Aqualung

Aqualung - maybe the best song Cross-eyed Mary - could be a fun dance track

i thought this would take me right back - it didn't, but i was kind of ok with that, too. ian anderson is an interesting songwriter, for sure.

Classic rock is classic. A bit odd.

Musically fantastic, vocally grating

Not feeling this.

this sounds kinda medieval idk why but some of them songs were fucking weird. pretty cool if u ask me. this guy has a good voice ###

Best wel prima album, vooral aqualong

Tons of iconic riffs, though this era of rock does seem particularly histrionic.

D’ya like the flute? The Tull certainly does. Is this their best record? No. Is this a good record? That is for you to determine. I liked about half of this and the other half is what I would expect from a 1970’s prog-folk band. I can’t really say I’d come back to this (try Thick as a Brick instead), but it was an enjoyable listen. The changes in time and feel on the title track are a definite highlight. Favorite track: Aqualung (I mean cmon) Least favorite track: Hymn 43

6.5

Pretty sold flute rock

pretty good sound but not a lot of real jams

Lots of good songs. A mix of every popular 70s genre.

Only liked parts of the albums namesake track. Nothing before 2min mark though. Cross-eyed Mary is a solid track - flute is badass. Full on Anchorman jazz flute solo. Keys sound ok, but very basic for having so much presence in the mix. UK Folky, foot tapping fun - Mother Goose Locomotive Breath- keys come alive. And the crazy flute is back! Love it. Really grew on me, but no where near other similar bands of the same period (like zeppelin)

Tricky one. First impression is that I hate this folky prog rock nonsense. No time at all for pipe smoking mustachio twiddling warlock rock. But then there’s the odd blistering guitar that Hendrix would have been happy with or beat box flute that Jurassic 5 should be sampling. This gets everything from a 1 to a 5 so I guess we’ll have to go down the middle for a 3.

I'd heard the big songs before but not the whole album. The flute is pretty wacky.

Didn't like all of it but I really liked the bits I did

I really like the guitar tone on this album. The distortion is really crisp and it's mixed well. My least favorite parts of the album seem to be the lyrics and the flute. Aqualung and Up to Me have this really creepy feel that makes the album distinct Overall the album sounds a bit dated, definitely a product of its time. It drags in places, but when its good, it's really good.

Interesting

Lots of flute, pretty interesting. Liked Wind-Up

Just not my style

There's too much flute on this album. I don't mean this in a stuffy "any flute is too much" kind of way, I just mean there's too. much. flute. Best track: Aqualung

This was fine, nothing really stood out to me.

I thought I liked prog rock. Turns out, I just like Alan Parsons

High school me would scoff at my total lack of appreciation for this album. What a dork! Don't I realize this shit is terrible?

There are some ideas and some riffs in here that promise something better than what is delivered. It’s not terrible, but it’s not good. Starting your album off with a song about a lecherous hobo who’s touching himself looking at little girls at the park was a choice, even in 1971.

No saves unfortunately

This a strong 2. Wasn’t really a fan, but I can see how some ppl may vibe with it.

had some groovin bits

mid

Nothing about this album excited me.

Not really into progressive.

My POP liked Jethro Tull, and try as I might I could never get down with their peculiar progressive blend of folk and rock. Maybe it's the lyrics? Maybe it's the choices in instrumentation? Maybe it's the tonal inconsistency and jarring shifts across songs? Despite their solid musicianship, I subscribe to all three criticisms. The album is not a total abomination but I'd like to know if I'm listening to King Crimson or Cat Stevens and this record just can't decide. Sorry Dad.

Too long and mostly boring songs.

321/1089 some of the fluting etc in My God is pretty nice otherwise it was decent, glad i listened but didn’t really excite me personally 48/100

2/5.

Not my thing but interesting

Surprisingly more folk rock than hard rock

Aqualung didn’t really do it for me.

i hate prog rock

i didnt really like it

Prog rock seems to walk a fine line between artistic masterpiece and dumb bullshit. This album lands in the latter for me

Nej, detta var inte för mig. Tråkigt och för mycket flöjt. Några låtar gillade jag dock: Aqualung, Cross-eyed Mary och Locomotive breath. Förstår att det här var nydanande för sin tid men för mig känns det inte så spännande idag. Men visst... Musik kan de skapa bara inte för mig.

I recognize aqualung, couldn’t get into the album

Wth is die fluit??? Ik denk dat het idee achter dit album als rockgroep met een fluitist nog wel cool is, maar het slaagde er maar niet in om mijn aandacht te grijpen.

NOt really a fan of these guys...

While the title track, "My God," and "Hymn 43" provide some much-needed momentum, the rest of Aqualung simply didn't do anything for me. The constant presence of the flute was an interesting choice that gave the album a distinct folk-style flair, but that novelty couldn't mask the fact that the record felt way too long and bloated. Overall, I felt like I wasted my time on a listening experience that didn't justify its runtime.

They should’ve just given the Grammy to Spinal Tap.

eh

Bij sommige albums weet je halverwege dat je dit niet een second opinion gaat geven. Dat is ook bij deze. Het is niet de dwarsfluit die stoort, het is het theatrale eromheen, melodramatisch en vervelend gezongen. Krijg beetje Jack Black vibes. Wel een mooie albumhoes

Ik vond het album niet echt een vibe, als iemand dit op zou zetten, zou ik vragen of we iets anders kunnen luisteren. Ik vind z’n stem niet heel nice. Ik vind religieuze thema’s in de meeste gevallen ook niet heel erg leuk om naar te luisteren, ongeacht wat het standpunt is.

