The 50th Anniversary of JETHRO TULL's Masterpiece

Original released on LP Island ILPS 9145

(UK 1971, March 19)

The leap from 1970's "Benefit" to the following year's "Aqualung" is one of the most astonishing progressions in rock history. In the space of one album, Tull went from relatively unassuming electrified folk-rock to larger-than-life conceptual rock full of sophisticated compositions and complex, intellectual, lyrical constructs. While the leap to full-blown prog rock wouldn't be taken until a year later on "Thick as a Brick", the degree to which Tull upped the ante here is remarkable. The lyrical concept - the hypocrisy of Christianity in England - is stronger than on most other '70s conceptual efforts, but it's ultimately the music that makes it worthy of praise. Tull's winning way with a riff was never so arresting as on the chugging "Locomotive Breath," or on the character studies "Cross Eyed Mary" and "Aqualung," which portray believably seedy participants in Ian Anderson's story. The fable imagery of "Mother Goose" and the vitriolic anti-authoritarian sentiments of "Wind Up" both serve notice of Anderson's willful iconoclasm and his disillusionment with the spiritual traditions to which he was born. Varied but cohesive, "Aqualung" is widely regarded as Tull's finest hour. (Rovi Staff in AllMusic)

"Aqualung" is an essential album, and one of the greatest examples of 1970's rock, and Jethro Tull remains one of the few bands to create albums on their own terms, rather than the profligate whims of record corporations. Conformity was never one of Ian Anderson's strong suits, which is why you won't be seeing Tull in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anytime soon, but you will see the Bee Gees (and ABBA, for Christ's sake! who the hell votes for these inanities?). Critics have often tried to pigeonhole "Aqualung" into one of several genres: concept album, progressive rock, folk-rock, et cetera, ad nauseam, but the brilliance of the album is that it transcended what was termed 'hard-rock' back in 1971, and offered a refreshing synthesis of several styles and moods. The lyrics are dryly witty and sarcastic at times, particularly regarding Christian hypocrisy (like in "My God", "Hymn 43" and "Wind Up"), whimsical ("Mother Goose"), reflective ("Wond'ring Aloud"), or vulgar ("Cross-eyed Mary"), but the overall effect is a seemless travelogue of England itself, a journey that includes both the pastoral landscapes of Hampstead and the gritty streets of London or Birmingham. We hobnob with whores, pedophiles, losers and bums, as well as schoolboys, nurses and bishops at tea. 

The title song "Aqualung" is a microcosmic mini-epic of the album itself, containing bits and pieces of the album's philosophy and irreverence (the lyric 'snot is running down his nose' made all middle school boys giggle with glee in '71 - no one referred to snot on an album prior to this!), and it is still played daily on every classic rock station 'round the world, just like "Stairway to Heaven" and the "Bohemian Rhapsody". The poetic allusiveness of the lyrics is exceptionally strong and evokes England to its very core («feeling alone, the armies up the road, salvation a la mode, and a cup of tea»), while reminding us that the death of the homeless beggar, who snatches his last rattling breath with 'deep-sea diver sounds', is the reason the album is called "Aqualung" in the first place (an 'aqualung' is a breathing apparatus used by deep-sea divers, consisting of a mouthpiece attached to air cylinders, causing the distinctive echoed gasping sounds as oxygen is breathed in).

The flute, that rock music novelty which has become indeliby identified with Tull, is not necessarily the focal point of this album; in fact, the album's greatest hit, the song "Aqualung", contains not a hint of flute. Of course, Ian Anderson's virtuousity on the instrument is present on "Locomotive Breath" and "My God" where the flute becomes a weapon and not some effeminate, whimpering thing. But it is Anderson's interludes on acoustic guitar that really sets this album apart from the run-of-the-mill 70's rock offerings. The acoustic guitar work on songs such as "Aqualung", "Mother Goose", "My God" and "Cheap Day Return" is integral to the overall effect of the album, sometimes subtle and nuanced, and at other times biting and inflected. When "Aqualung" rocks, it really rocks, but it also presents other tonal dimensions that make it a unique and exceptionally strong album. (in RateYourMusic)

The ROLLING STONES Rock And Roll Circus

Original released on CD ABKCO 1268-2

(UK, October 1996)

