Aqualung

It's fine I suppose.

"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.

I enjoyed this album a lot. It's a perfect blend of prog, folk, blues and rock. While my personal taste in music has moved on from this kind of stuff towards more experimental music, I know my teenage self would've absolutely adored this album. I remember having first heard both 'Aqualung' and 'Locomotive Breath' around that age and being blown away, so it's a shame I didn't seek out back then. Still, I really like this album for what it is. 4.75/5

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.

My God. 10/10 no notes. Some real folk blues right here. Ik heb van begin tot eind van dit album genoten, en was zeer positief verrast. Je hebt muziek die mooi is, en je hebt muziek waar je iets bij voelt. De eerdere albums die we gereviewed hebben, kunnen we allerlei mooie dingen over zeggen, en ik was zeker ook wel aan het meeknikken op de maat. Maar bij dit album, kreeg ik gewoon echt een vrolijk gevoel. Ik luisterde het in de auto, en ik catchde mezelf af en toe een brede grijns krijgen. Zo'n gevoel en gedachte van, "wauw, they really just did that. And pulled it off. Dit is episch". It's just, straight up, capital F Fun. De blend van akoestische en elektrische gitaar, de folky piano en crazy fluit, en de story-telling vocals, gaven mij een hele immersive experience. Ik stelde me echt een traveling troupe van muzikanten voor die in taverns en op dorpsfestivals bij het vreugdevuur hun verhalen kwamen bezingen, met magische instrumenten from the future. "Tavern Rock" kwam in me op. Door de immersion was My God bijna een religieuze ervaring. Hier kwamen de thema's, de instrumental solo's (en samenspel) en folk zang prachtig samen. De gitaarsolo into de fluitsolo into the whole shebang together... Chef's Kiss. Het album eindigt met Wind-Up, die de thematiek van verbinding met God, maar de oppositie tegen het instituut 'Kerk', mooi samenvat en afsluit. In de deluxe edition op Spotify wordt dit nog opgevolgd met de bonus track Lick Your Fingers Clean, die het oorspronkelijke album niet gehaald had, een extra (live? alternatieve?) renditie van Wind-Up, en een interview met frontman Anderson. Ik baseer mijn oordeel over het geheel op de originele versie, waarbij ik Wind-Up een perfecte afsluiting vind, en beschouw Lick Your Fingers Clean als een leuke extra (het is ook gewoon een banger en past goed bij de rest). Het interview is best lang, en voor nu heb alleen nog het eerste stukje geluisterd. Misschien luister ik hem later nog af. Ik ga dit album zeer zeker vaker luisteren, ik heb hem nota bene na de eerste listen direct aan mijn library toegevoegd (en daarna nog twee keer geluisterd). Ik kijk er naar uit om bij repeat listens de teksten verder te ontleden en tot me talaten komen, want er zit echt veel in. Het album in totaliteit is een mooi sonisch geheel. Alles past, en vloeit mooi in elkaar over Beste album so far Liked songs: Letterlijk alles, maar stand out favorites zijn Aqualung, My God, Hymn 43, Locomotive Breath (ja, praktisch de helft lol)

Het album heeft een leuke vibe, maar ik heb het gevoel dat er in dit soort lijsten een bias is voor muziek met deze sound. Wel heeft het album een duidelijk thema, en zitten er muzikaal echt wel vette stukken tussen "My god" wat is die fluitsolo nice, meer van dit soort shit in t album please (ben nog aan t luisteren). Dit leidde me tot een wiki search, voor t eerst sinds deze albumssessies, waaruit bleek dat dit ook echt t vetste verhaal is van t hele album. Dit nummer zorgt opzich al voor +1 ster op t album. Op dezelfde manier is lick your fingers clean ook een goede vibe. Tweede deel album vond ik dus wel beter. Zit dat interview op de lp? Kan ik me niet voorstellen.... Rare keus om die nu wel er in te stoppen. Heb hem niet afgeluisterd. Al met al niet echt geweldig. 2 sterren + 1 sterk voor My God = 3 sterren Ps: agree fully met de logic op religie en de kerk. Alleen niet met zn uiteindelijke overtuiging

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

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.

Very good proggy rock

my thoughts are unusual

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

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

A nice new discovery actually, fresh (suppose a classic I'm only finding about now...)

