Aqualung

Was pleasantly surprised, a lot of it sounded the same by the end though

As a “rock & roll guy” who learned the flute for highschool band in the early 00s, a lot of people thought I’d really love this band. I've always struggled to actually get into them, but I kinda understand the vision and the appeal. There's a world where I love this, but in this world, it's only music for very specific times/moods.

It was really cool

not bad not great

Ah yes, the classic progressive rock band with the flute. And yeah, this is a pretty solid album. There are a lot of cool sounds going on here, mixing that classic prog-rock style with folk, piano, acoustic guitar, heavier rock, and, of course, plenty of Ian Anderson’s flute. The lyrics also give the album a little more weight, touching on things like religion, homelessness, and society in general. There really aren’t many tracks here that I would call bad. Most of them are well-written and interesting enough, and the stronger songs definitely stand out. Aqualung is great, Locomotive Breath is probably my favorite, and several of the other tracks kept me interested just because of what they were actually saying. My main problem is that, outside of those highlights, there just wasn’t much that really grabbed onto me. I kept waiting for another memorable melody, riff, or moment that would stick in my head after the album was over, and it never really came. There’s clearly a lot of talent and thought behind Aqualung, and I can understand why it’s considered a classic. I just admired it a little more than I actually loved listening to it. Not bad at all, just missing that extra hook for me.

Toto sa dalo

I've never been able to nail down what JT sounds like — aside from "Aqualung," which is its own singular thing. Sometimes I think they're all folk-y with the flute, and sometimes pretty hard rock with crunchy guitar. I probably just haven't listened to enough of their music all at once. I like the album, but I still hear it as disjointed.

70's prog is my favourite genre, but I never got into Jethro Tull, I would enjoy them way more if it was a purely instrumental band. The flute is especially amazing. The first part of the album was quite hard to digest, both structurally and meaning-wise. To me the whole first part of the album is way too built around the natural speech pattern, while I prefer instrument-first approach. I usually don't listen to lyrics much, but for this project I'm reading along and looking up the meaning, as I want to be thorough. I definitely wasn't prepared for the Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary's meaning. I get what they were going for but I use art for escapism and I'd rather not listen about creepy men in song form, as there's enough of that irl. My God is a little on the heavier side, I like it best, it has a tighter structure and more energy. Great flute solo. Hymn 43 is also pretty cool, reminds me a little of Dio's earlier band Elf. I have a thing for juicy rock'n'roll piano, so this is right up my alley. Locomotive Breath is also really groovy. The lyrics in general, both the social criticism and specifically the anti-religious remarks, are not very subtle and frankly made me cringe more than once, but maybe for their time they were considered edgy as hell. A lot of the criticism is too obvious and at the same time separates the concept of god from the organised religion, as if protecting it, which is cartoonish to me. Come to think of it, in my playlist I have an example of these same topics being explored with way more grace by Fabrizio de André (e.g. Il testamento di Tito).

Some of it I liked a lot but some of it really dragged

Beautiful

Very mixed bag for me. I have the hereditary vinyl not so much because I love it all, but the flute player obligation. And I do like the more melodic pieces, and Locomotive Breath for the solo, but the heavier tracks (first two especially) make me feel slightly ill.

This is gonna be a tough one to rate, I think, since this group (or, at any rate, this album) is kind of schizophrenic, flopping back and forth between something like traditional British folk music and something like hard rock. When they're all flutes n recorders n acoustic guitars and soft tambourines and soft vocal harmonies (e.g., the opening of "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Mother Goose," "Wondering Aloud"), I'm all in (even the singing is less annoying), but when they're trying to be a hard rock band, no thanks! Also, Ian Anderson should have done less singing, more flute-playing. But, anyway, I have the album that exists, not the one I would have helped them create. I think I'll go with a low 3, rather than a high 2, based in part upon a 2nd, more careful listen, where I picked up a bit more of the 'good' Tull. But, also: this is yet another example of a band pulled down (for me) by dislike (mostly) of the singer's singing. He somehow manages to be (more or less) in tune, but sound quite tuneless (and, at times, grating). On a different day, this might have been a high 2, but I think, today, feeling a little generous, I'll go with a low 3.

