take out the "hit single" Bungle in the Jungle. It's ok from a musical standpoint but it's kind of weak lyrically - especially given the high bar that Ian has set on other songs. Plenty of better choices from the Warchild album in my opinion.
A brilliant album form start to finish. I've seen Tull 3 times. Amazing story telling and magical musicianship. A shout to Martin Barre, often overlooked but a one-of-a-kind guitarist.
This song did get some airplay back in the 70s. I graduated in 1978 and was very familiar with the song even though I have never owned a Jethro Tull album. The "album rock" stations played it fairly regularly. I also knew "Locomotive Breath" and "Crosseyed Mary", but not as well as "Aqualung".
This is so cool! I have been listening to thier song " Living in the Past". I can't get enough of this timeless song, I hope you guys can cover it as well! ❤
The more you listen the more you’ll appreciate the genius of this band. Key word is listen. Amazing live. Thanks for catching that it’s not music to play in the background at the party.
Ian Anderson is one of the most animated singers in rock. If you can’t see Jethro Tull live, their concert videos will show you how much of a showman he really is. This happens to be the first song that got me interested in rock music. After asking who this was, I thought Jethro Tull was a guy.., I was eight years old. 🤭 The Detroit market used to play this fairly frequently before it became "Classic Rock" but is now fighting for airtime with 90s rock.
The old guy was in such a bad state of health that his breathing reminded the narrator of a diver using an aqualung. Some Brit references : a dog end is somebody's discarded cigarette butt, a bog is a sit-down public toilet, in those days often below ground level. Ian Anderson is VERY theatrical, particularly on stage and is known among other things for his insane flute solos, which you don't get on this track. Try the studio version of Locomotive Breath off the same album, then access a live performance just to see how crazy Anderson can be in concert.
Ironically, for a band famous for having a flutist, one of their songs without any flute - still an epic song. My uncle, who got me into the band, was a teenager when Tull debuted and said Ian Anderson made him want to be a rock star.
Ian Anderson is still killing it and writing music. To me, he is my favorite rock frontman. Great voice and energy cannot be beat. This entire album is a masterpiece of rock/alt rock. Top 5 band.
Except that his voice is now shot. The current version of the band is still very tight and Ian's flute skills are still intact, but he can barely sing now. It really is sad as his lead vocals were a compelling part of seeing them live.
I met Ian Anderson in Miami in the seventies. He’s the lead singer and flautist. He was in a restaurant and he gave me his autograph. Nice guy and quite a character.
Did it again. I thought I don't know this. But the intro I have heard and is iconic. Don't believe I ever heard this all the way through. I think I only know Bungle in the Jungle. Not a favorite. But it is a 60's/70's Heavy Rock classic. There are a lot of change ups. Your stank face to all smiles. Good to see you enjoy it.
This era of JT was the best lineup. They were an amazingly tight band. They were all fantastic musicians. Even the silly song, Bungle in the Jungle, their instrumentation is unreal. It's no wonder they were an influence to so many killer rock bands!
Guitar solo by Martin Lancelot Barre, That's really his name. Rolling Stone guitar solo top 25 all time list. Anderson compares the opening notes to Beethoven. Ian is a story teller, yes his structure is very interestng. .
After the song finished you said My God! There's another excellent track from this album called...My God! I highly recommend you watch the live version from the Isle O' Wight Festival in 1970. Although the studio version came out a year later the audience had no clue what they were in for. Believe me when I tell you minds were blown! Ian is well known for his mastery o' the flute 'n this is a prime example.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for reacting to this song!!! Jethro Tull has many great songs throughout the years. From this very AQUALUNG album, "Locomotive Breath" and "Cross-Eyed Mary" are excellent songs. Keep up the great work guys!!! ☺
Martin Barre was with Tull for all the most significant years. One of the most underrated guitarists in music. Amazingly, didn’t get a spot on Rick Beato’s top riffs, solos lists. Led Zeppelin were recording in the studio next door when Tull did Aqualung. Legend has it that Jimmy Page was in the control room when Martin did the solo for this track and applauded when he was done. A lot of Tull’s songs have no chorus. If you want a complete contrast to this one listen to Cheap Day Return off this album. Btw, see them live… around 1975 was a good time.
