|
Post by maddogfagin on Nov 5, 2016 16:36:04 GMT
I got 9/10 - wrong date for the TAAB cover. I'll do some more homework this evening.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Nov 6, 2016 8:43:59 GMT
I got 9/10 - wrong date for the TAAB cover. I'll do some more homework this evening. Confined to barracks last night and did my homework so I'm ready for the next competition that Teamrock do.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Dec 3, 2016 16:52:21 GMT
teamrock.com/The Story Behind The Song: Thick As A Brick by Jethro TullFeatures / 1 hour ago / by Rob Hughes At a critical and commercial peak after Aqualung, Tull frontman Ian Anderson created an album that split one epic track over two sides - parodying prog and rock poetry teamrock.com/feature/2016-12-03/story-behind-the-song-thick-as-a-brick-by-jethro-tulldemonszone.com/albums/jethro-tull/thick-as-a-brick/Thick As A BrickPosted on 2 December 2016 by Steven Lornie Short track lists and very long songs tend not to go very well together. Without a break between songs these progressive rock albums tend to drag on and sound a little bloated. There are very few exceptions of the conceptions working well and one of those is THICK AS A BRICK by JETHRO TULL. THICK AS A BRICK was released all the way back in 1972 and was apparently Ian Anderson’s idea of a piss take of the ever increasingly bloated progressive rock scene. His response to albums from the likes of ELP, YES and KING CRIMSON was two create his own twin track album, one that manages to reach over the forty minute mark. Now where these bands generally failed in their lengthy numbers, JETHRO TULL managed to succeed. I love hearing these prog bands attempt at creating their own epics and even when they are bloated, there is always something to enjoy in it. The advantage with THICK AS A BRICK is that JETHRO TULL managed to create a sense of flow and progression within their two twenty minute plus songs. When one passage finishes the next one picks up and does it effortlessly whilst managing to keep the momentum. Musically what is on THICK AS A BRICK is essentially more of the same. You have ANDERSONS witty lyrics that do a good job with the concept of the album. They’re wrapped around some nice flute playing and an array of tasteful varied progressive rock passages. The sound and production style is very similar to that found on Aqualung but without the short memorable songs. If my memory serves me correct, you can purchase this album digitally chopped up into pieces. Apparently this was to let you pick and chose which passage you want to listen to. Personally speaking, I recommend getting the full experience of two songs and nothing in between. The album sounds quite hard to swallow (much like the follow up, A PASSION PLAY) but is in fact a very well put together and very easy to listen to album. One that I would highly recommend to all rock enthusiasts out there. THICK AS A BRICK does not have that elitist praise that you get from KING CRIMSON fans or the commercial appeal of PINK FLOYD’S DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. But it holds its own against these classic records and deserve that title for itself. Rating : 9 / 10
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Mar 10, 2017 16:17:44 GMT
ultimateclassicrock.com/45 Years Ago: Jethro Tull Try to ‘Out-Prog’ Everybody With ‘Thick as a Brick’By Martin Kielty March 10, 2017 8:40 AM Ian Anderson had a point to make when he turned his thoughts to Jethro Tull’s fifth album. He wanted the work to act as a response to reviews of 1971’s Aqualung, which had been generally positive but was called a concept album. “Concept album? No,” the band’s frontman and multi-instrumentalist tells Ultimate Classic Rock. “It was just a bunch of songs, and two or three of them happened to have a link. When I came to do the running order and work on the cover text, as you do when you wrap a Christmas present, you choose nice paper and put a nice bow on it. That process in presenting the album gave it some cohesion. But it was whimsical individual oddities, written in hotel rooms, very often in the U.S.” Anderson decided to prove his point by giving the world what it thought it already had – a genuine Jethro Tull concept album. The result was Thick as a Brick, a milestone in the progressive genre, which arrived on March 10, 1972. ultimateclassicrock.com/jethro-tull-thick-as-a-brick/
|
|
cecil
Journeyman
Posts: 162
|
Post by cecil on Apr 17, 2017 0:04:15 GMT
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Apr 12, 2018 6:55:55 GMT
bestclassicbands.com/1972-top-selling-albums-4-11-18/Look Back: Top Selling Albums of 1972by Best Classic Bands Staff "By 1972, a new Jethro Tull studio album was an annual event. Their fifth, Thick as a Brick, Ian Anderson’s satire of a concept album, remains a favorite for many. The LP came in an elaborate (and expensive) gatefold cover resembling a British newspaper. The followup to Aqualung reached #1 in the U.S. and was the year’s #17 best seller."
