Jethro Tull-Aqualung

[Arzela]

The first three albums are great,
they are more bluesy/folksy:

This Was, Stand Up, and Benifit.

 

[Trounce]

Best Tull Albums

1. Thick as a Brick
2. Stand up
3. Songs from the Wood
4. Aqualung (only for My God and the title track. The rest is "meh")
5. Minstrell in the Gallery
6. A Passion Play (pretty much a copy of Thick as a Brick)
7. Heavy Horses
8. J-Tull.com (hahaha!)

They are a wonderfully creative band, and they have the best integration of a flute into rock I have ever seen. But their later stuff was terrible, and even albums like Minstrell and Songs from the Wood were inconsistent. They got self-indulgent and pretentious. But Ian Anderson is a brilliant writer and musician and deserves all the praise he gets.

And I also agree about Locomotive Breath: When I first heard the distortion, I thought there was something wrong with my CD. But when I heard it on the radio, I was so pissed off because it ruins a great song.

 

[tom hankins]

I had never even heard of Jethro Tull when I went to a Led Zeplin concert around 30 years ago. Tull open for Them. The crowd was wanting LZ until Ian turned around on one leg with flute in hand and kicked LZ's ass. I remember he had his back back to the crowd and his back looked like a women standing there. the music started he turned around nothing but hair and beard. LZ was so boring after Tull. I think I'll go listen to some Tull now.

 

[scottpaul_iu]

Anyone ever check out Ian's solo stuff?
Pretty cool stuff.

 

[richard]

Aqualung
Thick as a brick
Stand up

as with so many bands, the later stuff just isn't as good

 

[redshifter]

when i saw tull in the mid 80's, i was up close to the stage. the music was tight and they put on a real show, complete with anderson wailing on his flute, tossing it high like a majorette, catching and never missing a beat. the highlight was when anderson ran off stage and all you could see was his arm pumping, flute in hand from behind the curtain. them a bunch of performers in white construction worker clothes marched out on the stage carrying huge white balloons, anderson's arm still pumping from off stage. they deposit the largest ballon center stage and pop it, and BANG anderson jumps out of the balloon. ****ing awesome.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

A good starting point is to get their Greatest Hits, volumes I and II. If you like those, then you can go out and buy a bunch of their albums. I started out with the Greatest Hits and then got some 16 or 17 albums after that. That was one incredibly talented and innovative group led by Ian Anderson.

On a side note, in an interview with Ian Anderson he made a comment about his son studying the flute, and telling his dad how we was playing wrong all those years he made music. Now, after all that incredible playing, his flute work got even better and he can REALLY play that thing now.

 

[redshifter]

sie,
i personally know a classical flute player (flautist?) who heard the flute solo from "the whistler" and said that even he (with all his training) would have to practice a lot before he could even come close to anderson's speed.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by redshifter sie, i personally know a classical flute player (flautist?) who heard the flute solo from "the whistler" and said that even he (with all his training) would have to practice a lot before he could even come close to anderson's speed.

WOW!! That makes his "inability" to play correctly an even greater accomplishment. The man was definitely one talented player of the flute, made even better with his addition of correct playing.

 

[chadbang]

Aqualung is a very cool album. About a month ago, I listened to it for the first time in years and years and it blew me away. I'm glad to hear the title track "Aqualung" still has some resonance with people like Matthew who are hearing it for the first time (amazing). I basically must skip that track when I put on the album because it was completely enviserated by radio play for me. Same with "Cross Eyed Mary" But the rest of the album... ahhh! You forget how INTIMATE it is. Really filled with more acoustic music than electric. I think that's what makes it fresh and original and real MUSIC. And, yeah, Ian Anderson could PLAY.