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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2012 2:33:25 GMT
www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/Index/6647Ian Anderson to perform at Hard Rock10/2/2012 2:24:30 PM BY STAFF REPORTS CATOOSA, Okla. – On Oct. 25, Scottish rocker Ian Anderson will play a solo show at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Anderson is known for introducing the flute to rock music and for being the multi-instrumentalist and lead singer for Jethro Tull. Jethro Tull is a Grammy-winning rock band that has released 30 studio and live albums, selling more than 60 million copies worldwide since debuting in 1968. The band has released 32 singles, including “Aqualung,” “Bungle in the Jungle,” “Living in the Past” and “Kissing Willie.” Since launching his solo career in 1983, Anderson has released five studio albums, including the 2000 release “The Secret Language of Birds,” which peaked at No. 26. His most recent release is “Thick as a Brick 2,” which is a solo follow-up to the 1972 Jethro Tull experimental album. After undertaking more than 3,000 concerts in 40 countries during the past four decades, Anderson continues to play more than 100 dates a year, showcasing his musical mastery. Tickets start at $50 and go on sale Sept. 13. The Joint box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. All guests must be 21 years of age or older. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is located off of Interstate 44 at exit 240. Ticket prices and information on upcoming shows are available online in The Joint section of www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com or by calling 918-384-ROCK. Ian Anderson tour revisits Jethro Tull classicSean Spillane Published 4:58 p.m., Tuesday, October 2, 2012[/b] www.ctpost.com/music/article/Ian-Anderson-tour-revisits-Jethro-Tull-classic-3913384.phpJethro Tull's 1971 album "Aqualung" was often mistakenly referred to as a concept album, so frontman Ian Anderson decided to give the music press a concept album from his band. And in true Tull fashion, he went above and beyond. "Thick as a Brick," released in 1972, was one 44-minute song and the lyrics were the creation of a fictional 8-year-old boy, Gerald Bostock. Even the album's sleeve was over-the-top, featuring a newspaper, the St. Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser, telling of Gerald's controversial poem along with other stories (including a review of the album by Anderson, using a pseudonym). The album was a surprising success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard magazine album chart. Forty years later, Anderson has once again summoned the young poet for inspiration, releasing "Thick as a Brick 2," which imagines several scenarios that Gerald's life may have taken since his early fame. "It was rising to a challenge, really," Anderson said in a recent phone interview from his home in England. "It's not something that I ever thought I would do, and, indeed, I steadfastly politely turned down suggestions to do just that over the years. "It was only in 2010 that I thought there was a way that I could do it that would avoid a nostalgic looking back, but would really position the album in the present day. "So it was when I hit upon a concept that would allow me to make a 40-year-later sequel, rather than to make a what-happened-next kind of album." In keeping with the times, the cover of the new record takes the form of a website, and Anderson again went the extra mile, setting up www.stcleve.com, the online home of the newspaper from the original. At the site, there are plenty faux news items -- including a story about "ageing (sic) rock star" Ian Anderson -- and fans can submit items of their own for inclusion. "There was a lot of stuff to do there, really, with a lot of the contemporary ways of presenting the record," Anderson said. "Not just as a physical product, as we did in the old days, but to present it as an online version with a website and all of the associated bits and pieces of social media as a further form of getting it out there to people." Even with the extra effort, Anderson has no expectations that "TAAB2" will match its predecessor, in terms of sales or cultural impact. "At the end of the day, it is a specialized and small market for progressive rock these days, although it seems to have had something of a rebirth in the last few years, particularly with a younger audience," he said. "But it's not 1972, when the good-will element that was held over from the `Aqualung' album resulted in `Thick as a Brick,' a prog-rock album, being No. 1 on the Billboard charts. "I think those days have almost certainly gone by, whether it be us or anyone else doing prog-rock, it's not really the stuff of which enormous commercial sales are made." For the Thick as a Brick 2 album and tour -- which is not presented as a Jethro Tull project -- Anderson, 65, assembled a group of musicians he has worked with in the past, with the exception of Ryan O'Donnell, who is called on to ease some of the load during live performances. The tour will feature both albums played in their entirety, something that was never done for the original. "One of the problems we had with the original album that made it so difficult to play was that I was singing, playing flute and playing acoustic guitar, which is impossible to re-create on stage," Anderson said. "I only have two hands and one voice, so it's good having a man along to flesh out things and cover all the elements, particularly on the first album, where I do need an extra person to do those arrangements and parts that we did in 1972. "It's not so difficult to play, but it's a lot to remember, a lot to try and focus on. Once you do a certain number of shows, it becomes a whole lot easier and we're well past that particular point where it started to become more fun. "We're pretty well immersed in it now to sit back and enjoy some of the improv moments and the theatricality that makes it fun. We can all enjoy those things much more than we could the first few nights, when it was a bit scary." sspillane@ctpost.com; 203-330-6355 Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Thursday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. $35. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. Isn't it just too damn real?
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Post by iansfan on Oct 3, 2012 18:08:05 GMT
Anyone going to the concert in Lynn tonight? Wanna meet b4 the show for a beer or three?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2012 20:39:13 GMT
Ian Anderson's New Tick on ‘Brick’
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson on his upcoming Atlantic City show at Caesars, Oct. 6. By David J. Spatz www.atlanticcityweekly.com/arts-and-entertainment/curtain-call/Ian-Anderson-TAAB-New-Tick-on-Brick-172512251.htmlDon’t bother breaking out the disposable lighters hoping to lure Ian Anderson back to the stage after he performs the final notes of Jethro Tull’s 1972 concept album Thick as a Brick and its 2012 sequel, TAAB 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?
