Aqualung

Classic prog flute.

me parecio que sonaba muy bien, me sorprendio porque le tenia 0 fe la vdd, pero un 8/10 le pondria o por ahi

19/1001 Aqualung - Jethro Tull (1971) Mad breathy flute, riffs that rival even some metal riffs, and erratic bursts of piano - and it all comes together beautifully. It also deserves credit for being so accessible for a prog album, which doesn't hold it back as much as being accessible might for other groups or projects. The pendant swings between heavy riffs and a quiet clean folksy sound and never settles for too little or too much time on one or the other. The blend of rock and blues stops it from becoming too noodly or boring like prog can sometimes be. I loved every track, even if I felt that the mix and vocals could both threaten to bring a few tracks down, although I think this is just the album's age showing. A smooth and satisfying work of art, whether it's a concept album or not. Prog is hit or miss for me but this is definitely a hit. ★★★★½

Prog rock meets hard rock in this Jethro Tull album. The prominent flute caught me by surprise, but I quite enjoy the unique feel it adds, as well as the prominent lead guitar. I was also presently surprised in its dynamic changes of mood and feel; it is more than wild playings or long guitar lines.

Merda che bello, ricorda king chrimson

Ok este álbum estuvo bien fino pero coño acaso el 90% de esta lista es puro rock? Y además es rock que suena casi igual no me jodas

Buen sonido ambiente

Du rock plutôt sympa et dynamique

Franchement, j’ai trouvé ça pas mal Un mélange entre Neil Young, Led Zep et Tenacious D (groupe de Jack Black)

*Didn't think I liked would like this as much as I did *Love the flute mixed in with the prog rock

This album is paced perfectly imo. No individual song felt too long not the album as a whole which has so far been a feat in this challenge. I'm not the biggest fan of the vocal performance or lyrics but sometimes it hits and the instrumentation is very good.

My God & Hymn 43 great combo

FLUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEE 3.75

Lowkey kind of fell off after the first song but it was still an overall great album with a creative depth and balanced sound. 7.5/10, Favorite Song: Aqualung

4/5 guitar going crazy

sick

I really like the combination of rock with music that makes me feel like I’m in a tavern somewhere in 17th-century Great Britain. I didn’t really listen to the lyrics because I’m not a native speaker, but musically, classic rock will always have a place in my heart. 7/10

Some amazing riffs on this album. Has a lot of the things that I don’t like about prog rock in general, mostly that it takes itself too seriously, and sometimes makes me think that I’m at King Richard’s Faire instead of listening to rock music. However, when the riffs on Hymn 43 or Locomotive Breath kick in that all goes out the window, and I’m along for the ride.

9/10. But couldn't quite justify rounding up to 5 stars

Good vibez

Flute rock, who knew!? After a dodgy opening 3 minutes or so, the guitars kicked in and I was interested. I wasn’t expecting what I went on to hear and I loved it!

I bet people who know me were expecting this dated piece of hippy crap to be treated with contempt. Well I'm going to surprise you all by saying how good this actually was. Great musicianship and very good songwriting. Nothing too over the top, but it is still a product of its time. I wish I could have appreciated the lyrics more, but that may happen if it ever gets another listen. However I draw the line at extolling the virtues of pan pipe solos. It will never happen.

Really liked this, flute worked surprisingly well especially locomotive breath, lot of fun

Quite enjoyed this. Didn’t have time to listen to disk 2 yet. 7/10

4.5 you're all wrong tbh, the flute is sick

I’m not really sure how much I’ll return to this, but this was pretty great prog rock. There were some great riffs and I liked the flutes throughout.

the flute is killing me

Ces gars-là ont écouté Stairway to heaven et se sont dits: "trop fort, on fait un album complet comme ça AVEC PLUS DE FLÛTE" un solide 4, mais j'ai toujours eu de la difficulté à m'aventurer du côté du 2e side (c'était un vinyle de mon père que j'écoutais ado). Quoi qu'il y en a quand même des solides (j'aime Wind-Up) et même curieusement les singles sont sur le B side...

Tout ce que je savais de Jethro Tull c’est leur nom rigolo, leur flute très présente, et le fait qu’ils on battu Metallica pour le Grammy du meilleur album metal en 1989, ce qui avait fait SCANDALE! Mais bref encore une fois le prog c’est pas trop mon affaire. Agréable à écouter!

Listened to this a few times previously and liked it. A solid and easy 4.

I really enjoyed it. Will revisit

classic rock album, a bit too much "school girls" in the lyrics, but different times I guess.

Locomotive Breath and Aqualung are simply classics <3

Que buen album de rock y dios mio como toca la flauta este hombre???? Y encima hacer que quede bien con canciones de rock clasico, un twist con el que acertó me gusto mucho 8/10

I'm in my 50s and partially balding. Thus, four stars. All kidding aside, I enjoyed this way more than I should have. We all know the title track, but the rest of it was max bonkers. Great guitar tones. And das flute!!! Only Moe Koffman can rock a flute like that. (Canadian reference yo)

A great album, even if it didn't age fantastically.

Aqualung // Wond’ring Aloud // Up to Me // My God // Wind-Up //

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jethro-tull/aqualung/ Listened to this before, when I wanted to hear the full top 200 of RYM. Was surprised then by how much I liked this, and upon second listen, this feeling remains. I'm not usually a prog fan much, but then again, maybe I just base that on not caring too much for Pink Floyd. This is just nice, and I dig the flute.

It takes real skill and artistry to make the flute a viable rock n' roll instrument.

waited until pretty late to get to this. i’ve heard of it but i haven’t listened to it yet. also listening stoned. i have listened to a jethro tull album before, one that came out in 2025. i remember a lot of flutes, not much else. the title track for this is fucking awesome so far, unfortunately it is so tied to family guy for me. holy fuck the bass line during that guitar solo was awesome. cross eyed mary. holy flutes. holy shit this song is awesome. this is like an album of the most mythical led zeppelin songs, i’m living for it. the whimsy is palpable. i don’t generally comment on the guitar work bc guitarists get enough attention as is. but goddamn i gotta give props to the acoustic work on this. gorgeous stuff. i’m saying this at the start of my god.

Really good progressive rock, I prefer thick as a Brick but this is also very good with plenty of memorable songs

Good album

Great album

Great album....good solid rock and Tull is so unique in lyrics, style and voice.