This is the only prog rock you'll ever catch me listening to with anything adjacent to enjoyment, probably owing to its heavier-than-usual guitar riffs. But there's only so much flute a girl can take in one sitting.

snurk...

What?!

Not for me, not in this mood.

This one is not for me.

High 2 This sounds like not very gifted people trying to make a really good album. Its high stakes, low results. Sorry boys.

Ugh. No.

kinda questionable

Always aware of this album throughout my life but never actually heard it. Maybe if I listened to it at the time I was barely getting into classic basic prog or glam rock this might have been more of interest to me, but for now i'm not. Don't get me wrong, its a fantasticly recorded executed album, the flow is great, but speaking of the style, it just escapes me why this is big other than the weirdness of adding flutes to the mix. Borederline meh.

Not my jam.

that flute got me amazed. wow

It's pretty average. I don't hate it and I don't love it. Some of the guitar is very inspiring and well done. There's three great songs which are going on my playlist "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Mother Goose", and "My God" are all great tunes. "Mother Goose" in particular reminds me of a Led Zeppelin song because of how whimsical and fairy-like it is. Overall it's a fluty 5/10

He has a good voice. But I won’t listen again.

While reading about the album, I really wanted to like it. But it's just too divided for me. High and lows.

Cant get into it

Speaking as someone who is often turned off by the twists and turns of prog rock, this album flows really well. The title track drifts between different sections fluidly, and in a lot of cases the transitions between songs are so smooth as to be unnoticeable. The harder tracks, like the title track and "Locomotive Breath," have some good riffs. I'm less of a fan of the folkier songs though, as they meander a bit and lack those interesting riffs. They also reveal that the entire album is a bit hookless, relying instead on constantly evolving songs to draw you in. If I liked the lyrics more - they alternate between silliness and not-as-deep-as-they-think religious musings - it might succeed. But as a whole there's not enough that interests me to get past those lyrics and difficult songwriting.

Got a lyric about noncing kids 10 seconds into the album. Great

- nimibiisi oli ihan jees mut muuten aika tasapaksua puurtamista

This is the kind of music that Spinal Tap were making fun of. Overly serious, overblown bollocks that is quite tedious to listen to. As much as I enjoy the fact that they do something different by including a flute, it does make it kinda hard to take seriously. Anybody else think of Allison Hannigan in American Pie when they hear a flute?? 'This one time, at band camp.......' No? Just me then.......... Anyway, this kind of prog just bores me to tears, with po-faced lyrics that try to be serious but are kind of ridiculous, and not enough of interest musically.

I guess i dont like prog rock, pretty good band tho. But haven't caught me.

I dunno, man I mean, not everyone is into Renaissance fairs.

Too much flute. Never liked this band much

Interesting album

I just don’t connect with it at all. I was waiting for the songs to end. I feel like you have to be into something that I am clearly not into to really enjoy this.

Very fun album! Interesting topics. My favorites were "My God"(and the early version too), "Hymn 43", and all versions of "Wond'ring aloud"

I grew up on this album as my dad is a huge Jethro Tull fan and I was lucky enough to see them live in 2000. The title track on this album is a banger and while I appreciate how futuristic this must have seemed when it came out because of all the artists that copied and elevated this sound I find most of it to be mediocre.

Folk-y alt rock, don’t like. Flute sounds fun. Had to keep adjusting volume bc some tracks softer?

I just wasn't that impressed after the first two songs.

unmemorable

Given how much of an influence they are on bands I like a lot, I've always felt I should like Jethro Tull way more than I do (which is not at all). I've tried repeatedly, but they just don't click. Although there's so much going on musically, it all just sounds so one-dimensional. I just find them tremendously dull - maybe you had to be there.

Decent story and sound. Not sure about some of the lyrics but hoping it has some alternative meaning.

Having met Martin Barre, you'd have thought I'd like this but it doesn't touch me. It doesn't speak to me at all.

Not really what I like in music. Not Bad just not for me

Feta flöjdsolon. Resten av albumet var dock inte min smak. Längtade tills att det skulle ta slut.

More flute, more riffs and less whimsical vocals and lyrics and this would be for me. As it stands, I really struggle with themed, fantasy, proggy meandering fluff like this. It's often bloated, self indulgent and unsatisfying to listen to.

I got the same vibes as with the live Hawkwind album—Spinal Tap. Just too proggy for me. Some cool riffs here and there, but not much else. Besides, I can’t forget they beat Metallica for the metal Grammy!

Nice variety not my cup of tea though

Uh que embole llega un punto que es re repetitivo, ni siquiera busca sorprenderte, se queda queda el molde nomás, QUE NO ESTA MAL, pero podría agarrar y cambiar algo como para que no sea semejante noni tiene muy buenos arreglos de guitarra, capaz por eso le sumo una estrella más, pero en si es un embole, not my cup of tea

favorites: my god; wind-up

kinda overwrought. really wasn’t into this aside from a few moments of songs here or there, typically sections without vocals.

Overblown flute is like nails down a blackboard to me. Earnest prog is not up my street at all. The occasional moment seemed alright but overall just not my cup of tea

Songs I saved: Cross Eyed Mary

Didn’t listen to the full album, but I don’t think it’s my thing.

Jeez, I forgot they sing the "snot" line twice. Some good riffs on here (like "Locomotive Breath," which rips), but I find most of the songwriting tedious.

An acquired taste one feels, but not one I have been able to acquire.

Imagine being a person whose personality was that they are really into Jethro Tull.

Had its moments, mainly the flute ones.