Anderson, who formed Jethro Tull in 1968 and was in the vanguard of the progressive rock movement, is currently touring with a brand new show that’s 40 years old. In spite of its popularity four decades ago, Thick as a Brick, a 45-minute unbroken piece of prog rock genius, has never been played like in its entirety until now.
Anderson and his band are on tour in support of TAAB 2, which looks — in a musical style similar to the original — at the life of the character 40 years later.
That’s pretty much why Anderson and his band won’t be performing any encores once they complete TAAB Saturday, Oct. 6, at Caesars Atlantic City.
“I think, in this case, the whole evening should be used to bring them something they haven’t heard before,” Anderson told Pollstar magazine earlier this year. “And an encore would be a bit of a surplus. So, no, after two hours plus an intermission I think it’s time to head for the hills and get the hell out of there. I think the audience might be making a run for the doors when we finish the last note.”
Although he only claims to have listened to the original album in its entirety about 20 times over the past 40 years, Anderson, 65, said the music quickly came back to him when he began assembling the sequel last year.
“The words tend to be on the tip of my tongue; that’s not a problem, even on the three-quarters of the album we haven’t played in 40 years,” he said. “The performance of it, the notation, the execution, is not terribly difficult to play. It probably was at the time, but we were pushing our limits as musicians. It’s actually just memorizing the nuances of certain phrases and trying to put it all back together.”
Although Anderson’s instrument of choice is the flute, that’s not his focus when he’s performing TAAB. He’s listening to all the parts in this complex piece.
“For me, it’s not about playing the flute; it’s about the guitar parts,” he explained. “There is a lot of acoustic guitar on the album and a lot of it happens the same time the flute’s playing, and I’m singing — all three at the same time, which is a complete impossibility so I have to share some of those elements with others in the band. ... So I have to be realistic in the performance of both of these albums. There are places I have to offload to other people because it would be imprudent to try to do things absolutely nonstop and always be either singing or playing or, in some cases, having these difficult passages where there are two acoustic guitars, two flutes, vocals, all happening at the same time.”
Anderson also offered some advice to Jethro Tull fans who may be disappointed they won’t hear Tull’s greatest hits in the TAAB show.
“It’s better for me to talk about this in advance and make it clear that we are doing a performance of two conceptual pieces and that is the sum total of the performance,” he said. “If people are disappointed they are not going to hear ‘Aqualung’ or ‘Locomotive Breath’ or ‘Cross-Eyed Mary,’ my suggestion is they give this one a miss and wait for another concert where we will be playing that material, assuming I’m still alive.”
In addition to being one of the founding gods of prog rock, Anderson has also been a successful businessman. He’s made millions of dollars from a variety of diverse business ventures, including salmon farming.
He’s also experienced fame from a different perspective ever since his daughter married actor Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes on the popular AMC zombie series The Walking Dead.
“These days, when I’ve been out and about, I’ve thought someone is coming to ask me for my autograph or I’m getting a particularly friendly reaction from a restaurant owner or somebody in a Starbucks, but it actually turns out they’re not interested in me at all,” he said. “They’re interested in my son-in-law ... So they tend to recognize him more often. ‘Oh, it’s him, from the telly!’ They don’t always know his name, but it’s always ‘that guy on the television.’ I just pretend I’m his agent. Or his older lover.” Mark the precise nature of your fear.
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Post by aqualung on Oct 4, 2012 15:46:46 GMT
Went to the Lynn show w/ my son last night. Very good show, was great to hear TAAB1 in its entirety, especially a few bits not played in '72. Very odd how 'quickly' it went, he cut short the 'bom, bom, bom' end of side A and beginning of side B.... Also like TAAB2, that album's been growing on me. Ryan did very well, my son commented on how he thought he must have some theatre/stage experience. Acoustics were good, my 2 complaints w/ Lynn are 1) The floor slopes downward from the stage...I was 5 rows back and wasn't getting good clearance from the heads in front of me (as you'll see) and 2) bathrooms were pretty bad, in that one only had 2 urinals and toilets and the other even less (men's). While they didn't frisk you on the way in, I got shut down taking pix...even though I left my big 'pro' DSLR home, and was using a small Nikon V1...the security guy said it was 'pro' and couldn't use. Oh well. Here are a few pix I managed to grab before came over, and more here in my flickr set. You can see some head interference... Chris Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr Ian Anderson Thick As A Brick 2012 Tour by *Aqualung, on Flickr
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Post by bunkerfan on Oct 4, 2012 16:54:26 GMT
Wow! Those are some of the best photographs I've seen from the tour. Are you sure you left your big pro DSLR at home? Could you please post the shooting information? Cheers and thanks for posting your photo's and review, I hope the downward slope and the bad bogs didn't spoil your night. bunkerfan
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 4, 2012 17:15:15 GMT
Went to the Lynn show w/ my son last night. Very good show, was great to hear TAAB1 in its entirety, especially a few bits not played in '72. Very odd how 'quickly' it went, he cut short the 'bom, bom, bom' end of side A and beginning of side B.... Also like TAAB2, that album's been growing on me. Ryan did very well, my son commented on how he thought he must have some theatre/stage experience. Acoustics were good, my 2 complaints w/ Lynn are 1) The floor slopes downward from the stage...I was 5 rows back and wasn't getting good clearance from the heads in front of me (as you'll see) and 2) bathrooms were pretty bad, in that one only had 2 urinals and toilets and the other even less (men's). While they didn't frisk you on the way in, I got shut down taking pix...even though I left my big 'pro' DSLR home, and was using a small Nikon V1...the security guy said it was 'pro' and couldn't use. Oh well. Here are a few pix I managed to grab before came over, and more here in my flickr set. You can see some head interference... Chris Thanks for posting the review and the photographs Chris. Much appreciated.