I'm working with our friend Mark on an extract from a musical. He plays a pervy 1970s beachcomber and, after seeing his take, it suddenly made sense that he should find a flute on the beach and take a solo. Aqualung hadn't been generated yet, but Ian Anderson was still, somehow, on my mind. That's just the sort of person who plays a flute. There are, of course, plenty of complaints about the flute among these reviews. But it is hardly the case that Ian Anderson is the only prog flautist. Peter Gabriel plays flute in Genesis. There are flutes on the Van der Graaf Generator album I was listening to just the other night. Ian McDonald plays flute on In the Court of the Crimson King and subsequently became the go-to woodwind man for English prog. The flute is, in fact, a very proggy instrument. So why does Ian Anderson get all the stick? Partly because, unlike everyone else, he really whips it out. Peter Gabriel raises his flute gently to his lips. Ian Anderson brandishes his. Gabriel's flute adds a fanciful, elvish quality to Genesis: it belongs to the same world as pixies, moonlight and men who have been turned into trees. Anderson is more like Pan. His playing is aggressive, energetic, priapic. He doesn't merely play the flute; he performs the act of a creature that communicates through flute. The instrument becomes part of the joke, part of the threat, part of the body. The flute itself is an antiquated instrument. Even when Gabriel plays it, there is something archaic about the sound. But the two men use that antiquity differently. Gabriel makes it high art. He is middle-class, educated, boarding-school, theatrically strange in a way that can be absorbed into culture. Anderson isn't exactly working class, but his education was at grammar school and art college, and his musical imagination is closer to the demimonde: medieval, pagan, dirty, rock'n'roll. Gabriel's flute takes us to Faerie. Anderson's takes us into the bushes. The difference becomes clearer if we look at the two songs by these men that begin on park benches. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), from Selling England by the Pound, gives us a groundskeeper who is content with his position in life: "When the sun beats down and I lie on the bench / I can always hear them talk / Me, I'm just a lawnmower / You can tell me by the way I walk." He is not particularly troubled by class struggle here. He's a lawnmower. He knows who he is. He knows where he belongs. The park is a pleasant place in which the social order can be observed from a comfortable bench. The bench in Aqualung is different. Here the park becomes a place where respectable English society encounters everything it would rather not see: tramps, old men, prostitutes, dirty clothes, bad smells, sexual suspicion. The pastoral has been contaminated. The park is no longer a refuge from society; it is where society's refuse turns up. And there is something wonderfully grubby about Anderson's pleasure in this. The little giggle after "bad intent". The relish with which he sings "frilly panties". Gross. There is an ambiguity in the song about who exactly is being observed and who is behaving badly, but Anderson himself seems to enjoy the possibility of impropriety. Perhaps Aqualung isn't quite as depraved as the narrator imagines. Perhaps the little girls aren't as innocent as they appear. The important thing is that Anderson likes making us look. This is where the flute becomes more than an instrument. Anderson plays the playground flasher, denuded but for his swinging prong. It is tempting to dismiss all this as tastelessness. Indeed, Aqualung practically invites the accusation. But tastelessness is part of the point. Jethro Tull are not simply another progressive rock band making everything bigger, more elaborate and more respectable. There is an odd smallness to the music. The keyboards sit low in the mix. There is no Tony Banks moment in which the synthesiser suddenly opens into a cathedral of sound; no Keith Emerson keyboard apocalypse; no Rick Wakeman demonstrating that he has discovered a new dimension to keyboard playing. The guitars are mostly jangly acoustics or straightforward blues rock. Even when the arrangements become elaborate, they remain comparatively restrained. Everything is pulled back to showcase Anderson. Anderson and his flute. The flasher and his prong - particularly impressive on My God. This is partly why he gets blamed for the flute. Gabriel makes the instrument disappear into the fantasy. Anderson makes the instrument impossible to ignore. He stands there on one leg, blows into it, thrusts it towards us and makes a sex joke out of an instrument that ought to be playing in an orchestra pit. And, across the album, he beats England over the head with it: the Church of England takes a beating, the NHS takes a beating, marriage takes a beating. He goes on about overpopulation. Respectability be damned. He prods it repeatedly with the flute. But this last attack isn't quite the Malthusian or reactionary disgust of Enoch Powell. There is no great political programme underneath his feelings about overpopulation on Locomotive Breath. There is simply a general distaste for mankind. And this is the question Aqualung keeps asking: what is the difference between Aqualung and the rest of us? We are all grubby. The outsider is supposed to be an irritant from outside society, but Anderson keeps suggesting that society creates its outsiders. Cross-Eyed Mary is perhaps more interesting in this respect than Aqualung. How much of her willingness to perform sexual favours for tramps is really depravity, and how much is a consequence of having already been marked as different? If she is unsightly, or merely perceived to be unsightly, how much room does respectable society leave her to be anything else? The same question applies to Anderson's performance. Why is the flute ridiculous? Because we have already decided what a rock musician is supposed to look like. Prog is full of strange instruments, classical references, fantasy worlds and extended compositions. But most prog's eccentricity is ultimately an attempt to make the eccentric respectable and to elevate rock'n'roll. The weirdness is absorbed into high culture. Anderson does something more perverse. He takes the flute and dirties it. He takes the pastoral and puts a pervert in it. He takes the medieval and makes it sexual. He takes the respectable English park and fills it with people who have been pushed out of respectable England. And he does it while grinning. That's why Ian Anderson gets the blame. Not because he's the only man in prog who plays the flute, nor even because he plays it badly. He gets the blame because he refuses to make it respectable. Peter Gabriel raises the flute to his lips. Ian Anderson whips it out. Then he asks us why we're sniggering - because we're prudes. 2.5 Marvellous flute playing, terrible lyrics - a combination at least that few other bands can boast of. When I first discovered OK Computer I excitedly played Paranoid Android on the cd player for my father - who was about the age I am now at the time. He was entirely unimpressed and declared that it ‘sounds like Jethro Tull’. I suppose this was a superficial observation about the similarities of the riffs of the middle section of PA and Aqualung (or possibly Up to Me). In retrospect his curt dismissal of my favourite band and favourite album was less disappointing than it was puzzling. How did he know what Jethro Tull sounded like? There wasn’t a JT album or anything like it in his record collection. But then apparently this album sold millions of copies - everyone of his age knew what Jethro Tull, or Aqualung at least, sounded like. What? Not to put JT down but Why? This isn’t great music (apart, possibly from that flute bit in God which is just plain awesome) but you would credit it with not being particularly easy to digest at least. Jethro Tull worked so hard for their obscurity and what was their reward? My father listened to them and remembered them. 2.5/5

The title song was one of the worst songs on the album. I did add Up To Me to my classic rock playlist cause that bass line was really speaking to me. Overall I liked this more than I thought I would.

Probably worth a re-listen somewhere down the line.

Title track is a classic. The rest is enjoyable prog rock with some flute solos.

Eitthvað meh bara. Góðir sprettir inn á milli.

Flute is all I know about these guys. Bring on the flute. I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would.

A classic.

Have always loved the title track. Supremely honest and ambiguous portrayal of the homeless. A mixture of sympathy and guilty, recoiling disgust which is reflected in the contrasting musical shifts. Cover art is wonderful too. B side picks up again after a lull earlier in side A.

This album has a lot of unique sounds and instruments on it. The flute is used a whole lot and I love that. The vocals in this album seem almost like old, or hobbit-like idek but the sound is really cool and I love what Jethro Tull created with this album. The only complaint I can have is some of the tracks definitely feel as they blend together or lack in some ways, like we want a sick flute solo we don't need slow guitar jams! leave king gizzard to do that because they do it right!! Okay the fact that there are two tracks called "Wind-Up" is absolutely sick. You really don't see that on other albums because it creates this confusion of which track is which, I feel like Tull wanted to create something that just expresses the art, rather than caring about what everyone else is doing and I love that. The interview at the end was kinda painful to sit through icl!

прикольно, понятно откуда флейта у бг — но переслушивать думаю не буду

Great

Aqualung...the most famous song ever written about a homeless pervert. Mother Goose is pretty good. So much flute, I bet Lizzo loves this album. Locomotive Breath is their best song. Wind-Up is a strong closer.

