Is there a good version of "Aqualung"?

[magiccarpetride]

I'm a big fan of early Jethro Tull (well, their first four LPs; they took a nose dive with "Thick as a Brick" and never recovered). I'm pretty happy with the way their first 3 albums sound (in their remastered CDs format), but I'm absolutely appalled at the way their fourth CD "Aqualung" sounds.

In desperation, I've tried to get decent 24 bit vinyl rips of "Aqualung", but they didn't bring any improvements.

Since I don't have the original LP anymore (I originally bought it second hand in my early youth, but have subsequently wore the grooves down to the ground), I can't verify, but if memory serves, the LP sounded rather decent. How come they couldn't transition such an important prog rock album into the digital format?

Any suggestions, ideas? Anyone has a decent sounding version of this album to recommend?

[chris@panteg]

Hi Alex

i have a nice good condition copy of the original Vinyl (listening to it now)

i would say its hardly a great recording , quite compressed in fact a typical 70's type of sound , but not bad , i'm afraid some old recordings will never sound to clever on CD.

The awnser to your question is a good original or the EMI 180gm re issue from 1999 .

Oh and a Garrard 401 with SME3009 and nice vintage cart :)

[Rare Bird]

I have a Japanese Remaster CD issue of the album, sounds brilliant & has 6 bonus twacs

[magiccarpetride]

I have a Japanese Remaster CD issue of the album, sounds brilliant & has 6 bonus twacs

So there is a decent digital version, after all! Thanks, I'll seek that one.

[DSJR]

Or buy a Garrard AT60mk2 for 99p as I did, fit a Stanton 500V3 or vintage AT66, do some restoration work and you'll have a vintage vinyl spinner which will make the original LP sound something like it was intended to be - very few people into rock/prog had decent hifi grade gear back then and I'm increasingly convinced that these old groove-grinders from the 60's are what was intended for these LP's/recordings...