If, like me, you missed this recording of a live studio performance of Aqualung when it was originally released in 2005, then you are in for a treat with this re-mastered version soon to be re-released in CD, digital, and vinyl versions. The show, in front of 40 invited guests, was set up by XM Radio, in the USA for their ‘Then Again Live’ series, where bands were invited to play one of their classic albums in its entirety. At that time, the Tull line up had been recording and touring together for 10 years or so and it shows in this performance, the band succeeding handsomely in both re-creating a much-loved classic and also breathing new life into it.
The sound quality is exceptional; I dare to say that this really is as close as you can get to a ‘live in your living room’ experience. Whilst a degree of the power of a fully amplified show is lost, along with some of the energy provided by a full-scale audience, the advantage of this type of recording is that we still get that edge of the seat excitement but all of the nuances of the instrumentation can be followed. Of course, it helps that Ian Anderson and Martin Barre are forces of nature when let loose on any stage and that they have first class players behind them.
I have to admit at this point, that for whatever reason, my copy of the original LP did not survive various house moves and I have never got round to replacing it, in full, in digital format. In some respects, I think the acerbic way that the religious subject matter is handled in some of the songs wore me down over time, but I was also interested in filling in some gaps in my Tull collection rather than re-visiting such a well-trod old favourite. As a result, now I am genuinely re-acquainting myself with Aqualung, and maybe the absence has indeed made my heart grow fonder.
Aqualung Live consists simply of the original songs from the album, played in sequence. In terms of the arrangements there have been some significant changes, and in the main, they work very well. Of course, ‘in sequence’ means that the title track, and traditional concert curtain-closer, is side one, track one. It will never lose its lustre, of course, an evergreen and timeless classic, and here the crowd, rather too politely it has to be said, clap along as Tull power through this musical roller-coaster. To suit his surroundings, Martin Barre’s extended guitar solo has less bombastic energy than normal, but this time there is more melodic elegance, which is a treat, and Ian Anderson milks the finale in his inimitable style, as usual.
At this point I’ll pause as I don’t think time spent describing the musical nature of the tracks will add much value for most of you who know the original album very well already. Suffice to say that Aqualung Live works very nicely as a companion piece and during the review process I haven’t come up with a single reason why any self-respecting Tull, or prog rock fan, wouldn’t want to add this album to your collection.
Instead, since I am hearing the album pretty fresh, I thought I would focus on the central issue of debate about Aqualung and consider whether or not it is a concept album. Ian Anderson always disputes this suggestion, and states that he created Thick as a Brick as some sort of reaction to the whole is it / isn’t it debate. For him, Aqualung is just a collection of songs, which is unarguable, to be fair, but what is also unarguable is that these songs share common themes and ideas, or concepts. I do this not because it particularly matters either way, but because analysing the songs more closely has given me a new perspective on the album as a whole.
Side one on the original LP tells the stories of a menagerie of characters in imaginative and sometimes graphic detail, some taken from observation and some bought to life from Ian Anderson’s furtive imagination. Whilst Aqualung, the track, is a brutally honest, but also sympathetic portrayal of a tramp’s existence, Cross-Eyed Mary is raw and unashamedly explicit in its description of the schoolgirl prostitute and the life she leads. A neat crossover occurs in the lyrics when the moment that the tramp and the schoolgirl exchange glances across the playground is described from each other’s perspective in the two songs, the first evidence of this set of songs being part of the same story / concept.
The locality of Hampstead again provides rich pickings for Ian Anderson’s eye for comic-book characterisations with Mother Goose providing a surreal, whistle-stop tour. The extended folk instrumental section that forms the centrepiece of this live version is delightful and the continuity provided by the lyrical themes, and the specific references, helps to bridge the wide musical gaps between the blues-inspired and folk-inspired songs.
Amid the vivid portrayals of larger-than-life characters, there are the delicately subtle re-creations of moments in time encapsulated in the short pieces, in this case, Cheap Day Return and Wond’ring Aloud. Side one closer Up to Me, invites the listener to contemplate the effect of day-to-day decisions and how easy it can be for pride to come before a fall. We are all only one bad decision away from joining the cast of the down-trodden. Most of the bolder re-arrangements, of which this version of Up to Me is one, see the electric guitar parts replaced by piano, acoustic guitar or flute, and provide interesting melodic variations as a result.