|
|
|
Post by ash on Apr 12, 2018 17:09:59 GMT
bestclassicbands.com/1972-top-selling-albums-4-11-18/Look Back: Top Selling Albums of 1972by Best Classic Bands Staff "By 1972, a new Jethro Tull studio album was an annual event. Their fifth, Thick as a Brick, Ian Anderson’s satire of a concept album, remains a favorite for many. The LP came in an elaborate (and expensive) gatefold cover resembling a British newspaper. The followup to Aqualung reached #1 in the U.S. and was the year’s #17 best seller." Well I have three in the top row
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Apr 12, 2018 22:45:19 GMT
I carried all six to college.....word.
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Apr 12, 2018 22:46:22 GMT
In order of frequency played:
Brick, Fragile, Harvest, Exile, Zep4, Bangladesh.
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Apr 12, 2018 22:47:39 GMT
Current frequency of play on Kindle:
Brick, Exile, Harvest, Fragile. Zep and George not downloaded.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Apr 19, 2018 6:56:26 GMT
www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/good-old-rock-n-roll-addas/article23588782.eceGood old rock ‘n’ roll addasNarendra Kusnur APRIL 18, 2018 20:08 Flute tunes: Ian Anderson performing in Hyderabad in 2008 This evening, I am looking forward to visiting Adagio, a music venue near Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, for the first time. I have been invited before but tonight have blocked the date for a listening session of Jethro Tull’s 1972 album Thick as a Brick. Run by the young and enterprising Aman Singh Gujral, Adagio has another venue in Chembur. They have done sessions on rock bands Queen, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and Fleetwood Mac on vinyl records. Apparently, some interesting trivia is shared and new friends are made, bonding over music. The concept of music listening clubs isn’t new, of course. A few friends and I have moderated a rock club since 2001, and many still haven’t recovered from our last bash a few days ago, on Sunday April 15. Later, the Bombay Rock Association did a similar thing on a commercial basis. I have been to ghazal clubs, often featuring younger artistes performing live, and smaller jazz and fusion get-togethers where recorded music and videos are played between a small group of friends. Many Hindi film and classical music groups exist. The point is this. Within such communities, where people get together in person and not online, the primary purpose is to have a group listening experience. Music is shared and discussed. And this concept may not be restricted to music, but also to football, fashion and Federico Fellini. Online groups on Facebook and WhatsApp have become pretty common now. But most of the time most of the members never meet each other. The live listening sessions, however, involve real meetings, though a lot of planning is done on social media. They take effort and preparation. A club venue will have to choose the theme and think of the broad audience numbers expected. A close-knit group of friends will look at venue, costs involved per person, choice of music and arrangements for food and beverages. In the latter case, there may be differences of opinion. Some may not prefer a particular artiste; others may insist the artiste is played. Some may want recorded music, some may ask for live jams. Some want Mughlai, others want South Indian veg, Chinese or Italian. The objective of course is to get together and enjoy a common genre of music. It’s not easy to cater to 50 diverse tastes of C Minor, cuisine and comforts. Places like Adagio, and private listening clubs, fulfil that purpose. Tonight’s Jethro Tull session should be a treat for fans. The venue plans a Beatles session next month. Literally, people will ‘come together’ once more. As Tull frontman Ian Anderson wrote, you’re never too old to rock ‘n’ roll.