первый альбом лучше, этот добавлять не буду

Not my thing

Great Album!

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.

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

Jethro Tull sind eine britische Rockband, die mit Aqualung 1971 eines ihrer bekanntesten Alben vorlegte. Die Aufnahmen entstanden in den Island Studios, den Morgan Studios und bei Sound Techniques in London. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Progressive Rock, Folk Rock und härteren Rockelementen, getragen von Ian Andersons markantem Flötenspiel und einer textlichen Ausrichtung, die soziale und religiöse Themen aufgreift. Besonders prägend sind Stücke wie „Aqualung“, „Locomotive Breath“, „Cross-Eyed Mary“ und „My God“, die bis heute zum festen Kern des Bandrepertoires zählen. Trotz der stilistischen Vielfalt wirkt das Album in sich geschlossen und zeigt Jethro Tull auf einem kreativen Höhepunkt, auch wenn der raue Klang der Originalproduktion gelegentlich diskutiert wurde. Insgesamt ein inhaltlich wie musikalisch nachhaltiges Werk, das den Stellenwert der Band im Rock der frühen siebziger Jahre gut widerspiegelt.

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.

Unfortunately, I didn't like this album just because I don't think I'm a fan of this particular genre. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it'd be "Wond'ring Aloud". - Finished 6/14/26

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.

More than flutes, great storytelling! But, who is aqualung? Cross eyed Mary? Sone scary characters... So glad i listened.

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.

Bager

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 :/

One of the greatest albums of all time poppin up!!! Previous review: Bro I love the tull and the stage antics I wish they had more banger albums like this and thick as a brick. Also didn’t say in the previous review but listened while staining wood and I now have this on vinyl!

Shocking amount of panflute sounds

it was pretty good, i want to listen to it again

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.

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

Cool and unique. And that flute kicks ass

I wasn’t really looking forward to a Jethro Tull album. There’s just always been something that made me find them a bit dodgy. Maybe it was something to do with the dude dressing like some kind of Shakespearean minstrel. Anyway, I gave it a good go. It was a little bit better than I had expected. There were things that unexpectedly made me think of Bowie’s 2nd/ Man Who Sold the World era, some Genesis, maybe even some Alice Cooper. There wasn’t as much flute as I would have predicted which was also a positive. When all is said and done though Aqualung has not changed my opinion on this band. Not terrible.

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

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

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

Boring Led Zeppelin but with flutes

shit from a butt

I liked it! Bit of a change of pace from a lot of the other rock albums around this time, but unfortunately nothing really grabbed me in particular, so I can't justify giving it a higher score.

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

Do not usually like this style of music but I did enjoy how the flute was incorporated in the style.

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.

The flute is what makes it special.

okay album. will i relisten to this album? probably not :( overall: 3.5/5 favourite track: locomotive breath least favourite track: wind-up (quad version)

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

Meh

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.

I thought I knew a Jethro Tull song but it turns out that I'm just very familiar with the image of the creepy man playing flute with his eyebrow raised to the camera (maybe a childhood formative memory!) and it's a Steeleye Span song I was thinking of. Anyway, I didn't hate this album and I didn't hate the flute but I probably would have liked it more had it been a straight-up folk album as those songs were, to me, the strongest on the record; 'Mother Goose', 'Wond'ring Aloud' and 'Slipstream' being gorgeous examples. Aside from 'Hymn 43', the more proggy rock songs just felt like I'd heard them before and better (Sabbath, Zeppelin,) and even 'Up To Me', although really good, had more than whiff of Bowie to it. It wasn't the least accessible prog rock I've ever had to listen to and I would probably put this on again when I'm next in a "70s frame of mind" and see what it does. Maybe it'll be a different experience. I'll let you know...

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

Lots to like about Jethro Tull. Deep classic rock with impressive musicianship and clever lyrics.

Every once in a while I start thinking I like prog rock and then am reminded about bands like this.

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

sometimes magical and sometimes spinal tap

Pretty good album, I liked the mix of genres. Locomotive breath and aqualung are both very familiar from rock radio and parents, and are great songs. Perhaps deserves a relisten down the line.

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

Quite an interesting album. The flute sounds interesting together with the guitar.

pretty good. flew by while i was working

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

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.