Tull were the perfect mix of hard rock, folk, and prog. Anderson may be the centre of Jethro Tull, but Martin Barre has been in most of their line-ups and is a great guitarist. I'm not convinced it's their biggest song - "Living in the Past" and "Locomotive Breath" would be up there, too. Odd that you started with a song that doesn't use their deadliest weapon - Anderson's flute. And yes - the quiet parts are the old tramp as he is, harmless and sad, the loud parts are society's jaundiced view. And you really need to see a live video - Anderson is the master showman.
Anderson wife Jennie wrote the lyrics to this song, this album was always claimed by the critics as a concept album, which Anderson flatly denied. So in retaliation Tulls next album Thick As A Brick became the most epic concept album, after DSOTM by Floyd. Although some of the songs do have a theme related to the downtrodden of society, in relation to the hypocrisy of the English church, and religion in general. I absolutely love all Tull, especially Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day, one of the lesser known, but brilliantly constructed songs.
Historic song and album. A shock for the average yokel! You probably did not have an older brother to show you the way to great music as I was lucky enough to have. My brother owned this album as well as Tull’s Living In The Past album leading me into some of the best music ever!
One of my first bass lessons, 1978 in one of those lesson rooms in the back of Buddy Roger's Music. My instructor made sure I didn't wind up thumping eighth notes my entire life. Thanks Keith! P.S. It took years to get it all down properly.
My favorite album of theirs is "Songs from the Wood." It's more pastoral, with the usual rock shadings, but using more traditional English folk stylings. Best tracks are the title track, "Velvet Green," "Jack-in-the-Green," and "The Whistler."
Progressive rock, Jethro Tull is Jethro Tull is what distinguishes all the progressive rock bands of the 70s from each other, such as YES, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush, the music of the 70s was more experimental and varied in terms of musical improvisation more than in the 80s, amazing era.
Back when this came out (1970?) many of the FM stations played album cuts, not the top 40 pop stuff. So this was on the radio all the time. “Locomotive Breath” from this album is really good, and you should check out a live performance to get an idea of their madness.
A classic of progressive rock with so many tempo changes, a real soundscape. Great guitar solo with some wonderful piano. Not the nicest subject matter lyrically with some very dicey words at the beginning but it makes its point in the context of social commentary. It was ahead of its time then and is still relevant because it describes the plight of the homeless or those with mental illness. Like you said, it begins 'broken and grimy' because that is an apt description of the character Aqualung - an individual broken in spirit and physically with a grimy appearance. My musical mind of a young teen appreciated this song even as a 13-year-old in the mid-1970s.
It's really been ages since I've heard this, but it sounded even better than I remembered. Nick's comment about the guitar solo almost seeming Southern rock is a valid one. (Guess the guitarist was from the south of England, lol.) I've never heard their Christmas album, but Ian Anderson is an accomplished flautist, so I'm guessing that they perform some Old English folk carols featuring flute, though other commentors who are more familiar with their catalog could probably tell you.
Locomotive Breath and Cross Eyed Mary from that same album are masterpieces as well you get an idea of Andersons skill on the flute, then take a dive into watching Ian Anderson live he was a madman. But I'd listen to the album versions first truly epic.
Listening to Tull is a great experience, but I have come to find out over the years that if you have access to video of a live performance 🎭 then you would be doing yourself a disservice by not watching. The performance is such an amazing addition to the music. ✌🏼😎🇺🇸
Not played on AM radio but this was a staple of FM radio. AM in those days was all Billboard Hot 100, but FM, which was just emerging as a force, played albums and many people discovered so many great artists through it. It ain't all top 40, gentleman.
