Those clever bastards at Magnetic Eye Records have got impeccable taste. “Aqualung Redux” is the latest in a series of extravagant tribute albums dedicated to classic albums and great artists of our time, populated by an impressive army of bands from stoner, doom and psychedelic realms. This time around, British prog rock giants Jethro Tull receive the same reverential treatment, as 1971’s seminal “Aqualung” album is dissected, dismantled and reconstructed by another gaggle of hirsute miscreants. Among the crown jewels of prog, “Aqualung”, already had a strong connection to the world of heavy music, thanks to Iron Maidens 1983 cover of “Cross-Eyed Mary”, which appeared as the B-side to “The Trooper”.
Hard to pick a favorite here, as it is a diverse and often strange collection of covers as is befitting a diverse and strange band and album. I’ve always had a soft spot for Ian Anderson and his band and am happy to have this excellent homage to a highly underrated band.
An album full of artful and intelligent songs, “Aqualung” was quietly revolutionary back in 1971, and so it seems fitting that many of the acts on “Aqualung Redux” have been fearlessly imaginative in conjuring their own interpretations. In the hands of stoner rock legend Chris Goss (MASTERS OF REALITY) and Alain Johannes (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE alumni),the title track is reimagined as a surreal acapella nightmare, with human voices and inhuman noises colliding to form a bizarre but faithful rendition of a much-adored classic. The criminally underrated Huntsmen take a rusty cudgel to “Mother Goose”, turning it into a disorienting blizzard of slow-motion doom and drawing poignancy and pathos from TULL founder Ian Anderson‘s eccentric poetry. Norwegian rock mavericks Motorpsycho give “Up To Me” the lysergic rejig it deserves, replete with rasping flute flurries and a rumbling bassline that rattles along on its own momentum. Big Scenic Nowhere‘s “My God” is an incendiary, garage doom delight. Jethro Tull’s best-known song, “Locomotive Breath”, is given plenty of respect by The Sword, but the band’s delight at the whole thing is self-evident, and vocalist J.D. Cronise does a superb, double-take-demanding Ian Anderson impersonation. Like everything else on “Aqualung Redux”, it works brilliantly and shines fresh light on an album that many ageing rock fans will have listened to a thousand times.
Less a cover album, and more a tribute like For the Masses, this is an eclectic collection of mostly harder musical styles. It’s interesting to hear just how influential Jethro Tull has been.
Released December 6th, 2024
2024, 2024 Magnetic Eye Records
The Fat Angel Sings 