Thick As A Brick - JETHRO TULL*****

Thick As A Brick Part 1/Thick As A Brick Part 2

Thick As A Brick is a brilliant tour de force, a continuous piece of music divided into distinct segments of enormous creativity. Original LP came with gimmick of a spoof local newspaper. (US:1 UK:5)

“The idea was to make it truly a concept album, one continuous piece of music. It originated as smaller pieces of music that were strung together, so it has all the shifts in dynamics of a regular record, but lyrically it is one forty-minute song, and that's what's so fascinating about it.”

“The whole album is full of brilliant moments. The unbelievable talent of all of the members is overwhelming. The music is so creative, yet so difficult to play and so tight. It is hard to believe there are just five people here. The sound changes so much throughout the album. Different instrumentations, different time signatures, different styles. Everything here is one word, sophisticated.”

“This album is progressive because Jethro Tull married multiple musical styles on one album. The album is conceptual because the entire song is actually multiple songs married into one song by a variety of transitions and interludes. There may be an occasional unevenness in the transitions, but in general the whole thing works, and is one of the most unique works of rock music.”

“A surprisingly cohesive effort for a forty minute rock song. It avoids both the tiresome repetition a lot of songs that length indulge in, and the tendency of prog epics to consist of multiple unrelated sections. Everything here flows from one piece into the next. It rocks at times, but it’s always aware of and willing to return to the light acoustic progressions that form the heart of the album.”

“From the first moment you are transported to a magical world where anything goes musically, in which the musicians combine in an odyssey of rock, folk, jazz and classical elements to create a marvellous experience.”

“This album is simple and ambitious at the same time. The simplicity of the gentle, catchy melodies along with Anderson's hooky vocals contrast with the complexity of the lengthy instrumental passages and cryptic lyrics.”

“Rich vocals, fine ensemble musicianship, a beefy sound, and a playfulness that is the result of band members who are tight and at their peak.”