The "Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" became a thing of legend when the Rolling Stones refused to air it. Recorded in early December 1968, the show became famous for several reasons before it was officially released in 1996. First, fans of the Who were allegedly in for a treat with a performance of their mini-rock-opera "A Quick One While He's Away." Second, it featured an appearance by a supergroup known as the Dirty Mac, consisting of John Lennon and Eric Clapton on guitar, Keith Richards on bass, and Mitch Mitchell (of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums. Last, it reportedly featured the last appearance of Brian Jones with the Rolling Stones before his death. This just had to be great. Right?! Well, in retrospect it is easy to see why this was shelved. the Who's performance is tight, but not as exciting as some claim it to be. Jethro Tull and Marianne Faithfull's performances are dull. The Dirty Mac is just okay, worth it mainly to hear Keith Richards play some thumpin' bass, an instrument he only turned to on occasion. (I must admit that I love the loathed "Whole Lotta Yoko" - I am clearly the target audience for that shit!) the Rolling Stones' set is relatively listless, save for "Parachute Woman," which is a revelation, far and away better than the version on "Beggars Banquet". They even mime over "Salt of the Earth," which is unfortunate. Probably the best thing on here apart from "Parachute Woman" is Taj Mahal's banger "Ain't that a Lot of Love," which gives the album a pulse it is lacking elsewhere. This expanded edition, available officially on vinyl for the first time, sounds fantastic. The bonus material is largely mediocre, of historical interest only, though the Dirty Mac's "Warmup Jam" provides some sloppy fun. Diehard fans of the various groups represented here will all probably claim to like this more than they really do. The event, with its ill-conceived circus theme, the Stones' version of Magical Mystery Tour (which at least had some brilliant music), is nothing more than a decent set of performance across what amounts to a missed opportunity. (in RateYourMusic)

This is the most interesting archival release of the Rolling Stones since "More Hot Rocks", 20 years ago, and the first issue of truly unreleased material by the Stones from this period. And the Stones have some competition from the Who, Taj Mahal, and John Lennon on the same release. Filmed and recorded on December 10-11, 1968, at a North London studio, "Rock and Roll Circus" has been, as much as the Beach Boys' Smile, "the one that got away" for most '60s music enthusiasts. The Jethro Tull sequence is the standard studio track, but the rest - except for the Stones' "Salt of the Earth" --is really live. The Who's portion has been out before, courtesy of various documentaries, but Taj Mahal playing some loud electric blues is new and great, the live Lennon rendition of "Yer Blues" is indispensable, and the Stones' set fills in lots of blanks in their history - "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in one of two live renditions it ever got with Brian Jones in the lineup, "Sympathy for the Devil" in an intense run-through, "Parachute Woman" as a lost live vehicle for the band, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" as a show-stopping rocker even without its extended ending (no Paul Buckmaster choir), and "No Expectations" as their first piece of great live blues since "Little Red Rooster." (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

JETHRO TULL: "Stand Up"

Original released on LP Island ILPS 9103

(UK 1969, August 1)

The group's second album, with Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitars, keyboards, balalaika), Martin Barre (electric guitar, flute), Clive Bunker (drums), and Glen Cornick (bass), solidified the group's sound. There is still an element of blues, but except for "A New Day Yesterday," it is far more muted than on their first album, as Mick Abrahams' blues stylings are largely absent from Martin Barre's playing. The influence of folk music also began to manifest itself ("Look Into the Sun"). The instrumental "Bouree," which could've been an early Blood, Sweat & Tears track, became a favorite concert number, although at this point Anderson's flute playing on-stage needed a lot of work; by his own admission, he just wasn't that good. Bassist Cornick would last through only one more album, but he gets his best moments here, on "Bouree." As a story song with opaque lyrics and jarring tempo changes, "Back to the Family" is the forerunner to "Thick as a Brick". The only major flaw in this album is the mix, which divides the electric and acoustic instruments and fails to find a solid center. The LP comes with a "pop-up" jacket interior. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

JETHRO TULL Debut Album (Collectors Edition)

Original released on LP Island ILPS 9085

(UK 1968, October 25)

Jethro Tull was very much a blues band on their debut album, vaguely reminiscent of the Graham Bond Organization only more cohesive, and with greater commercial sense. The revelations about the group's roots on "This Was" - which was recorded during the summer of 1968 - can be astonishing, even 30 years after the fact. Original lead guitarist Mick Abrahams contributed to the songwriting and the singing, and his presence as a serious bluesman is felt throughout, often for the better: "Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You," an Ian Anderson original that could just as easily be credited to Big Bill Broonzy or Robert Johnson; "Cat's Squirrel," Abrahams' big showcase, where he ventures into Eric Clapton territory; and "It's Breaking Me Up," which also features some pretty hot guitar from Abrahams. Roland Kirk's "Serenade to a Cuckoo" (the first song Anderson learned to play on flute), their jazziest track ever, is one of the best parts of the album. The drum solo on "Dharma for One" now seems like a mistake, but is understandable in the context of the time in which it was done.