Title track is great. Rest of the album is good. Loses points for introducing flute as a 70's rock staple.

Cool guitar and flute solos. Very 80s.

Really cool sound and definitely ambitious. I listened to the Steven Wilson mix on Tidal and I can't imagine that he would have done this any injustice. What a guitar riff on "Cross-Eyed Mary". I feel like prog rock is a spectrum. On one end we have space aliens fighting for interplanetary justice and on the other end a sixteen minute guitar solo representing feelings of (male) insecurity. This album sits perfectly in the middle of the spectrum. The middle includes lots and lots of flute, apparently. Pretty cool album 3.7

3/5

Love these guys what do you mean flute and prog rock Got a little bored in the middle but generally into the vibe

Nice. A bit too proggy for me, but nice.

First I’ve ever listened to this legendary band. I liked it. I could see enjoying it more on repeat listens. I loved the flute in “My God.” I had to finally make this so I could clear up my own ratings in my head… ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential: One of the greatest albums ever made. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent: A great album I’d happily revisit and recommend. ⭐⭐⭐ Good: Worth hearing. Glad I listened, but not something I’ll return to often. ⭐⭐ Weak: More misses than hits. Probably won’t listen again. ⭐ Bad: A chore to finish. I regret spending the time.

Folksy enough that I found it quite enjoyable. The unusual instrumentation and combination with flutes etc. made it much more interesting than your average heavy rock album. Aqualung (the song) slaps.

Leans corny. I like the more orchestrated and folk moments more than the rock bits. It’s really 2.5/5, but I’ll give them them the 3 for the flute player

pretty cool! haven’t heard this before. title track is awesome

Better than I expected, but still find the flute too much a juxtaposition to all that is around it. It's good enough for me to listen again though and get used to it. The fault is mine, not with the songs.

Aqualung and locomotive breath are fantastic. A very good 3

Liked it. Aqualung and Up To Me were my faves. But everything listenable. Personality for days. Meatier sounding. Flute was almost an afterthought which I didnt expect with Jethro 3.5

the vocals rlly take away for me unfortunately :( and the repetition on wind up. #turn down. the production is amazing. i love the song “my god” even the vocals i think

Man wat word ik panisch van die fluit, verder best een leuk album en misschien zelfs een hele lichte 4 als die fluit er niet in had gezeten

It was a solid album, Aqualung the song is a stone cold classic, the rest was was solidly enjoyable, well played proggy rock but nothing really jumping out the gym.

Aqualung has the hits. "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "Cross-Eyed Mary" — real songs, real weight. Ian Anderson with a flute in a prog rock band should not work as well as it does. As an album it doesn't fully cohere. It jumps between hard rock and acoustic folk without much connective tissue, and within each section it sounds like nothing but itself. Scattered and samey at the same time. 3/5 — classic status earned, full click never arrived.

An album I’ve heard before. Great riffs feel like I’ve outgrown it though

Needs more flute

Did I just throw up devil horns to flute music? First time for everything, I suppose. Aqualung is not my thang, but I can appreciate it for how creative it is.

Couple bangers. Forgot how good Locomotive Breath is.

First album where i knew the song that made it famous

I can see the vision but it just doesn’t feel fully fleshed out yet

Music was cool when I ignored the vocals. 3.

Another pleasant surprise.

Is this metal? Bardic metal? Psychedelic bardic metal? Progressive psychedelic bardic metal? Prog-psych-bardcore? Fun listen, not my particular cup of tea.

Nostalgia trip. I listened to this album a lot back when the options were seemingly much more limited, but as I aged and my tastes firmed up (and you could find anything under the sun on the internet), I left this one far behind. It was fun to revisit and my younger self would have given this album four stars, but present-day me is pretty ambivalent.

That’s a lot of flute. I mean A LOT ALOT.

Solid album, not really one that I'd go back to consistently, but some good stuff.

Ihan toimivaa settiä!

Thought it was pretty cool. Would relisten again 7/10

3,5

A fun listen

Enjoyed this more than most of the prog I've heard on here so far. Maybe a slightly generous 3 but yeah, pleasantly surprised

Tykkäsin bändin akustisesta soitosta ja hivenen erikoisista soittimista normeihin verrattuna. Hivenen tylsiä biisejä, eikä nimiraidan lisäksi jäänyt muita mieleen.

It's interesting. Not something I would choose to put on, but I also wouldn't turn it off it it was on.

It’s fine

I had very low expectations. A flute the 70s, it did not appeal. However was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the album

Album was fine, didn't love it didn't hate it. Nothing stuck with me, but also nothing stuck out as bad to me. It was fine to listen to.

Maybe a 3.5. Several good songs, kind of up and down album though. High highs, low lows kind of. Mix between Prog rock, hard rock, and folky sounds.

Flute prog rock!

It's pretty decent. I've had it way too hyped up for me over the years as this perfect album and... it's fine? Some of the reviews about people loving the flute or people hating the flute are funny. The flute is fine. It's not make or break for me, it's just... there.

This got…better as it went on? I really enjoyed the B-side but nothing stood out enough to the point where I wanted to add it to my library. Besides that, Aqualung is a classic track, as expected.

never heard of this group before but i dig the vibe. lots of jamming and fun arrangements. easy to throw on and chill to while listening. good times!

This was an alright listen. I was surprised how many songs I recognized. Nothing new really stood out at me. Probably would not seek this out again.

Favorite songs: Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, Cheap Day Return, Wond’ring Aloud, Slipstream, Locomotive Breath, Wind-Up 3.5

Not available on Apple Music

Not for me, although I'm sure it's great "classic rock."

Aqualung sounds kinda rock but the rest are pretty indi-folk sounding.

I’ve never heard of this Jethro Tull guy before but this wasn’t a bad album. I don’t know why there’s a 15 minute interview as a bonus track included though

Didn’t care for this but props for adding flute into rock music. DNF (3)

Haven’t heard much music with a flute solo before. It’s fascinating to listen to a combination of folk. Sounds like it could be put in a modern fantasy anime with slice of life or battle montages.

For prog rock it was pretty good. I know Aqualung is the famous song, but Hymn 43 outshined it and Locomotive Breath. But still, it's prog rock.

Bra, men blir litt for ensformig til å være ei prog-plate.

