Ep. 41: Aqualung - Jethro Tull

A polarizing question about one of rock's most iconic records: is Aqualung a concept album? Venturing back to the burgeoning years of prog rock, this episode questions whether Jethro Tull's most successful album (Aqualung, 1971) has enough in common amongst its 11 tracks to be deemed a "concept album." There are certainly themes frequently revisited and characters that are referenced in more than one song, but is that enough? Furthermore, should this release even be considered progressive rock at all? Many of the iconic prog-rock elements seem to be absent, or at the very least subdued when compared to Tull's contemporaries of the day (King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, ELP, etc.). To answer these inquiries, Destin and Drew analyze the music and lyrics in an isolated system that is the album on its own while also contextualizing it with the band's music before and after. While Aqualung may be a head-scratcher in many respects, it all works together to create an incredibly unique listening experience that entices the listener to repeat it again and again.

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**Prog Notes is a podcast dedicated to the genre of progressive rock. Each episode Destin and Drew tackle an album and delve into the different musical compositions, lyrics, and concepts that make it prog rock. They maintain that progressive rock is still very much alive and kicking, whether it be highlighting key moments from the early years or tracking the evolution of the genre to today's more modern groups. With each new episode, these two childhood friends encourage more people to investigate this unique, sometimes forgotten genre of music and find an album or band they can enjoy.