Flute? Sure, why not. Honestly, some of the songs might actually be TOO whimsical for me. I might like some of the flute-folk songs more if I regularly traipsed through meadows.

This album strongly reminds me of a time in my life and specific person whom I'd rather forget. Good music, tough memories.

Smor

I had been refusing to listen to anything from Jethro Tull based on having a Flute in the band. I thought this would be overwhelming to the sound, believing Flute does not belong in Rock and Roll. However this record surprised . There are some heavy guitar riffs and the guitar work on this album is great. The song "Locomotive Breath" is fantastic, I gave it a second listen. The flute is overbearing on some songs but overall not overwhelming. I would listen to it in again, and will listen to "Locomotive Breath" again as I've added it to my "liked" songs.

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.

Very nice album

didn't finish listening

Basically the antithesis of rock and roll. Some good riffs and stuff. Overall just kinda meh

Surprisingly a great album.

i enjoyed it overall but only a few songs got playlist adds. fuckin love the flute in My God

A couple classic rock songs here

musically i really like it, lyrically there’s def some questionable stuff BUT art can be controversial and questionable, even problematic and still enjoyable so overall I thought it was chill

Really feeling the Aqualung one

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

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

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

Fin musikk. Definitivt et av de større bandene i sin tid og mest unike. Liker det, men ikke veldig minneverdig. Kanskje ved flere gjennomhøringer

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

Big fan of the flutes. I think this album is really cool, and I like the way it's mixed. I'm hot and cold on the singer's voice, it suits some of the songs really well, but on the slower songs there's just not enough warm tone for the slower phrases. I like the song writing, it's the type of rock that I'd listen to again.

I didn’t finish it, travelling. But from what I listened I liked it.

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

I enjoyed this album fine. I didn’t feel like it was anything mind blowing but it is a great example of blending progressive, folk, and rock elements together to create a unique concept album. I enjoyed some of the songs on this album but as a collective there were only a few standout tracks for me and some of the songs fell flat and carried on for too long. Overall, I enjoyed this album but it’s not one I would immediately seek out in the future.

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.

-this is a really good album. one of the most cohesive prog rock albums i’ve ever heard (this is prog rock right? right??). would definitely like to listen to it again because i feel there was a good bit i missed, and i would probably find more reasons to like it -as of now it’s sitting at a 3.5 for me. would love to hear more from this band -Favorites: Aqualung, Mother Goose, My God

Concept albums are fun until you don't pay attention for a couple of songs and then who knows what is happening. Will definitely revisit and I can see a higher score coming

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

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.

Excellent song - not as excellent album

Brilliant album, absolutely loved it.

I never knew how badly I needed the flute

This guy does beat boxing flute, and that's pretty damn cool. Favorite track was up to me

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.

Love. Stone cold classic rock with flutes!

solid

My name jeth

Not my favorite

Pretty good, although not great

Finally got some Prog in my list. Loved my first time listening to of a Jethro Tull album in full. All I really knew going in was that there would be a lot of flute. Thick as a Brick. I always think of this style as 70s wizard rock. These guys inspired a lot of goth/folk/prog/metal bands that I love. Especially Opeth. Will be adding Jethro Tull to regular rotation. 5/5.

Rv

Some of the best music ive ever heard 8.5/10

Pas fan du style mais ça va

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

Ok wouldn't listen to it again

2 classic songs with a lot of good stuff between. Dug this but wish the middle stuff was a little better

if there was rock/ blues at a medieval ren fairy, it would definitely sound like this. the flute is cunty and should be put in more songs.

king crimson but a bit more folky

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.

very good, a classic.

i didn't like any of the rock songs. only the acoustic ones. too many mentions of god, it's just so english i can't do it. saved: wond'ring aloud, slipstream.

never heard flute like it 🔥

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

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

Man, those flutes go hard. Actually, the whole album does. This is awesome

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?

Not a great lover of the prog rock scene. A listenable album but far from great. Don’t mind a bit of the old flute getting involved here but doesn’t lift it above an average album

Didn't like it

The album it's good, nice music, just a bit old sound for me. Although several songs sound quite good, but overall, I wouldn't go to listen more by the band. 2,75/5.

Very good. I’ve always been really interested by the concept of having a flute play such a role in rock music, and how that actually works. But Ian Anderson does it.

banger? banger? banger?