Et band jeg aldri har hørt på før, og som jeg neppe kommer til å oppsøke igjen, selv om denne plata er full av god, gammal middelalderrock. Ikke min kopp med te, dessverre.

al principio fue onda "wow esto es como 4 o 5 estrellas", ya luego quedé onda "que estoy escuchando ya quiero cambiar el álbum a otro"

Cool, liked wind-up, and post interview was really cool, never seen an album include that

Aqualung by Jethro Tull is a thematically-driven not-quite-a-concept-album whose creative instrumentation and varied styles give its sound range from medievally bardic to bluesy hard rock. It starts strong with an awesome titular track whose blend of styles sets listener expectations for what’s to follow. The album transitions into the rest of the first half with the wonderful intro to Cross-Eyed Mary but loses a bit of traction after this song until the second half. There’s plenty of beautifully colorful instrumentation here, but the sparser sections highlight where the album shines most—leaning into either of its best aspects: the more instrumentally creative sections, and the incredibly fun hard rock influenced sound. The album’s energy picks up again with the catchy Up to Me, and My God marks the beginning of the second half where the album truly finds its thematic footing in its anti-religious satire. Shoutout to the flute solo here, because the flute on this album is awesome; its choral section is also one of the most interesting on this album. The groovy hard rock sound briefly shifts into more of that beautiful orchestral color only for the punchy guitar and piano to bring us to the fun, bluesy Locomotive Breath. The final song thematically wraps the album up, making it easy to see how some see this as a concept album: perhaps the truly "poor" ones are not the slimy, destitute characters from the fairytale beginning but the Church of England’s spiritually impoverished priests and bishops, the singer realizing the church’s flawed vision of god and finding his own that doesn’t involve so much “pomp” and hypocrisy. This is a somewhat inconsistent album with high highs that tries to do a lot and succeeds to varying but almost always satisfying degrees, making for an overall quite enjoyable and fairly thoughtful album. Rating: ~6.5-7.0/10 _____ Album 4 / 1001+

i enjoyed this album as much as i’m not familiar with jethro tull, highlights were hymn 43, up to me, wondr’ing aloud and wind up. i appreciate the prog rock in this a lot!

Come on what is this list? How can you have Jethro Tull but not Tenacious D? These creators clearly don't know musical influence if it slapped them in the face

More rock albums should have sick as hell flute music, anti religious lyrics, and deep prog commitments. I really enjoyed this record, having heard part of it before. I liked the range and the vocals and the huge span of instruments. Got a little samey in the back half, but still managed to be great

It was ok

Enjoyed a few songs a lot but it’s too long and at times annoying.

Progerokkia. Lopussa haastattrlu albunista.

Its an okay rock album that didnt grab me, its fine but dont understand why its in here. Feels like filler almost

Okay, not memorable

Very fun!

The title track is a dynamite opener that sets up the rest of the album perfectly. Locomotive Breath is the other standout track on a solid album that I don't listen to enough.

Tää on semmonen bändi mihin on pitänyt tutustua jo pitemmän aikaa. Sopivan erikoisia taustahommeleita ja kuulee selvästi miten Leevi & the leavingsin gösta ottanut vaikutteita omiin projekteihinsa. Ihan kelpo menoa

Ihan kivan monipuolista ja pari hyvääkin biisiä, mutta ehkä kokonaisuutena kolkki kuitenkin.

Tää vaatisi ehkä enemmän keskittymistä kun että kuuntelee vaan työpäivän taustalla. Ihan kovaa ajoa kyllä paikkapaikoin, mutta sitten taas kyllä aika raskasta soutua suurilta osin. Posin kautta kuitenkin kolmosella.

Aqualung carries the album

I've never been a fan of JT, but never really knew why. After listening to this record I know why. They are an English folk act cosplaying as a rock band. And I really don't like English folk. Also, I don't like Ian Anderson’s vocals, Martin Barre’s playing or the flute in general. There are a lot of nopes here for me. It's essentially Ren Faire music with an electric guitar randomly thrown in, sometimes. But I have to admit that it's a decent record and I enjoyed a few songs, mainly Hymn 43 and Locomotive Breath

Flooty tooty. Good riffs, should be heavier

This album quite a medieval tone to it. I appreciate the fact that this fair amounts of complexity to it, whist having catchy elements. Usually in a lot of music it's one or the other, but no with this album it's both. This album is not afraid to tell it how it is, there's mentions of actions that the disgusting titular character Aqualung might do to under-age people, there's mentions of prostitution and drug use. It's all delivered in a blunt way, which is definitely ahead of it's time. The title track has such a cool vibe to it, with it's menacing riff and it's so so ominous. Another sinister riff I like is in the song "My God." I quite Ian Anderson's singing style, this album for sure opened me up to him and his band. At the start I wasn't the keenest, but by the end I've come to the conclusion that I will give this album a deserved re-listen. It's a cool album overall. Highlight Song/s: "Aqualung"

Progressive tic at its finest …Ian Anderson on the flute ladies and gentelmen

I cringed when I got this assignment. I change the channel every time Jethro Tull is played. This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Stand out tracks are Mother Goose and Up To Me.

Describe this album: “Proggy Sabbath lite with extensive, extensive flutery” Sounds awful. It’s actually alright 🤷🏻‍♂️. 3

I like this more than I thought I would. The flute is annoying. But the musicianship is excellent and it's got some great hooks and sections throughout. I reckon I like a lot of what this band have influenced.

I think this is my favourite of the few prog albums I’ve listened to (or endured). Lyrics are more engaging (less nonsense). The brief Cheap Day Return the highlight of side 1. And maybe Locomotive Breath for side 2. Good mix of folk and proper rock. That said I’m unlikely to revisit.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled prog-jamming

This was not what I was expecting. I thought there would be more folk influence, more whimsy, more woodwind, more middle earth if you would. Why would I not expect that from the inventor of the seed drill? The album is hard to pigeonhole, it has those expected folksy elements, then again it also delivers some banging blues. Sadly, and all too often though, it wanders in to prog rock nothingness and ends up sounding like The Who on a bad day. Decent enough but not one to ever revisit.

der titel ist interessanter als die musik, viel zu lang auch

Zepp IV if it was made by Sabbath.

