Post by jptheprofessor on Mar 16, 2006 18:08:38 GMT -5
JETHRO TULL – AQUALUNG LIVE (Fuel) After finishing up their U.S. tour in Pennsylvania (including I.U.P.’s Fisher Auditorium) in November, 2004, Jethro Tull was invited to come to Washington, D.C. to perform their classic 1971 album Aqualung in front of a small audience, for XM Radio’s Then Again Live series. The recording was recently released as Aqualung Live. On the surface, the release of Aqualung Live might seem trivial and a possible money grab by Jethro Tull, but upon listening to and examining the album closer, it is a worthwhile disc. First, a few of the songs hadn’t been performed since Aqualung’s initial release in 1971. Second, this is a different Jethro Tull roster from 1971; only singer/flutist/ringleader Ian Anderson and guitarist Martin Barre remain from the album’s original studio recording, and current bassist Jonathan Noyce wasn’t yet born when Aqualung was first released. Third, this live performance of Aqualung captures Jethro Tull in a setting rarely experienced; in front of 40 fans in an intimate studio setting. And fourth, all artist and publishing royalties from the album benefit charities for the homeless. Through the album’s course, we hear that the current incarnation of Jethro Tull is clearly up to the task. Ian Anderson and Martin Barre sound in good form, and the rest of the current band – bassist Jonathan Noyce, keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer Doane Perry – are focused and on the mark. The performances sound slightly more controlled than on the original studio album on such rocking Aqualung classics as the title song, “Cross Eyed Mary,” “My God” and “Locomotive Breath.” A pleasant surprise is Jethro Tull’s almost total reinvention of “Hymn 43,” which starts out as a totally different arrangement. The disc finishes with some bonus track interview clips with Anderson and Barre, revealing interesting reflections and information on the original Aqualung and its recording. Ultimately, Aqualung Live offers an updated read of Jethro Tull’s most classic work, along with some variations and insight, and a fuller understanding of the album and its creators.