Aqualung

33⅓ Main Series #14

by Allan Moore

Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull are one of rock's most enduring bands. Their 1971 album Aqualung , with its provocative lyrical content and continuous music shifts, is Tull's most successful and most misunderstood record. Here, music professor and fan Allan Moore tackles the album on a track-by-track basis, looking at Ian Anderson's lyrics and studying the complex structures and arrangements of these classic songs.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2004

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rock books should be fun. This is not fun. Aqualung is a great album, and I think Ian Anderson is a genius, but Moore (who is clearly a fan), bleeds the color out with his overly academic approach. Moore does know his stuff, and on occasion some light will peak through, with asides regarding Anderson/Tull, or rock music from other artists of the period. But they are drops of water in a desert -- which is thankfully only a hundred pages long. Skip the book, listen to the album. This series (33 1/3) is a great concept, but it really swings on the efforts of the individual writers. My earlier reading of Tony Tost's free ranging "analysis" of a Johnny Cash album was as good as it gets. This one, which is narrow and dry, is just the opposite.

[Daniel A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an essay in interpretation.—from Allan F. Moore's introduction

Jethro Tull's Aqualung (by British musicologist Allan F. Moore) was the first volume I've read in Continuum Books' 33⅓ series, but unlike several of the other reviewers on this site, I actually rather liked Prof. Moore's efforts. Maybe it helps that Aqualung was already a longtime favorite album of mine, but I found Jethro Tull's Aqualung* both entertaining and educational.

*For the purposes of this review, I'm referring to the album as Aqualung and the book as Jethro Tull's Aqualung.

I do recognize that Moore perhaps overly exhaustively catalogs virtually the entirety of Jethro Tull's and Ian Anderson's musicianship, down the the exact notes and chord progressions, and to that extent even I couldn't deem Jethro Tull's Aqualung a perfect book, per se. However, the care and attention with which Moore addresses the themes on the album, as reflected by its form, function, and Anderson's own words and alternate performances of the songs on Aqualung, is extraordinarily helpful in analyzing the album; I get the impression that part of the purpose of the 33⅓ series is to do just that, in whatever form the aficionado of the particular album writing about it takes.

As such—and as Ian Anderson's, and, by extension, Jethro Tull's, output so often defies easy explanation (even if Anderson's displeasure with organized religion, albeit not religion itself, has been well-documented in a variety of sources)—Jethro Tull's Aqualung's exhaustive analysis was actually quite welcome to me. Not only did I develop a new appreciation for the album itself, I developed a newfound appreciation for Jethro Tull's entire catalogue, as it were; Anderson and co.'s craftsmanship cannot be denied, and Jethro Tull's Aqualung beautifully elaborates on that craftsmanship in a serious yet approachable manner. I love popular music, including a great number of the albums cataloged in the 33⅓ series, and Jethro Tull's Aqualung provides me with incentive to read many, many more in the series.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only got through the first half of the album covered in the book. Interesting anecdotes, but it felt like most were the writer's own speculations anyway. Very technical, taking you through nearly every single chord in every song. Started to destroy the beauty and magic of the album for me - and it's one of my favorites. I'll keep my own memories and interpretations rather than muddling through the rest of this one.

[Ross Bonaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best 33 1/3 books usually have a segment that goes from song to song, exploring the importance of each song, the musicality of each track, and exploring how each song is like a puzzle piece in the larger album. In dissecting Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" album, writer Allan Moore has basically made what usually takes up a chapter in other 33 1/3 titles into the entire book.

For most 33 1/3 books, this would be fine, but with "Aqualung," Moore frequently gets lost in the weeds, focusing on the rhyme schemes used, the note changes, the live albums each individual song appears on, etc. Even for fans of "Aqualung," this thorough examination must be exhausting.

Yet, I am not a fan of "Aqualung" (it's enjoyable enough, I just don't see it as a prog-rock masterpiece), and was hoping that through this book, Moore might enlighten me to what everyone else sees with this album. In the final chapter, Moore states "I'm not interested in convincing you of the merits of these songs," and while I don't need Moore as a fan to exclaim why each song is great, I would like to understand better what makes this album a masterpiece to most. Moore's eventual conclusion basically equates to the idea that since people care about the album, it must be important, basically saying that popularity equates to importance, which it absolutely does not.

Since Moore has no interest in explaining what makes this a great album, it becomes fairly clear that Moore is instead only interested in preaching to the choir: the fans of Jethro Tull who want to have their opinions approved of and reconfirmed. With "Aqualung," Moore grinds each song down to its structure, and Ian Anderson's caginess about what each song means, mostly zapping these songs of their joy in an attempt to take a clinical and weary look at this album.