Es como que arranca con un medio rocksito medio blusero. Me gusta. Bien mezcla. Buenas baladas. Arranca con cositas de los beatles, y un rock muy tranka. Ya después se empieza a poner un poco más pesadito Me gusta. 7/10

[Album #4] i honestly didn’t really know much about jethro tull before listening to this, just hearing the name and i had heard the beginning of the title track before (without knowing that’s what it was). i wasn’t excited to listen because i just had a kind of negative connotation associated with them for no reason i guess. i was actually pleasantly surprised with the album once i got into it. it felt really cohesive without being repetitive (which was a problem i had with my first couple of albums on this project). i liked how the instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics all meshed very well and i did like the flutes. it might not be the type of album that i would listen to all the time but i thought it was a pretty good album and i wouldn’t be against revisiting it. i don’t see myself listening to any of the songs outside of an album context though. Rating around 3.5

Listenable.

Helt åreit litt kjedelig prog rock. Hadde sikkert fått mer ut av å høre igjennom dette et par ganger, men fenga ikke så mye at jeg har lyst til det - har 40+ album å komme meg igjennom 🙃 Hørte Steven Wilson remixen.

Likte dette. Satte meg ikkje så veldig inn i tekstane men høyrer nok fleire gonger.

Band jeg har hørt om mange ganger, men aldri dykket ned i. Syntes dette var mye kult. Jeg hører nok gjennom flere ganger. 3-4

11/05/26 a semiótica desse álbum sempre foi interessante para mim, mas eu nunca tinha parado para ouvir a primeira música é interessante, mas tem mta subida e descida que é meio monótono a segunda faz um blend in interessante de voz e instrumental agitado o vocal deles é foda, é tipo um filho do ozzy com o vedder o clima mudou do nada wtf não me agradou de faixa a faixa muda de agitado pra calmo, inconsistência chata pra cacete locomotive breath a melhor aqui, mas faz parte desse cu de inconsistência, sendo o ponto agitado depois do calmo que solo pika eles usam essa flauta asiática de forma bem única wind up mto igual a anterior tem outro wind up que é um closer mto bosta se n fosse a inconsistência e a duração excessiva, esse projeto seria muito melhor daria 3.5/5 / 7/10, pelos defeitos vai 6

Really interesting album. I'm not sure if everything on this project suits me well, but I'll definitely need to give this another spin a couple more times to fully grasp this LP 7/10 Will I add this album to my library? yes

Enjoyed this one better than previous 70s rock.But won't remember too much about it

Na

Relatively good album, maybe nothing new in 'Old Dad Music' era, although i liked it? Solid 3.

Interesting album for sure. Had some cool parts. 6.1/10

old in a way I don't like

Wasn’t expecting to enjoy this at all, so imagine my surprise when I found out it was decent! Don’t think I’m a convert, but I won’t be as dismissive in the future. Favourite track: Wond’ring Aloud

A really interesting listen. I enjoyed having it on, it was the perfect zoning vibe.

I dug this.

It's nice music and the title track is great. Flute mixes well with the rock. Reminds me of Christmas because they have the Christmas song. Wasn't really in the mood for this today though, and it got a wee bit samey I fear.

3.5/5

Sympa mais sans plus

Eh

I want to like this more but it just is not clicking with me. Eh.

Things I thought I knew about Jethro till prior to listening. Aqualung the song, use of flute/recorder, beat metallica for first heavy metal Grammy (or some such category; not sure which album). After listening to this album, I might recognize the locomotive song. Tried to whistle along to a few parts, which definitely does not belong in the same category as Metallica; they get head bangs or air drums. The recorder or whatever wind instrument was used made me picture frolicking at a ren fair. The album did have some chords that sounded cool, or possibly fun to play. Listened to remaster which included an interview with the front man, who went on to state he wasn't sure this album was the seminal Jethro Tull the label thinks it was. HAHAHAH. Cool, I wasn't all that impressed either, it's okay but did I need it before I die? Up until that interview wasn't interested in listening to another Jethro album; afterwards, alright, I might check out the one he thinks is in a higher category of works

Didn't really expect to like it, but it was very enjoyable. Prob won't listen again though

Not bad. ★★★

this album mihgt be 4 star material upon future review but im giving it a high 3. 75/100

The flute is nice, overall a mit meh 3/5

Didn’t think I would like it but better than anticipated

Why tf does this have a full-blown 14min interview at the end, lmao? Otherwise, okayish album. One of those that I will maybe hear one day can won't be able to remember who performs this.

Lo escuché sin prestarle demasiada atención pero me pareció un álbum bastante escuchable. Al principio lo juzgue bastante mal por su portada, pero no me molestaría que suene algún tema de ellos en una playlist. Sigue sin ser algo muy de mi estilo, pero bastante decente.

I don't think I've ever listened beyond 'Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Aqualung' with a picture of Will Ferrell in my head. Unfortunately, nothing really grabbed me throughout. I enjoyed all the instrumentation and quite a few songs, I'm just not going to want to put it on most of the time.

Lindo sonido, medio monótono; no terminé de conectar con él de forma completa.

I am absolutely in the pro-flute camp on this one. This was totally tolerable, but I think this whole thing would've benefited from being less progged out

buen album, me recuerda a los indigenas

5/10

Probably better on relisten, but not sure I've got the motivation to listen again.

Pallid

An quoted taste that is not mine.

omg okay album art. I still don’t know what to make of this album and I’m nearly done with it! The songs surprise me and the order surprises me, even if it’s not quite for me Cool voice cool vibe Flute on locomotive breath 🙌🏼

Love the instrumental

I’ll have to revisit this after only getting the chance to play it once. I really enjoyed it, more rock than I expected and the flutes just gave it something else Yeah good one

I remember watching a video of a live performance of this band with a sheet music on top where someone transcribed the flute solo that was playing in the background. I thought it was really cool So when this album got recommended, I had expectations for a very fun and energetic experience. Turns out this was a quite flaccid and inoffensive progressive rock with a heavy influence of folk. This album might have a very clear production (or at least the 2011's Steven Wilson's mix sounds very good), a voice that both sounds pleasant and with attitude, and a very distinct use of the flute, but I feel the more energetic moments, where the electric guitar riffs are predominant, aren't that hard hitting, and the soothing ones, being the acoustic and folk passages, not that captivating. So in the end, there wasn't really anything here that was doing it for me, except for the cool flute solos. I still going to give this a positive score, as there are some enjoyable aspects, but I wasn't really feeling this.