Not really my thang. The only songs I've heard on this album have felt overplayed.

https://youtu.be/484A9Ju4F8g?si=P1SOs9x9PODTQ7te

Was starting to get into the swing of things but My God really reset me. That sort of early 70s British prog stuff that can really hit or miss with me. Unfortunately for ol Tull, more of a miss here. Dig the more blues infused tracks but the more prog it goes, or the more flutes it adds, the less I like it. Favorite Tracks: Up To Me, Locomotive Breath, Mother Goose

It twas strange.

What is this evil music. Why has all the music been devious as fuck recently. Ok Jethro get into it I guess. Like I mean okay but what. Sure why not but also just why. O have just not had much to say about these recent ones like am I hearing a fuckin recorder what are we doing. Sure am get medieval with it why not. Be my guest dog. Like what are we doing. I'm just so confused. And intrigued but mostly just confused. Like that one gif of Jonah Hill. And the other gif of Jonah Hill. Like I just don't really care about this music. Like he's jamming out some of the time other times he's cooking up some straight bullshit. Why is he crying in the town square. I just don't know man. He's just playing around it's fun I suppose. Favourite: Up to Me Least favourite: My God

Don’t care for this group at all. “Some furious flute solos tho” -M Murphy

Snore

EDP445-says-I-mean-it's-alright-.gif Locomotive Breath notwithstanding, this to me sounds like Ren Faire music. Which is great if that's what you're into but it's not classic prog rock to me like it's advertised to be

Maso

Flute goes hard af. Thought it was a little treat when it popped up in Cross-Eyed Mary and then it just kept coming back? Incredible. Highlight of the album.

'Snot running down his nose / Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.' It isn't the flute, no, it isn't the flute that makes this record a shitty exposition of all that would be wrong w/ rock music until punk revived a sense of the real and the basic. Well, it's not only the flute, which is just a symptom of a genre and an approach that emphasizes ornamentation rather than details. These songs never get going b/c they're conceptual monsters, stuck in the throat of a bloke w/ no regard for the pleasures of music, everything a very plodding adventure into a British realm I have all the reason in the world to eschew. 'My God,' is Ian Anderson ever a self-serious windbag, opting for the flute b/c of the hot air he's full of. Problem: he has an inexhaustible store.

acoustic stuff is neat. hard rock of this era sounds more kitschy every day

Too much flute. Sounds like Led Zeppelin if they weren’t that good at music.

solid 2

Not my thing.

Something about this album feels out of place. Its an album you can live without. You can see who they are trying to be but aren't.

Eh. The songs sounded very similar to me and none really stood out tbh.

2.0 stars This rating is based on my enjoyment of the album, and whether or not I want to relisten to it or not (I do not). I can see it's appeal...it's not a bad record, per se. Just not for me. Favorite track: Locomotive Breath

Nisam ih nikad preslušavala aktivno, iako znam par stvari s albuma. Nije to ni toliko loše. Dosta mi bacaju na Black Sabbath zapravo, koji generalno ne volim baš. Bit će 2/5, 4/10

Weird old white people (men, likely) music. I liked "Wondr'ing Aloud." On the fence about the flute. No thank you to long interviews. 2.5

Never even heard this artist name before, so not sure what to expect. Imagine the you're in the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit world and you're hearing a folk song around you. Now imagine the hobbits had electric guitar in this time and thats what this album sounds like. This is an intriguing thought, right? But in practice it ends up being songs that seem like there is too much going on in concept album about religion that isn't actually a concept album. For most of the songs, it feels like a DJ who doesn't know how to craft song transitions in the sense that it feels like two different songs were spliced together and the through line is the singer is the same. There were a couple songs that where the juxtaposition just doesn't work at all and you think "why did you do this?" but there are also a couple songs where this idea actually works and in the middle of a guitar riff a flute solo comes in and you think I kinda like this. Overall most of the album was boring and hard to get through with the exception of a couple songs.

Not bad but I found it impenetrable, doubt I'll be returning.

Meh

The flute. It’s a good easy listening album but not one I would go to often.

Pre-Listening: oh great, another album that I have listened to, but not for like two decades! Looking forward to revisiting.

Smor

Interesting, not really to taste. Lots of anti-religion themes.

Didn’t finish the last song - it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing.

This feels too much like a good funk blues band trying to sound like a shitty Medieval minstrel troupe...

Excellent song - not as excellent album

This wasn't really to my taste, but I did at least listen to it. I think this is probably the first Jethro Tull album I've ever played. From reading the Wikipedia article, the story of how they came by their name and how their first single was credited to Jethro Toe is all a bit Spinal Tap! The album is OK. I guess that maybe back in 1971 this could have been seen as goundbreaking, though ine 2025 it just sounds dated to me.

Pas fan du style mais ça va

3.0/10 Too much flute.. was driving me nuts.

Who the fuck put flute in my rock and roll? Terrible idea. One song has a decent riff but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back and look up which one.

Didn't like it. Seems to cement my (admittedly controversial) opinion that the piano does not belong in rock. Fav tracks: Aqualung

Jethro kennt man, sein Musik Styl vermutlich auch. Der Start ist eher durchzogen kann nur besser werden

Album review 024 Aqualung by Jethro Tull (1971) Rating 2/5 Before listening to Aqualung, if you’d have asked me what I knew about Jethro Tull, I’d have answered that I don’t know much beyond them being named after Mr Seed Drill and their singer stands on one leg whilst playing flute. After listening to Aqualung, if you were to ask me what I know about Jethro Tull, I would answer that they’re named after Mr Seed Drill, their singer stands on one leg whilst playing flute, and I don’t like their music. Not a truly awful album, but not one I particularly enjoyed.