[Matt Willett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I agree with many of the other reviews I read about this album. I have been reading many of the books in the 33 1/3 series because I am getting reading to write an honors thesis on an album. I was hoping to use this series as a model for my work. The problem is that they vary greatly between the different writers. This one was heavy on the music theory. Moore broke down every song theoretically, and therefore it made for an exhaustive read, even though it a little over a 100 pages. Great album but not a great read.

[Seth Arnopole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aqualung might be Jethro Tull’s best-known album, and it’s one of their best, although there are a few candidates for “best” in their discography. It’s often perceived as a concept album, but that is not really the case. This examination of Aqualung is mostly musical analysis, albeit with a minimum of specialized terminology. My preference would have been a look at the history behind the album’s composition and recording, but the latitude that the authors are given is the beauty of this book series. No two volumes take the exact same approach.

[Stephen Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 33 1/3 series is schizophrenic. They work best when the the writers have access to the band they're writing about. Allen Moore, a professor of popular music, didn't speak with anyone in Tull. He is a musically knowledgeable guy who clearly loves Aqualung. If he had asked anyone in the band, I'm pretty sure that they would have been surprised by his theories that every chord change was full of meaning.

[pianogal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. I have three college degrees in music, and none of them made this less boring. If you'd like to know what it's like to have someone man-splain Jethro Tull to you, this is your book. I don't care about the theory. I don't care what notes were played in what measure. I want to know what this album means to you and why. Ugh. It was all I could do to finish it. Too academic and too British academic.

The album's not bad, but don't read this book if you don't want it ruined.

[Ted Gurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I read the series.

[Mr. Mustela frenata · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.41

[Øystein Brekke · Rating 3 out of 5]

110 pages of overthinking it. Overly technical to a general reader. Didn't add anything to my appreciation of the music.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a long time fan of Jethro Tull in specific, indeed they might be one of the very first bands I ever became really enthusiastic about with "Aqualung" being the first LP of theirs I got. As a result, the book's analysis of the album's lyrics contains little interpretation I wasn't already familiar with either through my own investigative work or internet fansites like "Cup of Wonder".

What I do appreciate, however, is the depth and finesse with which the compositional aspects of the album are described. In particular I liked how the author uses much advanced music theory but in a way that's understandable to laypeople, as well as the analysis of how so many of the details in the songwriting and performance tie into the thematic content of the songs. A lot of my favourite things about "Aqualung", and indeed Jethro Tull's entire signature style combining traditional British music with ambitious hard rock that was quite cutting edge at the time their most lauded albums came out, I haven't been able to articulate proper until now. (I do know some music theory, but it's on a very basic level)

Another interesting thing about the book is the part of the analysis that focuses less on "Aqualung" than on its place in the surrounding cultural historical context then and now, comparing how it's been received from 1971 through the changing landscape of popular culture until now. It's remarkably thoughtful and down-to-earth by the standards of rock criticism, encouraging me to read other entries in the same series.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my favorite of the 33 1/3 books I've read so far. Well, maybe the Joni Mitchell one was, but I liked this one a lot.

Aqualung was a hugely important album to me in my youth, and I still listen to it from time to time. As a young flute player I was so excited to see flute featured so prominently in a rock band, and I used to practice the Ian Anderson solos and try to play standing on one foot. This scholarly look at the album was well-balanced and well-written.

[Parag · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen this series of books in the store and paid it little mind until I heard that they were releasing one next month on Slayer's classic, "Reign in Blood." Intrigued, I tried to find other editions to get a feel for the series. This is one of two that were available through the University library system. It's pretty good, but pretty technical.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was the worst one so far! it is just very technical about changes in the music and how that portrays the songs. and it was an audiobook, so listening to someone read chord changes to me was not cool.

however, i did listen to the album right after the book and had a whole new appreciation for it!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whereas the 33 1/3 volume on 'Unknown Pleasures' - the only other one I've read - breathed new life into the album, this volume sucks the life out in a cold and over-analytical fashion. I give three stars just because I like Jethro Tull so much.

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I barely made it through this one. The song by song analysis, atop the redundant use of footnotes and parentheses made this a struggle. Not going to revisit this one, ever.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly boring. Avoid.

[J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book will make you hate Jethro Tull... which is the opposite of it's purpose. I think.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most brilliant essay I've ever read on Tull or even rock music in general.

[Kelly Head · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I love this album, I could not finish the book. I think it takes someone who has a love for music theory to really appreciate this book.