Send "Jethro Tull " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 Whatever one’s feelings about progressive rock, Jethro Tull’s Aqualung is a rare album that remains at once part of, and above, the fray. It is, to be certain, a cornerstone of the then-nascent prog-rock canon, but it did—and does—exist wholly on its own terms as a great rock album, period.One of the many reasons prog-rock is controversial, and taken less-than-seriously by the so-called serious critics, is because fairly or not it frequently gets associated with sci-fi and fantasy. Matters of musical proficiency aside, it is true to suggest that little of the material holds up especially well, lyrically speaking (of course that is true of most rock music—a topic for another time). This is not a sufficient—or necessarily legitimate—cause to dismiss it as is usually the case, but defenders can only get so much mileage discussing the unparalleled chops of, say, ELP, Yes, Rush, et al. Jethro Tull is in the unfortunate, yet ultimately enviable position of circumventing easy identification. Certainly they are known as a crucial part of the prog-rock movement, as they should be, but their career preceded it and has continued long after its heyday. Aside from their accessibility, relatively speaking of course, Tull also sold enough units to be considered a significant act in its own regard. Tull, in other words, suffers if compared to the critically reviled acts of this time. In terms of their influence, longevity and versatility, they really are a unique entity in rock music. More than anything else, Ian Anderson’s lyrics are many degrees better than those of his prog brethren. More to the point, his lyrics are many degrees better than rock songwriters in any era. The list of rock musicians whose lyrics can be considered apart from the music and appraised as poetry is small, but Anderson is at the top of the list. In terms of output alone, his work necessarily ranks about Roger Waters and Peter Gabriel, two of rock’s better wordsmiths. The fact that he was only 23 when Aqualung was recorded is remarkable enough; the fact that the themes and words in many ways remain relevant today is sufficient evidence of his genius....full text |
| Allmusic |
| Released at a time when a lot of bands were embracing pop-Christianity (à la Jesus Christ Superstar), Aqualung was a bold statement for a rock group, a pro-God anti-church tract that probably got lots of teenagers wrestling with these ideas for the first time in their lives. This was the album that made Jethro Tull a fixture on FM radio, with riff-heavy songs like "My God," "Hymn 43," "Locomotive Breath," "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Wind Up," and the title track. And from there, they became a major arena act, and a fixture at the top of the record charts for most of the 1970s. Mixing hard rock and folk melodies with Ian Anderson's dour musings on faith and religion (mostly how organized religion had restricted man's relationship with God), the record was extremely profound for a number seven chart hit, one of the most cerebral albums ever to reach millions of rock listeners. Indeed, from this point on, Anderson and company were compelled to stretch the lyrical envelope right to the breaking point. [In 2011, Chrysalis released a 40th anniversary edition that featured a bonus disc of remastered album cuts, new mixes, and previously unreleased alternate takes.]...full text |
| Musictap |
| Steven Wilson has accomplished two extraordinary things with the updated 40th Anniversary remix of Aqualung. The first is, quite simply, that he has taken one of Rock’s grand masterpieces of music in Aqualung, and breathed fresh life into it. The second is that, if he wants it, he may have just found his new niche, remastering/remixing great works. Jethro Tull’s 1971 album was well received, giving the band a greater shot at fame than they had achieved with their first three (This Was (1968), Stand Up (1969), Benefit (1970)). 40 years after Aqualung’s release, it is considered the band’s greatest effort. With this new Steven Wilson remix of the album, the tracks weren’t just cleaned up in the usual straight remaster. Instead, Wilson went back to the original multi-track masters, and worked with each instrumental and vocal tracks, cleaning and re-balancing them to create a brand new Stereo master (and a 5.1 surround master). This is a step not often pursued by remastering engineers....full text |
Jethro Tull lyrics
