Artist: JETHRO TULL
Album: AQUALUNG REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1971/ 1999
EAN/UPS: 0724349540125
Media type: CD

Aqualung is the fourth studio album by the rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1971. It was their first album with new bassist Jeffrey Hammond and last album featuring Clive Bunker on drums. The first side of the LP contains a series of six character sketches, including two sketches of people of questionable repute (title character Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary) and two autobiographical tracks including "Cheap Day Return", written by band leader Ian Anderson while returning from a visit to his critically ill father. The overall message of the lyrics on the second side is said to be "pro-God but anti-church", and makes the statement that organized religion can actually restrict a person's relationship with his God instead of enhancing it. Anderson has denied any attempt to create a concept album.

The album was one of the first to be recorded at the newly opened studios of Island Records in Basing Street, London. Led Zeppelin were mixing their untitled fourth album at the same time. In an interview on the 25th anniversary edition of the album, Anderson reportedly said that trying to record in their studio was very difficult. There were two recording studios at the location; Led Zeppelin worked in the smaller studio while Tull got the larger,[1] which was probably the original chapel based on Anderson's description of its "orchestral" feeling.

Many of the songs are primarily acoustic. "Cheap Day Return", "Wond'ring Aloud" and "Slipstream" are short, completely acoustic "bridges", and "Mother Goose" is also mostly acoustic.

Aqualung peaked at #7 on the Billboard Music Charts' North American pop albums chart and number 4 on the UK Album Chart.[2] The single "Hymn 43" hit #91 on Billboard's pop singles chart. In 2003, the album was ranked number 337 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The orchestrals were also arranged by Dee Palmer (named David Palmer at the time).

Aqualung was one of only two Jethro Tull albums which were released in quadraphonic sound, the other being War Child. This version featured several differences from the stereo release. "Wind Up" (included in the CD reissue of album) is in a higher key (three semitones), and "Aqualung" begins with two solo repetitions of the opening riff instead of one.

All songs written by Ian Anderson except where noted.

TRACKLIST:

"Aqualung" – 6:31 (Ian Anderson, Jennie Anderson)
"Cross-Eyed Mary" – 4:06
"Cheap Day Return" – 1:21
"Mother Goose" – 3:51
"Wond'ring Aloud" – 1:53
"Up to Me" – 3:15

"My God" – 7:08
"Hymn 43" – 3:14
"Slipstream" – 1:13
"Locomotive Breath" – 4:23
"Wind Up" – 6:01

Bonus tracks (1999 remastered CDs added six bonus tracks and extensive liner notes):

"Lick Your Fingers Clean" – 2:46
"Wind Up (Quad Version)" – 5:24
"Excerpts From the Ian Anderson Interview" [Mojo Magazine] – 13:59
"Songs For Jeffrey" (BBC) – 2:51
"Fat Man" (BBC) – 2:57
"Bourйe" (BBC) – 3:58 (Ian Anderson, Johann Sebastian Bach)

LINE-UP:

Ian Anderson: Vocals, acoustic guitar, flute
Martin Barre: electric guitar, descant recorder
John Evan: piano, organ, mellotron
Jeffrey Hammond (as "Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond"): bass guitar, alto recorder and odd voices
Clive Bunker: drums and percussion