Not a concept album, he says. Well, side one certainly feels like there is a purpose to it, and there are commonalities that link the songs and I have learned that the tale of the first half is certainly best heard in one sitting, like all the best c-word albums.
Side two opens, rather spectacularly, with My God. The challenge that the lyrics lay down is to rely on one’s own soul as a guide and not to succumb to the religious fervour encapsulated by fanatics. It does mark a shift towards a different subject matter, and musically it puts Ian Anderson and his flute at front and centre, alternating between gentle beauty and ecstatic aggression. A quite remarkable piece of musical theatre, all told.
At this point it should be noted that 1970 saw the debut of the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and in 1971 it was the turn of ‘Godspell’. These productions were not particularly controversial in their handling of overtly religious content but this is an era when religious, and societal, norms were being questioned and challenged with increasing veracity. Side two of Aqualung most certainly captures the zeitgeist of those times.
Hymn 43 takes a less subtle and more aggressively straightforward stance, mocking those that use religion as a cloak of invisibility against their true nature. Still topical now, of course, and with similar sentiments to Fish’s (Tull-inspired?) song Big Wedge. The original version has a similar ‘over the top’ vibe, as with Big Wedge, but in this version it is flute-driven all the way through, so whilst the melodies are the same, the rhythm and tone are very different. With the music being dialled down a touch, the power of the lyrics is more relatable.
Slipstream disguises itself as another minute or so of calmer reflection, but the sentiment of the lyrics is, again, a pointed, nay barbed message, about the potential for accumulated wealth to subvert individuals.
So far, we have side one, with a magnifying glass held up to a random community, lest we forget our shared responsibilities for the lives of the people we live amongst. Now we have side two, railing against those that have the power and influence to be a force for good, but are only ever it in for themselves. It is religion that is very much under the spotlight, but in Locomotive Breath the target is not religion’s earthly followers but this time Ian Anderson takes a swipe at religion’s core principle, the idea of a nebulous God being part of the answer to our earthbound problems. The ‘all-time loser’ has lost control, the devil stole the handle, and opening Gideon’s bible won’t slow the train down. Arguably the most vicious, evident, and uncompromising lyric on the album, hiding in plain sight. Here it is played as a straightforward rendition of the original, and to be honest this isn’t a track that needs any embellishment (though that won’t prevent me from listening again, and again, to the ‘A’ album tour version!).
There is no respite to this most rigorous examination of the cult of religion. Closing out we have Wind-Up, and Ian Anderson, figuratively speaking, throws his hands in the air in bewilderment at the congregation with their ”half-assed smiles, and the book of rules’’. He has a long list of grievances and embraces the opportunity to “compose a better song” for himself. Putting yourself on a pedestal on Sundays doesn’t mean you are better person, and if you think like that, you have ”the whole damn thing all wrong”.
On side one, the reality of human existence is laid bare, on side two, the use and abuse of organised religion and the false hope it nurtures is challenged. It certainly feels like a concept album to me; however, I can understand that it may not have been conceived that way. The track Aqualung was inspired by an actual brief encounter with a tramp, and that could have led Ian Anderson down the path of other songs based on characterisations. Side two appears to be the result of a stream of consciousness that befell Ian Anderson and happened to inspire a heap of lyrics, that in turn, inspired the music behind them.
Ultimately, what counts is that Aqualung is clearly one of the best progressive rock albums ever released. Whether you already have all the available versions of the studio album (or whether you don’t, embarrassed face emoji), you really should be thinking about owning this once-in-a-lifetime live rendition.
TRACK LISTING
01. Aqualung (7:56)
02. Cross-Eyed Mary (4:34)
03. Cheap Day Return (1:21)
04. Mother Goose (5:39)
05. Wond’ring Aloud (2:00)
06. Up To Me (3:35)
07. My God (8:27)
08. Hymn 43 (4:22)
09. Slipstream (0:59)
10. Locomotive Breath (5:19)
11. Wind-Up (6:40)
Total Time – 51:00
MUSICIANS
Ian Anderson – Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitars
Martin Barre – Guitars
Doane Perry – Drums & Percussion
Andrew Giddings – Piano, Organ & Keyboards
Jonathan Noyce – Bass
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: InsideOut Music
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 21stNovember 2025
LINKS
Jethro Tull – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (Inside Out Music) | YouTube | X | Instagram
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