Love this album.

I think if I listened to this lots more I'd give it a 5. But the less familiar songs beyond Aqualung and Locomotive Breath I think need more time to grow for me. Still, I need to listen to more Tull and this has given me reason.

didn’t know this album before, but this was a nice listen

This is an enjoyable listen, I grew up with this style of music, but for whatever reason my parents weren't into Jethro Tull and we never had this on. But I can hear a lot of similarities with other acts we did have on repeat. I feel like further listens and a familiarity with the tracks would allow me to enjoy it more. Interesting lyrical themes, nice guitar parts, some cool riffs, some interesting instrumentation with the acoustic parts and the flutes and (was it recorders?) recorders. Weird end to the album. Yeah, I liked it.

Flute is rock and roll

Day 223 Highlights Aqualung Hymn 43 Luck your fingers clean (expanded edition)

Classic

I’ve heard this before. I don’t own it but my dad does and it’s one that I spun more than a few times going through his record collection for stuff he didn’t listen to very much when i was in middle school and high school, and then later when going through various classic rock phases. First off, more rock bands should use flute. It shouldn’t be relegated to jazz and classical and marching bands and only show up in rock when they bring in some orchestration. You can rock out on any instrument and Jethro Tull rocks the flute. And it’s not just novelty or show-off, even if there are plenty of flute solos, it’s there in the riffs and fills. There are a lot of great riffs and hooks in here, and I always assumed it was a concept album with the repeated motifs throughout all the songs, but apparently the band says it isn’t. Anyway, every song is at least thematically and musically related, and the song order seems to follow a start to end sequence. All in all it’s a great album.

Fajne. Nawet znana piosenka tytułowa. Na 4.

Love the blending of styles and variety of sounds. Long album though.

Brilliant album, great musicianship and songwriting

I'm ashamed for not listening to this earlier. Up there with 70s prog classics. I love the dynamic of grand hard hitting rock tracks suplemented with short folkesque songs in-between. 8/10

Album #44, Jethro Tull, Aqualung ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m in an awful mood today. I’ve been fighting a bad cold for the last few days and on top of that I have to deal with a colonoscopy tomorrow. I’ve got a full day of prep ahead of me, something I’ve never experienced before, so I’m anxious and I feel like absolute shit. The last thing I needed today was a prog album. I wanted something easygoing, something familiar, something I knew was going to be a guaranteed five stars. Instead I got Aqualung, an album I’d never listened to before. I know it’s a classic, but it’s never been anywhere near the top of the list of albums I’ve been meaning to check out. Still, I said I’d approach everything on this list with an open mind. And you know what? I actually really liked it. I thought it was pretty great. I’ve only listened to it once and it feels like there’s a lot more to get out of it on future listens. First of all, I think it’s desperately uncool music. Whatever “cool” is supposed to mean, this album definitely isn’t it. But it also isn’t really prog rock in the way I expected. It’s much more like folk rock in a lot of places. There’s a fairly uniform sound across the album and the songs have proper structure. It didn’t strike me as nearly as pretentious as I thought it would be. I’m not a huge fan of the title track, Aqualung, but some of the other songs are very, very good. Locomotive Breath in particular is great. The riffs on that track are fantastic. I was expecting loads of flute all over the album because that’s what Jethro Tull are known for, but it’s actually used fairly sparingly. When it does come in it works really well. Ian Anderson’s voice is very good. The lyrics are a bit strange though. I’m not entirely sure what the album is about yet, but it does make me curious enough to go back and listen again to try to figure it out. In a lot of ways it feels like a proper 70s hard rock record with some beautiful guitar playing throughout, which I really didn’t expect going in. So yeah, this one surprised me. I’ve been bowled over a little bit by a prog-adjacent album. Who knew?

Yeah this was really fun, and I will be come back to this I think. The aqualung story does trail off a bit before the end but oh well. Really liked the flute solo on my god 4

Really good, almost a 5

strangely good

Jethro Tull has been on my radar for a while but I never got around to listening to them. Great album.

My opinions on classic rock is very mixed, and I honestly don’t know what to feel about this project. Overall, I think it was really good, but I’m not sure if I’m going to return to it any time soon; this type of sound really isn’t my thing. The quality of this album isn’t lacking in the slightest, but it didn’t speak to me the way I wanted it to. One quality of this album that I did enjoy very much was the fact that they weren’t scared to use minimal production, which I am a huge fan of. Sometimes, strong musical themes can be driven better by simple riffs paired with smart breaks rather than overusing cinematic orchestras. This also impacts the consistency of the album in my opinion. Tull is certainly impressive for making such a thematically tight and consistent album, it’s just unfortunate that my taste doesn’t favor it heavily. Anyways, great album, would recommend.

Pretty cool

I like 70s music i think

Was cool-- 1st time listen and really had only thought of Jethro Tull as "the flute band" among their British hard rock contemporaries, but I appreciated the dynamics beyond just the full throttle stuff, specially "Wind-Up". Also listened to the special edition of the album with the Ian Anderson interview at the end, which was great.

really enjoyed the story telling and song writing. Kept coming back to the main riff throughout

I mean this in the absolute best way possible, but this whole album gives me Shrek vibes. The mix of rock with medieval instruments/sounds/production was marvellous and so different. The vocalist's voice started out sounding a bit mismatched to me but somehow put everything together in the end.

Mmmm rockflöjt och lika rifftungt som typ en opeth-skiva 🥰 Den roligaste lyssningen på länge. Händer något intressant hela tiden. Tror inte jag hittade en enda tråkig låt? Stark fyra, en till lyssning och jag skulle kanske våga ge det en femma.

Surprised me, really enjoyed it

Pretty decent rock album, wasn't much I didn't like about it

My first time listening to this famous album. I was expecting folk and flutes but got a very nice folk rock album with some great guitar work. Last 2 tracks were my favourites. Apparently though this isn’t Ian Anderson’s favourite Jethro album.

Crazy

It sounds like a famous old rock but I've never heard about this band. Not bad actually

I quite like this album but it does drag in some areas, I’m not the biggest fan of the opening tracks but then we are greeted with the famous flute and it takes you into the whimsical prog world that is Jethro Tull. This album will not be for everyone especially if you’re not a prog fan, but I like the atmosphere this album creates

I enjoyed it, even the flutes. Feels like something a cider enthusiast would produce.