  

The one number here that everybody knows, "A Song for Jeffrey," almost pales amid these surroundings, but at the time it was a superb example of commercial psychedelic blues. This would be the last album of its kind by the group, as Abrahams' departure and the lure of more fertile inspiration tugged them toward English folk music. Curiously, the audio mix here is better than that on their second album, with a much stronger, harder group sound overall. In late 2001, "This Was" was reissued in a remastered edition with much crisper sound and three bonus tracks. The jazzy improvisation "One for John Gee" (a reference to the manager of the Marquee Club), the folky "Love Story" (which marked the end of Mick Abrahams' tenure with the group), and the novelty piece "Christmas Song" have all been heard before but, more to the point, they're worth hearing again, especially in the fidelity they have here. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

JETHRO TULL: "Benefit"

Original released on LP Reprise RS 6400

(US 1970, April 20)

"Benefit" was the album on which the Jethro Tull sound solidified around folk music, abandoning blues entirely. Beginning with the opening number, "With You There to Help Me," Anderson adopts his now-familiar, slightly mournful folksinger/sage persona, with a rather sardonic outlook on life and the world; his acoustic guitar carries the melody, joined by Martin Barre's electric instrument for the crescendos. This would be the model for much of the material on "Aqualung" and especially "Thick as a Brick", although the acoustic/electric pairing would be executed more effectively on those albums. Here the acoustic and electric instruments are merged somewhat better than they were on "Stand Up" (on which it sometimes seemed like Barre's solos were being played in a wholly different venue), and as needed, the electric guitars carry the melodies better than on previous albums. 

Most of the songs on "Benefit" display pleasant, delectably folk-like melodies attached to downbeat, slightly gloomy, but dazzlingly complex lyrics, with Barre's guitar adding enough wattage to keep the hard rock listeners very interested. "To Cry You a Song," "Son," and "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" all defined Tull's future sound: Barre's amp cranked up to ten (especially on "Son"), coming in above Anderson's acoustic strumming, a few unexpected changes in tempo, and Anderson spouting lyrics filled with dense, seemingly profound imagery and statements. As on "Stand Up", the group was still officially a quartet, with future member John Evan (whose John Evan Band had become the nucleus of Jethro Tull two years before) appearing as a guest on keyboards; his classical training proved essential to the expanding of the group's sound on the three albums to come. "Benefit" was reissued twice in remastered editions with bonus tracks at the end of 2001 and in 2013, which greatly improved the clarity of the playing and the richness of the sound - you can find some of those bonus tracks inside the file.

Old News From The St Cleve Chronicle

Original released on LP Chrysalis CHR 1003 (stereo)

(UK, 10/3/1972)

Jethro Tull's first LP-length epic is a masterpiece in the annals of progressive rock, and one of the few works of its kind that still holds up decades later. Mixing hard rock and English folk music with classical influences, set to stream-of-consciousness lyrics so dense with imagery that one might spend weeks pondering their meaning - assuming one feels the need to do so - the group created a dazzling tour de force, at once playful, profound, and challenging, without overwhelming the listener. The original LP was the best-sounding, best-engineered record Tull had ever released, easily capturing the shifting dynamics between the soft all-acoustic passages and the electric rock crescendos surrounding them. "Thick as a Brick" is not only rock music's most ambitious engagement, but it's one of the only 43 minutes compositions which is mostly genius and the non-genius parts are extremely enjoyable great ones.

If back in 1972 there were CDs, this would've been a one-track masterpiece. Thus it is cut into two to fit on the sides of an LP. Clocking in over 20 minutes, both parts are amazing. Ian Anderson's flute playing and fantastically memorable vocals, Martin Barre's amazing sense of riffing and soloing, Barriemore Barlow's drumming, I don't know what is not top-notch on this record. The strings, the organ, everything is so organic and so fitting to each other. My favourite sections are the keyboard-laden "the poet and the painter" part, the acoustic beginning of "really don't mind if you sit this one out" and the ending with the same melody coming back "don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick", also "Do you believe in the day", the twin "See there! A son/man is born, and we pronounce him fit to fight/peace". There is so much going on here both musically and lyrically, that I cannot put it into words. You have to listen to it a hundred of times and be absorbed to it. The version presented here is the 2012 mixage by engineer Robin Black, that have achieved a fantastic sound.