Aqualung
"Aqualung," to many, is Tull's masterpiece.
The title track and "Locomotive
Breath," with their catchy riffs, would be joined by "My God," "Cross-Eyed
Mary," and "Hymn 43" as classic rock staples. There's
no arguing with its commercial success, having sold more than seven million
copies and continuing to outsell anything in the back catalog.
Yet, "Aqualung" is
arguably Tull's most misunderstood album. Critics dubbed it a concept album,
particularly for Anderson's critical, skeptical views of organized religion,
mostly on side B ("My God"). Anderson has disputed, almost resented,
the assessment seeing the record as "just a bunch of songs." The
labeling lead the band to really give the critics a concept album with the
following studio release "Thick
as a Brick."
"Aqualung" has a dominant theme but is certainly more, much more, than
a concept album hindging on a solitary subject. Anderson explores the struggles
of the less fortunate in our society (e.g., "Aqualung," "Cross-Eyed
Mary," "Up to Me"), teenage angst and formal education difficulties
( e.g., "Wind Up," "Mother Goose"), and returns to his parental
themes with "Cheap Day Return, a tune encompassing Anderson's feelings while
traveling to visit his sick father.
"Aqualung" also cemented the exaggerated image, especially to those
only casually acquainted with the band, that Tull was a "heavy rock" group.
Years
later,
a Grammy for best heavy metal album (viz., "Crest
of a Knave") would officially
sanction
the
misconceived
stereotype. Yet, "Aqualung" is where Anderson really begins to develop
his personal style for acoustical guitar songs with "Cheap Day Return," "Mother
Goose," and "Slipstream."
"Aqualung" did establish one of the most notable features of Tull's
music: songs varying with intensity, mixing medium to heavy electrical sounds
with lighter acoustical passages (e.g., "Aqualung," and "My God").
Indeed, every album up to "Under Wraps" (1984) would have at least
one such styled number.
At the end of a brief U.S. tour, drummer Clive
Bunker left to get married and form a band called "Jude" with Robin
Trower. Anderson recruited Barriemore
Barlow. Barlow remained drummer for the next eight years.
