AQUALUNG

AQUALUNG is the Jethro Tull album to start with particularly if you come from the hard rock side of the music world. The album features two slightly overexposed tracks in ''Aqualung'' and ''Locomotive Breath'', both being required listening for any fan of hard rock. There's more to AQUALUNG than those hits for the progsters out there.

''My God'' is my idea of the centrepiece here; all of the dynamic swings are well orchestrated and executed brilliantly. The acoustic introduction and virtuoso flute solo in the middle alone should get the prog fan excited. A few Medieval tunes like ''Mother Goose'' and ''Up to Me'' give us some variety, although I prefer it at the hard rock points like ''Wind Up'' and ''Cross-Eyed Mary''. The few solo acoustic spots aren't bad but add nothing to the overall appeal.

There's supposedly a concept running through AQUALUNG, but I never gave enough care to figure it out. The production could have been handled better and many of the songs have trouble in the ''lasting power'' aspect. Don't get me wrong, as much as I harp on this album, it's a great starting point for anyone interested in Jethro Tull. I prefer the SONGS FROM THE WOOD era more than this though.