The rest of the day will have me repeating the words "Sitting on a park bench... I don't know the words except park bench" in my head endlessly as 30 Rock continues to bleed into this activity for me. Anyway, I thought this album was fine. I was familiar with some of it from when my friend and fellow band geek Josh Wilson got super into the concept of a rock band with a flute in high school. I thought it was much cooler then. By the end of the album I was just waiting for it to be over because I was getting bored with it. There are still some really fun parts on here but overall it left me feeling pretty meh.

Ensikertaa kunnolla Jethro Tullin kuuntelua. Hyvä ja hieman erilaisuutta tuo huilu.

👍🏼

No-one's about to deny the level of Musicianship on this. Top notch playing with some killer riffs and solos. Two things I find jarring. One is the general "I'm so much smarter than you" smart arsed attitude. There's a sort of Upper Middle class English sneering going on. The other is a very 70s interest in school girls. There's a song about a school girl sex worker that is just unsavoury, post Jimmy Saville. The stuff about God and Religion isn't anywhere nearly as deep as it would like to think it is and the whole thing seems a bit... up itself.

Some quality hard rock and blues amongst the prog and flute.

Flutes, flutes everywhere

Didn’t give this album as much time as I should’ve on the lyrical front, but hearing that this album was recorded in the same studio and same time as Led Zeppelin makes some sense. Overall enjoyed this one

3,5

People overly dunk on this album for the flute. It absolutely is a gimmick, but honestly, it's the only thing that makes Jethro Tull interesting. Without the medieval to colonial vibes thrown in, it's just a generic 70s rock album. I thought the songs got much better when the flutist came in.

Oh I like aqualung.

A really unique album! A fantastic blend of loads of genres. Fav song is ‘Mother Goose’.

I’ll give it a 3. I feel generous.

Pretty middle of the road stuff. Had enough to keep it interesting but there wasn’t any standout tracks.

Good album Jethro tull is amazing with the flute Gives off a fantasy setting vibe where a group of cool bards with guiter and drums are playing music :3 Favourite track- Wond’ring loud Date listened- 20th March 2026

Enjoyed the opening song. A bit led Zeppelin esk.

Kinda cool

Struggling between 2 and 3 because it really didn't do much for me, but was quite a bit more pleasant than the past 2 albums. Interesting storytelling and lyricism again. Needed more flute.

generator please give me something newer despite me loving the past few 60s and 70s records ok this gets heavier after the start why is cheap day return so short :c getting more than slightly whimsical in a medieval bard way on Mother Goose my God what is happening in My God Ends on a high note and there are bangers, I guess I was just expecting something harder from the album cover and from an album that existed after King Crimson, The Rolling Stones, and Hendrix

I have been culturally aware of Jethro Tull as the 70s rock band with a flute, but outside of the occasional song on the radio I never gave it much thought. There is some really great stuff on here, but not all of it works the same.

Flute solos go crazy

Quite good

1971. Themes of religion, injustice, society, personal struggles. Was never meant to be a concept album.

Why aren't there more flute solos in rock songs?

As much as I can appreciate the talent it took to make this record, the instrumentals, the compositions, and all of that, this album didn’t do much for me. There are some good songs but a lot that don’t stick in my mind.

Remarkably boring with objectively too much flute Best Song: Cross-Eyed Mary Rating: 5.5/10 Stars: 3

2/3. Really fun album, some really chunky rhythms. Much more of a straightforward rocker than I expected. Ian’s flute is always fun to hear as well, such a great addition.

Not bad

First time listening to other songs aside from the two that were overplayed...I enjoyed this album!

Got a bit old

Jethro Tull fyrir mér er annaðhvort frábært eða bara allt í lagi og þessi plata var pínulítið þannig líka. Það góða var gott en hitt bara fínt.

