Jethro Tull - Aqualung - Pink Rim Island Original 1971

	£		46
	$		61

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ABOUT  THIS LP RECORD

Aqualung is the fourth studio album by  Jethro Tull, released in 1971. It was their first album with John Evan as a full-time member, their first with new bassist Jeffrey Hammond and last album featuring Clive Bunker on drums. The first side of the LP contains a series of six character sketches, including two sketches of people of questionable repute (title character Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary) and two autobiographical tracks including "Cheap Day Return", written by band leader Ian Anderson while returning from a visit to his critically ill father. The overall message of the lyrics on the second side is said to be "pro-God but anti-church", and makes the statement that organized religion can actually restrict a person's relationship with his God instead of enhancing it. Anderson was not intending to make Aqualung a concept album.

The album was one of the first to be recorded at the newly opened studios of Island Records in Basing Street, London. Led Zeppelin were mixing their untitled fourth album (Led Zeppelin IV) at the same time. In an interview on the 25th anniversary edition of the album, Anderson reportedly said that trying to record in their studio was very difficult. There were two recording studios at the location; Led Zeppelin worked in the smaller studio while Tull got the larger,[1] which was probably the original chapel based on Anderson's description of its "orchestral" feeling.

Many of the songs are primarily acoustic. "Cheap Day Return", "Wond'ring Aloud" and "Slipstream" are short, completely acoustic "bridges", and "Mother Goose" is also mostly acoustic.

In an interview on Aqualung Live (2005) (track 16) Ian Anderson claimed that:

"I always said at the time that this is not a concept album; this is just an album of varied songs of varied instrumentation and intensity in which three or four are the kind of keynote pieces for the album but it doesn't make it a concept album. In my mind when it came to writing the next album, Thick as a Brick, was done very much in the sense of: 'Whuh, if they thought Aqualung was a concept album, O-O-K, we'll show you a concept album.' And it was done as a kind of spoof, a send-up, of the concept album genre. ... But, Aqualung itself, in my mind was never a concept album. Just a, just a bunch of songs."

The album's original cover art by Burton Silverman features a portrait of the title character, Aqualung, which many have considered to be inspired by Ian Anderson, though Anderson denies it. The rear cover shows a less-lecherous looking portrait of the same character sitting on a street-curb with a dog, a scene reminiscent of the band's photographic portrait with age make-up and a pack of dogs on their first album, This Was. The inner art on the fold-out cover showed portraits of the five band members in typical stage attire performing irreverent acts in a chapel--perhaps simultaneously depicting the theme of the second side of the LP while commemorating the band's recording-studio environment.

Personnel

• Ian Anderson: Vocals, acoustic guitar, flute
• Martin Barre: electric guitar, descant recorder
• John Evan: piano, organ, mellotron
• Jeffrey Hammond (as "Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond"): bass guitar, alto recorder and odd voices
• Clive Bunker: drums and percussion

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Anderson except where noted.

Side one

1. "Aqualung" – 6:31 (Ian Anderson, Jennie Anderson)
2. "Cross-Eyed Mary" – 4:06
3. "Cheap Day Return" – 1:21
4. "Mother Goose" – 3:51
5. "Wond'ring Aloud" – 1:53
6. "Up to Me" – 3:15

Side two

1. "My God" – 7:08
2. "Hymn 43" – 3:14
3. "Slipstream" – 1:13
4. "Locomotive Breath" – 4:23
5. "Wind Up" – 6:01

 * A 1971 release.

*  UK ISLAND Label.

*  Cat: ILPS 9145 is given on labels and rear of sleeve.

* Record presumably manufactured in ENGLAND - it does not state this on the label. Cover states printed and made by the EJ Day Group, London and Bedford 

LP COVER and Vinyl Recod GRADINGS * PLEASE NOTE: I seldom use MINT as it really is my personal belief that that is a grading only to be used when an item is 100% brand new and unplayed. For me EXCELLENT means not brand new but not showing any wear at all.