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Apr 19, 2018 16:52:12 GMT
Best listening club I was ever in met in the basement of my friend Ron's house, in Denver, intermittent schedule between about 1971-1975. Those were the days and we REALLY listened. I actually remember premieres of 'Close to the Edge' and 'War Child'. When War Child started, I cleverly piped up " Ian learned ANOTHER instrument, the air raid siren".... I was angrily shutted up.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Feb 3, 2019 7:45:36 GMT
Peanuts Gang Singing "Thick As A Brick" by: Jethro Tull 1,839 views Garren Lazar Published on 31 Jan 2019
|
|
|
Post by bunkerfan on Feb 3, 2019 12:27:29 GMT
Peanuts Gang Singing "Thick As A Brick" by: Jethro Tull1,839 views Garren Lazar Published on 31 Jan 2019 Brilliant and so well put together
|
|
|
Post by JTull 007 on Feb 3, 2019 15:57:04 GMT
Tears of Joy watching this incredible and surreal video of TAAB !!!
|
|
|
Post by nonrabbit on Feb 3, 2019 18:21:16 GMT
That is utterly brilliant. Funny as well "..blackhead on his shoulder" cue shoulder with blackheads
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Feb 23, 2019 7:39:42 GMT
Purloined from ebay
|
|
|
Post by JTull 007 on Mar 10, 2019 15:02:19 GMT
It happened today March 10th, 1972, "Thick As A Brick" , the fifth album by jethrotull _ is published The disc presents an unprecedented structure of the tracks, in fact there will be a single piece divided into two parts without a real solution of continuity.
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Mar 10, 2019 21:05:38 GMT
In a better universe, Thick as a Brick would be the national anthem for a united world.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Apr 26, 2019 6:45:56 GMT
www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-concept-albums/Best Concept Albums: 25 Classics That Will Blow Your MindFunkateers, country stars and punks contributed to the best concept albums in music, proving that prog rockers didn’t entirely own the concept of concepts. Published on April 25, 2019 By Brett Milano 11: Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick (1972) Nothing Jethro Tull did before or after matched the audacity of Thick As A Brick, both for its format (one fully considered song over two album sides) and for its central idea (Ian Anderson setting an epic poem by a disgruntled eight-year-old to music). Even the 2012 sequel, Thick As A Brick 2, was the best thing Anderson had done in decades.
|
|
|
Post by steelmonkey on Apr 26, 2019 20:51:27 GMT
I think TAAB 2 was for sure the best thing since Crest and maybe since Stormwatch.....I liked Under Wraps and Rock Island a lot...but still.
|
|
|
Post by jeremyjackass on Apr 27, 2019 0:11:28 GMT
I think TAAB 2 was for sure the best thing since Crest and maybe since Stormwatch.....I liked Under Wraps and Rock Island a lot...but still. Really i think taab2 is Ians weakest attempt tbh, drivel Roots to branches just a ittle bit better i.m.o Rupis dance also anyday
|
|
|
Post by geostrehl on Apr 27, 2019 19:52:23 GMT
I think TAAB 2 was for sure the best thing since Crest and maybe since Stormwatch.....I liked Under Wraps and Rock Island a lot...but still. Really i think taab2 is Ians weakest attempt tbh, drivel Roots to branches just a ittle bit better i.m.o Rupis dance also anyday TAAB 2 was a masterpiece, you troll. I recognize your patterns of posting, terrible punctuation, and general contempt for Ian's setlists and voice. You've been here before, haven't you? Get a life jeremyjackass. Do you really get thrills from stirring up trouble on a Tull forum? How sad your life must be!
|
|
|
Post by JTull 007 on Apr 28, 2019 1:10:50 GMT
Really i think taab2 is Ians weakest attempt tbh, drivel Roots to branches just a ittle bit better i.m.o Rupis dance also anyday TAAB 2 was a masterpiece, you troll. I recognize your patterns of posting, terrible punctuation, and general contempt for Ian's setlists and voice. You've been here before, haven't you? Get a life jeremyjackass . Do you really get thrills from stirring up trouble on a Tull forum? How sad your life must be! First impressions are usually made by the name used ...