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Post by nonrabbit on Oct 4, 2012 20:47:39 GMT
Those pictures are fantastic thanks so much Chris love the synchronised one legged stand !!! Was your son a Tull fan prior to this concert? I took my son and daughter a few years ago and my son said "I can now say I've seen Jethro Tull" however I notice he doesn't "like" them on his FB page ;D
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Post by aqualung on Oct 5, 2012 0:52:34 GMT
Wow! Those are some of the best photographs I've seen from the tour. Are you sure you left your big pro DSLR at home? Could you please post the shooting information? Cheers and thanks for posting your photo's and review, I hope the downward slope and the bad bogs didn't spoil your night. bunkerfan cheers...here are the basics, if you have an EXIF reader (like Opanda, free) you can see all the info. 1. 1/400, ƒ4.8, ISO 2000 2. 1/500, ƒ4, ISO 2800 3. 1/400, ƒ4.8, ISO 2500 4. 1/400, ƒ4, ISO 3200 5. 1/400, ƒ4.5, ISO 3200 6. 1/400, ƒ3.8, ISO 3200 7. 1/400, ƒ4.5, ISO 3200
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Post by aqualung on Oct 5, 2012 0:53:50 GMT
Those pictures are fantastic thanks so much Chris love the synchronised one legged stand !!! Was your son a Tull fan prior to this concert? I took my son and daughter a few years ago and my son said "I can now say I've seen Jethro Tull" however I notice he doesn't "like" them on his FB page ;D You're welcome...he sure was, this was his 5th show...he always enjoys it, he's a musician as well so he can really appreciate the band members.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 14:49:58 GMT
More of the same, more or less. ;D or Ian Anderson returns to 'Thick as a Brick' at three area shows Published: Friday, October 05, 2012, 8:30 AM Updated: Friday, October 05, 2012, 8:35 AM Tris McCall/The Star-Ledger By Tris McCall/The Star-Ledgerwww.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2012/10/ian_anderson_returns_to_thick.htmlA concept album in 2012?” asks Ian Anderson, rhetorically. “If I was giving myself good advice, I’d tell myself never to attempt it. “However, I am not a right-thinking person.” He’s kidding, at least a little. Anderson, the stork-legged frontman and flutist of Jethro Tull, is one of the most thoughtful classic rockers, writing with wit and insight about the vanity of propriety, the lure of organized religion and the senselessness of war. He also possesses a wicked sense of humor — one that prompted him to cut “Thick As a Brick,” a set he describes as a send-up of the then-fashionable full-length statement albums of bands such as Yes and Pink Floyd, in 1972. Forty years later, “Thick As a Brick 2,” released as an Anderson solo disc rather than a Tull album, is no satire. It’s an attempt to follow up on Gerald Bostock, the narrator of the original LP, and ask, in all seriousness, what might have become of him. That’s the sort of idea that would occur to few other rockers, but when Anderson has an idea, he’s never afraid to follow it through to its conclusion. “At age 65, I felt I could do it,” says Anderson, who will perform both the new album and its predecessor in New York on Friday, in Atlantic City on Saturday and in Newark on Sunday. “At 70, maybe I won’t have the same energy. I decided to do it for me, because I can.” Not all Tull fans heard “Thick as a Brick” as a satire; consequently, it’s entered the canon of ’70s concept albums, alongside the artists Anderson was poking fun at. To revisit “Thick” meant re-engaging with prog-rock, a style he’d pointedly left behind on his recent solo discs. “I had to use all of the classic prog-rock instruments: Fender jazz bass, the glockenspiel, the overdriven Hammond B-3 organ. And I didn’t want to be conspicuously using modern technology. I needed that sonic continuity to frame the songs and the lyrics. Sonically, there are little reminder moments that are reprises of elements in the original ‘Thick as a Brick’ — enough to get noticed, but not enough to get on your nerves.” Returning to “Thick as a Brick” meant picking up the story of Bostock, who, on the original album, is the 8-year-old author of a prize-winning epic poem that takes on the British class system. “I wrote a few scenarios and tried to look at their outcomes, and imagined the life Gerald might have led over the last 40 years,” says Anderson. “I wanted to pinpoint some of the differences between life then and life now, which meant technology and communications. So this one became rueful, because it’s about adulthood. It’s a little cynical, and maybe a little downbeat, too.” The futures Anderson imagines for Bostock are troubling ones, reflecting his disenchantment with the state of English society. There’s Bostock the white-collar swindler, Bostock the hypocritical clergyman, Bostock the small-town shopkeeper, Bostock the homeless gay man adrift in the city and, most dispiritingly, Bostock the soldier sent to Afghanistan. Some of these variations resonate with earlier Tull characters: the vagrant Aqualung, the pious vultures of “My God,” the victims of strife on the “War Child” album and ennui on “Passion Play.” All five versions end with Bostock in suburbia and virtually friendless. Anderson calls this an acknowledgment of the human psyche’s need to believe in fate, but whatever star has guided Gerald is a dim one indeed. Even a gifted child, he seems to be saying, has nothing to meet him but a dead end. Yet the album isn’t dreary. Anderson’s use of language means the set is thoroughly poetic; “Thick as a Brick 2” is the rare rock album that reads as well as it plays. If it’s out of step with contemporary pop, the iconoclastic Anderson wouldn’t have it any other way. “When I was young, records were bite-sized portions, McDonald’s chicken nuggets. Then, in the ’60s, technology caught up with the music that pre-existed it. The long player meant you could hear a Beethoven symphony on record. The concept album was born. “Some of it was pretentious and precocious, but I think Jethro Tull did what it did with a sense of parody and real British humor. “Now, with downloading and iTunes, we’re back to chicken nuggets.” Ian Anderson Where and when: Beacon Theatre, Broadway and 74th Street, New York, Friday 8 p.m.; Circus Maximus at Caesars Atlantic City, 2100 Pacific Ave., Saturday at 9 p.m.; Prudential Hall at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. How much: $50 to $150 for New York; $75 to $117 for Atlantic City; $38 to $98 for Newark. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com for New York and Atlantic City; call (888) 466-5722 or visit njpac.org for Newark. AP/Soefer Stache - Ian Anderson: The wise men still don't know how it feels. Posted: Fri, Oct. 5, 2012, 9:09 AM Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson lays it on 'Thick' again