Who can cover a song like this? Well, Iron Maiden did a great version of their song 'Cross Eyed Mary', Dio did covers of 'Aqualung' and 'Cross Eyed Mary' in the mid-70s with his band Elf, etc. Jethro Tull is not for the faint of heart, one of the biggest, deepest catalogs in rock history. Their run of albums from 1968 to 1978 is one of the greatest 10 year periods of music ever made, and they kept going after that. Nick, you had a huge grin on for almost the whole video, glad you guys enjoyed it. Tull is very worth investigating. Thanks for the reaction.
The best Tull: Aqualung Cross Eyed Mary Mother Goose Hymn 43 Locomotive Breath Thick as a Brick Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day Bungle in the Jungle Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die Bouree
I've seen this band more than any other 7 times and if they come back to Houston I'll go again. You need to do a live performance Locomotive Breath. Enjoy
Just to reiterate, the only reason we mentioned that this didn't get much radioplay is because the frontman himself was quoted as saying such. Thank you for all the Tull requests! We will get back to them in the future.
To be honest I only heard Tull v ery infrequently and that was "back in the day." Rock on youngsters!
@@elizabeth-lisa-m2782 We heard him often on our Classic Rock stations back then, even into the early '90s. This was the NYC & Philly stations.
It didn't get much radio play on the mainstream rock stations because they still avoided songs longer than 3 minutes or so, and this goes well over six minutes... The "album rock" stations would play it on occasion though.
Aqualung is about our view of the homeless (sitting on a park bench, watching little girls). Then it changes to a sympathetic view of an old man going up the road to the Salvation Army for a cup of tea. This song doesn't have the famous flute that the band is known for. You have GOT to see a live performance. I suggest .. Locomotive Breath
Wait till you see him dancing around with his flute singin lead then playin his flute. His stage presence was just magical!!!!1 Locomotive Breath! cheers
Minstrel in the Gallery
“My God” from Isle of Wight - he’s possessed, the whole song is possessed
Geddy Lee said in an interview that when he saw Tull in concert, he realized rock could have theatre.
Oh, my........"Cross-eyed Mary," next? Love Jethro Tull!!!!!!! Xcellent
Was thinking the same thing. Perfect bookend.
@@andyman58 I LOVE "Cross-eyed Mary"......it's so memorable with that compelling bass riff.....
And "My God"
Locomotive Breath is another excellent cut
Same album, too!!
Locomotive Breath is how he became aqualung.
"Leg hurting bad as he bends to pick a dog end"
For those non Brits, a dog end is slang for a cigarette butt. Brilliant album from start to finish.
Every track is great.
This song was huge, and got lots of air play on FM radio. The album launched Tull into super stardom. By the 3rd album after this, the War Child tour sold out the LA Forum 5 nights, something that had never been done to that point.
Yes, Ian Anderson is the only person in the band the whole time, but the guitarist, Martin Barre, was in the band for 45 years
Untrue, Ian Anderson on flute and acoustic guitar and vocals. Martin Barre on lead guitar, Jefferey Hammond Hammond on bass, John Evan on Keys, and Clive Bunker on drums. Thats pretty much the original band Jethro Tull.
The entire album is brilliant.
The creativity of music during this era was off the charts. It really was an amazing time to be alive and a music fan.
The guitar solo is a thing of beauty. Simply masterful.
I cannot explain how good, actuallg GREAT it was to see Tull live in concert twice. Lucky chick here!
OMG It was on rock stations for years many times a day. A flippin Classic
Martin Barre on lead guitar.
he's so underrated.
Some reactors misinterpreted this song…”eyeing little girls with bad intent”. This was meant to be OUR view of him, not what he actually was. It was, indeed, a sad song.
You are so right! Unforgettable tune and story!
Too right! And the subdued acoustic section with the voice filter is him speaking. All he wants is what everyone else wants...
It’s about how the privileged look at homeless people
@@terryhall7697 in today’s world, anybody with a roof and food is privileged 😕
@@SBel65 as it’s always been
Thick As A Brick live is incredible. It really showcases the musicianship of this band. Keys and lead guitar in particular.
but you HAVE to do the entire song, which is 43 minutes long...
This song offers both perspectives of the homeless. The regular voice is that of societies view of a homeless man, the distorted voice signifies the mans personal perspectives from his point of view.
Aqualung refers to his labored breathing, like the sound of a scuba diver under water. A great song musically and a sociological masterpiece!!!
The song was not played on AM radio, which back then was just all about hit singles and the Billboard Hot 100. But this was a staple on the newly emerging FM radio that played album rock and where many people discovered the great artists of all time. FM drove album sales, which was the benchmark for great bands like Tull.
Yes indeed and I purchased so many albums too except not this one because my older brother already owned one it he album!😃
Some 15 years ago, I worked at a gas station and, talking to the girl I worked with, I referred to an old homeless dude as Aqualung. When I was young, this song was so ubiquitous, that I was surprised that she didn't get the reference.
The guitar solo was one take. Martin Barre' on a Les Paul JR. He started playing it and noticed through the control room window,,, he saw Jimmy Page watching him, and thought,,, oh $hit,, not Jimmy Page, not now, but he killed it in one take.
In my old age, 63,only seen them twice. Not when I should have. Amazing sounding band back then. Tull is a never ending rabbit hole. Don't stop.
Watching them on live video they were incredible though seeing them in 1989 after Ian had hurt his vocal folds they were not the same band!
The guitar solo in this is absolutely FIRE...When I was a kid, my mother heard me playing this album and she LOVED that solo !!!! Miss you Mom !!!! 😞
cant believe ian anderson got rid of martin barre
Thank god I was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 70's. Nothing more fun than getting a copy of a new album and having a listening party with all your buds. We actually listened to and were invested in the music, literally because we had to pay for it.😁
The song was played on FM rock radio like crazy!
Yes....and it was very popular. The album is a masterpiece.
True fact! While Jethro Tull were recording the Aqualung album, Led Zeppelin shared the same studio to record their legendary Stairway to Heaven album!
same building.... different studios, and when Martin Barre was recording his solo, Jimmy Page popped in to watch and listen to him, Barre was determined to record it in one take - and apparently did so.
It was a late-night favorite on FM Radio, back then.
This was the first song of theirs I heard in late 70's. Bour'ee was next and I was craving more. Next was Locomotive Breath and I have been hooked ever since. Never a bad song by them )
By older brother was a Jethro Tull fan. I remember listening to this one and Thick As A Brick cross-legged on the floor reading the liner notes.I was 9 or 10 at the time.
This band will always shock you. Seen them four times. Can never get tired of them.
One of the few songs (and albums) that really defined my musical taste in my early twenties. Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd were my entry point into the world of progressive rock. I was lucky enough to see them live a few times, it was amazing!
"Skating Away On the Thin Ice of A New Day"
Fave
AWESOME!!! Love Ian's VOCALS in that one, particularly!!
Great choice!
Ooooh that's a good one too
My favorite JT song!
Arguably the most iconic guitar riff in rock history.
It's a classic augmented fifth. It's the chord you hear in horror films when something bad is about to happen. It's pure dissonance.
Jethro Tull carved their own niche! They had such an amazing career! They are a cult with many generations of fans! Thank University and FM radio stations for introducing Tull to the world!
I was only 6 when Aqualung was released in 1971, but I definitely remember Jethro from my late teens. Awesome choice tonight guys!
Ian Anderson's wife was a photographer and this song is based on her photos of homeless people. The first part is what people think homeless people are and the acoustic part is what they actually are. Wait until you have 45 minutes and do the song/album 'Thick As A Brick'. Especially live- they MUST be see live. brilliant band with an amazing catalogue.
They actually DID play this song on the radio; not on AM radio, but on the far superior FM dial. It just wasn't a single. Look, "Stairway To Heaven" was also not a single. Most of the greatest rock songs were not singles!!!!
You definitely need to play "Cross-Eyed Mary" next, as it is the sequel to "Aqualung." Then, from the same album, you need to play "Locomotive Breath" and "Hymn 43." Then, from other Jethro Tull albums, you need to play "Living In The Past," "Teacher," "Minstrel In The Gallery" (one of the longest songs they ever did, at 8+ minutes), "Bungle In The Jungle," "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die," "Lap Of Luxury," "Farm On The Freeway" and "Kissin' Willy."
