AQUALUNG

Aqualung is generally regarded as one of Tull's best albums. Well, I don't buy it. There certainly is some good music here but more then half of it consists of weak, plain rock songs. Worst of all, the few moments that are enjoyable are brought down by the production, done very dry and sparse, which has made the album age badly, like many other early 70's classic rock albums.

To start, there's the performance. This album is the first Tull album that sounds as if the band couldn't be brought to display any kind of enthusiasm for the song material. It sounds as if they were constantly holding back, never daring to push their limits and put in some fresh ideas.

The reason for this is obviously the song material. While Aqualung and My God are strong classic Tull tracks, the rest of the album is a big let-down. I fail to see how a fan of prog rock can find anything to enjoy in the uninspired hard rock of Cross-Eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath or in the unaccomplished balladry that fills the remainder of the album.

Because of its historic relevance I will still grant it 3 stars. With only two relevant songs, my personal appreciation is far below that.