By CHUCK DARROW Philadelphia Daily News Daily News Staff Writerwww.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20121005_Jethro_Tull_s_Ian_Anderson_lays_it_on__Thick__again.htmlIT WAS 1971 and the eclectic British rock band Jethro Tull was riding high on the strength of its breakthrough album, "Aqualung." But whether through laziness or miscomprehension, many critics read/listened to some of band leader Ian Anderson's lyrics, and proclaimed "Aqualung" a "concept album" about organized religion. Anderson, however, hadn't conceived "Aqualung" as a piece with a unifying lyrical or philosophical motif. So, partly bemused and partly ticked off, he figured that if a concept album was what the critics wanted, then a concept album is what they would get. In just a couple of weeks, he wrote, arranged and recorded - with Jethro Tull - "Thick As A Brick," which came out in 1972. "Thick," as its devotees have always called it, was a single song that filled both sides of a 44-minute vinyl album. Its sometimes provocative, sometimes abstract lyrics about such topics as global and generational conflict and people's expectations of life were reportedly penned not by Tull's flute-wielding frontman, but by one Gerald Bostock, a 10-year-old resident of the quintessentially British village of St. Cleve. Musically, "Thick" was a textbook example of early-1970s progressive rock, roiling with tricky time changes and sonic blueprints that hopscotched between pastoral acoustic passages and belching riff-rock that wouldn't have been out of place on Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple albums of the era. Anderson may have tried to a pull a fast one with "Thick As A Brick," but the joke turned out to be on him. His attempt to mock the "prog-rock" aesthetic became the only Tull LP to reach the top of the Billboard album chart in the group's 40-year-plus history. It also established Tull as one of the giants of the age (they're one of just a handful of acts who have sold out Madison Square Garden for five successive nights). Which brings us to 2012 and the recent release of "Thick As A Brick 2" (EMI), a sequel - and update - of the original piece. On Saturday, Anderson will be performing both "Thick" albums at Caesars Atlantic City. Anderson offered that the first "Thick" - which, he said, surveyed "the [journey] from childhood to manhood" - was "a parody, a spoof, a bit of a send-up of [the era's progressive-rock conventions], whereas 'TAAB 2' is a bit more cynical, more grown-up, a lot more world-weary." "While ["TAAB 2"] has its upbeat and humorous moments, it also is touching upon some difficult subjects - the failure of parents to deal with children who are going through gender-identity crises, and perhaps who drive their children out of their homes and into the clutches of the underbelly of society." He added that other subjects on the new album include "the futility of war, the excesses of the archvillain investment bankers in the recent economic downturn of 2008. There are things I wanted to make different. I wanted to have a darker side to it." Despite the differences, the two works do share thematic and musical bonds. "There are some parallels in that 40-year period, for instance . . . homelessness, drug-taking, the sex trade, evangelism, themes of capitalism. And, perhaps, the apparent futility of war," Anderson said. "In 1972, we were just a year away from the pullout of American troops in Vietnam. The net result, of course, was the Vietnamese swept right in and installed their Soviet-style socialist republic which endures to this day. Here we are in 2012, a year away from the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, and the Taliban are waiting in the wings to ride back into town on there trusty steeds and subject women and children to a life of extremist Islamic culture, tribal culture. "There is this way in which some things unfortunately tend to repeat themselves. So I thought there was a lot of material there that could be built upon." Anderson explained that he conjured "15 possible scenarios" of how the fictional Gerald Bostock's life could have unfolded. "I realized that rather than pick one, maybe it would be a good plan to pick five and have a look at those [instances] pivotal in his life, and our lives, where you're forced to make decisions that will alter your future," he said. The five tales he ultimately plotted are that the youngster would grow up to be a strident evangelical minister, a moneygrubbing investment banker, a soldier, a mom-and-pop store owner and someone who is homeless and gay. Musically, Anderson opted to go back to the future by using hardware that appeared on the 1972 disc. "I wanted to keep the same sonic values," he explained. "I think that's important. I wanted to work with the same classic instruments of rock music - to reuse the Hammond organ and Leslie speaker cabinets, the Marshall speaker cabinets, the Gibson Les Paul guitar and the Fender jazz bass. Along with, of course, the instruments I play - the flute and the little parlor guitar and a few other odd bits and pieces here and there." For the past decade-and-a-half, Anderson has toured the world annually. However, most of the road trips have been billed under his name, not that of Jethro Tull. He reasoned that the Tull name signals to the public that the program will consist of the band's most familiar tunes, among them "Aqualung," Locomotive Breath," "Bouree" and "Living In the Past." These shows, he suggested, are likely to attract unruly, alcohol-fueled "fans" who can ruin a show for artist and audience alike. On the other hand, he continued, people who come to Ian Anderson concerts are more "respectful" and allow him to stretch beyond the "greatest hits" mentality. Not that the Tull brand has been buried for good.