GRADINGS FOR THIS RECORD and its COVER

* The record does have quite a number of surface scratches on each side but nothing deep. Each track has been carefully play tested and the only serious criticism that can be given is that there is some none heavy background noise in the first 40 seconds of Aqualung and also in the quiet piano intro of Locomotive Breath there is some surface noise. On both tracks when the vocal comes in everything settles down. On much gentler tracks such as Cheap Day return and Wond'ring Aloud where you might expect to hear deteriration in sound caused by surface scratches that is NOT the case - both tracks run through without blemish.

* A VERY PLEASURABLE LISTENING EXPERIENCE for clarity. The odd flaws mentioned are as bad as it gets. TOTALLY FREE of any jumps or clicks or crunching noise - none of that at all.

** A VERY NICE COLLECTABLE for TULL fans and ISLAND collectors alike.

*** LP INNER SLEEVE. Clean but some brown foxing as visible in the image. A seam split of 2 inches to bottom edge of inner. Record transferred into White paper inner to prevent split developing further

* GATEFOLD LP cover in VERY GOOD condition. Typeface all clean and fully ledgible on all areas of the front and reverse and the spine. All fully intact, no rips or seam splits. Some specks of white on bottom edges where a very small amount of colour has come away but this is being hyper critical. Light white scuff to front cover top right as visible in images.

*  SEE IMAGES BELOW

Grading Further Grading Assistance based on record Collector magazine

In many cases, items that are listed will be play checked first and a more critical appraisal will be given in the description. However, due to the sheer volume of items coming into stock most can only be checked visually.

 GRADINGS USED

MINT The item itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT It can be seen that the item is not new but it will show little sign of having been played and there should be no no lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging will look nearly new.

VERY GOOD The record shows signs of play but there should be no deterioration in sound quality. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items ie: light creasing or very light scuffing would be classed as very good.

GOOD The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced. This condition is rarely used and would only be for something super super rare and was only being bought to fill a collection until a clean copy may possibly, if at all be found.

CDs & CASSETTES As a general rule, CDs and cassettes either play perfectly - in which case they are in Mint condition - or they don't, in which case their value is minimal. Cassette tape is liable to deteriorate with age, even if it remains unplayed, so care should be taken when buying old tapes.

CDs are difficult to grade visually: they can look perfect but actually be faulty, while in other cases they may appear damaged but still play perfectly. Cassette and CD inlays and booklets are graded in the same way as record covers and sleeves. In general, the plastic containers for cassettes and CDs can easily be replaced if they are broken or scratched, but card covers and digipaks are subject to the same wear as record sleeves.

Packaging

All items are sent out in quality strong professional packaging with stiffeners. Records ARE removed from their outer covers and when applicable printed inners too and transferred into paper covers to prevent seam splits to the outer and inner covers during transit.

ABOUT ME/METHODS OF PAYMENT

I have been selling through mail order for over 25 years and ship worldwide on a daily basis.

Acceptable methods of payment are PayPal, UK cheque and postal order 

Our most preferred method of payment is  PAYPAL.

U.K: Standard mail is £ 2.50 for 1st LP and then GOOD further discounts applied for each one after.

EUROPE Airmail is 4.50 UK POUNDS and then GOOD further discounts applied for each one after.

REST OF THE WORLD Airmail is 6.00 UK POUNDS and then GOOD further discounts applied for each one after.

*** I say GOOD FURTHER DISCOUNTS APPLIED because all total prices are based on the final weight of the parcel. It is impossible to say so much for each extra item: eg: If you buy a box set, a 7" and say a 12" it is going to be a totally different weight to buying a 7", an LP and a CD. so different prices apply. However, I would never charge PER LP - for example, if you lived in the UK and won two standard vinyl LP's I would not charge £5.00 it would be closer to £3.00*** 

If you would like your order sent by recorded delivery please add 75p for UK and 3.50 GBP outside UK.

ALL items are fully guaranteed.  Any disappointment that arises from purchases made, please advise me and matters will be rectified IMMEDIATELY.

I have 25 years selling  experience and ship Worldwide Daily