AQUALUNG

Wonderful! My Dad bought this after I got "Thick as a Brick," so I gave it a few listens... The "Aqualung" song is a classic. It chronicles the lowest of life in society, a reject in all his disgusting pitifulness. Then "Cross-Eyed Mary" slips in afterward, a great hard rock tune about a schoolgirl prostitute (!). Next is the short piece "Cheap Day Return," a great classic guitar song about a trip Anderson took to see his dad in the hospital. The song "Mother Goose" is my favorite of the classic guitar pieces on the album: this one is the longest, as well. "Wond'ring Aloud" is a simple love song, and "Up to Me" is a nice flute/guitar song about the common man and his ignorance and lack of responsibility. This first half of the album is generally about the lower part of society.

Then "My God" enters like a BLACK SABBATH song. It sounds like one, too. It is a blues song for God, as he has been "locked in his golden cage" by those who try to define him in simple terms. "Hymn 43" is blues for Jesus, and the "gory glory seekers who'd use his name in death." The song "Slipstream" serves as an interlude classic guitar piece which tells about death as a peaceful way out of the "mess" (modern society). "Locomotive Breath" is an awesome song, an instant classic. It is also about death, with a rushing train as the metaphor for life. Then "Wind Up", uh, winds up the album by essentially comparing the lowly poor class with the hypocrisy of the upper, and saying effectively that the former is better and more worthy of saving than the latter (though both are equal in the eyes of God.).

I personally like "thick as a brick" more than this album, but this one is still very good. Essential to any classic rock lover, and not just limited to prog fans.

Share this JETHRO TULL review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to penguindf12
• Report this review (#16289)
• Buy JETHRO TULL music online with PA partners
• Show all JETHRO TULL MP3/Stream
• Go to JETHRO TULL page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Aqualung page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for JETHRO TULL related discussions