Hace unos años hablando con unos colegas me dijeron algo de que no les molaba el prog rock. Yo me quedé sorprendidísimo porque eran el tipo de peña que les gusta música de todo tipo y de todas las épocas, y descartar de un plumazo un género de tanta importancia me pareció pasarse. El problema fue cuándo me preguntaron de vuelta si a mi me molaba, y yo dije que sí y me puse a pensar en discos y grupos chulos del prog rock. Mi primera respuesta fue King Crimson y dijeron que hombre claro eso no valía. Intuyo que lo mismo ocurriría con Pink Floyd. El caso es: quitando esos clásicos indiscutibles del género, ¿me gusta el prog rock? Es cierto que es un género pesado, pretencioso, que se la pasan en flipadas en vez de en pillar un buen groove y hacer lo que se dice una buena canción. Escuchando a Jethro Tull me vino a la cabeza esa conversación a la que llevo dándole vueltas desde hace años. No lo tengo del todo claro, pero creo que Jethro Tull no ayuda. No es un mal disco, pero me ha pillado con toda la pereza del prog.

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

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

great album had it for years and pull it out every few months

Excellent album from start to finish!

Lots of flute, but enjoyable. This is my fiancés pops favorite artist, so got to connect with him a bit today from listening to this which was cool. Cross-eyed Mary was my fav

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.

Я люблю прог, но все же недолюбливаю кантри и фолк

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."

Truly pivotal in music history. Making popular the idea of acoustic, and orchestral instrumentation in hard rock music. Folk metal owes a debt of gratitude

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.

This one is one of my favorites. I first listened to this album when I was about 10, and 23 years later it still hits as hard as when I first heard it. It's a triumph of a folk rock album and it's influence can be heard through bands and projects that followed it. Lots of variety can be heard through jams like Aqualung and Hymn 43, and also softer songs like Wond'ring Aloud. Just overall an absolute master class of classic rock. Favorite Song - Up to Me

A flute in rock music? They make it work.

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.

I liked it.

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

Ich hatte erwartet, dass das gar nichts für mich sein würde. Tatsächlich hat's mir ziemlich gut gefallen.

I surprisingly enjoyed it.

Excellent find. Folk rock with a British bent. Wimpy bars, snot and cups of tea.

Not my fav

Decent

Interesting, very interesting

Really enjoyed this as a Deist

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

Just don't like it

not so fire but still fire

Nej. Rätt trist. Lite lattjo med följt och det är aldrig egentligen. Men det lyfter inte heller. Hög lägstanivå, men inte mer än så. Gediget hantverk. Vilket tyvärr är en rätt "dålig" recension. Det vill man inte höra som musiker (iaf inte i första hand).

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

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.

Better than I thought but not great

Perfect musical balance to be one of the best folk rock albums ever.

jehtro tull's most popular album and it's a doozy. a very creative and theatrical rock album that has quite a bit going for it. when this album isn't flooding your ears with artsy sonnets, it's basically playing the musical ramblings of a schizophrenic man going through religious psychosis. another album where i turned it on and i was like "whaaaaaat is this" but the more it played i ended up getting a little obsessed.

Good riffs but I didn’t like his voice

As a prog nerd, I feel obligated to give this a 5 star rating.

Absolute fire.

Good but very long. 4/5

This is a personal favorite, so I knew what it would be before listening. Listened first anyway, though :)

- 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.

Didn't think that I would be jamming as hard as I would to a flute rock album. Pretty banging.

Yay! Heared a couple of songs beforehand. Other ones turned out to be great too. Best once: Cross-Eyed Mary and My God

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.

After years of declaring I wasn’t a fan…I’m still not but I can appreciate this album. Now I can listen to the “hits” without tuning them out. Good stuff.

Dobrý sóla (Aqualung)

This album WHIPS. I saw Jethro Tull with my dad when I was 11 years old. I fell down an extremely steep flight of stairs on my way to the bathroom. Full-on family-guy limbs-out tumble. Popped right back up and kept walking like nothing happened.

alright

Unos clásicos y reivindicativos del folk rock.

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.

Like the interview

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. This and Thick as a Brick were my jams for several years.

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

I had this as a cassette tape! Lots of good songs on it, but over played on my Sirius FM radio stations.

