Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)

Dan:

Jethro Tull's follow up to the excellent Benefit album was astonishing for its social commentary and its collection of new compositions by Ian Anderson. It became the band's best-selling album while garnering rave reviews. I imagine that I bought it because of its popularity (not my usual criterion) but I liked its departure from the norm. It takes on serious subject matter, rocks like crazy but also shows a delicate side to Tull. I prefer Benefit and Stand Up for their tunes, but I appreciate Aqualung for its boldness. Because it's so widely known and loved, most people would not need much guidance, so I'll just explain why I like it. 

First, the two songs that open the album are the title piece and "Cross-Eyed Mary." Both portray anti-heroic characters: a homeless man who ogles school children, and a young prostitute. I take the point to be that these people exist and should be reckoned with instead of being loathed or ignored. I occasionally engage with people like Aqualung on my morning walks and find them utterly harmless and often humorous. They give me names (hey Slim) and offer fist bumps or, in one case, a puff of whatever he was smoking (I politely declined). I understand that the Aqualung character was inspired by Ian Anderson's wife who photographed such people on the banks of the Thames.

Second, the album's religious theme laments the plight of God as something that you "wind up on Sundays." For Anderson and many other people, religion is a personal matter and God, if he's anywhere, is "inside you and me." Anderson's songs about God are not irreverent, but they are critical of how God is forced upon people by parents, teachers, and legislators. 

While critics sometimes weave these two themes together to form a (gasp) "concept album," I see the themes as mostly independent. My appreciation of individual songs is based on the music, not their connection to the narrative. For example, I like "Aqualung's" structure, with its almost spoken bridge that contrasts with the snarling opening and closing bars. The closing "Wind Up," is a plaintive appeal for understanding that can both stand alone and serve to summarize a religious theme. 

Then there is "Locomotive Breath." Not to be taken literally, the runaway train signifies the concept of juggernaut, which for me refers to social processes that are impelled forwardly and cannot be reversed, despite their dire consequences. I think of industrial development, religious fervor, political extremism, the proliferation of firearms in the U.S., and overpopulation (Anderson's particular inspiration for the song), all of which are terribly hard to slow down (just like a speeding train). 

Such is the ingenious mind of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull. I'm glad that they, and prog bands in general, focus on more interesting topics than the boy-meets-girl stories that popular music has always relied upon. As one critic said, listeners should focus more on Anderson's songs than his on-stage appearance and antics (referring to his dress and one-footed flute playing). I agree. Listen to this album with the lyric sheet in front of you.

Steve:

Aqualung is the only Jethro Tull album I recall hearing around the house when I was a small child; I was not at all familiar with Stand Up or Benefit until I was well into my high school years. As such, each of the songs from Aqualung triggers nostalgic feelings for me. While "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" are arguably the two most over-exposed songs in their catalog, I have to admit that I've never stopped getting excited when they come on - they're famous for a good reason.  

Dan expressed some skepticism about this album's reputation as a "concept album", and from what I've read, the band felt quite the same way. In fact, legend has it that their next album, Thick as a Brick, was purposely designed as an over-the-top parody of a concept album, as if to say "You want a concept album, eh? Well then here you go... it's all one song, see?" Although Ian Anderson has been accused of being pompous and pretentious in later years, I get the impression that he was not taking himself quite so seriously at this early point in his career.

Although not technically part of the album, some additional material recorded around the same time deserves mention here. Much of it was released on the 1972 compilation album Living in the Past and originates from a 7" 5-song EP that focuses on Anderson's acoustic guitar songs. "Life is a Long Song", "Nursie", "Dr. Bogenbroom", "From Later", and especially "Up the 'Pool" are all mature and majestic songs, and the last might be my favorite Jethro Tull song of all. These and other songs are included on a bonus disc with Steven Wilson's remixed upgrade of Aqualung.