Aqualung (album)

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For the album by the musician Aqualung, see Aqualung (2002 album).

Professional reviews
Aqualung

Studio album by Jethro Tull
Released	March 19, 1971
Recorded	December 1970 - February 1971 at Island Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	42:55 (original) 75:27 (bonus edition)
Label	Reprise(original US) Chrysalis/Capitol (US re-issue)
Producer(s)	Ian Anderson and Terry Ellis
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone link Sounds (favourable) April 10, 1971
Jethro Tull chronology
Benefit (1970)	Aqualung (1971)	Thick as a Brick (1972)

Aqualung is the fourth studio album by the rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1971.

1 Personnel
2 Track listing
3 See also
4 External links

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 their God instead of enhancing it. Anderson always denied any attempt to create a concept album.

The album was one of the first albums 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, which was probably the original chapel based on Anderson's description of its "orchestral" feeling.

The album's original cover art by Burton Silverman features a portrait of the title character, Aqualung, which many have considered to be inspired by Ian Anderson, though Anderson denies it. The rear cover shows a less-lecherous looking portrait of the same character sitting on a street-curb with a dog, a scene reminiscent of the band's photographic portrait with age make-up and a pack of dogs on their first album, This Was. The inner art on the fold-out cover showed portraits of the five band members in typical stage attire performing irreverent acts in a chapel--perhaps simultaneously depicting the theme of the second side of the LP while commemorating the band's recording-studio environment.

Aqualung peaked at #7 on the Billboard Music Charts' North American pop albums chart. 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.