Jethro Tull is a deep rabbit hole, guys: Go down and enjoy it!!
I could add another twenty or thirty songs to your fine list - but I'd take out the "hit single" Bungle in the Jungle. It's ok from a musical standpoint but it's kind of weak lyrically - especially given the high bar that Ian has set on other songs. Plenty of better choices from the Warchild album in my opinion.
A brilliant album form start to finish. I've seen Tull 3 times. Amazing story telling and magical musicianship. A shout to Martin Barre, often overlooked but a one-of-a-kind guitarist.
This is just the tip of a verrrry large iceberg of insanely good music. I hope you explore more.
This song did get some airplay back in the 70s. I graduated in 1978 and was very familiar with the song even though I have never owned a Jethro Tull album. The "album rock" stations played it fairly regularly. I also knew "Locomotive Breath" and "Crosseyed Mary", but not as well as "Aqualung".
One of the first 8 track tapes I loved as my big brother drove me on a rainy day on my newspaper route early in the morning,Classic
One of the greatest guitar solos in rock history.
Thank you for doing Jethro Tull. The Moody Blues too have a vast catalogue of brilliant songs.
One of my favorite guitar solos. Simple but fits the song so well,
This is so cool! I have been listening to thier song " Living in the Past". I can't get enough of this timeless song, I hope you guys can cover it as well! ❤
That album is incredible!
@@sheilathailand1903❤❤
The more you listen the more you’ll appreciate the genius of this band. Key word is listen. Amazing live. Thanks for catching that it’s not music to play in the background at the party.
Ian Anderson is one of the most animated singers in rock. If you can’t see Jethro Tull live, their concert videos will show you how much of a showman he really is.
This happens to be the first song that got me interested in rock music. After asking who this was, I thought Jethro Tull was a guy.., I was eight years old. 🤭
The Detroit market used to play this fairly frequently before it became "Classic Rock" but is now fighting for airtime with 90s rock.
The old guy was in such a bad state of health that his breathing reminded the narrator of a diver using an aqualung. Some Brit references : a dog end is somebody's discarded cigarette butt, a bog is a sit-down public toilet, in those days often below ground level.
Ian Anderson is VERY theatrical, particularly on stage and is known among other things for his insane flute solos, which you don't get on this track. Try the studio version of Locomotive Breath off the same album, then access a live performance just to see how crazy Anderson can be in concert.
Ironically, for a band famous for having a flutist, one of their songs without any flute - still an epic song. My uncle, who got me into the band, was a teenager when Tull debuted and said Ian Anderson made him want to be a rock star.
Sorry to be pedantic but a player of the flute is called a flautist 😄
love it
Andersons voice is quintessential old school British folk, and his persona is that of a medieval troubadour. And he kinds of looks like Aqualung!
Ian Anderson is still killing it and writing music. To me, he is my favorite rock frontman. Great voice and energy cannot be beat. This entire album is a masterpiece of rock/alt rock. Top 5 band.
Except that his voice is now shot. The current version of the band is still very tight and Ian's flute skills are still intact, but he can barely sing now. It really is sad as his lead vocals were a compelling part of seeing them live.
@@neonpark1874Spot on. He had his 1st issues in the late 70's, and it became evident in the 80's.
I met Ian Anderson in Miami in the seventies. He’s the lead singer and flautist. He was in a restaurant and he gave me his autograph. Nice guy and quite a character.
Did it again. I thought I don't know this. But the intro I have heard and is iconic. Don't believe I ever heard this all the way through. I think I only know Bungle in the Jungle. Not a favorite. But it is a 60's/70's Heavy Rock classic. There are a lot of change ups. Your stank face to all smiles. Good to see you enjoy it.
Love Jethro Tull! As many people have suggested, please do "Locomotive Breath" and "Cross-eyed Mary" which features a rock flute solo!
This entire album, start to finish, is superb. And also “Benefit”
Classic4- "Stormy"great sax
This era of JT was the best lineup. They were an amazingly tight band. They were all fantastic musicians. Even the silly song, Bungle in the Jungle, their instrumentation is unreal. It's no wonder they were an influence to so many killer rock bands!