Solidan rock album s dobrim zvukom ostvarenim prvotno kombinacijom pisama vođenim akustičnom ili električnom gitarom. Nakraju ima intervju sa valjda frontmanom, zanimljiv detalj al nisan poslusa. 7/10 Najbolja pisma: Aqualung

awesome stuff - love how much flute there is on this album, definetely haven't heard that before

Wow, what a journey this album is! Finally some hobbit music! Honestly, I was aware of Jethro Tull's name, but I thought they were prog like Pink Floyd and the like! The instrumental is gorgeous, the piano, the flute, the delicate guitar constrasting with the dark themes is quite medieval. Happy to have discovered this album. I will definitely listen to it more times. 4/5

Hey this is pretty good. Who knew flute would work so well here.

such good melodies that remind me a bit of CCR and my favourite song was "Slipstream".

*1971. *Aqualong is the only song I know. Great way to start off an album, but it doesn't need to be a 6 minute song. *90 minutes is too long. *I really like the ballads and chill songs. It's very Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and sometimes singer-songwriter-y - lots of flute, olde Renaissance-sounding strings, light acoustic guitar, and sweet vocals. *The harder/faster songs sound like Ozzy meets Led Zep. *This is probably a 3.5 for me, but I'm feeling generous and I'll probably take a peek at the 4's and 5's at some point to revisit on this list. RATING - 7.5/10

Hadn't heard this before, was pretty awesome. Reminded me of Tenacious D a little bit.

I appreciated the tonal shifts throughout the album. It wasn’t all real heavy, and the lyrical content, evocative of a diseased London full of iniquity, matched the shifting mood of the music. I particularly liked “Locomotive Breath.”

I liked it, i love 70s rock and the flute sounds heavinly

My favorite Jethro Tull album. No surprise I guess.

Somehow have never listened to a Jethro Tull album before. Love the flute bits, very "summoning the fairytale beings"

*maybe a 5 after more albums* Absolutely awesome.

This rips. 'FlUtEs ArEnT rOcK aNd RoLl'

Thisis at its best when it leans into that heavy rock edge. I felt those riffs have real weight, and when the band snaps from acoustic calm into distortion it genuinely hits. The dynamic shifts are the secret weapon and I songs never sat still long enough to feel safe. There’s something bold about how directly it tackles religion too as it doesn’t feel edgy for the sake of it, it feels pointed. It’s not trying to be smooth or cool or overly smug, it’s jagged, theatrical, and a bit confrontational.This feels like one of those albums that gets better the more you sit with you, and I’m excited for my next listen.

3.5

I liked this a lot. I think I was a little apprehensive due to hearing it get bashed in some forums, but I don't see the reason for the hate. It rocked, it mellowed, it had unique instrumentation that still worked well in the rock context. I'd listen to it again for sure. Side note: I have a distinct memory of watching a movie as a kid (pretty sure it was Jumanji) and there being a scene of a woman reorganizing a house she'd just moved into. It stuck with me because of the montage of song snippets that played over it, and I always wondered what one specific song was because of how interesting it sounded. I now know that the song is Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull. So thanks for solving that childhood mystery, list. Overall: 4.1/5

More flute!

First several songs were amazing. Didn't like the second half of the album as much. I liked the storytelling in the songs.

Who doesn't love some flute in their progressive rock? I've always appreciated Jethro Tull for its creativity and genre blending - progressive, folk, rock, and more. Aqualung in itself is a great album that contains the perfect amount of element from all of these. Top tracks: Aqualung, Cheap Day Return, Mother Goose, Locomotive Breath

A classic that I’ve loved for a while

This album has no idea what it wants to be and it's utterly brilliant for it . Is it folk is it prog or is it metal . The sound of the prancing pony if the brandywine flowed through Birmingham and not hobbiton Switching between rift laden guitars , ian Anderson mesmerizing albeit odd singing, folk and flute solos this album is odd . At times it alike listening to Donovon or Fairport and but others it’s Sabbath or Budgie

I see you Aqualung

Super raw. The flute is so unique.

I like this rock vibe, even the first song in the album was really good. The electric guitar was everything, but just not everything is for me. Some skip songs are there. 7/10

The kind of music I imagine my roleplaying bard makes after rolling a natural 20

Люблю, але не так як Thick as a Brick. Доволі унікальний гурт, разом з тим у рамках класичного прогу мабуть один з найбільш доступних.

have ignored jethro tull for the longest time, because i associated it with medieval folk rock, by virtue of the band name, the album cover, and the flute. what a big misunderstanding! a lot of fun!

You know what- this wasn’t bad. I had fun, it was catchy, definitely not boring. Better than I expected!

I know a couple of Jethro Tull songs, but I don't think I've ever taken the time to listen to a full album. I am glad this album was on here, because this is actually quite good! I can see where this would largely be considered "progressive rock", but I find it incredibly approachable; the folk rock and even the art rock aspects bring it down to earth quite a bit. Speaking of folk rock, the flute of all things really stands out on this album and is a recurring, prominent sound. The flute's prominence is often reserved for symphonic music, but Ian Anderson, as the lead singer of Jethro Tull, finds many opportunities throughout this album to let the flute do the singing for him. And dare I say, the flute really shreds on this album. And jumping back to what I already knew, "Aqualung" has such a memorable and notable opening; I feel like any classic rock lover, even if they didn't know the entirety of the shifting, evolving "Aqualung", would recognize that simple yet epic opening riff. All in all, this was just an excellent album, and it gave me a newfound appreciation for Jethro Tull, a band I knew of but didn't actually really know.

LOVE an almost-concept album. Kind of shocked I'd never heard of this before- it honestly blew me away a bit. Reminds me of Pink Floyd's The Wall in a lot of ways, thematically and stylistically. Highlights: Aquaman, My God, Locomotive Breath, Wond'ring Aloud, Slipstream

I've heard of Jethro Tull before but never actually listened to them. I went through thinking wtf is this to actually really enjoying it. Definitely need to relisten and go further into their discog. Flutes ABSOLUTELY belong in rock

The more I listen to this album the more I like it. It's funky. It's melodic. Some great riffs. Haven't done a deep dive into the lyrics yet. But this album is just full of some good old “close your eyes and let it be the background sound for everyday life” jams. It started out as a 3 for me, and I kept feeling like this was an album that "could" be a 4 if I took more time and gave it more listens. I was not wrong!!