"I'm pretty sure," he admitted, "it will come up sometime in the next years, if not months." Caesars Atlantic City, Boardwalk at Arkansas Avenue, 9 p.m. Saturday, $80-$120, 800-736-1420, ticketmaster.com. Contact Chuck Darrow at 215-313-3134 or darrowc@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @chuckdarrow and read his blog philly.com/casinotes. ASSOCIATED PRESS Ian Anderson, longtime frontman for Jethro Tull, has released a sequel to the 1972 hit album "Thick As A Brick." And you laugh most ruthlessly as you tell us what not to be.
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 7, 2012 10:05:14 GMT
Ian Anderson - Old School Song - Live at Montreux 2012
Published on 6 Oct 2012 by lucasmn2
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2012 1:05:28 GMT
Ian Anderson's 'Thick as a Brick 2' review - October 7, 2012 By: Carla Iveswww.examiner.com/review/ian-anderson-s-thick-as-a-brick-2-reviewAs the anticipation built towards show time at the Circus Maximus Theater in Caesars Atlantic City for "Thick as a Brick 2" on Oct. 6, men started appearing on stage in overcoats and hats with large brooms. Unbeknownst to the audience at that moment, it was the band. One by one, they unmasked, as it were, and a background video screen opened up with an invisible Gerald Bostock arriving at his psychiatrist's office as he's told that his prescription dosage has been adjusted. He then gets to see his doctor, Ian Anderson in a white coat and wig. At the cue of "Tell me all about it," the band struck the familiar opening strains of "Thick as a Brick," Ian Anderson appeared on stage and something wonderful began. View slideshow: "Thick as a Brick 2" Touring Band The original "Thick as a Brick" was one 45-minute track. This stage version was played almost straight through. There was a quick break in the action for Anderson to make some rather quirky announcements about older men having their prostates checked yearly. "Thick as a Brick" was highlighted throughout with videos illustrating, at times, what was going on with the music and, at other times, fun things like rabbits. (Jethro Tull fans will get this.) At the end of "Thick as a Brick," the back video screen flashed the word "BRICK" on the last word of the song as the audience cheered. The band took a 20-minute intermission. "Thick as a Brick 2" started with a mocked-up YouTube video of Anderson dressed as a country gent and showing off his St. Cleve estate. His country gent character then introduced "Thick as a Brick 2" from the video screen. "Thick as a Brick 2" was performed in individual cuts. The entire performance, like the original "Thick as a Brick," was very theatrical, more like a musical stage play than a concert. At the end of "Thick as a Brick 2," "BRICK 2" appeared on the video screen to complement the first part and let you know that, sadly, it was the end. "Thick as a Brick 2" has a definite Jethro Tull feel to it, but there's more to it. That more is the musical genius of Ian Anderson and even more of his incredible flute. The touring band, composed of musicians who are virtuosos in their own right, is superb. The music is magical and the whole thing works together to create a spectacular treat for the ears, as well as the eyes. "Thick as a Brick 2" is a little bit different from the original and earlier Jethro Tull shows in that Ian Anderson shares the singing and more strenuous stage antics with a brilliant young singer-actor, Ryan O'Donnell, who shadows him as a younger version of Anderson/Gerald Bostock. The "Thick as a Brick 2" Touring Band is comprised of: Ian Anderson – Vocals, Flute, Guitar David Goodier – Bass Scott Hammond – Drums Ryan O'Donnell – Vocals John O'Hara – Keyboards Florian Ophale – Lead Guitar After a long and vocal standing ovation, the musicians came back out and brought down the house once again with a brilliant version of Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath." The entire concert was a winner from beginning to end, with the mostly older crowd not wanting to leave. It skillfully merged the old with the new and left you longing for "Thick as a Brick 3." You put your bet on number one and it comes up every time.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 8, 2012 1:46:20 GMT
Hope springs eternal...a gig in a casino with the set list I want...I think the NYC metro casino (Connecticut...the famous, super-rich Pequot tribe) the other day got shortened bricks and extra aqualung...
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 9, 2012 15:39:59 GMT
A friend's review below, that came via an e-mail that he sent to a number of friends...nothing earth shattering but worthy as an example of feedback from a Tull fan who never completely lost interest but doesn't eat, sleep,, breath Tull like we the enlightened:
Speaking of nonpariel, that is exactly how I would describe the magnificent display of musicianship and stage presence of Mr. Ian Anderson and his band at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The production of Thick As A Brick 1 & 2, presented in their entirety, was brilliantly conceived and deftly executed, with the new band's members displaying virtuoso talents that were the equal of what we had come to expect from the cast of what was formerly known as Jethro Tull. Anderson appeared in fine physical form, but his advancing age now makes it necessary for him to share the vocals with a much younger man, Ryan O'Donnell, who delivered his verses with considerable aplomb which, combined with his facial expressions and theatrical gestures, lent great amusement to the evening's entertainment. In summary, I found it most excellent food for the heart and soul and I highly recommend it to any of you who may have the opportunity to partake of this while it is still being served.
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Post by bunkerfan on Oct 9, 2012 16:26:10 GMT
A friend's review below, that came via an e-mail that he sent to a number of friends...nothing earth shattering but worthy as an example of feedback from a Tull fan who never completely lost interest but doesn't eat, sleep,, breath Tull like we the enlightened: Speaking of nonpariel, that is exactly how I would describe the magnificent display of musicianship and stage presence of Mr. Ian Anderson and his band at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The production of Thick As A Brick 1 & 2, presented in their entirety, was brilliantly conceived and deftly executed, with the new band's members displaying virtuoso talents that were the equal of what we had come to expect from the cast of what was formerly known as Jethro Tull. Anderson appeared in fine physical form, but his advancing age now makes it necessary for him to share the vocals with a much younger man, Ryan O'Donnell, who delivered his verses with considerable aplomb which, combined with his facial expressions and theatrical gestures, lent great amusement to the evening's entertainment. In summary, I found it most excellent food for the heart and soul and I highly recommend it to any of you who may have the opportunity to partake of this while it is still being served. Well said that man.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 9, 2012 16:32:45 GMT
He's a reliable source....he swears, as do I, that the 'A' logo, in precise album cover design and color scheme, hovered over the venue the night we saw it live in Hamburg and that the LSD consumed had nothing to do with our shared vision of 'A' in the night sky.
