The amusingly doodling, rapidly talking and extremely knowledgeable music theorist 12Tone musically breaks down one of his favorite songs – “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull. In doing so, 12Tone points out how the use of atonality, specifically atonal harmonies, makes the song as powerful as it is .
..we’re looking at one of my favorite songs off probably my favorite album of all time! Jethro Tull’s biggest hit features incredibly complex musical ideas that it hides behind a veil of folky charm, telling a dark and powerful story both in its lyrics and in its composition. Borrowing influences from a wide range of musical styles, Aqualung ties everything together so well that you barely notice how much it’s actually doing.