Quite interesting, specially considering its context. 7/10

Absolute classic of rock. Great band.

8.59/10 4/5 Aqualung is one of the best songs of all time, and the rest of this album was solid.

Lovely

Loved this album as a teenager after a friend lend me the cd. Listening again after a long time it was a nice surprise. Such a unique sound, and still impresses me how that flute can rock so hard. Absolute classic.

I like the concept

Huge album. Obviously familiar with the hits, but never listened to it all the way through. I liked most of it!

4 out of 5. This album is classic for a reason.

I don't know, I kinda like the flute. Whole album feels like a musical performed by knights in a fantasy story or something.

Super ! J’ai eu des vibes de David Bowie et de Elton John et j’adore les 2 donc ça tombe bien

Well I think this sounds incredible. Yeah I totally get this, its at the cross intersection of Hard and Prog rock and that is absolutely my zone. Its rock music that sounds like it could be played at a renaissance fair, and you are either going to hate that fact or love it. The flute playing is great, the instrumentation is varied enough to hold the album throughout. The singing did take a bit for me to get used to, but I think it really complements the style of music they're going for. Its suprisingly dynamic inbetween the more lush songs and more rock-heavy pieces like Hymn 43. I can very much hear the lineage between this and the bands it would go on to inspire, kinda crazy that this was 1971. Though we need to talk about the lyrics because I do not know how to think about them. The topics here are very dark, underage prostitution, pedophilia, homelessness. Sometimes I do not think it handles these topics very well at all, especially on "cross-Eyed Mary" which feels almost like its trying to make light of an incredibly dark topic that I felt needed to be handled with more care. I hate that I've got to mark this album down for it because everything else is so incredible to me, but It is enough that I get the ick about listening to certain songs again.

Ça marche super bien, du rock progressif aux lyrics étranges (à relire), j'y reviendrais !

A interesting fusion of heavy rock rifts and socially aware lyrics

I must have listened to this before because I recognize a lot of songs, but it has been a WHILE. Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary are a solid one-two punch out of the gate. Both rip in their own rights -- always found Cross-Eyed Mary to have a satisfying stomp to it. Cheap Day Return -> Wond'ring Aloud dip into folk territory -- of these, Mother Goose is a rather catchy little ditty. Amplifiers get plugged back in on Up to Me -- solid jam. My God is a cool proggy jam and really enjoy Hymn 43. Locomotive Breath is a strong closer to the original album. Solid through and through. Really ought to dive deeper into Mr. Jethro's repertoire. 4

Just a straight up great rock album with a really unique singer and the baller flute. My favorite parts were where you could really hear him trying to catch his breath while absolutely wailing on that flute

HEY AQUALUNGGGGG - Ron Burgundy I've only heard the title track from this and I've always loved that, especially the guitar riff, so interested to see what else we got here. Drop on My God was sick and caught me off guard, and then the flute solo. My God this song rules. That was a solid listen. Had some super high highs.

Aqualung Cross-Eyed Mary Up to me My God Locomotive Breath Wind up

Aqualung Cross Eyed Mary Mother Goose Up to Me My God (kickass flute) Locomotive Breath

I've heard this a few times over the years passively. Few people handle lyrics like Jethro Tull. I imagine like Rush that's something you like or not. I personally enjoy their lyricism and vocals. I don't mind a weird bag of early folk prog nonsense. I liked it.

"Aqualung" by Jethro Tull is an album I was first introduced to in a pretty indirect way, through playing the song "Aqualung" on Playstation Rock Band. That track stuck with me enough that I was curious to finally buy to the full album. Overall, it is a solid record. It is not something I would put on every day, but when I am in the mood for it, I do enjoy it. The mix of rock, folk influences, and Ian Anderson's flute gives it a very distinctive sound that clearly sets it apart from a lot of other rock albums of that era. I once read that the album is partly inspired by photographs of homeless people taken by Anderson's wife at the time, with the title track's character "Aqualung" being based on one of those photos- reflecting the pretty dark tone of parts of the record. There is not much more to say beyond that. It is a good album that I enjoy, even if it is not a constant in my rotation.

Echt een lekker album van een band die ik toch vaak voorbij hoor/zie komen maar nooit echt heb geluisterd. Duidelijk de invloeden te horen wat later toch de 80's NWOBHM genre werd. Goede riffs afgelost met mooie akoestische nummers en de sporadische dwarsfluit solo maakt dit al helemaal uniek. Persoonlijke favoriet is Hymn 43 maar onderschat ook zeker de andere nummers niet. Dit is nog niet top van de top maar een 4/5 zeker waard.

Niet instaat geweest een volledige review te schrijven. “Unofficial hades speedrun soundtrack” 4/5 - zeker een album dat ik rock fans zou aanraden om te luisteren, maar de 5/5 bewaar ik voor een album dat iedereen met oren echt vandaag nog moet luisteren en daar valt deze helaas niet onder. Details: Intronummer was leuk, maar op een gegeven moment wist ik nou wel waar die meisjes zaten. Cross-Eyed Mary vond ik een hele epische intro, had wat mythisch met de dwarsfluit geluiden erbij. De dwarsfluit geluiden blijken door meer nummers terug te komen en ik vond het zwaar nice. Hoorde het bij Up to Me weer bewust. My God dwarsfluit op 2:40 klinkt net als iets uit Hades lmao Ik word minder spaarzaam met m'n likes. Cross-Eyed Mary en Up to Me mogen het van mij vanwege de dwarsfluit. Locomotive breath kanker harde fluit solos

Top album, luistert prima weg

Very good proggy rock

On paper I should love this album but man oh man it just made me space out and didn’t keep my attention…. UNTIL THE FLUTE HIT THEN I WAS IN BABY. That flute saved this album from a three star review ong

первый альбом лучше, этот добавлять не буду

I've always thought Jethro Tull was kind of lame and known as the flute guy that somehow beat Metallica at the Grammys. But the flute goes kinda hard not gonna lie

Listened previously Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - Probably not my favourite Tull album but what a brilliant LP nonetheless. Hard to fault and I really debated giving this a 5. Maybe the fact that I know I prefer Thick as a Brick is playing on my mind here.

