Locomotive Breath
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| "Locomotive Breath" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Jethro Tull | ||||||||||
| A-side | "Hymn 43" | |||||||||
| Released | 1971 | |||||||||
| Recorded | December 1970 - February 1971 at Island Studios, London | |||||||||
| Genre | Progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal | |||||||||
| Length | 4:23 | |||||||||
| Label | Reprise (original US) Chrysalis/Capitol (US re-issue) |
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| Writer(s) | Ian Anderson | |||||||||
| Producer | Ian Anderson Terry Ellis |
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| Jethro Tull singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung. It is notable for a long bluesy piano introduction (particularly during live performances) and its flute solo by rock flute virtuoso Ian Anderson. The lyrics use the imagery of an impending and unavoidable train wreck as an allegorical portrayal of a man's life falling apart. The song receives frequent airplay on classic rock radio stations. It was covered by Rabbitt on their 1975 album Boys Will Be Boys, by W.A.S.P. on the reissue of their 1989 album The Headless Children (as a bonus track), Styx on their 2005 album Big Bang Theory, and Helloween on their 1999 album Metal Jukebox. A Swedish rock band, formed in 1995 by Janne Stark, takes its name from the song.
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. It also implies that the protagonist of the song is a chain smoker.
Contents |
[edit] Production
"Locomotive Breath" was recorded in a rather unusual manner: The entire track was pieced together from overdubs; most of the parts of the song were recorded separately. Ian Anderson did his normal flute and vocal parts in addition to bass drum, hi-hat, acoustic guitar and some electric guitar parts. Then John Evan's piano parts were recorded; Clive Bunker added the rest of the drums and Martin Barre finished the electric guitar parts. All of these recordings were then overdubbed onto each other because Anderson was finding it difficult to communicate his musical ideas about the song to the other band members.
[edit] Personnel
Ian Anderson - Flute, Lead Vocals, Bass Drum, Hi-Hat, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Martin Barre - Electric Guitar
[edit] Other Than Aqualung
Locomotive Breath has been featured on many albums other than Aqualung:
- Living in the Past
- M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull
- Bursting Out (Live)
- A Classic Case
- 20 Years of Jethro Tull
- Rock Island (Only as a bonus track on the 2006 remastered edition)
- Live at Hammersmith '84 (Live)
- Original Masters
- Through the Years (Live)
- A Little Light Music (Live)
- Living with the Past (Live)
- 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights
- The Extended Versions
- 36 All-Time Greatest Hits
- The Best of Jethro Tull
- The Very Best of Jethro Tull
- Aqualung Live
- 100% Classic Rock (The Pure Gold Collection)
- Live At Montreux 2003 (Jethro Tull) (Live)
- Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (Live)
It is also on the video Slipstream.
This list only includes non-bootleg Jethro Tull albums.
[edit] References
Jethro Tull. Aqualung. CD-ROM. 1998. Chrysalis Records. Originally released as an LP 1971; Remastered with more material 1998.
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