The leap from 1970's Benefit to the following year's Aqualung is one of the most astonishing progressions in rock history.
In the space of one album, Tull went from relatively unassuming electrified folk-rock to larger-than-life conceptual rock full of sophisticated compositions and complex, intellectual, lyrical constructs.
While the leap to full-blown prog rock wouldn't be taken until a year later on Thick as a Brick, the degree to which Tull upped the ante here is remarkable.
The lyrical concept -- the hypocrisy of Christianity in England -- is stronger than on most other '70s conceptual efforts, but it's ultimately the music that makes it worthy of praise.
Tull's winning way with a riff was never so arresting as on the chugging "Locomotive Breath," or on the character studies "Cross Eyed Mary" and "Aqualung," which portray believably seedy participants in Ian Anderson's story.
The fable imagery of "Mother Goose" and the vitriolic anti-authoritarian sentiments of "Wind Up" both serve notice of Anderson's willful iconoclasm and his disillusionment with the spiritual traditions to which he was born.
Varied but cohesive, Aqualung is widely regarded as Tull's finest hour.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AqualungIan Anderson, Jennie Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 06:37 | 15 MB | 34 MB |
| 2 | Cross-Eyed MaryIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 22 MB |
| 3 | Cheap Day ReturnIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 01:23 | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| 4 | Mother GooseIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 5 | Wond'ring AloudIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 01:55 | 4 MB | 9 MB |
| 6 | Up to MeIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 7 | My GodIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 07:13 | 16 MB | 36 MB |
| 8 | Hymn 43Ian Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | SlipstreamIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 01:13 | 2 MB | 5 MB |
| 10 | Locomotive BreathIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | Wind-UpIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 06:04 | 13 MB | 30 MB |
| 12 | Wind-UpIan Anderson | Jethro Tull | Play | 06:04 | 13 MB | 30 MB |
| 49 mins | 113 MB | |||||
| 49 mins | 253 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Anderson | Arranger, Audio Production, Composer, Flute, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Member of Attributed Artist, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Voices |
| 2 | Jennie Anderson | Composer |
| 3 | Bernie Andrews | Audio Production, Producer |
| 4 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer |
| 5 | Martin Barre | Descant, Descant Recorder, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Member of Attributed Artist, Recorder |
| 6 | John Bungey | Interviewer, Primary Artist |
| 7 | Clive Bunker | Drums, Member of Attributed Artist, Percussion |
| 8 | John Burns | Engineer |
| 9 | Bob Conduct | Engineer |
| 10 | Terry Ellis | Audio Production, Producer |
| 11 | John Evan | Keyboards, Mellotron, Member of Attributed Artist, Multi Instruments, Organ, Piano |
| 12 | Jeffrey Hammond | Alto Recorder, Bass Instrument, Guitar (Bass), Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background), Voices |
| 13 | Allen Harris | Engineer |
| 14 | Jethro Tull | Primary Artist |
| 15 | Dee Palmer | Arranger, Conductor, Keyboards, Saxophone, Synthesizer |
| 16 | Burton Silverman | Painting Concept |
| 17 | John Walters | Audio Production, Producer |
| 18 | Tony Wilson | Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |