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Thread: Jethro Tull "Aqualung"

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Vancouver, Canada

    Posts: 2,166
    I'm Alex.

    Default Jethro Tull "Aqualung"

    I went to the big records sale event yesterday and among other LPs, bought a near-mint copy of "Aqualung". Took it home, washed and vacuumed it carefully, and sat down for a listen. It sounded real nice, but I was taken aback by the prominent lack of bass. For some reason, the bass was mixed very quietly, I had to strain my ears to hear it.

    Is that a faulty pressing, or are all other pressings of "Aqualung" also this lean on the bass?
    Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

    Alex.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,778
    I'm Martin.

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    Anderson was never happy with the recording and says he thought about re-recording it from scratch in a better studio. Never thought of it as bass light but it is the only Tull album I don't have on vinyl (of the good ones anyway, 'A' and 'Under Wraps' are crap so never bothered with them).
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Cheshire

    Posts: 1,180
    I'm Barry.

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    I've got an original , I'll play it later .

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Southampton, United Kingdom

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    I'm Paul.

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    I've got an original and mine seems fine - it's actually a very good recording .. at least on my system : rich and full and very dynamic on an LP12.

    Since getting a passive pre (Tisbury) and my Rega speakers I'm amazed at how good it all sounds, but while there's a 98% grin-factor with CD, it's not always as good on vinyl - I'd say more like 60% if I'm honest, with solo artists, duos and small jazz groups all sounding great, while rock generally has too much going on to make it all sing.
    Aqualung is one of the good ones in that respect

    Up To Me, Locomotive Breath and especially Hymn 43 are all top tunes to test any system and should have plenty of bass.
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  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Vancouver, Canada

    Posts: 2,166
    I'm Alex.

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    Quote Originally Posted by rigger67 View Post
    I've got an original and mine seems fine - it's actually a very good recording .. at least on my system : rich and full and very dynamic on an LP12.

    Since getting a passive pre (Tisbury) and my Rega speakers I'm amazed at how good it all sounds, but while there's a 98% grin-factor with CD, it's not always as good on vinyl - I'd say more like 60% if I'm honest, with solo artists, duos and small jazz groups all sounding great, while rock generally has too much going on to make it all sing.
    Aqualung is one of the good ones in that respect

    Up To Me, Locomotive Breath and especially Hymn 43 are all top tunes to test any system and should have plenty of bass.
    Interesting. The copy I got is green label Chrysalis, and while the sound is sparkly and very clear, the bass is barely present. Guitars and vocals sound incredibly present, the sound cuts through, but even the drums sound weightless. Very odd.

    (mind you, I only listened to side A, so maybe side B does have more punch in the lower frequencies; I'll check it out tonight)
    Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

    Alex.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: north

    Posts: 456
    I'm mick.

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    Quote Originally Posted by magiccarpetride View Post
    I went to the big records sale event yesterday and among other LPs, bought a near-mint copy of "Aqualung". Took it home, washed and vacuumed it carefully, and sat down for a listen. It sounded real nice, but I was taken aback by the prominent lack of bass. For some reason, the bass was mixed very quietly, I had to strain my ears to hear it.

    Is that a faulty pressing, or are all other pressings of "Aqualung" also this lean on the bass?
    If your copy has a blue & white label then it's probably an '80,s copy ,when the quality of the vinyl used was being reduced to save money as the record companies were trying to push cd.This penny pinching happened with a lot of other record labels also. Agree that "A" and Under Wraps are generally poor.Black Sunday and Fylingdale Flyer do save "A" a bit though. Mick
    Nothin' I do don't seem to work ,it only seems to make matters worse!. Jagger/Richards

  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: north

    Posts: 456
    I'm mick.

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    Oh dear you posted a reply while I was composing mine Ignore what I just said[feel a bit silly now]
    Nothin' I do don't seem to work ,it only seems to make matters worse!. Jagger/Richards

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

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    I've got an original copy and never thought it Bass deficient. Didn't you say another album you washed turned bass deficient after it was washed? Or was that someone else? If so, what kind of brush are you using? You scrubbing the bass off them records?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Join Date: May 2009

    Location: gone away

    Posts: 4,870
    I'm joe.

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    I have a UK first pressing, but it's so knackered that lack of bass would be the least of its problems.

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Vancouver, Canada

    Posts: 2,166
    I'm Alex.

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    Quote Originally Posted by alphaGT View Post
    I've got an original copy and never thought it Bass deficient. Didn't you say another album you washed turned bass deficient after it was washed? Or was that someone else? If so, what kind of brush are you using? You scrubbing the bass off them records?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    Yes, I was puzzled after I washed Eberhard Weber's "Little Movements" that the bass wasn't as thunderous as I remembered it. But the bass on that LP is still there, still massively monumental, only not as thunderous as before.

    On Aqualung, bass is practically delegated to a wimpy whisper.

    I don't think my washing records removes the bass, because I've washed loads of records and the bass only gets stronger after cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming, rinsing, vacuuming again.
    Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

    Alex.

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