AQUALUNG

Here we have Jethro Tull's rough mix of hard rock and primitive prog.The result is an album which sounds at times lost,but dark and brilliant sounding overall.Though it is very unlikely that Aqualung holds greater resemblances to Led Zeppelin IV,both albums released in 1971 are half heavy/half acoustic(and even got to be recorded during the same period and studio).

I'll start out by pointing my greatest complain towards this landmark of progressive rock:Ian Anderson's flute work could have been kept aside here,only coming up in more pastoral moments.What we have instead are somewhat misplaced flute solos in totally unsuitable moments,such as in the last minutes of Locomotive Breath.If there's anything else to be pointed out,is the perhaps excessive use of acoustic mini-tracks that serve mostly as transitional pieces.But considering they're all quite pleasent,this shouln't be taken too seriously.

The song to which everyone immediately fall in love with is obviously the opening self-titled composition,a number which simply sticks in your head.Divided in three acts,Aqualung is a genioulsy structured song with very strong lines and a remarkable guitar solo(here,there are no flutes at all).

But other compositions in the album should also please pretty much everyone:Locomotive Breath,with a mind-blowing grand piano introduction(a strong mood-settling moment)and a very heavy pace,the more straight rocking Hymn 43(a direct critic towards theological hipocrysies)and the uncanny arrangement of Cross-Eyed Mary.Those are album highlights,and unfortunately there's not much else worthy of attention outside the album's context,even though My God and Wind Up are very strong pieces by the time they show up.However,they probably don't work out anywhere else as well as they do here.

Aqualung is a concept album,even though the subject here is at times very abstract.The first half of the recording is not much more than a collection of singular ideas,while the second part deals strongly with religion.Quite honestly,this 'concept' could be removed(and lyrics slightly changed)without doing any harm at all to the album.

This is still not Jethro Tull's best moment,but Aqualung is the first album to present the band in it's fully developed form.Curiously it's the only recording by the group which survived the test of time(at least in a major perspective),and has gained a cult status now in the 21st century.4 stars is the fair rating to Aqualung,but I should remind everyone that this is of course only appliable to Jethro Tull's standards(setted high above the major share of prog bands).