This album has the been the butt of the joke my whole life, so I really tried to give it a fair listen. I can get down with the Sabbath-style riffage and some of the more psychedelic flute bits, but basically everything else is insufferably corny. The lyrics are distractingly bad (and borderline pedophilic). And there's something especially irritating about British guys who hate religion; we get it, get over it.

Not my fav

This album has a very midevil vibe to it. A lot of flutes. There were some ok songs that I would listen to again but nothing I would really be excited about playing. It's not my cup of tea, but overall, not terrible.

Good riffs but I didn’t like his voice

Aqualung (the song) is pretty classic but I didn't connect with much of the rest of the album.

2 - Playing back to back Jethro Tull songs is more than enough for me per month. I also thought Will Ferrell was over exaggerating jazz flute. I was wrong. I believe he talks into the flute more than once.

Kind of treads this weird in between ground of sensitive folk (Cheap Day Return, Mother Goose, Wond'ring Aloud) and borderline Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin rock...but with flutes? All topped by weirdly enunciating melodramatic vocals. If I squint, I can kind of see where the Led Zeppelin lovers might be fans - but it all just landed a bit weird and incoherent for me.

Meh

Not for me.

Sounds like listening to led zeppelin but they have decided to blueball you. Hard rock but not doing it too hard on the rock.

Meh.

Decent, but too much thought about Christianity

5/10. Not good, not bad. And Anchorman has ruined the flute as a musical instrument

Honestly just kind of exhausting to listen to and not in a very fun way. 2.5

somewhat boring and bit dull songs that felt like could've been more

Generally not my vibe though there are some super cool moments throughout (string slidey moment on Slipstream for example) Mother Goose is my fav on the record

Tried a couple separate times listening. Gotta be honest it's not my thing. Won't return. To be fair, 70s prog rock in general is something that doesn't speak to me. To me, this music just feels so self-indulgent and crude. I came in thinking of the flute scene from Anchorman. I leave thinking of the flute scene from Anchorman. It's getting a 2 because 1 is reserved for things I don't like and think are really bad for some specific reason.

Hard to hear

I absolutely love 70s prog, and have tried with this one before, but I just can’t do it. The vocals kill it for me. The acoustic stuff is beautiful (scratches the early Genesis itch) and the flute work is wicked, but I just can’t get past Ian Anderson’s voice.

I enjoyed a few of the songs on this album but there was no real cohesion between all of them. While I often enjoy old-school rock this is a big meh for me. It feels like they were experimenting and maybe another album of theirs would suit me more.

Not for me. I can handle maybe one song at a time, but not a whole album.

Not my cup of tea, but “Locomotive Breath” is a keeper.

Is this prog? Honestly I only know Tull because "Locomotive Breath" was in heavy rotation on WCKG, Chicago's All-Classic Rock, during my high school days. This really loses me with the wandering self-indulgence of the songs, which need more form for me to really dial in. Or maybe I just need to be totally fucking baked.

Honestly can’t remember any of it. Must be about a 2

These songs trick you. They are sometimes acoustic while othertimes they are just awful barely melodic rock. The slower songs of this album are leagues ahead of the rock songs.

Lo pocovque he escuchado parece bastante aburrido

Well, that was a bit boring wasn't it.

It starts out great and then... Flutes!

Ok 2/5

Den tyngre progrocken är okej, även några av de akustiska låtarna. Men när det börjar låta medeltida folkmusikfestival vill jag helst stänga av.

Never listened to jethro till and I wasn’t impressed.

I bet these guys are a big hit at Renaissance Fairs.

Really not my style. I don’t like much classic rock of this era, and less so with a flute.

Nicht mein Stil, anspruchsvoller Sound zu dem der Zugang erst mit der Zeit gefunden wird.

Not my thing, just couldn’t get into these tunes for some reason.

The flute I don’t mind, quiet like the flute. Don’t want to be negative about whole genre’s of music that others like, but prog tends to leave me cold. Music can be an intellectual experience about complex ideas both musically and lyrical , and it can be art as an expression of emotion and culture. Sometimes it’s both but prog just for me falls into a glacial world. This really at time sounds like Black Sabbath if they had been middle class boys who think they are clever and have big ideas, removing all the grit and heart and replacing it with previous musical twaddlings. I can appreciate this as an album, a piece of music but I can’t feel it. 2 Star

Kirkville in musical form. Yes, PGG, it brings back 95X, the whole lot. Not in a good way.

prog rock not my cup of tea

There was something decent about it but it never really captured me

Sounds like a Tribute to Black Sabath , some songs were interesting to listen, after a while it gets repetitive and boring.

I don't like Aqualung the song so I've never listened to the whole album. In my ignorance Jethro Tull seemed to me like a token band boomers would cite to indicate they were real music heads. Now I have listened to it in its entirety and I can say with confidence I don't like it.

like certain Queen but prog and not as good. but damn, that flute!