Very interesting! I like it

Almost every guitarist will cite aqualung as an influence. A great example of 70s rock with a mixture of acoustic tunes. JTs flute is unmistakeable and fits in perfectly.

Bluesy prog rock. Classic.

O progressivo em seu estado bruto, alternando entre músicas com peso e melodias suaves. Uma dinâmica que dá muito certo sem necessidade de muitos floreios.

The album grew on me quite a bit after listening to it a few times. It reminds of some early Led Zeppelin that I listened to last year. My favourite tracks were “My God” and “Wind-Up”

A good classic rock album. Distinct enough to be different but jot so abstract today to be unfamiliar. Easy listening album where you can hear both influences and how they have influenced.

Very theatrical. 70s David Bowie

An absolute prog classic, with some impeccable playing and nice grooves. That said, I do have a big problem with it. The mix is straight up weird, I'm not audio expert but something doesn't seem right about it. Also couple of filler songs in the 2nd half :/

Shocking amount of panflute sounds

I grew up with this album but really hardly ever return to it. Not sure why though, this rules. And yet....I probably will continue not returning to it.

Never was a big fan of Jethro Tull, but this album and Thick as a Brick are gold. 4 stars.

Unique progressive rock sound. Its hard to describe this succintly. Even knowing Aqualung and Locomotive Breath beforehand, I was surprised and engaged by the musical changes throughout the album. That said, the back half isn't as strong as the first. Overall, quite a good, ambitious album.

I actually didn’t mind the flutes so this was quite an enjoyable experience for me

Flute rock! I've always really liked this album, and it was great to hear it again.

better than i was expecting

Flute kinda slaps ngl Strings are nice Cool prog

Solid album. Bra rock. Litt my medieval flute shit mid album spør du mæ. Bra start og slutt.

This album means a lot to me. At a certain time I've listened to it probably 10k times.

An electrified band of wandering minstrels served up one of their best albums back in '71. Good mix of folk and classic rock makes this worth the listen.

Uskumatult kõvasid riffe ja ilusaid folk rock käike on siin. Viimased lood albumil vajuvad ära, aga esimene pool on küll super kuulamine. Aqualung eriti on legendaarne. 3.6/5

4/5. I always think this band will hit harder than it does

SUPER cool and innovative sound, especially with all the woodwinds, mix of classic rock/folk/alternative/metal almost? LOVE the interludes (wish some of them were longer haha) favs: cross-eyed mary, wind-up (fav on whole album!) really deep concepts on faith and society that are so well represented by the instrumentation and style of the music

pretty good. flew by while i was working

Been enjoying this album for years, and nice to dust it off again. Fuck the flute haters, sounds great!

It's close to perfect, some mixing choices aside (Where are the drums?). Yes, it has flutes. Yes, they are very present. But they are, for me, what makes Aqualung to something special and to way more than a run-of-the-mill prog record.

Listened to this before, but never latched onto it. Used to be a huge prog fan, but kinda fell off when I discovered punk music. Just kinda prefer music thats more to the point/not noodly. That said, so far probably the best prog album I've gotten so far. Who knew the trick to making good Ren Faire type music is to funnel it through prog folk and not 60's psychedelic, haha. But yeah, definitely the folk aspect thats helping me out with this one. Of course Aqualung and Locomotive Breath are great classics, but the rest is still fantastic.

Classic album. Almost feels like a rock opera rather than just an album. Jethro Tull isn't necessarily one of my favorite bands that I would regularly listen to, but this album is a classic and definitely deserves to be on the list.

Found this a little strange but a good kind of strange. The instrumentation was varied, I thought the flute was fun and I enjoyed that it had a mix of intense songs and gentler ones. Fav song: Locomotive Breath Least fav: Cross-Eyed Mary

Don’t know why I listened to the full 13 min interview at the end. Men album, but too much flute for my liking. Specific rating - 3.8 Fav song - aqualung Least fav - lick your fingers clean

Don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. Surprisingly fun album! It's nice to hear something that manages to be both a unique sound and enjoyable to listen to! Favourite song: Locomotive Breath (also really liked Mother Goose) Least: My God

Very solid classic rock album with a under-appreciated hit as the opening song. 7/10

At first I was like, aw damn please not another dad rock special, when the first song started. But holy shit. This album is a behemoth. Excellent songwriting. The dynamism that this album holds is electric, shifting constantly from section to section, mixing in a vast array of cool musical elements that make each song a journey in and of itself. The flute solos sprinkled throughout, but particularly on the song ‘my god’, were a joy. The skill of all the musicians was excellent. And the string section breakdowns lifted me out of the hard rock heaviness of certain sections of the album. A great array of genre, composition, sound and passion throughout this one. The vocal performance is perhaps the weakest link for me personally, just the tone of voice and placement in the mix seemed fairly stock standard, and some of the hard rock elements overly familiar. But the rest of the music had enough eclectic aspects to keep me interested the whole time. Enjoyed this one

This album is a bit inconsistent, but it’s influential, highly creative, and features some absolute classics (Aqualung, Cross-eyed Mary, Locomotive Breath). This is the best example of fusing British/Celtic folk music with modern Blues Rock. And the character studies of the downtrodden characters are both compassionate and savage. There’s nothing 1-or 2-dimensional about this album — it’s sweeping and yet very specific. I like it — a 4.

Bahumbangers! I always liked Aqualung in whatever Rock Band game. The rest were also pretty good and each song was delightfully brief. Get in, flute out.

I never knew how badly I needed the flute

solid

My name jeth

Some of the best music ive ever heard 8.5/10

very good, a classic.

never heard flute like it 🔥

Very good not what i was expecting Some time too much flute but most of the time just right

Forgot how much I loved Jethro Tull. So happy to see this record come up.

Who’d have thought a song about an old man perving over school girls would be a banger?

banger? banger? banger?

Fantastic album. Pretty sure I even have it on vinyl.