Delightfulltly weird

Highlights: - Aqualung - my god !! - Hymn 43 - Locomotive Breath - Wind-up!! Songwriting umwerfend und poetisch Fühlt sich sehr mediveal an, was zum Albumkonzept passt Leider nicht komplett meins aber unbestreitbarer Klassiker

Just not for me

C’est assez spécial mais j’ai bien aimé ! Comme jacquet mdr

Liked it way too much than I though

Another one of my all time favorites!

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

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

Other than the sick flute, a pretty solid early 70's rock album. I'd rather listen to this than Led Zeppelin. Locomotive Breath was my favourite track here. 3 Stars.

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.

I had never listened to a Jethro Tull album before, and it was not at all what I expected. I didn't know they relied on so many blues, folk and psych elements ； that was a really nice surprise (is "psychedelic hard-folk" a genre I wasn't aware of ?). You can even hear traces of Black Sabbath and early Pink Floyd in the first track. I loved the singer's voice, and I also enjoyed the flutes that so many reviewers seem to dislike, they really add a funky vibe to the mix. Locomotive Breath is an awesome blues song, but the soft ballads like Wondering Aloud are much less interesting. It won't become my favorite band, but it was pleasant enough, and I'm willing to give their other albums a try. 6/10

I knew Jethro Tull for its psychedelic synchoped flute tunes so I had great expectations. But my quick listening didn't stick. Should I give it another go?

It's nice, it's good background music... because it lacks a bit of personality.

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.

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.

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

Meh

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.

This was mindless rock. It's still rock tho so it gets 3 stars, and the album cover of the jewish guy is legendary

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.

Sounded musically authentic, and I generally enjoyed the instrumentals and vocals, but most of the record doesn't match my taste so I can't see myself returning

Jethro Tull beat out Metallica in 1989 at the Grammy’s in the category of “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental” with the album Crest of a Knave, an album most Jethro Tull fans wouldn’t have in their Top 5. It was the first and only time the Grammy’s held that category. Did you know that?? It’s one of the funniest things to ever happen in music. Not only did it paint the awards show as a total joke (which it absolutely is), but it also confused the shit out of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, who are not, and have never been a Metal band. By Ian’s own words, he doesn’t even consider it Hard Rock. Now, jump to the year 2025. Jack White is finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, extraordinarily deservingly so. If the laws of nature abided, I would have that man’s babies. He thanks over 30 bands not already in the hall. Notably among them, a bunch of Prog artists, including Jethro Tull. This has all been a long winded way to say that not only is the Rock Hall committee an absolute joke as well, but Jethro Tull and his signature flautistry are absolutely iconic among bands. Ian isn't the first person to play the flute, but he's definitely one of the most notable to do so in the field of music. This album is so good from top to bottom, and it's going to surprise a lot of people with just how good it is. Every hit is incredible, and could all be considered my favorites. "Aqualung", "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Up To Me", "Hymn 43", "Locomotive Breath" and "Wind-Up" are my favorite songs on this album. Which one is my favorite favorite? Man, I can't even tell you. Even the interview at the end of the album is interesting, a cool insight on how the album was made. My all time favorite genres continue to be Prog and Grunge. High chance they're all going to get a 5, and this is for sure no exception. I wish we had more Jethro Tull albums on the list, but this is the most famous and most accessible of all of them, so I'm more than ok with this being what they went with.

I couldn’t even get past the first song!

GOAT shit. Listened it already hundreds of times.

Spi Al tapmmeeys Jack Black. ☺️. Of it's time - a good listen.

Felt like taking a trip through the woods while listening to this, nice vibes.

Not for me.

Masterpiece. Will buy this on vinyl when the opportunity arises.

Ehh, pretty alright, but it does come off as a bit flowery and overly pretentious at times.

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

A finest album of all the time!

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

Good morrow ye gentle folk! Prithee, dost thee lead singer of yonder musical group wield a floute? I has't only one oth'r question; wherefore art we talking about panties on a parketh bench? For the right listener, there's a lot happening here. The band gets a bit more experimental than a lot of their contemporaries. The jazz/blues/medieval style is certainly interesting; the songs just aren't.

Underneath all the Renaissance fair flair and requisite fluting lay some pointed critiques of urbanization and organized religion that outpace the album's musical execution.