Strange

Only got part way through. It's fine. Can kinda hear the 60s folk influence. Nice riff on Aqualung itself.

i cant do it yall

🗯 Prog largely leaves me cold — to my ears, it often feels like personality-free middle-aged men playing Dungeons & Dragons with their guitars and box of tissues close by. Not really my vibe. 🙄 Aqualung is the band’s most famous record, and I get why. It is impressive. Ian Anderson’s flute flourishes, the shifts between delicate folk and thundering riffs, the ambition to make rock more “serious” — it’s all here. The title track has bite, Cross-Eyed Mary struts, and Locomotive Breath is undeniably iconic. But the further it sprawls, the more I feel the “prog problem”: the virtuosity and concept outweigh the emotional pull. I respect it, and I know why it’s canon, but it’s not something I’m rushing back to spin. Verdict: Respectable (important, but not for me) For fans of: King Crimson, Yes, middle-aged men in capes rolling dice to riffs. ✊🏻💦

FEELING LIKE A DEAD DUCK

Am Anfang fand ich es ganz gut, es ist schon was Besonderes, mit der Zeit nervt es allerding etwas. 2 1/2.

A medieval story telling album. Sounds like I should be listening to this at a renaissance festival. I like some of the guitar solos. Very folky.

Flute Rock at its finest, if there is such a thing. I saw these guys as openers for The Who at Folsom Field in 82. From what I remember, it was an annoyingly long set. (Unlike John Cougar, the filler, who left in disgust after a few songs. He did not like being ignored) There really is little use for a flute in Rock, and certainly no business putting the thing front and center. I’ll give it 3 stars for a couple of monster songs, then ding them one ⭐️ for sounding so damn pompous.

There’s a good sound at the start of Aqualung so I’ll give it that. The intro hooked me for a second, but then the lyrics lost me, and the whole thing kind of trailed off into what felt like story hour. No thanks. As for the rest of the album… I don’t know. The flute must be an acquired taste. I get why it stirred things up for what was supposed to be a “rock and roll blues band,” but to me, it often just felt kind of silly like something out of Wayne’s World or Anchorman. Not really what I’m looking for, ever. Coincidentally, I listened to this while visiting my mom, who was apparently all-in on Jethro Tull back in the day. And maybe I would’ve been too, if I’d grown up with it - who knows? But overall, I didn’t feel much from this album, other than a general sense of reaffirmation… that it’s probably just not for me.

It was alright, I guess.

I’ve tried several times over the years, but I just can’t get into this album. I don’t dislike the music, but it never holds my attention. No matter which track I start with, the album always begins on a promising note, but after a song or two my interest drifts and I realize I’ve stopped listening. As a result, making it through the whole album has always been a struggle.

Didn’t finish yet but enjoyed the flute melodies mixed with the rock energy, didn’t love the vocals

Meh. I like house, country, and rap.

Like if Zeppelin sucked and also had a flute player that sucked.

I first heard the name Jethro Tull in grade 9 social studies when we were randomly learning about 18th-century agriculture? A guy named Jethro Tull invented a piece of farm equipment called the seed drill. As I worked on my homework assignment, my dad chimed in to tell me there was a 70s rock band called Jethro Tull as well. Ok sure, I thought. And I didn’t think much about Jethro Tull until I had my son, and his enthusiasm for vehicles led to us flipping through books that get very specific about agricultural devices, including the good ol’ seed drill. “That was invented by Jethro Tull,” I tell my toddler for no reason every time we get to the illustration of the mechanical seed-sowing behemoth. My husband hums the opening riff to Aqualung. Anyway, this album sounds like a dorkier Led Zeppelin. The part I enjoyed the most was the “Ian Anderson Interview” tucked at the end of the Aqualung special edition I was directed to on Spotify. I gather he is the lead vocalist and flautist(!!) of Jethro Tull. I half-listened to the interview while I did dishes, and it was pretty entertaining. Highlights include him spilling the tea on his feud with Robert Plant (which he started by insulting LZ’s lyrics) and throwing shade on Muddy Waters’ music and maybe the entire genre of blues for being too simplistic?? Yeesh.

L'inizio dell'album è molto interessante, il riff che si ripete in tutta "Aqualung" prende molto, ma con l'avanzare delle tracce è come se ci fosse un "peggioramento" a mio avviso. mi aspettavo di più dopo aver sentito la prima canzone

Kinda boring

Two good songs... The rest, not so much...

non mi ha entusiasmato. la parte con il flauto però molto simpatico

Pretty bad

It's usually going to be interesting if a rock band includes a flute. I remember playing Aqualung in highschool marching band as a sousaphone player and thinking it was a really odd sounding song. Fun to play though. Album was just ok for me

Eh. Not sure I’m a new fan. It’s ok.

it was fine, don't feel strongly about it. good, solid rock album. Aqualung is a banger.

More prog rock. It’s fine

Groupe connu. J'ai découvert cet album dans les années 80, mais je n'avais pas accroché à l'époque. Qu'en est il 40 ans après ? Et bien j'ai plutôt apprécié le début ! L'harmonie est originale, en particulier celle d'Aqualung (+++). J'ai apprécié aussi le chorus de guitare. Et la flute et le chorus de guitare dans 'Cross-eyed Mary' (+). Par contre j'ai trouvé les morceaux acoustiques moins intéressants. Et malheureusement ils sont majoritaires. Je ne suis donc pas sur d'avoir envie de l'écouter de nouveau ... =>2/5

When I was in high school, I tried to get into Jethro Tull. I bought the Greatest Hits and listened to it a bunch. It reminds me of Renaissance Faire drama nerds going hard. (Full disclosure: was said nerd.) not terrible, but not really my cuppa tea, either.

Not a big fan. I find it odd, alot of the early songs, alot of the lyrics I can understand seem to be about school children, was this what happened in the 70s. Alot of solos that I lose interest in. Slower songs that resist pan pipe solos are better

Boring and long, folky prog rock with flutes... look forward to never listening to this again

It was pleasant enough. Guy really has a thing for school aged kids though, it was a "different time" but maybe not a better time. Nice songs, creepy feeling.