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Post by bunkerfan on Oct 9, 2012 16:41:27 GMT
He's a reliable source....he swears, as do I, that the 'A' logo, in precise album cover design and color scheme, hovered over the venue the night we saw it live in Hamburg and that the LSD consumed had nothing to do with our shared vision of 'A' in the night sky. Well at least the 'A' logo's the same colour as a pink elephant.
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tullist
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Post by tullist on Oct 9, 2012 18:37:11 GMT
Man Bernie, I like that, a man who insists upon the authenticity of his hallucinations, or takes a stance of, quite apart from the fact that I was tripping my brains out, this in fact happened as I will now describe. Good egg.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 9, 2012 19:54:37 GMT
You'll like this, Ray...today's sporting green headline said 'Giant shortstop thick as a brick with team' point being a rookie shortstop, Brandon Crawford, has his name on one of the bricks inlaid in front of the stadium...a fundraiser for the park circa 1992....he was 5 but his family bought a brick and there it still is, 20 years later and the kid's on the team.
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tullist
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Post by tullist on Oct 10, 2012 1:28:30 GMT
I'm liking that Romo dude who just closed the game out for you guys, he's got the San Francisco full blown weird hair and properly sculpted beard to suggest the most evil. Sort of pulling for both Bay Area teams as I have in the past, last I knew the A's had the weirdest crowd, probably the only park left where in the right pockets its still ok to smoke pot, I remember that upper deck STANKIN of the kind. And those guys in left field playing what sometimes sounds like avant garde jazz, where else, really, on the planet, than the Bay Area. But finally I am a child of the most evil of empires, the New York Yankees. That Ian Anderson owns a place of equal stature in my heart, brain and DNA generally to Mickey Mantle just might be the highest compliment I can give him. The weight of history always nudges the Yankees along a bit, though truly they are not the best TEAM this year, but thru sheer largesse, pinstripes, and vaguely intimidating and co ordinated audience they of course might do it. And I do love to hear the Chairman of the Board doin New York New York with smiling celebrating Yankees as a backdrop. Start spreadin the news.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2012 14:30:45 GMT
steelmonkey, far out! [quote author="@bunker fan" timestamp="1349800887" source="/post/31725/thread"] He's a reliable source....he swears, as do I, that the 'A' logo, in precise album cover design and color scheme, hovered over the venue the night we saw it live in Hamburg and that the LSD consumed had nothing to do with our shared vision of 'A' in the night sky. Well at least the 'A' logo's the same colour as a pink elephant. [/quote] plus; Elephant plays flute? Eh?
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Post by bunkerfan on Oct 10, 2012 19:35:41 GMT
steelmonkey, far out! [quote author="@bunker fan" timestamp="1349800887" source="/post/31725/thread"] Well at least the 'A' logo's the same colour as a pink elephant. plus; Elephant plays flute? Eh? [/quote] And it's pink at the edges. ;D
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 12, 2012 8:02:25 GMT
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 13, 2012 15:58:26 GMT
Look both ways before I cross the street, say my prayers and brush my teeth...5 days till Brick night in mysterious santa ynez, california, apparently the home of the Chumash tribe and their humble but good taste blessed casino....It will be the second night of the second leg of the USA tour and, as documented repeatedly on this forum and my prayers, hopefully a night that they do the standard, full pair of bricks rather than anything circumscribed or circumcised. I'm meeting a rined from Las Vegas and possibly a friend from LA and also expect to cross paths with our very own Bluehare and Salamander and their posses....so let's see...131 hours from this very moment !
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2012 19:52:49 GMT
Ian Anderson talks Jethro Tull and 'thick bricks' The progressive-rock pioneer will look forwardand back at his Wednesday Balboa Theater concert - Written by George Varga noon, Oct. 13, 2012 www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/oct/13/ian-anderson-talks-jethro-tull-and-thick-bricks/To hear Ian Anderson tell it, first in 1988 and again this week, the aural teddy bear known as Jethro Tull endures. True, that “bear” may now look a bit worse for wear, but its music — a fusion of rock, blues, jazz, folk and classical that helped fuel the progressive-rock movement of the late 1960s — still strikes a major chord with fans who came of age with this pioneering English band. “Jethro Tull was like the Muppets; it was just always there, to a certain generation of people,” Anderson said in a 1988 U-T San Diego interview. “We are the teddy bear they didn’t throw away.” Reminded of his cuddly analogy during a Wednesday interview, Anderson chuckled. “We’re still a cuddly teddy bear,” he said. “Only now, an ear might be missing. And an arm and a leg!” Speaking from his office in Wiltshire, England, near Stonehenge, Anderson grew more serious. “I’m happy for us be a cuddly teddy bear for people, in terms of providing music from their past that gives them a warm feeling or nostalgia, like a favorite blanket that comforts them when they go to sleep at