Good flutey prog

"All music is folk music: I ain't never heard no horse sing a song" Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 2.6 rounded up to a 3 INTRO Man, what I expect to be another rough one. Tull is one of those bands I can definitely see the appeal of. Interesting is not something I could accuse them of. Their approach seemed more rock oriented than some of their progressive peers, but I also remember them being just as self-serious. The title track used to be a radio staple ( or at least an edited version of it maybe?). And while admirable enough to justify it's place in the radio-worthy canon, man did it get overplayed. Even by the time I was listening to the radio a good 1 years after it came out. Enough to overstay its welcome anyway. I braved this album a good 20 plus years ago and do not remember it too kindly, but also don't remember absolutely hating it. Let's see once more if age has tempered my view. THE TRACKS Side one: Aqualung "Aqualung" - Been a hot minute, but it all came rushing back. Undeniablly solid stuff, and one of the all-time memorable riffs. This one definitely has benefitted from some time in the closet. That being said, I'm good for another 10 years or more. "Cross-Eyed Mary" - Electric prog folk? This one hits better than I recall. Lyrical, uh... content aside here, this one has a lot of good stuff going on musically. "Cheap Day Return" - Pretty little acoustic interlude here reminds me of Cat Stevens or something Zeppelin would have in between some harder bits on later albums. "Mother Goose" - I find myself much more amenable to this sort of thing which I might have dismissed as "folky nonsense" 20 years ago. But find myself admiring how damn catchy it is. Since then though I've come to love stuff from acts like Fairport Convention and the like, and this seems of a piece with all of that. Anderson's vocals here are not as overcooked as they are in my memory, though I suspect that "Aqualung" can be blamed for that, looming as large as it does in the memory of this. "Wond'ring Aloud" - Another nice little interlude here. Maybe a bit string heavy. "Up to Me" - And the flute comes back in strong here. Electric prog folk.... funk? There's a LOT going on here, and not sure it all works. Still not awful though, and there's a bit of vibe that keeps interest going along with that repeated flute line. Side two: My God "My God" - Think between the two modes I've heard thus far, the more acoustic, folky ones are my preference. This one spits the difference opening with a dark, sinister bit that would not be out of place in the soundtrack for the old animated Rankin and Bass Hobbit movie. But then the electric guitar kicks in and we get some actual noodling. But maaaaan that flute solo. I just could not help but picture Ron Burgundy going to town during this. This was on track to go on the highlights, but you just had to double down and add some chanting background vocals to the flute. This becomes a bit of a slog after that. I think stuff like this is where Tull gets the reputation as a pompous, over earnest group. "Hymn 43" - This one fades in like a coda to the previous track, and but you've got the piano and guitar chugging along so it's got some good dynamic contrast. As bluesy as anything we've heard on here, but to my ear sounds more like a rejected track from Jesus Christ Superstar. Not necessarily a knock on it, but feels slightly out of place. "Slipstream" - I might want to hear a whole album of these little acoustic interludes. With less strings though. "Locomotive Breath" - Ignoring the night club piano opening, this one comes in strong and feels like Aqualung pt. II. But now I can't shake the Jesus Christ Superstar comparisons out of my mind. This also has strong 70s rock opera vibes. "Wind-Up" - Anderson's voice sit somewhere in the middle and neither greatly offend or amaze me, but seems like they are the focus here. Dig that guitar tone when it comes in though. Dang there's a killer .38 Special deep cut buried under all those vocal gymnastics. Feels like an appropriate final statement for the album. HIGHLIGHTS - "Mother Goose" - The purely acoustic stuff - The general dark vibe - The guitar work on "Wind-Up" LOWLIGHTS - "My God" - Anytime strings pop up FINAL THOUGHTS The flute on this was not nearly as excessive as I recall, and the album feels very cohesive aside from some minor quibbles. While it's not something any but the most hardened ren fair devotee might ever try and dance to, it's got some fine grooves throughout, and could see this being a once a couple of decades listen. The flower children and the hard rockers can meet halfway here, in the magical grove where the bongwater flows and the mushrooms grow. If you can ignore the bleak lyrical content, this could provide some nice background music for your D&D game. I don't think I'll ever be a big Tull fan ( though Thick as a Brick is awesome) this was listenable, and interesting throughout. Just too serious to take seriously, and in need of a remix to remove those damn strings. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Mother Goose" and "Cross-eyed Mary" can stick around. I think I've had my fill of the title track for this lifetime, as good as it is. - Find me the isolated guitar track from "Wind-up" that I can play on repeat

tiene cosa

I liked it and there were some very good parts. I get why it is a classic album. But I don't think I will listen to it again. Very good record though.

A strange but interesting mix of hard rock, folk and prog.

I hope you like flute

Some great sounds, would have liked to hear more of that fabulous for playing.

The skill is undeniable, they are absolutely nailing what they are going for and have earnt their adoring fans. The bits that are great straight up rock or more glam I enjoy. The prog bits are not my kind of prog - the tendency to stick a flourish on top of a flourish, and the generally medieval vibe on some songs, is a genre mismatch for me. Still - it's fun to spend an hour in an unfamiliar part of town.

Love the flutes and this is a type of prog i could get more into if i spent more time with it, high 3

fav songs: cheap day return up to me folk, quirky, theatrical 50/100

Pretty good. Like the acoustic and flute shart more than the hard rock

Pocas bandas tienen tantos matices en cada canción como Jethro Tull, es que me encanta. Cada disco del grupo es para escucharlo de principio a fin, teniéndolo de fondo o estando atento. Funciona siempre

Aqualung and Cross Eyed Mary are great; but it all gets a bit too real ale after a while.

I was always curious what Jethro Tull sounded like.

Nothing wrong with this album, really. I just can't get excited about it. I guess we can give it an extra half-star for the unmistakable opening guitar riff of the title track. And then subtract the half-star because Ian Anderson's flute makes me think of that one scene in "Anchorman".

Led Zeppelin Lite

Geen fan van de zang, kudos voor de fluit

Är tvärflöjtstorsk och uppskattar gnom-progg. Stark 3a, nära 4a.

otroliga bardvibes

Mindre skruvat än jag trodde. Skulle behöva lyssna några gånger till för att verkligen komma in i det

Adorei as experimentações com sons de animais, piano e guitarra, um baixo marcante e letras interessantes

This record sounds ancient and modern at the same time. I feel that quite a few riffs off this record were spun off to create entire new genres of Rock music. I also love the addition of orchestral instruments.

A few song were bangers but some of the other ones were a bit forgettable. Very consistent style throughout the album. Have added some songs on playlists but don't see myself playing the whole album again.

good classic rock. I enjoyed the interview

I only knew Cross-Eyed Mary before I listened to this. The some songs are pretty good, with a mix of soft and more rock songs.

This album is pretty cool. No bad parts. Not incredible by any means, but just a solid, well done piece of music. 7/10

Very inconsistent but quite good at its best

good vocals, little bit repetitive highlights: Hymn 43, Wind-Up

Great story driven album but I lost interest in the end

Fun listen! The contrast between the Sabbath-esque deep and dark guitars and the flutes (a rare sound in rock music) really worked for me. Not sure that the 'homeless people are evil peados' angle has aged well though. Look forward to listening again. 6/10

Decent album

Good but missing something

This is clearly good, just not my cup of tea

Does the flute really have a place in rock? Arguably yes, according to this.

People who call this "Hobbit Rock" are LIARS. This is CLEARLY elf rock.

I just got the joke from Anchorman. Some bangers on here.

I want this on when I'm dying of the bubonic plague.

3.5

Don’t mind this, and it’s weird that people are so up in arms about the flute. Really? I’ve always liked “Hymn 43,” but never placed it in the larger context of Side 2 of this album. The musings about religion start to get a little tedious after a while. The riffs are great.

Might deserve a re-listen

Didn’t know Jethro was so popular!

Great album with a meaning behind it

Top 3 favorites: Mother goose Slipstream Lick your fingers clean

The interview at the end was a neat touch! Other than that, this was just okay.

I mean, you can't say things like the first line of this record anymore, but, apart from that, it's a prog rock album which I should like, but not having first heard it when I was 15 I only find it mildly appealing. Except for Cross-Eyed Mary, which appeared on a Gel-Sol Prog Rock Companion as part of a superlative mix so I love that one.

Weird stuff that your parents used to listen to.