"I'd rather look around me, compose a better song" you don't say

prog rock

Another fine example of "it's 2025 and I have no idea what this is doing here." Serviceable, unremarkable, forgettable.

Not for me ngl. Sorry dad!

Sucks

I’d say just under 3 stars for me. I didn’t really enjoy this one found I found it a bit boring

I have understood this, Not really for me

With my taste in music, this 2 is a very strong 2. I can see why someone would like this a lot, I think it's an enjoyable listen, but I wouldn't buy this on CD.

this album felt like unseasoned scrambled eggs

This list is making me realize that it's impossible to be completely unbiased about music. Whether I find an album good or bad depends not only on the music but also on my personal circumstances and state of mind I guess. Before listening to this, I binged through a shit ton of music that I already love, which sound completely different from this one. Maybe that's why this fell flat in comparison. Most of the time I was just tuning out. The flute was really cool though, that much I could tell. Would I revisit this album in future: sure, yes. I think I have to, lol. Favourite track: Locomotive Breath

3/10

Unfortunately not my vibe

Dated. Not horrible but very dated.

Ok. Some muddled "freakazoid" and "anti-religion" lyrical messages, accompanied by progressive but tuneless prog-rock meandering. The flute isn't as bad as it could be. Steven Wilson's remaster is really good.

I get that they have skills and make interesting music. That music is just not for me, and that’s ok.

I can’t stop thinking about Ron Burgundy. I don’t have any stand out tracks. It’s meditations don’t resonate with me but I’m sure they impacted so many others.

This is a tough album to review because I do really love progressive rock and psychedelic rock but this album is both all the good things and all the bad aspects of those two genres. First off this album has a lot to like, for instance it starts with the best track on the whole album and that’s not even debatable, it’s just objectively the best song. Plus, I liked “Cross Eyed Mary” and I liked “Up to Me”. And all three of those songs are classics, but the rest of the album is so annoying and forgettable. A couple things I have massive problems with, that flute over stays its welcome real fast. I thought it was kinda interesting at first, different sound for sure, but it got old really fast cause it’s in almost every single song. It would’ve been more effective to just pepper it into a few songs lightly but this is way way too much flute. Which kinda leads into my next major problem with this album, why did they feel the need to put the same song on the album twice, WITH NO WAY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM. Like is one supposed to be a live recording? How am I supposed to remember which is the boring version and which is the silly dog barking version? Is it supposed to be a different interpretation of the song? Does this add literally anything new or interesting to the album? And sadly I only have an answer for the last question, no. That being said It is hard to review this album cause it is another case of the whole album being held up but only a few tracks. Sadly in the case for this album, I think if I’m reviewing the album as a whole, the grading tracks on this album really really pull this down a whole number from where it probably should be. So sadly, it’s gunna be a 2 for me dawg.

Sorti en 1971, le 4eme album de Jethro Tull "Aqualung" est un amalgame de "Rock-Folk-Hard-Progressif" abordant des sujets sociétaux comme la marginalisation sociale, la religion organisée et l'hypocrisie sociétale. "Aqualung" est l'album le plus vendu avec sept millions d'exemplaires écoulés et propose une toile sonore complexe, mêlant la puissance du hard rock, la délicatesse du folk acoustique et les prémices d'un rock progressif en pleine affirmation. Il se dégage une confrontation entre les riffs de guitare massifs, voire telluriques, et les passages acoustiques d'une grande finesse, créant une dynamique interne qui est l'une des signatures de l'album. L'instrumentation d'Aqualung est un modèle de cohésion au service d'une vision artistique singulière. La flûte traversière en est l'élément le plus immédiatement identifiable. Loin d'être un simple ornement, elle s'impose comme un instrument soliste à part entière, insufflant une couleur folk unique et une énergie parfois surprenante, voire agressive, qui distingue Jethro Tull de toutes les autres formations rock. Face à elle, la guitare électrique déploie des trésors de puissance et de créativité. Ses riffs, reconnaissables entre mille ("Aqualung", "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Locomotive Breath"), ancrent solidement l'album dans le registre du hard rock, tandis que son solo sur la chanson-titre, empreint d'une urgence et d'une inventivité remarquables, est entré dans la légende. Les claviers (piano, orgue Hammond, Mellotron) jouent un rôle crucial en apportant une richesse harmonique et des textures variées, essentielles pour sculpter les ambiances contrastées de l'album. Enfin, la section rythmique, basse et batterie, assure une assise à la fois solide et flexible, capable de naviguer avec aisance entre les déferlements sonores les plus intenses et les moments d'accalmie les plus feutrés. L'originalité instrumentale d'Aqualung ne se limite donc pas à l'usage iconique de la flûte. Elle réside dans cette alchimie subtile où chaque instrument contribue à une palette sonore d'une richesse et d'une cohérence rares, permettant à l'album de transcender les étiquettes de genre. La flûte elle-même, souvent associée à la douceur pastorale, se métamorphose ici en un instrument capable d'une véritable véhémence rock, illustrant la capacité du groupe à détourner et à réinventer les codes instrumentaux. La première partie (face A) de l'album, intitulée "Aqualung", offre une galerie de personnages marginaux, observés avec une acuité et une franchise rares. Le personnage éponyme, Aqualung, est un sans-abri dont la description physique est crue et sans fard : « Le nez qui coule – les doigts graisseux maculant des vêtements minables ». Il est dépeint avec un mélange de dégoût initial (« lorgnant les petites filles avec de mauvaises intentions » ) et d'une pitié grandissante, voire d'une forme d'amitié paradoxale (« Aqualung mon ami – ne t'en va pas inquiet... pauvre vieux bougre, tu vois, ce n'est que moi » ). Inspirée par des photographies de Jennie Anderson, la chanson explore les thèmes du jugement social, de la misère et de la manière dont la société perçoit et traite ses exclus. "Cross-Eyed Mary" poursuit cette exploration des marges en brossant le portrait d'une jeune prostituée qui fréquente les écoliers, une autre figure de l'innocence bafouée et de la vulnérabilité sociale. D'autres titres comme "Cheap Day Return", évoquant une visite de Ian Anderson à son père gravement malade, ou "Mother Goose", avec ses observations poétiques de la vie à Hampstead Heath, complètent cette fresque. Ainsi, bien que présentant des "esquisses de personnages" distinctes , la Face A tisse un fil conducteur puissant autour de la vulnérabilité humaine face à la précarité et au regard des autres, interrogeant la responsabilité collective et la nature de notre empathie. La seconde parte (face B) de l'album, qui porte le sous-titre "My God", s'attaque de front à la religion organisée et explore ce que le groupe a appelé « la distinction entre religion et Dieu ». La chanson "My God" est une critique virulente de l'Église institutionnalisée, accusée d'avoir « enfermé Dieu dans une cage dorée » , et dénonce l'hypocrisie, le dogmatisme et l'absurdité qui peuvent en découler. "Hymn 43" poursuit cette charge sur un mode plus direct et rock, ciblant particulièrement le christianisme et ses contradictions. Enfin, "Wind-Up" conclut l'album sur cette thématique religieuse, avec une approche plus théâtrale et introspective. Cinquante ans après sa sortie, Aqualung jouit d'un statut iconique. Il est unanimement considéré comme un classique incontournable, l'un des meilleurs albums de Jethro Tull, voire le meilleur par de nombreux admirateurs et critiques. Il marque indéniablement le point de départ de la période la plus créative et la plus audacieusement progressive du groupe, une ère faste qui s'étendra sur une bonne partie des années 70. Au final ce sera un 2 sur 5 pour le meilleur album de Jethro Tull à découvrir.

