Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Jethro Tull – Aqualung

I guess Jethro Tull could deserve quite a few write up albums but Aqualung was along side Thick as a brick  the one that did most impact on me . Recorded late 1970 and released almost on my birthday in march 71 . From the opening riff of Aqualung I loved Martin Barres guitar work , the almost heavy Black Sabbath like sound really appealed to me . This together with the Ian Andersons folk like singing and flute was a perfect mix in my mind so Jethro Tull have always been a big favourite of mine . In those days we also looked a lot at album covers and I do remember the sleeve of Stand up as very cool with the figure of Ian “standing up” as you opened the sleeve. Well back to Aqualung . Cross eyed mary is in my mind a little bit of a filler as it don`t really (or did not ) deliver anything new but still a good rock and roll track . Mother Goose is a great folk song I think . with some nice guitar “plucking” from Martin . Up to me is a jolly song with some great flute playing and one of my favourite tracks and remids me of Buree probably the first famous song by Jethro Tull. But then into the real stuff with My God  with its spanish guitar opening  feel into a great riff again kinda Tony Iommie like , in fact Tony Iommie (From Black Sabbath) played with  Jethro Tull for a short while , he is featured on Rolling Stones Rock and roll circus where Jethro Tull has a song with Tony on Guitar , later in the track Ian also gets really into his Flute . Hymn 43 and Slipstream are again both great tracks ,but when the Piano opens into  Locomotive breath and builds into the guitar and flute  riffs , that’s when the Aqualung album gets into gear . It`s only fitting that the last track is  Wind up as this is a great track with its  mellow feel, anti religion lyrics and great singing from Ian , again we have the great guitar riffs of Martin . 

I think I may have played an air guitar riff or two to this album.

I have seen Jethro Tull only once Live , just outside Granada Spain a few years ago , quite frankly I don`t remember how it was (not that I was drunk) but I don`t think it was anything really special.

Other great Jethro Tull tracks / Albums .
Buree
To cry you a song
Thick as a Brick
A passion Play
Living in the past

Web site : www.j-tull.com/

Back to summer

Hola , just back in Peru after escaping in a decent way the snow and chaos on European Airports .
Here it`s 23 degrees . Pogo arrived surprisingly well,  he is sick of Kidney Failure for those of you that did not know , we give him special diet and hopefully he can live with it with a good life quality . I am worried about the "hide and seek" game but think it will be fine .

My musical blogging will continue in the new year or before .

A merry christmas to all of you

Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya ya`s Out

I have very fond memories of this record . It was one that was dragged around to most parties we had in the early 70`s . My best friend at that moment Leif Hovland was infected by this album and most of us others would watch him almost in trance when it was played . 

This is the first Rolling Stones album with Mick Taylor as Brian Jones had died earlier that year (it was recorded in 1969 released in 1970) and also the last on Decca .  After the Brilliance of Beggars Banquet and  Let it Bleed this for me almost “closed” the book on some type of the songs that the Stones played . After this they ventured into Sticky Fingers ,Exile on Main street and  Some Girls etc. which all where good albums but I believe  not the same bluesy feel to it as the earlier ones .

This album where recorded in the US mainly New York , and the cover shows a “happy” Charlie Watts jumping around a donkey . Not sure what it actually means to Get Yer Ya Ya´s out (anybody know ?) but it sounds good for a Live album .

If you revisit the album listen to the guitar solo on Sympathy for the Devil (about 3 min`s into the song)  it´s great and you can almost understand Leif`s Trance .
The Stones still going strong after most of them are 65-70 years old and probably one of the band`s in the world that has done the most touring . I have had the pleasure of seeing them at least 3 times that I remember , the last time a couple of years ago in Spain the Bigger Bang tour and it was defenately the best time , I also saw "Forty Licks" tour in Las Vegas but was not impressed with that .
Keith Richards has always been one of my favourites not so much for his Guitar Playing but more for the coolness of the character . In terms of musical skills I believe Charlie Watts must be one of the steadiest drummers in the business.

My favourite tracks from Get Yer Ya Ya`s out are :

Stay Cat Blues

Midnight Rambler

Sympathy for the Devil

Live With Me

Street Fighting Man

Other favourite Stones tracks :

2000 light years from home

Ruby Tuesday

We love you

Paint It Black

Have you seen my Mother

Monkey Man

You got the silver

Memory Motel

Hey Negrita

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

It`s only Rock and roll

Wild Horses

Miss You

Far away Eyes

Sister Morphine

(and many many more maybe , just maybe there will be another Stones album later  )
http://www.rollingstones.com

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