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Apr 28, 2019 6:20:27 GMT
Really i think taab2 is Ians weakest attempt tbh, drivel Roots to branches just a ittle bit better i.m.o Rupis dance also anyday TAAB 2 was a masterpiece, you troll. I recognize your patterns of posting, terrible punctuation, and general contempt for Ian's setlists and voice. You've been here before, haven't you? Get a life jeremyjackass. Do you really get thrills from stirring up trouble on a Tull forum? How sad your life must be! He, jeremyjerkarse, is no more on this Forum though he might try again using suspicious vpns/ip addresses. I think we all know who is behind it
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on May 7, 2019 6:49:22 GMT
bestclassicbands.com/jethro-tull-thick-as-a-brick-5-6-19/Jethro Tull’s ‘Thick As a Brick’: Concept LP or Parody of One?by Thomas Kintner Nearly five decades later, someone’s still missing the point. When it comes to Jethro Tull’s seminal Thick as a Brick, it might be the listeners who fail to see its underlying nature, thinking it a developmental milestone for progressive rock rather than a parody of its excesses. On the other hand, it might be the album’s composer and lyricist, Tull frontman Ian Anderson, who, in his attempt to tweak a genre he considered too self-important, didn’t recognize that employing elliptical poetic bluster as a send-up of art that thrives on the overblown ultimately is just grabbing another tool from the same kit. Either way, Thick as a Brick proved an extraordinary success that, ironically, is one of the few prog classics that doesn’t sound like a parody today. Equal parts ambitious and meticulous, it’s a smartly produced collage whose appeals remain undimmed. It was late 1971, and Jethro Tull was enjoying the success of that year’s Aqualung, which had climbed as high as #7 on the Billboard album chart. As the band’s driving creative force, Anderson was nonetheless perplexed at the reaction to his group’s fourth record, which he believed was mistaken in calling it a “concept album”—to him, any through-line was coincidental, and people in search of greater meaning were reading too much into it. Progressive rock was in fashion, and to Anderson’s thinking, bands like Yes, Emerson. Lake and Palmer and Genesis were making music whose affectations bordered on pretentious. Anderson determined to answer those who thought Aqualung a concept record by giving them a real one—and, in the process, lampooning the pomposity of bands that were then making hay with outsized conceptual fare. Thick as a Brick is multimedia circa the Stone Age, music married to a newspaper. The album’s sleeve was printed as a custom (and wholly fictional) 16-page paper, the January 7, 1972, edition of The St. Cleve Chronicle & Linwell Advertiser. Anderson drove its articles as personally as he did the vinyl’s contents, writing most with help from Tull keyboard player John Evan and bassist Jeffrey Hammond. Its primary feature is the story of eight-year-old boy Gerald (Little Milton) Bostock, who, after using inappropriate language on BBC Television, is stripped of a poetry award and declared to possess an “extremely unwholesome attitude towards life, his God and Country.” The unsuitable poem, printed on page 7, is the album’s lyrics. While amusing for its content and relative extravagance, the newspaper is ultimately of minor importance to the record’s overall experience. Designed as individual songs but delivered as a single assembly of suites with connective tissue between, Thick as a Brick was created in two weeks of recording in late 1971, during which Anderson wrote material between sessions, starting with lyrics and then developing accompanying music, and the band learned a new piece each day, stacked upon what it had previously worked out. Although the work found its way in real time, the ultimate product is not loose, perhaps because the process used even more time for overdubs and mixing, where a lot of work clearly was done. Released March 3, 1972, the album features two tracks by necessity: “Thick as a Brick (Part 1)” on one vinyl side, and “Thick as a Brick (Part 2)” on the other (even with the advent of CDs, the split remained in place—what’s done was done). A 40th anniversary reissue of the record separated the whole into eight pieces composed of 13 total sections, with individual titles that are useful for discussing specific sections. The record introduces “Really Don’t Mind” with an easygoing acoustic guitar line, to which Anderson applies an equally matter-of-fact vocal. His lightly prancing flute soon affirms the band’s identity, adorning a folk-leaning jaunt alongside an acid lyrical edge. After three reasonably tranquil minutes, rock takes over with “See There a Son is Born.” Frenetic and propulsive, it’s a song in a hurry to get where it’s going, with Evan’s organ and the whining accents of Martin