Good opener, not much after that

Couple good songs

Overrated

I like the flute but not the heavy rock.

Slogged through the whole album because I’m a big prog rock fan, and these guys really should be in my wheelhouse. Figured perhaps I just didn’t like the songs that got radio play, but Nope, I still don’t care for Jethro Tull. At all. Something about that guy’s voice just rubs me the wrong way, and they go a bit too heavy on the old flute for my tastes. Not too fond of them winning that Grammy over Metallica’s And Justice For All either 😒

pedo music

Self-indulgent prog garbage, although the second half is better than the first. The version of this album I listened to had a clearer recording of Wind Up at the end, which I appreciated because it let me confirm that I hadn't missed much from my half-hearted listen of the first version.

Fantasia elementtejä. Hyvin menee muun toiminnan ohessa tällainen progressiivinen rock. Ihan jees kuuntelu sanoisin!

I don't know why the heck I had it in my head that Jethro Tull was a metal band? Anyway. They aren't. I sort of enjoyed this but nothing really stuck out to me personally other than the really good guitar. It's very Led Zeppelin meets Queen, but I feel like both of those bands did it better?

Before I even listen, I know this isn't a heavy metal band. Ha! This album is entirely too long for someone who does not like the music.

Not really my jam. A concept album with too many lutes etc

Gutes genre, crazy Flöte,aber irgendwie nicht meins

Thought this wouldn't really be my thing. For the most part I was right but it has a few moments here and there. 4/10

Agradable. ¿Es esto un proto metal? Ni idea. Me gustó la temática y las letras. Ningún like Mmmmm 2.3

Not for me

Nothing memorable

This album deserves respect for the high level of skill required to compose and perform these songs, but I'm not who this album is for. I find it a little inaccessible. It is more like an athletic achievement than a musical one.

I don't care for Jethro Tull.

I’ll be honest, before I was listening to the album I kept seeing negative comments about a flute. I was like it can’t be that bad, and the album started off decently… then the flute hit and its kind of a jarring contrast. Its one song though, so I continue on, then it happens again and more egregiously… and I just couldn’t. I hit stop. Yeah it’s kind of annoying when its paired with harder hitting rock, especially when that becomes the sole focus of the song.

Nothing memorable here for me

“Spitting out pieces of his broken luck” is one of my favorite lines in rock and roll. So much power in so much of this, but as much as I like the fusion of psychedelic rock ballad and medieval folk carol, I think I like the idea of it more. I’ve got about three “day-go pirate”songs in me at a time before the glee turns to spite.

Comedy music, although I'm not sure if the members of Jethro Tull are in on the joke

Jethro Tull is new to me and I am shocked that that is the case. They make a wonderful blend of Prog rock and classic rock / psychadelic noise. That being said, the concepts are just too far out of reach for the casual listen and this record in particular doesn't train well like I imagine Thick as a brick does. Unique and sensitive to the environment you will be in. 4/10

I’m familiar with this album and had no desire to re-listen. I appreciate the talent, but it’s not my thing. Bad luck getting this served up first.

It’s okay

big name, but wasn't that impressed, although it felt like a solid album and i like prog..

Meh - Top Gear shite

eh wasn't too impressed. don't know if i'd listen to it again.

Good background music. Not sure I'd seek it out but weirdly this was maybe the first time I ever heard them? Even though they're so famous. Outside of Anchorman or karaoke. It's ok.

Bardcore basically. Not really my thing.