I'm increasingly intrigued by the microgenre of what I'll call Observational British Rock - albums made by British bands consisting of sketches about the various eccentrics, squares, and human marginalia one encounters in society. Ian Anderson's particular vignettes are enhanced by his willingness to go full Leopold Bloom in terms of gritty detail, as on the famous title track that combines both disgust and empathy for a dirty old man on a park bench. It also helps that the guitar work is first-rate throughout - Anderson's acoustic virtuosity is persistent, and Martin Barre's fat riffs arrive precisely when you start to worry the momentum is dragging (as on "My God"). And prog gets a bad name for songs that go on too long but Anderson's compositions are generally enhanced by shorter runtimes that keep the pace moving. I'm not sure I would call anything here *truly* transcendent but it all works way better than you would think if I just said "proto-metal plus acoustic folk plus a little English dancehall plus a large dose of flute."

Really starts off with a splash. I love the heavy guitar riffs of the intro combined with the playful solos that give the song a feeling of epicness. Cross-Eyed Mary continues in that direction, with theatrical arrangements and really interesting drum patterns. There is a lot of folk influence which I like a lot, gives the music a very british feel. There is a lot of flute throughout the album and it sounds fire. It's a very unique record for prog rock and offers a super impressive combination of pretty moments, impressive technical playing and heavy stuff which I think works amazingly.

A flute in rock music? They make it work.

I liked it.

Ewig nicht gehört; macht noch immer Freude, auch wenn es nicht mein lieblingsalbum von ihnen ist

Really enjoyed this as a Deist

Fav songs: - Aqualung - My God - Hymn 43 - Lick Your Fingers Clean

Kul överraskning! Inledande Aqualung tycker jag är en riktigt bra låt och även om det efter flera lyssningar också visade sig vara den bästa låten så tycker jag att det genomgående är en riktig bra skiva. Avslutar riktigt starkt med Locomotive breath och Wind-up. Kul också med My god som mina favvosar Cunninlynguists uppenbarligen oblygt har samplat rakt av på The South. Kommer att lyssna mer!

Tearing it up on the flute. Multiple bangers

Good but very long. 4/5

- I thought I had listened to this album a lot when I was in high school, but I only recognized Aqualung, Locomotive Breath, and Wond’ring Aloud off here. A Québécoise friend I met at “Encounters with Canada”, Mylène, loved them, so maybe she sent me a mixed tape or something. We lost track of each other, but if you’re reading this Mylène, shout out! - Enjoying a lot of the other songs on here (especially the more folky ones). I personally love the flute. Why not? And I’ve always liked the jangly guitar work and the lead singer’s voice when he’s singing on the folkier songs, not so much when he’s swallowing his voice/getting nasal on the rockier ones. The drumming is notable as well, prominent/restrained when it needs to be. - Interesting lyrics and themes. - Not a 5 because I don’t like a couple of the songs (e.g., Cross-Eyed Mary & Up to Me).

There’s just something about that flute that makes the perfect addition to this music. I didn’t love the bardcore, but most of this album was amazing.

Flutes are amazing. This one time at band camp, Sheryl played Beethoven's 6th Symphony in V major using one. It was quite the performance. After the ovations were finished we had lashings and lashings of fish tacos for supper. Wonderful times. Wonderful.

Pretty enjoyable. Aqualung was probably my favourite track.

I did not expect rock and flutes to go so well together, but I was proven wrong. People hating on this just don't have enough whimsy in their life. Favorite Song: My God

What an epic album. Truly enjoyed this one.

I mean what's not to like about rock flute solos? Overall maybe a touch too consistent in sound, but pretty good.

Music made by, for, and about huge weirdos

So good! I had no idea Aqualung was by Jethro Tull... embarrassing. My favorite song was My God, looove the flute

Overall solid album. The first half was much stronger than the second with unique melodic lines throughout in flute/piano. Highlights: Aqualung (song) = banger. I LOVED the flute highlight to start the second track. Classic renaissance/madrigal tone to mother goose. wondring aloud lovely little love song

Delightfulltly weird

Liked it way too much than I though

this was really fun, great musicmanship, great change of tones and a nice weird intersection of folk and hard rock and god knows what

A blues-and-jazzy band gone rock, kind of like a proggy Lynyrd Skynyrd with a cool flute! I only knew the title track before, but I’m actually enjoying the rest of the album even more. Overall, a super fun listen. Without being significantly special, they have good riffs, a good hard rock vibe without being too clichée, and I really enjoyed the day listening to them.

I knew the title song Aqualung. It's a pretty quintessential classic rock kind of song. I didn't know the rest of the album. Some of the other tracks are pretty decent, like Cross-Eyed Mary, Locomotive Breath, and Wind Up. Interesting to learn that they recorded in the same studio as Led Zepplin. I can see some connections. This is kind of a high-3 / low-4 for me.

Rounding up a bit here, but I have a soft spot for anything that feels like that cross roads of fantasy/Renn Faire and heavy metal/hard rock. Its uneven, but when it lands, it lands.

Pretty solid folk/prog rock album. Takes a bit to get going but finishes very strong. Definitely preferred the more guitar-oriented songs to the flute/piano-heavy ones, but that's more personal taste than a knock on the album. Won'dring Aloud, Hymn 43, Wind Up

This is a very good album. Not only does it sound amazing, but it tells a story, too. This is very theatrical, which I like. Most songs work perfectly on their own, but they are better all in one sitting.

I had heard of Jethro Tull but never listened to them. I really enjoyed this album - almost gave it a 5. Love the progressive rock sound. “Wind-Up” is a very cool track with some great lyrics. Will definitely be listening to more.

16/11/2025 Another band I've heard of but never listened to. It was actually okay. Spotify listeners: 1.6 million

Absolute banger. Rock flute rules.

This album is good

I'm into it!

I really enjoyed this one! loving the folky aspects of an album that does not seem to even need them, but thy really maid all the difference!

Album 960 of 1089 Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971) Rating : 4 / 5 I’ve always enjoyed their sound - flute and all - and this listen just confirmed it again. I’m most familiar with the title track, of course, but the whole album reminds me why Jethro Tull stands out: great riffs, sharp songwriting, and that unique mix of rock and folk that nobody else quite pulls off. Even on a rough morning, this one was an easy 4/5 for me. Solid album, classic sound, and always enjoyable to hear.

Standout Songs: Aqualung Cross-Eyed Mary Wond'ring Aloud Hymn 43 Locomotive Breath Really solid album, I love prog rock style stuff like this.

