1614 - Jethro Tull Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! 1976

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the first album to include bassist John Glascock who also contributes with backing vocals. The last Jethro Tull concept album, which follows the story of Ray Lomas, an ageing rocker that found fame with the changes of musical trends. Originally intended to be a rock musical, similar to the Kinks’ Preservation Act 1 (1973), Preservation Act 2 (1974) and Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975) the story would follow an ageing and retired rock star named Ray Lomas - winning money in a "Quizz" show, trying to commit suicide and waking up years later to find out that the grease fashion has returned. Although much of the album concept is only explained in the cartoons printed in the sleeves, there are changes in the plot or in details between the cartoons and the music. The sweeping, monumental title track remains a great listen.

1428 - Jethro Tull Cross Eyed Mary 1971

"Aqualung", the fourth album by Jethro Tull, includes riff-heavy songs like "Cross-Eyed Mary". The song is about a schoolgirl prostitute who prefers the company of "leching greys" over her schoolmates. It was intended as a companion piece to "Aqualung", a piece on the same album about a homeless man. Indeed, the Aqualung character is given a cameo in "Cross-Eyed Mary". "Laughing on the playground, get's no kicks from little boys would rather make it with a leching grey"

1303 - Jethro Tull We Used To Know 1969

Jethro Tull's second album, "Stand Up", is still sharing the raw hard rock-blues sound with the band's debut album, but the blues influences are not so significant anymore. Before this album, the band's original guitarist Mick Abrahams resigned because of musical differences with Ian Anderson; Abrahams wanted to stay with the blues-rock sound of This Was, while Anderson wished to branch out into other musical forms. It also marks the first appearance of guitarist Martin Barre. "We Used To Know" was the tune that will be exploited by The Eagles in their most radiophonical hit "Hotel California" seven years later. A depressing psychedelic rocker, with endless soloing and Martin Barre's best wah-wahs ever.

1242 - Jethro Tull Bungle in the Jungle 1974

Jethro Tull returned to the studio during early 1974 to record their first studio album since "A Passion Play". The resulting "War Child" was originally meant to be the soundtrack for a film of the same name. When the film did not materialize a number of songs were released as a stand alone album. "War Child" retained one of the classic Tull lineups. Drummer Barriemore Barlow, guitarist Martin Barre, keyboardist John Evan, and bassist Jeffrey Hammond all returned for the third studio album in a row. David Palmer was back to provide the orchestral arrangements. Ian Anderson would continue as the songwriter, lead vocalist, flute, and saxophone player. Anderson has stated he will never play the sax live again which precludes many of these songs from ever being a part of their concert act. “Bungle In The Jungle” may have been a criticism of the inner city, but it was a smooth flowing track and became one of only two songs in their long career to reach The American Top Forty singles chart.

1196 - Jethro Tull Locomotive Breath 1971

Jazz and rock mixed together, the piano intro and its flute solo by rock flute virtuoso Ian Anderson make it a great chapter in music. The lyrics use the imagery of an impending and unavoidable train wreck as an allegorical portrayal of a man's life falling apart.
The term "locomotive breath" ostensibly refers to the steam ejected from a steam locomotive's pistons, which provided a characteristic foggy atmosphere and metallic odor to 19th-century train station platforms.

843 - Jethro Tull Heavy Horses 1978

Ian creates melodic, sit-around-the-fire-telling-stories type songs, but the intricate detail contained within should not be ignored. The rhythm section of Barlow and Glascock provides some amazing interplay in this "Heavy Horses".

811 - Jethro Tull Aqualung 1971

Jethro Tull are a British rock group that formed in 1967-1968. Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. Initially playing blues rock with an experimental flavour, they have, over the years, incorporated elements of classical, folk and 'ethnic' musics, jazz and art rock. "Aqualung" featured as the first track on their 1971 album "Aqualung", written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson, and his then-wife, Jennie Franks. Like many of Jethro Tull's songs, "Aqualung" tells a story —in this case, the story of a homeless man. The opening lyrics are
"Sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent"

In an interview with Ian Anderson in the September 1999 Guitar World he said:
"Aqualung "wasn't a concept album, although a lot of people thought so. The idea came about from a photograph my wife at the time took of a tramp in London. I had feelings of guilt about the homeless, as well as fear and insecurity with people like that who seem a little scary. And I suppose all of that was combined with a slightly romanticized picture of the person who is homeless but yet a free spirit, who either won't or can't join in society's prescribed formats.
So from that photograph and those sentiments, I began writing the words to 'Aqualung.' I can remember sitting in a hotel room in L.A., working out the chord structure for the verses. It's quite a tortured tangle of chords, but it was meant to really drag you here and there and then set you down into the more gentle acoustic section of the song.