Ian Anderson still loves Jethro Tull's famous Aqualung album from 1971. The frontman dislikes the artwork that covers the record. He considers Stand Up their first important release because it showed the band becoming different from other groups. Benefit came next and sounded darker than earlier music. Aqualung mixed singer-songwriter tracks with heavy rock songs.
Anderson recorded some parts alone with acoustic guitar during studio sessions. The album showed contrasts between quiet and loud music styles. Sales started slowly but kept growing over many years. The record became their biggest seller with twelve million copies sold worldwide. Anderson enjoys playing songs like Locomotive Breath and My God during concerts.
Many people think Aqualung tells one complete story but Anderson says this idea is wrong. Only three or four tracks connect to each other on the record. The other songs have different musical styles and lyrics. Good packaging made the album look important to buyers. Anderson hates the cover painting because it looks like him instead of a homeless person.
His first wife took photos of homeless people that inspired the main song. The artist Burton Silverman painted the cover based on a homeless man he photographed. Anderson believes their manager asked Silverman to make the character look like the singer to sell more records. The cover resembles both Anderson and Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols.
Anderson recorded some parts alone with acoustic guitar during studio sessions. The album showed contrasts between quiet and loud music styles. Sales started slowly but kept growing over many years. The record became their biggest seller with twelve million copies sold worldwide. Anderson enjoys playing songs like Locomotive Breath and My God during concerts.
Many people think Aqualung tells one complete story but Anderson says this idea is wrong. Only three or four tracks connect to each other on the record. The other songs have different musical styles and lyrics. Good packaging made the album look important to buyers. Anderson hates the cover painting because it looks like him instead of a homeless person.
His first wife took photos of homeless people that inspired the main song. The artist Burton Silverman painted the cover based on a homeless man he photographed. Anderson believes their manager asked Silverman to make the character look like the singer to sell more records. The cover resembles both Anderson and Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols.