night,” he elaborated. “But I’d like to think that teddy bear can also snap at people and even draw blood. I’m happy to have us be that cuddly bear, but I also want to get people out of their comfort zone and take them somewhere else, to somewhere new.” Anderson accomplishes both goals with his ongoing “Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Plays ‘Thick As A Brick’ 1 & 2” world concert tour. The tour, which includes a sold-out show here Wednesday at downtown’s Balboa Theatre, is one of his most ambitious undertakings of his career. He and his current band — Tull is on hiatus until next year — open the concert by playing 1972’s “Thick As a Brick” album, more or less in its entirety. The second half of the concert is devoted to this year’s ambitious sequel album, the 17-song “Thick As a Brick 2.” Then and now, the first “Brick” album consists of one 44-minute song. It was composed and arranged by Anderson, in part, as a parody of the sprawling “concept albums” in vogue with other progressive rock bands back then. Off-target musical satire? The fact that “Brick” became the first (and, so far, only) Tull album to top the U.S. album charts suggests many record-buyers may not have been in on the joke. Was Anderson amused or annoyed at the time that his attempt at satire seemed to fall flat? “No, that’s not something you could be annoyed about,” he replied. “It was a gentle mocking of the concept albums at the time by bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. ‘Thick As a Brick’ was 50 percent a sendup, 50 percent deeply musical. And I think that’s how it worked out. Half the people got the joke. Half of them took the album very seriously.” Amusingly (or not), “Thick As a Brick” was inspired by some people — myopic music critics, in particular — failing to grasp that Tull’s previous album, 1971’s classic “Aqualung,” was not a concept album. True, it contained a few songs that took sharp aim at organized religion, most notably “Hymn 43” and “My God,” but its other songs addressed unrelated topics. Regardless, many reviewers hailed “Aqualung” as an epic concept album, much to Anderson’s frustration. Perhaps as a result, the first lyrics he sings on side one of the original “Brick” album appear to be directed at those reviewers: “Really don’t mind if you sit this one out.” Then there is the tongue-firmly-in-cheek concept of “Brick” itself, which Anderson attributed to a precocious (and wholly fictitious) English schoolboy named Gerald Bostock, age 10. And who could forget the album’s sometimes nonsensical couplets? A personal favorite is: “God is an overwhelming responsibility / We walked through the maternity ward and saw 218 babies wearing nylons / Cats are on the upgrade,” or something like that. So, then, did Anderson name “Thick As a Brick” after clueless music critics? He laughed. “It was inspired by Gerald Bostock being academically ahead of his classmates and by the English colloquialism for someone (not very bright) being ‘thick as a brick,” he said. “It was not inspired by anyone in the music business or by any music critics.” Now 65, Anderson cofounded Jethro Tull in 1967, when (as he put it in his 1988 U-T San Diego interview): “I was not-very-good singer in a not-very-good blues band. And so I started also to play not-very-good harmonica, and ended up playing not-very-good flute. I did it largely because it was different, and because it was there.” Not really a ‘Fat Man’ Within a few months of Jethro Tull’s debut, Anderson and guitarist Mick Abrahams were embroiled in a power struggle to assume control of the band. Anderson prevailed, and Abrahams left in late 1968 to launch his own group, Bloodwyn Pig. Today, as in the late 1960s, many fans still think the group Anderson has devoted his life to is led by a flute-playing singer named “Jethro Tull.” Then and now, when writing song lyrics Anderson likes to strive for a ratio of 20 percent autobiographical and 80 percent imagined and poetic license. “It has to have some autobiographical basis for the songs to sound real and have conviction,” he noted. “But the rest is imagination and creating characters and scenarios. I’m always alarmed by songwriters whose work is very autobiographical (because) they’re giving too much away. I never use the real names of people in my songs.” But didn’t he write the distinctly unflattering song, “Fat Man,” which appeared on Tull’s 1969 album, “Stand Up,” about soon-to-be-former Tull guitarist Abrahams? “Well, yes, but that was sort of a joke,” Anderson replied. “We were on a ferry coming back to England from a tour in Scandinavia and we were sharing a room. I had my first mandolin and was tuning it up as he fell asleep, and the first song I wrote on the mandolin (that night) was ‘Fat Man.’ But Mick wasn’t fat. He was just a bit large and he was sensitive about it. So this was just a little in-joke, although the final version of the song didn’t come out until after he’d left the band.” By the time “Thick As a Brick” came out in 1972, Anderson was the sole original member left in Tull. He has led the band ever since, persevering through numerous lineup changes along the way. Now, with “Thick As a Brick 2,” he imagines what the fictitious Gerald Bostock’s life might be like today at the age of 50. By performing the new album and the original back-to-back in concert, Anderson’s dual goal of being a cuddly bear and bringing his audience forward is neatly realized. “Absolutely, it is the best of both worlds,” he affirmed. “We’re revisiting something we did in 1972 and then performing the new album. We like to challenge our listeners.” Jethro Tull 1972 Jump up, look around, find yourself some fun...