Big opener, I think Ive heard it before. Guitar riff is sweet. Very fun song. Almost similar to jazz; lots of sounds thrown together but it works through 2 songs. Cross eyed Mary is a really good song, good guitar and bass. Find myself nodding along. Flute solo into guitar solo is awesome. Cheap day return is a change up. Good filler I guess, I’m sure there’s some deeper meaning that I’m unaware of. Back on track with mother goose, really fun. Good song writing, good production. Intro of the electric guitare towards the end is great. Wondring aloud was fine, similar to cheap day return. Love the beginning of up to me. This is another awesome song. The flute is such a huge part across the whole album, very cool for what I would consider a rock album. Wish up to me was longer. The way they incorporate the electric guitar on my god is so good, and back to the flute. Really, really good. It just doesn’t stop, I don’t understand how someone has the lung capacity for that. Hymn 43 is pretty good, nothing special necessarily. Slipstream is a good segue song. Love locomotive breath going all music to start, great intro and great beat drop. More flute, love that once again. This is a really good song. Wins up is pretty good, not the best not the worst. Really good production. Ultimately I think it wrapped up the non bonus track album up well. Kick your fingers is good, definitely fits the the vibe of the rest of the album. Good flute again. Not the best not the worst. Not sure exactly what is different abt it, but I like the wind up quad version better. Really good album, multiple adds to the playlist. 4.04 stars

brilliant

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It was like if you had a renaissance fair band and gave them some electric instruments

I listened this for the first time when i was 12-13 yrs old :). Great guitar tune and the flute is really interesting.

H: the album started off strong with Auqalung and then kinda took a lull but finished strong with several bangers towards the end. The flute throughout the album really helped bring it together, there is something about the flute that makes this album interesting to listen to. 6.5/10 H fav song: Locomotive Breath Z: the perfect album to accompany a quest against evil. A definitive example of “sum is greater than its parts”— not many standout singles aside from Aqualung and Locomotive Breath, however the total package is more than I expected. Flute solos, mystical senses, piano intros. A near perfect album. 9.5/10 Z fav song: Locomotive Breath

Well, when they tell you "classic prog-rock stallwarths", they certainly fail to mention the flute, the minstrel troupe vibe and the overall feeling of a medieval fair band. I guess my expectations were not in line, and that caused a bit of a whiplash during listening. 3 feels too little, 4 seems too much, but maybe I replay the title track at some point and that kind of makes it worth it.

Some big hits on here, but the flute was really cool throughout.

This is easily one of the most intricate prog records I've ever heard. The instrumentation from start to finish was very well crafted and the musicianship demonstrated that this band was well ahead of its time when they performed these songs. There were various shifts in mood throughout the record and I really enjoyed the roller coaster of emotions I felt while listening. This was very good overall.

these guys were on that shit fr. i enjoyed the mix of rock and folk, and the flute was a great addition as well. standout tracks: aqualung, up to me, my god

Ah. Classic Prog: The world in which I generally live. This is such a familiar and loved album to me that it's difficult to give an unbiased review. My biggest dislike is the subject matter. This whole album is an ode to lechery and animosity towards Christianity. "Hymn 43," for example, could have been written by the unrepentant thief on the cross. A complete rejection of Christ. On the other hand, this is a musical masterpiece. It's funky enough to have generated several classic rock staples yet proggy enough to keep the interest of the musically inclined. Favorite song: "Cross Eyed Mary" - from tasteful, mysterious flute/mellotron opening to the down and dirty Hammond Organ riff that would make Deep Purple Proud. Funkiest cut on the album. I love it. Musically this album is five stars. But, for me, I have to dock it one star just for its unrelenting blasphemy.

I didn't know I liked Prog-folk-blues-rock either

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I can’t recall ever listening to them before. I had it in my head that they were folk rock. It is in fact very similar to Led Zeppelin but with added flute! I liked the heavier stuff and whilst there were no stand out tracks I liked the last two and would definitely listen again.

Prog meets folk and with a little bit of the Blues for good measure. I could do without the Blues bits, but still, this is an enjoyable listening experience and a real classic. 4/5

7/10 Favourite: Aqualung Least Favourite: Mother Goose

Always dismissed this as flute-led prog rubbish. Turns out it’s a really good hard rock album with crunchy riffs and big melodies.

I wasn't really sure what to make of this album, I enjoyed parts a decent amount, but others left me cold. I liked it most when it was more folky. Probably a low four for me.

4/5 classics on this some age old riffs that can stand the test of time with acoustic dwindling in between

Interesting listen, and certainly entertaining. It reminds me of Court Crimson but a lot less all over the place. Which is what makes this a tad boring. I still had a good time but I don't see myself coming back to much of this in the future. Still, as a piece of art, I enjoyed it start to finish. The flute on this rocked, too. My God was easily my favourite song.

Jethro Tull's most popular album, which is not as good as thick as a brick. I think that Jethro Tull differentiates itself enough from the pack with a lot of their contemporaries in prog rock, which to be honest around the time they were releasing this stuff was just total slop. I like the flute :)

Cool album I'd listened to on vinyl but first time revisiting in a while. Love the flute, the musicianship, and creativity. Hobbit Rock! Music for guys who probably don't smell good or bathe in rivers. Some of the most creative lyrics out. You don't see many albums like this simply because it's very hard! This level of creativity and expertise doesn't come around much.

Surpassed expectations. Wanted to hear it more. Will come back to it. r liked it too.

Great prog rock

Loved the British vibes. Kinda reminded me of the Ramones.

The Special Edition version's sound quality really sucks. The Steven Wilson Stereo Remix from 2011 is much better. The Yazz Flute scene in Anchorman when he screams out "Hey Aqualung!" finally makes sense. There are also flute solos galore on this album for any flute aficionados. The big thing with this album is that I guess it was assumed to be a concept album and everyone said it was a concept album.......except the people who made the album. Whatever though as it caused the band to blow up so I guess they can't be too mad about this. Love the artwork of the album as it tells a great story in it of itself. The music is great, very folk Rock and the flute solos are something else. Worth it for the rock mixed with flute alone.

Najdraži pastoralni prog rock bend? Kad slušam njih odmah imam poriv da odem čuvati ovce. Ovo mi nije baš najdraži album, Thick as a Brick ipak zauzima to mjesto, ali je veoma dobar i zanimljiv.