Fun album....the flute is great

Pretty solid, do like the flute stuff but the hard rock tracks are a bit less compelling

Not my cup of progressive rock. I do appreciate the musicianship but it was hard work listening to the whole thing.

Some good songs and riffs

Pretty good

Really good, the flute is not hokey

I need to go deeper on Jethro Tull. Maybe it’s the flute that’s pulling me in more now because of Gizz, but feels like there’s more I need to uncover. I also enjoyed the interview at the end of the album. Sounds like things were tense with Led Zeppelin. Who knew?!

Sneaky! I did not like Aqualung but things got a little folky-freaky from there

A hour of Jethro Tull is too much Jethro Tull. But there were highs too

The title track for this record is famous, but I knew very little of the rest of the album, which was a shame as I was missing out. This prog-infused hard rock album is a great listen. I know very little about their catalog beyond this album now and will need to investigate more.

Serious flute action

I'll be the one to split the hairs between my two other comrades on this journey. Goddamn, that Anderson guy can play the flute.

Mye fløyte.

3 1/2 Stars: I'm down with a crunchy guitar anchored by a flute solo. I'm not necessarily putting this on a mix tape, but I certainly didn't hate it. In fact, I liked quite a bit of it.

Its a little creepy, the story and the wandering man. The music is sometimes weird too. Interestingly it is decent to listen to.

This album starts strong with two great songs, and it finishes with two even better songs. My God solidifies in the middle. However, in between there is a lot of weirdness, medievialness, flute and boredom.

Rate 6/10

Not half bad

Good one

A great opening track with lots of nice moments sprinkled throughout the album, but overall feels lacking. When the band has a chance to play like in Hymn 43 and Locomotive Breath they play very well, but other points in the album feels like music for a medieval town square. That said, every moment the flute came in was cool, especially the very long solo in My God which in itself is a refreshing track to liven up the midsection of the album, and I appreciate they didn't overdo the flute gimmick, but I wish there was more in this record to make it stand out more. The vocals are fine for a rock record but Anderson's prayers and musings aren't something I care about, and the moments that amused me as a listener were far and few inbetween. When half of your album is a guy singing about god with an acoustic guitar, it not compelling to me.

What we do in the shadows vampire music

A friend and I once took a trip up the Pacific coast and played lots of our favorite music. When we got to Led Zeppelin IV, I asked what he thought the worst track was. We reluctantly concluded that it's "Misty Mountain Hop" ... reluctant because we both loved the Middle-Earthy side of LZ, but it just doesn't have the same soul as the other tracks. I had never heard Jethro Tull before this (except maybe "Aqualung" ... I certainly knew that riff). But I kind of had the same feeling I had on that car ride... dang, I want to like this as much as everything else in its category, but I just don't. It sort of feels like the kind of rock and roll you would grow if "Misty Mountain Hop" was your stem cell. Maybe an interesting experiment, but not the one I would perform. Anyway, I'm down with flutes and prog and social commentary, but it just didn't come together for me in a way I relate to. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who have "Misty Mountain Top" as a favorite song and this as a favorite album, and power to them...

Not sure how I feel about this one but I found the flute additions interesting enough.

Classic. Not my favorite though. The introduction of the flute was fun

Glad to finally listen to this. Love that flute.

Early prog rock. Shades of Journey, and a softer Black Sabbath. Heavy anti-religious (though not atheist) themes lyrically. The flute is random but adds an interesting element Standout is the title track and "Locomotive Breath".

Definitely good but didn't leave a big impact on me unfortunately

Very cool

Little bit of everything on this one

Definitely enjoyed it.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun Thats really the highlight of the album haha

This record is a C- which makes it one of the all-time pinnacles of prog. (I actually listened to it about a week ago as part of my program to make this whole dumb project go faster.) As a know-nothing adolescent I listened to this a lot, knew it backwards and forwards. But I'm sure I haven't heard it at all since sometime between 1986 and 1989, almost 40 years. Reading wikipedia before listening, I barely recognized the titles, and knowing the titles couldn't recall any fragment of tune or lyric. This makes for an interesting experiment that's very tricky to set up deliberately. Of course, when I listened to it, I "recognized" it. What I found fascinating was that having played it exactly once, over the next few days I could get multiple songs from it stuck in my head in full detail, as if I Iistened to it often/never shelved it. One spin was enough to make contact with a high-fidelity memory of it, a memory I wouldn't say I had, and couldn't access by thinking about it. Now I'm annoyed these so-so prog tracks are ear-worming me, but that will pass. The mind and memories are strange things.

3.5/5

Ном декілька треків, але вініл би не брав

mmh

Sympa

Nice listen, very unique. Favorites: Locomotive Breath, Up to me, Aqualung

A weird case where I think the title track kinda sucks ass, but the rest of it is fine. Were people really upset about the flute stuff? That sounded totally fine.

Proper prog rock

It's hard to rate this one. I'm supposed to not like these guys because they won the first ever Heavy Metal Grammy over Metallica, a decision that's more baffling than Crash or Green Book winning Best Picture. However, they are doing some interesting prog-rock stuff here for 1971. The title track is a classic rock epic and Locomotive Breath is a banger. But overall? A lot that I didn't really care for or care about.

Heavier than I expected, didn't mind the flute (which I *was* expecting, having found him a slightly scary figure as a child). I didn't exactly enjoy all the lyrics. I think it deserves its place.

Umm not my absolute favorite but i understand. its just a little underwhelming and the vocals are pissing me off a little by way of britishness. I’d listen to it again but maybe not too often.

y'all mind if the coldest white boy in the game hits that flute solo

Me gustó, es interesante la flauta en una banda de rock la verdad, lo banco.

Definitely proggy at times. Really enjoyed this one through and through. Falls right onto that ever so common 3.5 star line. While this was a good ride, it just didn't feel like a 4.

This was ok, quite enjoyed it to be fair. It’ll take another couple of listens to see how much I enjoyed it so I’ll give it a three just now.

The flute in this album is amazing! Loved the combination between the guitar and the flute!

It's fine I suppose.

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

my thoughts are unusual

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

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

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.

Boring Led Zeppelin but with flutes

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.

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

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)

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...

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Very nice album

didn't finish listening

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

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

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

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

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.