Absolute banger. Rock flute rules.

bem meh

This album is good

I'm coming to the realization that "Progressive" is just an efficient way to say, "Pretentious strung out suckfest". Seriously... the concepts covered on this concept album range from stomach turning to eyerolling... to call it "cerebral" is laughable... and a bit sad.

Well, I listened to this a few times over the weekend. I added it to my Spotify list, I didn’t think Jethro Tull would be my schtick. I guess it is.

I'm into it!

I actually enjoyed the flutes

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.

Another ass album, this list is genuinely becoming a fucking chore in my life.

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

Arguably their finest album with “Thick As A Brick” being the other candidate. Loved returning to this decade and listening once more in its’ entirety.

Meh.

This album is great

I can’t say that I hate it. It’s very well made, and definitely unique. But it is a trip to hear this sort of rockin’ Ren fair style. Chunky prog flute. It’s not terrible and that’s surprising.

Starts off really good and sort of tails off. i'll probably lsiten again though.

Why have I never listened to this in full before. Completely brilliant

Old favorite!

Not really feeling the Prog-Rock vibe

Not for me, but I do appreciate the experimentation with traditionally classical music.

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

Legendary

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

Decent, but too much thought about Christianity

Still good

Very nice flute use

I liked it. The vocals reminded me of America, almost. It was good, not particularly my thing.

Something I could have playing in the background

Love it all, less towards the end tho.

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

Like opera, I recognize it as brilliant but it’s not to my taste

dad stars!

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.

Top track: Aqualung / Mother Goose Prog folk at it's finest.

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

Know II too much!

Just couldn't face listening to this on the day it came up, managed the title track and just gave up. Forced myself to go back today and though there are bearable moments they are usually followed by some bloody flute or icky lyric. Hasn't aged well.

My knowledge of this album going in was limited to “rock music with flute”. I did realize I’d heard the title track before. And you know what? The flute rips. It’s a fun, unique rock album. There should be more woodwind shredding in popular music.

One of my all time favorites. I can listen to this album from start to finish every day of the week and not grow tired of it.

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.

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

First time listening 3 This album was okay? The flute was interesting, and the songs were enjoyable enough. I suppose the variety of the songs was interesting, and I could see it being something I enjoy more on relistening. I can hear the elements of the rock opera/concept album come through.

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

Did not enjoy

Interesting listen. Some good moments in there.

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.

Without a shadow of a doubt they are by far the finest band ever to be named after a revolutionary in 17th century British agriculture. Anyway, it’s got a really nice flow as an album, some great acoustic parts, some ripping guitar solos, the obligatory sweet flute solos. Loads of tempo and stylistic changes, including a couple of real funky tracks. Very classic of its time, and I think the vocal style, delivery and subject matter perhaps puts it at the twee end of proggy type rock. But all in all I’m a sucker for flute in rock. I’m in.

No.

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

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

Pretty good. I know a lot of people complained about the flute, but I think the flute is what makes it interesting. Favorite songs: Hymn 43, Locomotive Breathe, Wind-Up

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.

7/10 Favourite: Aqualung Least Favourite: Mother Goose

Hard to hear

An absolute rollercoaster or an album which I still enjoy from start to finish this day. Brilliant

I’m mixed on this. It has an interesting mix of instruments and styles. Everyone mentions the flute, but it works, man! I also like the guitars and music in general. I found myself mostly tapping along. It’s just… all a bit weirdly dramatic. I can’t think of many prog / concept albums that I really enjoy. This has the same kind of trappings as those. I just find it hard to engage with it as much.

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

Aqualung 3.6 Cross-Eyed Mary 3.8 Cheap Day Return 3.3 Mother Goose 3.4 Wond'ring Aloud 3.3 Up to Me 3.7 My God 3.7 Hymn 43 3.8 Slipstream 3.5 Locomotive Breath 3.4 Wind-Up 3.6 Score: 3.554545455

Really good.

Pretty good, don't know if it's something I will go back and listen to again but it was enjoyable.

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.

A compositionally well developed album. This one is for your collection.

This didn't move me much. Probably need a relisten again at some point. More interested in hearing Thick as a Brick.

This is great. Show some love and maturity to this album. 5/5

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.