Guitar solo by Martin Lancelot Barre, That's really his name. Rolling Stone guitar solo top 25 all time list. Anderson compares the opening notes to Beethoven. Ian is a story teller, yes his structure is very interestng. .
After the song finished you said My God! There's another excellent track from this album called...My God! I highly recommend you watch the live version from the Isle O' Wight Festival in 1970. Although the studio version came out a year later the audience had no clue what they were in for. Believe me when I tell you minds were blown! Ian is well known for his mastery o' the flute 'n this is a prime example.
Excellent commentary , Jethro Tull had a 'lot' of songs like this . I clicked with Tull immediately .
this is my FAVORITE band of all time! Nothing else comes close. for your Xmas song from them, I recommend Another Christmas Song
We(class of77) used to call him jethro dull but we were stoned too! Love you guys
Thank you, thank you, thank you for reacting to this song!!! Jethro Tull has many great songs throughout the years. From this very AQUALUNG album, "Locomotive Breath" and "Cross-Eyed Mary" are excellent songs. Keep up the great work guys!!! ☺
Loved Jethro Tull back in those days and named my oldest Ian in 1982 because of Ian Anderson.
Hymn 43 and Teacher 🔥🔥🔥
You are correct Nick!! This band is truly unique!! Can’t wait until Ryan hears the flute!!🤘🔥
Yes, indeed!!!!!!
Martin Barre was with Tull for all the most significant years. One of the most underrated guitarists in music. Amazingly, didn’t get a spot on Rick Beato’s top riffs, solos lists. Led Zeppelin were recording in the studio next door when Tull did Aqualung. Legend has it that Jimmy Page was in the control room when Martin did the solo for this track and applauded when he was done.
A lot of Tull’s songs have no chorus. If you want a complete contrast to this one listen to Cheap Day Return off this album.
Btw, see them live… around 1975 was a good time.
This was one of the first albums I bought with my own money I made from a job when a teenager. ✌️❤️
These guys live were next level. Incredible stage performances
Tull were the perfect mix of hard rock, folk, and prog. Anderson may be the centre of Jethro Tull, but Martin Barre has been in most of their line-ups and is a great guitarist. I'm not convinced it's their biggest song - "Living in the Past" and "Locomotive Breath" would be up there, too. Odd that you started with a song that doesn't use their deadliest weapon - Anderson's flute. And yes - the quiet parts are the old tramp as he is, harmless and sad, the loud parts are society's jaundiced view. And you really need to see a live video - Anderson is the master showman.
Anderson wife Jennie wrote the lyrics to this song, this album was always claimed by the critics as a concept album, which Anderson flatly denied. So in retaliation Tulls next album Thick As A Brick became the most epic concept album, after DSOTM by Floyd. Although some of the songs do have a theme related to the downtrodden of society, in relation to the hypocrisy of the English church, and religion in general.
I absolutely love all Tull, especially Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day, one of the lesser known, but brilliantly constructed songs.
Historic song and album. A shock for the average yokel! You probably did not have an older brother to show you the way to great music as I was lucky enough to have. My brother owned this album as well as Tull’s Living In The Past album leading me into some of the best music ever!
Try "Locomotive Breath", "Cross-Eyed Mary", or "Bouree" next.
Cross Eyed Mary is my favorite! ✌️❤️
Bouree is JTs version of Bach. Just brilliant.
One of my first bass lessons, 1978 in one of those lesson rooms in the back of Buddy Roger's Music. My instructor made sure I didn't wind up thumping eighth notes my entire life. Thanks Keith!
P.S. It took years to get it all down properly.
My favorite album of theirs is "Songs from the Wood." It's more pastoral, with the usual rock shadings, but using more traditional English folk stylings. Best tracks are the title track, "Velvet Green," "Jack-in-the-Green," and "The Whistler."
I agree. Songs from the Wood ages well. Very listenable over and over. My favorite Tull Album second to the masterpiece Thick as a Brick.