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Post by nonrabbit on Oct 14, 2012 8:56:54 GMT
“We’re still a cuddly teddy bear,” he said. “Only now, an ear might be missing. And an arm and a leg!”i50.images obliterated by tinypic/21mzp4y.jpg[/IMG] There!! good as new
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 15, 2012 7:55:18 GMT
Coast To Coast AM Legends Of Rock 11-13-2012 www.youtube.com/watch&v=2eq7rpla6DYPublished on 14 Oct 2012 by Worldconspiraciestod Date: 10-13-12 Host: John B. Wells Guests: Paul Rodgers, Leslie West, Jack Casady, Ian Anderson In separate hours, John B. Wells welcomed four classic rock musicians, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company & Free, Leslie West of Mountain, Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane, and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, for a discussion on what it was like being at the forefront of a musical movement that is still significant today. "For me, music is something I love to do and it's my main form of expression," Paul Rodgers said, reflecting on a career which has earned him the nickname "The Voice" from his fans. He attributed the initial explosion of rock music to a younger generation being free from the fears and horrors of World War II as well as the invention of the electric guitar which allowed for an evolution in sound. While he expressed concern about the influence of digital technology on contemporary music, Rodgers contended that "there's always going to be room for the expression of heart and soul" which cannot be created via computer processing. During the 2nd hour, Leslie West reflected on the serendipitous nature of successful music and shared the story of how his 1969 song "Long Red" was appropriated by hip hop artists Jay Z, Kanye West, and Common for their contemporary tracks. Collectively, he marveled, those three artists sold nine million records featuring aspects of the song. Similarly, West noted that, in England, his song "Nantucket Slayride" was used as bumper music for a weekly four hour news program. "In writing songs, you never know what's going to hit," he observed. "We mostly just wanted to play the music and search for something a little different," Jack Casady recalled from his early days in San Francisco, contrasting the era with contemporary music where 'stars' are manufactured via reality shows. On the circumstances that spawned the rock and roll revolution of the 60's, he mused that "at the time things were a lot more confusing than they seem now." He attributed the rapid succession of assassinated leaders along with the "backdrop of the Vietnam War" and an active youth culture fearful of the draft as key elements which played a role in the music becoming more political. In the final hour, Ian Anderson talked about being a part of music's 'British Invasion.' He credited the influence of the "curious mixture of black American music and the music that became rock and roll" in the United States as "what kick started everything" for musicians in Britain. However, he noted that the long history of folk and classical music traditions in England allowed for an "eclecticism" which "produced a more complex blend of herbs and spices to enrich an otherwise bland diet of sometimes not very interesting, simple rock and roll." Over the course of his appearance, Anderson also discussed the plight of homelessness in Europe which was an issue explored in Jethro Tull's song "Aqualung.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2012 18:15:54 GMT
Ian Anderson: Theatrical Music Posted: 10/15/2012 11:08 amwww.huffingtonpost.com/hank-bordowitz/ian-anderson_b_1954784.htmlIan Anderson knows his audience. Near the end of act one of his current "Plays Thick as a Brick 1 & 2" tour, which I saw at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center on October 7, one of the band members starts to do a weather report which somehow morphs into a trope on prostate health and turns into a very strange and funny bit of business. This adds some levity to this remarkable show, which marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the original "Thick as a Brick" and the one-year anniversary of its second coming. While many in the 50+ audience are probably familiar with the song "Thick as a Brick," heard once or twice a week on most classic rock stations -- the only kind many boomers listen to, as old habits die hard -- many may have never checked out the album because there was no song listing. Indeed, the "song" is actually an excerpt of a solid 45-minute piece of music. The "Thick as a Brick" most people know is actually pretty much an overture. The rest of the album uses the hallmarks of the Jethro Tull sound at the time: Anderson's picaresque musing on childhood and the unfairness of the adult world that most children enter, set to music that mixes a rock aesthetic with elements of baroque, jazz, and Celtic folk -- after all, Anderson's main instrument is the flute. It fuses the lyricism of Mozart with the bombast of Wagner and the instrumentation of the Kinks. Little wonder some labeled the album "progressive." Now, to those who care enough to give it any thought, progressive rock is regarded as being a bit soggy in the middle for the most part, trying too hard to show the prowess of the players and the competence of the composer. It often leaves the audience out of the picture. Anderson is far too much of a showman for that, and even at 65 (or so), he is leaping gnomishly about the stage. This is not a rock show, per se, at least not the main event. The playing is so precise and composed that even the videos -- obviously not live feeds -- are synced. It is a marvel of classic rock excess, but even more so of amazingly solid and polished musicianship that "feels" without being sloppy about it. Face it fans, when was the last time you heard a good drum solo -- melodic, terse, tense and dramatic? Or rock musicians trading fours like the jazz guys? Or even theatricality that is not done for the sake of being theatrical, but in service of the music? This show has that. Especially in the first act, the dramatic effect is heightened by Ryan O'Donnell, Anderson's own Mini-me. The gamin-like O'Donnell sounds very similar to Anderson before the latter's voice aged and deepened. Occasionally it is hard to discern which one is singing. But in terms of "Thick as a Brick," their dialogues are impressive. O'Donnell is Anderson's doppelganger and alter ego on stage. But there are other comical and theatrical elements as well.The show starts on that note with a bunch of guys in trench coats cleaning up the state to the sounds of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band on the sound system. One by one, they take off their coats and either get behind or pick up instruments. There are video vignettes that break up the musical tension as well: Anderson meeting the young Gerald Bostock -- the hypothetical author of the lyrics to the original TAAB -- in the facade of a psychiatrist; Anderson in other guise taking us through a tour of a decaying English manor house; the aforementioned prostate sketch. What makes the show special, even unique, is the level of fastidious exactitude, from the lighting (which is extraordinary) to the staging, to the band itself. The musicians are not outdone by the technicians. They make the evening work, impeccably playing the intricate instrumental arrangements and occasionally engaging in taut -- if simple -- choreography. A couple of people seated close to me had seen the show a couple of nights earlier at the Beacon Theater in New York. They said that it was note for note the same show. So when the encore came, the band trotted out "Locomotive Breath" in a very loose, loud, 15-minute, raucous rock and roll rendition, full of improvised solos and off-the-top-of-the-head arrangements. With none of the musical tension that informed the previous two hours, it felt like the band needed it more than the audience. Perhaps they did. Follow Hank Bordowitz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankai
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 15, 2012 18:19:56 GMT
Oh 'My God' I am 'Beside myself' 'trembling with excitement' for Thursday night.Less than 81 hours ( but who's counting).
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Post by nonrabbit on Oct 16, 2012 7:53:24 GMT
Oh 'My God' I am 'Beside myself' 'trembling with excitement' for Thursday night.Less than 81 hours ( but who's counting). We're all counting with you.
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