Monday, May 30, 2011

Homeless Heroes Play Flutes


Jethro Tull
Aqualung
1971, Island Records
produced by Ian Anderson and Terry Ellis

Ian Anderson - flute, vocals, acoustic guitar
Martin Barre - electric guitar
John Evan - piano, organ
Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar, vocals
Clive Bunker - drums

Singles -

  • Hymn 43
  • Life is a Long Song EP
Most would agree this album is a hugely successful, very well written, hard rock album.  A classic worth a listen by every fan of rock music.  Locomotive Breath, Aqualung, Hymn 43 are all hard rocking hit songs, punctuated with fun bouncy acoustic intermissions.  The album is split into two parts and deal with themes of extreme, low class, dirty personalities and religion.  Ian Anderson proved the flute can be rocked out, but it is decidedly not metal.  However, in 1989 Tull won the first Metal Grammy for their album Crest of a Knave.  Apparently there is room in the metal universe for flutes and mandolins.  The only good reason I can see for agreeing with this decision is the huge influence Jethro Tull and, specifically, Aqualung, has had on metal bands like Iron Maiden.

My favorite track is the last, Wind Up.  This song, aimed at how ludicrously hypocritcal organized religion seems to be, has a quiet urgency about it that makes it rock hard despite it's lack of actual volume.  There is a line from the Death Cab for Cutie song I will Follow you into the Dark that instantly reminded me of this song.

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