AQUALUNG

This is a difficult album to comment on as there have been million of reviews already written about this album . AQUALUNG is considered as the landmark of the JETHRO TULL catalogue, and with good reason as it is excellent music. This is the album that t brought the band to mega-stardom and it is , i am sure, their biggest commercial success to this day!

AQUALUNG can be considered as some kind of concept album; not that there is a story of some kid with an overture, but the lyrics are dealing about God and religion, or better what separates God from organised religion.The LP cover was magnificent with its medieval athmosphere and gothic lettering; absolutely, one of the best cover of all rock music!!

A new bassist is in place as JEFFREY HAMMOND-HAMMOND took over GLENN CORNICK who was too much of a party-guy for the taste of IAN ANDERSON. Not that it changes anything in the JETHRO TULL sound as the role of a JT bassist is merely to be serviceable.IAN ANDERSON doesn't want a SQUIRE or a WETTON around him!!

This is definitely a more acoustic sounding album than the first 3 ones. Also the mood is more subdued than before, more introspective, surely in regard about what IAN ANDERSON is singing about. Thoughts of God and cathedrals don't match with vibrant hard rock, i guess!! MARTIN BARRE role has been drastically reduced compared with BENEFIT.

Of course, there are a few tunes with some strong guitar riffs like on AQUALUNG or MY GOD, two of the best known tracks of this album but everything is underl control; a lot of flute of course and the piano of JOHN EVAN gets a bigger presence on this recording as he has become a permanent member. The biggest hit was of course LOCOMOTIVE BREATH, the most energetic song of the album well recognizable with his piano intro. This song is to JETHRO TULL what SMOKE ON THE WATER is to DEEP PURPLE: no way, even now, that they will not play these 2 songs each and every time they are on stage.They are their flags.

One thing to add: i barely listen to AQUALUNG! This album suffers from the same disease that has strken DARK SIDE OF THE MOON! Too much radio exposure. Even now, when you turn on a classic rock station, you can be sure that you are going to listen at what time or another the title track AQUALUNG. MY GOD and of course LOCOMOTIVE BREATH! Everyday!! When it's not CROSS EYED MARY!! good, great songs but how many more times can i listen to LOCOMOTIVE BREATH. I just can't.

Yes, this is a cornerstone of ROCK music, a monument in the JETHRO TULL collection, but 4 stars will do it, not 5.

4 STARS

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