The groundbreaking 4th studio album from Jethro Tull dropped on this day in 1971.  Aqualung was the first Tull album with Jeffrey Hammond (bass) and John Evan (keyboards) and the last with Clive Bunker (drums). The album was recorded at the same time and in the same studio building Led Zeppelin was doing sessions for its 4th album and got mixed down at Abbey Road Studios.  Ian Anderson recalls the sessions as difficult because of the acoustics of the studio.  He also took issue with the notion that Aqualung was a concept album, calling it "just a bunch of songs" and leading him to present the follow-up Thick as a Brick as a spoof on concept albums.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on March 19 include...

 

1944 Early Grateful Dead keyboard player Tom Constanten born.

1946 Zombies guitarist Paul Atkinson born.

1962 Bob Dylan releases his self-titled first album.
1970 David Bowie and Angie Barnett marry.

1974 Jefferson Airplane rebrands itself Jefferson Starship.

1976 Paul Kossoff dies at 25 of  heart failure in flight during LA to New York City flight.

1976 The Doobie Brothers release Takin' it to the Streets.

1978 Billy Joel does his first UK concert in London.

1982 Guitarist Randy Rhodes dies at 25 when plane he is on clips the Ozzy Osbourne tour bus near Orlando, Florida.     

1985 Spin magazine publishes its first issue.

1996 Beatle Anthology volume II released.

2001 Rock Hall Of Fame inducts Queen, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Richie Valens, Solomon Burke. Keith Richards inducts Johnny Johnson and James Burton and jams with Paul Simon, Bono, Robbie Robertson and Burke at the end of the ceremony in New York.

2002 Jimmy Buffett releases Far Side of the World.

2009 Eric Clapton joins the Allman Brothers Band during the annual series of shows at the Beacon Theater.

2009 Cheap Trick announces Bun E. Carlos will no longer tour with band…