Listening to this

I quite liked the rambling here - both musically and with the lyrics. I also love a flute on the odd track here and there. It makes me think that I have sophisticated musical tastes. Sadly an appreciation of Jethro Tull is unlikely to impress possible partners. So I'm only giving it two stars. So there.

Note the best

Not for me nothing memorable at all

с одной стороны приколдесная тема, с другой стороны как будто музыка для хоббитов и эльфов. а я властелина конец не смотрел поэтому сорри

Don’t listen to much rock, this was very boring. DNF

Two stars. Interesting use of instruments. Progressive rock. Not my cup of tea but not terrible reminds me of John Barleycorn Must Die.

Lower class wizard rock. Mostly unpleasant sounds.

60s music was popular again in the 80s when I was a teen and I took this album from my Grandma’s attic because it was a cool find. It looked good in my collection, but it was never something I wanted to play.

Ok. Favorite songs were Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, and Hymn 43. The rest were forgettable. Felt like I was inside one of the Lord of the Rings movies -- not really my thing.

Day343 - i don’t get the praise jethro tull gets their whole sound always irritated me

вроде хорошая музыка, мне нравится, но не хватает какой-то изюминки…

No thanks

Ren faire Black sabbath cover band

Going into this listen, all I know about Jethro Tull is Ian Anderson plays a mean flute. Tempo change in Aqualung still rocks. Hard not to feel like you're frolicking in a field of daisies while listening to most of these songs. I liked a couple of songs, but none of these will be going into regular rotation. Highlights: Aqualung, Up to Me, Hymn 43.

This album is just fine. I am going to rate it 2 stars though as there must be another underground killer album that could've gone on this list instead of Aqualung.

Jethro Tull is how old now? Where's the flute? Also, this is so repetitive, my god. Not a fan.

To theatrical

Stupid flute nonsense.

I finally understand the ‘hey aqualung’ reference in Anchorman No other thoughts

It's not a band I've ever listened to, I kinda had them down in my head as being too folk for me. I was interested when reading up on this that it's been classed as hard-rock / prog-rock and whilst some of those elements are present nothing really blew me away and the songs are forgettable. Considering this came out the same year as Zeppelin IV which is an amazing album, this falls flat in comparison.

Guess this is the birth of heavy metal can hear a lot of black sabbath in here and led zepplin. But personally leaves me a bit cold naff allogrys and whiney sounds.

One of the things I like about this project is that makes me listen to albums I'd previously written off as rubbish. In the 80s a lot of my mates raved about this, I was heading off in a completely different musical direction and thought it was shit. I'm still not convinced but I can at least appreciate that it has some merits. Apart from that flute though...

not as much fun as i remember jethro tull being. kind of a drag.

0/100 no saves

I think this is alright but it’s uneven. I tried listening to it a little while ago and was put off by the fact the first two tracks are about a paedo tramp and then a prostitute school girl. Ick. Having got past that, it’s alright. There’s some average-sounding blues rock songs with some cool twiddly bits. I like Ian Anderson’s wacky voice and flute. I just don’t think I’ve heard a Jethro Tull album that’s completely won me over. I reckon I might be able to put together a “best of” I would like if I put in the effort. Now is this a three or a two?

It was okay. Kind of a run of the mill 70’s rock album. Nothing really great about it. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again

Jethro Tull was interesting. Not really my kind of thing, but I could see the appeal. Aqualung started off dull, but picked up halfway through. The rest of the songs were kinda meh, little bits here and there were fun, but not a whole lot. Best song: Aqualung

Jethro Tull is just for Christmas not for any other time.

Not my thing - corny dad rock Mother Goose is cool - I actually much prefer it when it's folkier to when it's more full on rock. Think the flute is cool, even though I know a lot of people don't like that Absolutely not my thing

God, the 70s were such a golden era for dirtbag jean jacket music, but this is like all of the nerd bits of Zeppelin without the parts that actually rock

shite, like a poor mans spinal tap

I put this on because there was a loud meeting going on next to me. I think I'd have rather listened to the meeting

Not much of anything

It's not good. It's not bad. It's just a thing. There's some stuff where they rock like a proto-stoner rock thing, just for a tiny bit. I was going to say that of all the flute-incorporating projects on this list, this was the one that managed to actually blend the sound. But then there was one near the end that was pretty bad. Almost went up to 3, but remembered my max 2 for no songs I'll listen to on purpose principle & decided I should get meaner. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

It’s very boring. Calm songs are good, but the rest have not stood the test of time

Some pretty moments but not for me.

Eh...

Rock opera type feel

Fav: Wind Up Least Fav: Mother Goose The good songs I really enjoyed, but a majority of the songs I just found forgettable. I admire the usage of flutes though.

Not my thing

“Hey aqualung!!” - Ron Burgundy while performing sick yazz flute rendition. Ehh it was ok.

Long and boring. Not my favorite but definitely not the worst album we’ve listened to.

Pompous and clodding. Not for me at all. Maybe if I was getting dressed for a Ren Faire or something.

Overall I didn’t really connect with it. I like rock, I like prog rock, the flute in rock is inspired but ultimately I just didn’t like most of it. There were some good tracks, Mother Goose, Up To Me and Locomotive Breath. Maybe it needs a few more listens as for some reason I want to like it.

Going from Aqualung to the wild flute in Cross-Eyed Mary keeps you on your toes. When I looked this up, I saw that Forbes published "Jethro Tull’s Album Jumps Nearly 29,000% In Sales." last month. It was the album Bursting Out. Maybe that's on the 1001 list.