Pretty good, I’ve heard the title track multiple times but this is the first time I’ve actually gotten past the first part

It’s strange. I got this album after Soft Machine *Third* and at first I groaned about getting more prog. However, this album is so great in comparison. It’s prog, but keeps a groove and has interesting themes and lyrics.

Ouais ça bang

C'est du lourd, pas autant que Thick as a Brick mais y'a plusieurs moments qui l'accotent.

Spectacular. A lot more folky than I expected. Ian Anderson’s voice is so clear and resonant, Martin Barre’s guitar playing is fluid and creative, and Clive Bunker’s drumming is more Bonham than Bruford. Any time the folk songs started overstaying their welcome, Bar would come in with overdriven guitar.

I love the flute.

big man flute man

Very good, dark and haunting, interesting themes.

Enjoyed this one!

Guess I like Jethro Tull. Full of bangers, can definitely see myself listening to this one again.

Very good

Fascinating dive into the separation of God from religion, painting portraits of various characters and their intersections with morality, spirituality, and organized religion. The acoustic ballads gave a nice contrast to the heavier riff-heavy rock. Gotta love the flute too!

I knew I probably was familiar Jethro Tull’s music. But I couldn’t tell you a single song of theirs I had heard of before playing this one. When the first guitar riff played in the album title track Aqualung, I was ready for a fun classic rock experience. The album art is thematic to the album experience. Which was apparently inspired by photographs of unhoused people along the Thames and drives the story more around that.

Absolutely banging album. The later half of the album I found died off a bit. But, overall this is a sick album with some bangers songs on it

Flute =) Aqualung is a great song, while everything else is pretty good.

Это что-то что я уже слышал но никогда не знал. Я на секунду подумал что это блэк саббат. Классное осознание про узнавание незнакомой музыки. Очень приятнывй альбом! Слушается на одном дыхании, интересные миксы, довольно современно для 1971 года

What a cool experience! The Beatles style rock with tons of jazz flute? Yes please. Sign me up

Good album, as my introduction to Jethro Tull. However, it felt just a bit generic, with some fairly bog standard prog-rock instrumentation, however as a concept album, it works very well. The story of Aqualung is told throughout the lyrics of the music, which is a concept that wasn't often seen when this album was released. Overall, it's a solid project, 8/10.

Prog classic.

3,5

I didn't realize I was going to like this... I thought this would be something that drove me nutes...more prog rock. But I find this to be pretty good. There is a momentum to the music, some songs you know, and not a lot of the annoying prog rock elements. 4/5

Good album.

Geggjup plata ekki fyrsta skiptið að hlusta á hana though

While hearing the interview as part of the album is quite jarring for me (because it takes me out of the flow of enjoying the album), it's a fun album all round. Not sure why people get upset about a freaking flute in rock and made that big part of their review? I don't even remember hearing the flute because I enjoyed each song as a whole rather than suddenly focusing on one instrument. I had missed a day, but I'm glad I got to listen to this while working. It's definitely something I would add to a work playlist.

Enjoyed this way more than expected, had only heard the song Aqualung prior to this so think my perspective might have been a bit off. Don't normally have much flute-prog in my life but I like it!

I like this band it was good kinda reminds of Led Zeppelin

Cross-Eyed Mary is phenomenal

Really good album. Can’t say a whole lot more than that. I couldn’t really connect to it 100%, maybe another time in my life.

Wow, wusste nicht das Locomotive Breath von denen ist :D Cooler rockiger Sound, durch das gesamte Album

Chilliger 70s Rock. Ich fand die Flöte geil, hat es mal zu was anderem gemacht.

Haven't quite finished this one but have enjoyed so far, rather progressive!

Pretty cool.

Classic album with some great tracks! Never given the time to go through the whole thing, glad I have now. Gonna go back for more another time.

WELCOME TO PROG FLUTE HELL! YEAH! but i like the folk-rock-prog style of this. prog need to be more like this and less technical wankery. 4/5

It was ok- I liked all of the different instruments

This was a full vibe while ripping through the mountains with the windows down. Missed most of the lyrics but instrumentals carried.

I liekd it. cool pipe sounds over rock instrumentals.

I thought Jethro Tull was a person, not a band 😂 quite liked the more folk rock tracks, didn’t like the more hard rock - album quite varied!

When an album tells a story and the music goes on its own journey. Masterful

Some classic songs on this album! Great listen.

So much damn Flute

Alright

Interesting. I’d listen again to pay more attention to the lyrics. A bit repetitious with the same song and all; but might pay off?

8/10 - rock flute is rad af

7/10 4 stars for locomotive breath is a good trade. rest of music isn't offensive and some of it has a nice groove but locomotive breath rules. 8-22-2025

Fett, kann man sich geben

Need to listen to it again. Solid band

Очень даже неплохой прогрессив-психоделик рок из начала 70ых. Прослушал на одном дыхании.

Aqualung and Locomotive Breath was good. The rest of the songs were okay

Dad listened to this when I was but a wee littl' lad. I always thought this band was kind of goofy, but here they sound layered and ambitious with this almost Broadway-meets-hard rock vibe, all while singing about the messiness of being human. Y'all sold me at the flute solos. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Aqualung - Wond'ring Aloud - Hymn 43 - Locomotive Breath

The world is a better place with weird little flute prog rock music!

I actually enjoyed this more than I was expecting. Despite the strange start with I actually enjoyed all the flute that was in the album, and the vocals weren't that bad either. The whole vibe of the album felt very D n D to me for some reason. That sentence doesn't make much sense, but that's the best way to explain it. My overall rating is 8.3/10.

great

Heavily assuming that most of those dismissing this would also not be capable of telling Bach from Telemann or Haydn from Händel or Coltrane from Coleman. Not that Tull are an of these. But that's about the quality f the dismissals. Apart from that, it's a rock solid British classic rock album, with a lot of musicality and instrumental capacities. Anderson's lyrics are what it costs a point. A little bit too pretentious and dismissive sometimes for my taste.

One of the landmark’s of prog rock!

Great mix of Prog, Folk and Hard Rock. Martin Barre kills it on guitar.

Now That's What I Call Goblin-Summoning Music

It was really unlike anything I’ve heard. The instrumental cohesion was unique and fluid and I really enjoyed giving it a quick listen. I probably won’t put this on any daily music cycles but I am really impressed by how harmonious the music is while having so many elements simultaneously at center focus. Super cool!

Good without the flute, better with.