Progressive rock, Jethro Tull is Jethro Tull is what distinguishes all the progressive rock bands of the 70s from each other, such as YES, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush, the music of the 70s was more experimental and varied in terms of musical improvisation more than in the 80s, amazing era.
The earlier albums, This Was, very jazzy, Benefit, and Stand Up are classics.
Summer of 1971, lots of Aqualung was heard on lots of 8 tracks.
Back when this came out (1970?) many of the FM stations played album cuts, not the top 40 pop stuff. So this was on the radio all the time. “Locomotive Breath” from this album is really good, and you should check out a live performance to get an idea of their madness.
Have seen Tull 30 plus times since 77.
Wow
Love this track and the album it comes from. Martin Barre's guitar solo is a favourite too.
A classic of progressive rock with so many tempo changes, a real soundscape. Great guitar solo with some wonderful piano. Not the nicest subject matter lyrically with some very dicey words at the beginning but it makes its point in the context of social commentary. It was ahead of its time then and is still relevant because it describes the plight of the homeless or those with mental illness.
Like you said, it begins 'broken and grimy' because that is an apt description of the character Aqualung - an individual broken in spirit and physically with a grimy appearance. My musical mind of a young teen appreciated this song even as a 13-year-old in the mid-1970s.
The thing about these old rockers is they can play. The musicianship is outstanding.
It's really been ages since I've heard this, but it sounded even better than I remembered. Nick's comment about the guitar solo almost seeming Southern rock is a valid one. (Guess the guitarist was from the south of England, lol.) I've never heard their Christmas album, but Ian Anderson is an accomplished flautist, so I'm guessing that they perform some Old English folk carols featuring flute, though other commentors who are more familiar with their catalog could probably tell you.
Andrew Lincoln, Rick Grimes from walking dead, is Ian Anderson's son in-law.
Locomotive Breath and Cross Eyed Mary from that same album are masterpieces as well you get an idea of Andersons skill on the flute, then take a dive into watching Ian Anderson live he was a madman. But I'd listen to the album versions first truly epic.
Listening to Tull is a great experience, but I have come to find out over the years that if you have access to video of a live performance 🎭 then you would be doing yourself a disservice by not watching. The performance is such an amazing addition to the music. ✌🏼😎🇺🇸
Not played on AM radio but this was a staple of FM radio. AM in those days was all Billboard Hot 100, but FM, which was just emerging as a force, played albums and many people discovered so many great artists through it. It ain't all top 40, gentleman.
In 1977 as a senior in high school I wrote a term paper on the theming of the second side of this album.
Now listen to Cross Eyed Mary, Aqualung makes a guest appearance.
The driving bass is the killer!
This is why I listened to I95 fm Danbury the home of rock and roll. WRKI Danbury Brookfield Connecticut.
Who can cover a song like this? Well, Iron Maiden did a great version of their song 'Cross Eyed Mary', Dio did covers of 'Aqualung' and 'Cross Eyed Mary' in the mid-70s with his band Elf, etc. Jethro Tull is not for the faint of heart, one of the biggest, deepest catalogs in rock history. Their run of albums from 1968 to 1978 is one of the greatest 10 year periods of music ever made, and they kept going after that. Nick, you had a huge grin on for almost the whole video, glad you guys enjoyed it. Tull is very worth investigating. Thanks for the reaction.
Locomotive Breathe definitely!!!
Skating Away.
Singer Ian Andersons trademark is the flute. Unfortunately while AuquaLung is a killer track, one of the very few without 🪈 flute.
Aqualung = Breathing heavy in a bell underwater.
Cool.
Peace on earth.
One of my favorite albums in high school!
The best Tull:
Aqualung
Cross Eyed Mary
Mother Goose
Hymn 43
Locomotive Breath
Thick as a Brick
Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day
Bungle in the Jungle
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die
Bouree
I would agree with that list.
I've seen this band more than any other 7 times and if they come back to Houston I'll go again. You need to do a live performance Locomotive Breath. Enjoy
I heard it back then on the radio, frequently.