Barre’s guitar as fuel. An audio smorgasbord, it becomes a movable feast when Barre’s hearty electric dressing migrates from right to left in the mix just before the 4:30 mark, one of many tricks and techniques the production employs to keep attention piqued and shifting. Barriemore Barlow’s drums make a similar traipse across the sonic landscape in “The Poet and the Painter,” an interlude that highlights the problem of parodying a thing that embraces bombast. Before electric guitar pieces emerge from both sides of the stereo to propel a bounding romp, Anderson delivers an arch reading of image-rich lyrics, and even if it’s intended as a lampoon, it certainly seems serious enough. If he’s goofing on the worst habits of fellow artists, he also takes advantage of the same tropes, and not only on this record. His aggressive, biting poetry revels in highly personal obscurity and the sort of raw intensity served by his authoritative cadence, sometimes at the expense of what may be intended as bubbling satire: His reading of “Building castles by the sea/He dares the tardy tide/To wash them all aside” takes a back seat to no one when it comes to pure portentousness. None of which is to say that the album isn’t remarkably listenable. The pleasant lilt of Renaissance Fair-ready pulsation in “What Do You Do When the Old Man’s Gone?” is alluring and cool, with an instrumental flow trimmed by Anderson’s always-pleasant flaunting of rock’s conventions. “From the Upper Class” is a different sort of enticement, a haunting turn founded on a jagged-edged jig, where Anderson’s less-than-soothing violin accents enhance sonic tension. Side one closes with the three-part sequence of “You Curl Your Toes in Fun/Childhood Heroes/Stabs Instrumental,” which runs the record’s gamut of appeals. From dreamy gentleness it shifts heartily, leapfrogging from one instrumental texture to another. Here there’s a xylophone, there a sprinkling of piano, with Anderson’s chipper flute doing substantial lifting as it marches forward. A coordinated throb of organ, drums and Jeffrey Hammond’s bass add punch as the instrumental draws to a close within a playful mix, which starts its fade and then pushes again at the listener’s ear with a fresh burst before evaporating as its last traces mix into the sound of wind. Side two picks up right there, with gusts giving way to a hollow bell ring before bursting into “See There a Man is Born.” Mixing the formal and the frantic, it is a precise assembly of sounds that breaks into a racing Barlow drum solo before giving way to airy texture. Its stop-and-start journey lands all over the place, yet is cohesive. “Clear White Circles” follows, its flowing acoustic pulse dappled with thicker accents and slight rock trappings alongside Anderson’s deadpan recitation. Any argument about the record’s place in the prog firmament is put paid with “Legends and Believe in the Day,” a mellow, contemplative arty hybrid rich with instrumental energy. Behind the likes of “The Dawn Creation of the Kings/Has begun, has begun/Soft Venus, lonely maiden brings/The ageless one, the ageless one,” it’s a tone poem made to sound literate, but ultimately proves most valuable in how it complements the music. The pulsating “Tales of Your Life” is a carefully constructed swirl, constantly on the move. Traces of harpsichord along the way give it an earthy tone, while a couple of timpani thuds reset attention. The pieces coalesce into a mechanism that never sounds sloppy nor random, leading to a robust crescendo, and lest a listener’s attention drift while surveying its riches, the ring of an alarm clock is there to pull it back. Wrapping the set with a thematic callback is “Childhood Heroes Reprise”; the pivot to it is abrupt, keeping some of the preceding section’s buildup before turning on a dime. Following one final step on the gas, there’s an acoustic cool-down, with Anderson in full contemplative mode, delivering the album’s final line (and title) with a knowing resignation. The road to that quiet closing is typical of the suite—when it empties into an almost incidental string bed for which there was no precedent on the record, it’s emblematic of an approach for which there is no real limit, where an established sonic palette never stops the production from choosing something new if it’s right for the moment. Hardly radio-friendly given its structure, the album nonetheless marked the band’s biggest U.S. success to that point. In June 1972, it spent two weeks atop the Billboard album chart, the highlight of its 46-week run. In the process, it secured Jethro Tull’s standing, transforming an intended jab at the genre into the act’s affirmation as a prog rock staple, an outcome which would be even funnier if everyone could agree on the joke. Link to full article
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Aug 15, 2019 6:24:51 GMT
ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-concept-albums/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=newsletter_4572276The entire notion of the concept album is often a slippery grab even for the most hardcore fans. Since the term first came into rock 'n' roll orbit, usually attributed to the Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, being conceptual became a real happening thing, or in 21st century terminology, it was heavily trending. But the concept album really wasn't anything new. Frank Sinatra had already gotten there with albums like In the Wee Small Hours (1955), Sings for Only the Lonely (1958) and No One Cares( 1959), each of which contained recurring lyrical and musical themes. Sinatra even returned to the format in 1970 with Watertown. Poet Ken Nordine was also ahead of the game with his 1966 album Colors. Rock 'n' roll was nowhere near being conceptual in the heyday of the 45 RPM record, but by the time Bob Dylan arrived and gave lyrics a front-and-center role, it changed the game for everyone. While there was still room for the Troggs, others, such as Ray Davies and John Lennon and Paul McCartney, had started to concentrate more and more on the words they were setting to music. But while Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered to be a concept album, it came across more like high-concept pop art, because there was never any universal theme or story tying it all together. The Who's sprawling 1969 rock opera Tommy is often cited as being the first genuine concept album. However, the Pretty Things beat them by several months with their masterpiece S. F. Sorrow, an album that actually does tell a story. The problem was, not too many people heard the album, especially back in 1969. The Kinks also dove headfirst into concept albums with a long run of LPs, including Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One, Preservation Act One, Preservation Act Two, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace. Often these concepts were too heady and or intricate for the casual rock 'n' roll fan; other times, fans would consume the records like they were a badge of intellectual honor. By some point in the late '70s, the concept album had been put to rest, though not completely snuffed out. The break was short-lived once Pink Floyd built their classic Wall, which opened the door for the likes of Marillion, Metallica and countless others who'd go on to make concept albums in the coming decades. Our below list of Rock’s 20 Most Far-Out Concept Albums includes some of the most ludicrous, messy, weird and wild records, originating from all corners of the pop music globe. Jethro Tull, 'Thick As a Brick' (1972)After 'Aqualung' was perceived by music critics as a concept album, contrary to Ian Anderson's vision, Jethro Tull decided to spoof the genre with their follow-up. On 'Thick as a Brick,' Anderson took jabs at the music press, Tull fans and the band itself throughout the album. Spoof or not, fans ate it up. With one 44-minute song across both sides of an LP, there was no room for singles. It remains one of Tull's finest works. The album's "saving grace," Anderson told Bravewords, is its sense of humor, which stays close enough the surface "that you don’t get pissed off at the album for being too arty, too clever, too bombastic." By poking fun at concept albums, Anderson and company ended up making the one of the grandest concept albums of all time.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Aug 27, 2019 6:29:55 GMT
Just found in my collection - one for Andrew over at Tullpress perhaps.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Nov 24, 2019 7:32:14 GMT
www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/the_best_concept_albums_of_all_time/s1__30612971#slide_7The best concept albums of all timePosted 1 day ago | By Jeff Mezydlo As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's epic "The Wall," it got us thinking about some of the best concept albums that have been released over time. Some tell a continuous story, while others use each song to contribute to an overall theme. Regardless of the path that is taken, the process can be arduous and has even been known to tear bands apart. However, the end result is usually pretty memorable. Here's our list of some of the more notable concept albums ever made. . . . "Thick As A Brick" (1972), Jethro TullThe best part about Tull's most recognizable piece is that it's a conceptual project making fun of concept albums. The record is one continuous song (ultimately edited for radio play), divided into two parts and, when listening to it on vinyl, spans both sides. The brilliance of leader Ian Anderson, "Brick" is a poem from the fictional, young boy Gerald Bostock. It's the epitome of '70s progressive rock.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Dec 3, 2019 7:24:02 GMT
The Michigan Daily, March 24th 1972
|
|