Starting at age 6 my son used to take my album and put it on his little record player and play this all the time It was his favorite for whatever reason maybe because he heard me listening to it all the time... So when Ian Anderson came out with thick as a brick 2 My son was 11 and I decided to take him to the show... of course he was the youngest one at the rock concert. They played some of thick as a brick before doing 2 and it was a very memorable event for the two of us. I met a bunch of my friends from high school there too so it was a good night for all.
I saw Jethro Tull in '72 - They started the concert by playing the entire Thick as a Brick album and without pausing, Ian Anderson said "Now for our next song." The album cover told anyone with a lick of wit that it was satire but, and as you said, very well done satire. As for finding a "deeper meaning" in the music; that depended on the individual and what they were smoking.
You cannot image the joy i get from watching someone listen to an almost 50 year old album and still being blown away by the overwhelming display of musicianship. This song is one of my earliest memories, and has been a lifelong companion, I listen to it several times a month, either by myself, or through reaction videos like this. It will be played at my funeral, and when it finishes, so will I.
I heard this when it first came out (on vinyl, remember) in 1972 and saw them in concert - blown away by the album and also by their concert (so much fun ... their roadies wore long raincoats as they set up the instruments, milling around, until they all took off their coats and it was the band!). Traffic next?
Jethro Tull is to Rock what Weather Report is to Jazz Fusion; there’s nothing these virtuosos can’t do, but always remaining true to who they are. Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play are superb albums. Period.
A great part of the fun of this album is that it came with a complete "small English town weekly newspaper" as the album sleeve. It is very Pythonesque. They actually spent more time coming up with the stories for the newspaper than they spent recording the album. Side note of the Python-esque nature of this album, Ian Anderson was one of a number of rock musicians who provided the financing for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I tried to play this for my friends when I was in Jr. High and their attention span just couldn't grapple with Ian's barbed humor or the patience it took to appreciate less than nuclear guitar solos. Ensemble sound didn't click so they went back to Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. Nothing wrong with that but you could take a week off from Dark Side of the Moon. It wasn't going anywhere. In fact, it stayed on the charts for a decade or so. I realize, (not at the time), that it was a light hearted jab at prog, and prog could take it. Prog was so self-absorbed that it wouldn't notice. Don't get me wrong, I love Yes, Genesis and Supertramp. They broke so many barriers and are responsible for much of what is possible today. Yet underneath, although Ian never came out and stated it as far as I know, Thick as a Brick was a very serious indictment of the English class structure. Listen to it. It pulls no punches and Ian remained a staunch advocate for the disadvantaged and was always an uncanny empath. His music is filled with narratives of human nobility at every level. Few musicians have so enthralled me.
Seeing Tull in early '77 in Green Bay, I recall the TaaB performance (basically the first side of the album) was a tremendous dose of Ian Anderson in Renaissance garb with leotards, repeated swapping guitars for flute, with nearly equal amounts of running across the stage, jumping on stage monitors, twirling flute overhead and standing center stage singing and cranking on the flute on only one leg! And all the band members were just as talented as, if not as famous as, Ian Anderson. Seeing Tull live was a mind-blowing experience. But that era was filled with these visually enhanced/theatrical performing live shows; like Supertramp's Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments and Kansas's Opus tours all visiting Milwaukee's old Oriental, MECCA, or Alpine Valley in the mid-to-late '70s. (BTW, as a recording engineer at the time, I could report that musicians HAD plenty of analog and composite electronic [early digital] synthesizers and tape-based loop/effects keyboards and devices then.) BTW, that era also had Yes, Mike Oldfield, ELP, and others (what you're terming as progressive) live shows, which were stunning experiences.
This is the best reaction to Thick as a Brick on UA-cam. Jethro Tull push the boat out even further on their next album, the amazing A Passion Play. For a another time though. Thank You.
love what you say about prog in general. I see this more as cinematic folk rock with the kitchen sink with tons of humour. The pomposity only lends too the naivitee (sp?) which i want to believe and embrace. Which is why, i believe the fans so embraced it and it stood at number on the billboard charts in 1972. BTW i dont think you will find anything else like this with the exception of the follow up Tull album ,1973's Passion Play. Which is actually quite different and a different sound.
I have always been curious about Julia on the album cover the chum who used to help Gerard writing poems. She must have been helpful indeed while the others were in Cornwall with Biggles writing up their memoirs.. 😆
I'm really glad you're going through this journey and I'm glad the people in the comments are filling in the gaps for you and correcting anything you might have strayed on a little... First time here very enjoyable
We're enjoying it too! Old fart here, I got to see them live a few times in the 70s, I've been blessed. My dudes, we were just coming out of the 60s, the Fair Housing Marches, Vietman, the Weather Underground, MLK and Malcolm, Watergate was about to break or breaking; we were young and in awe of everything, lost and music was our only anchor. This was the music of our hearts and souls, and don't let the lilt of the magic flute lull you into a false sense of security. Ian Anderson is a lethal political knife and he meant every word. Remember, his words but a whisper, your deafness a shout. He meant that too lol And they sounded exactly as crisp and on tempo when they were live, exactly. Nowdays they use machines and autotune lol Have you guys done Pink Floyd also? And where did this whole thing about concept albums come up? I think new people are misunderstanding the term as we used it half a century ago, and the satire was a joke aimed directly at the church and the state. Ian Anderson is our own beloved court jester and he will make you both laugh and cry, if you have a soul.
Before "prog" we, Tull included, thought of the music as "progressive". Progressive included Aqualung and even Stand Up and Benefit. It was more rock with added influences, adding to the music. Anderson embraced all music to add to his Stew.
I love Tull, but never considered Stand Up or Benefit to be Prog. I've been a Prog Head for nearly 50 years, and SU is my favourite Tull...strange, that!
Really liked your reaction to this great piece of music which I bought on the day of its release in the UK and saw the band perform it in its entirety live three days later. I don't think anyone else has mentioned why Ian Anderson took up the flute. This was because he believed he could never become as good as Eric Clapton, or Jimmy Page on guitar. John Bonham of Led Zeppelin said of Barrie Barlow that he was the best drummer to come out of England. Personally I think Barlow excels in this piece in utilising the drums as a musical instrument as well their usual role of providing the beat. After his stint with Jethro Tull, Barrie did some work with Jimmy Page. Instruments played by Anderson, acoustic guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone, accordion. The trumpet adds great sound here not as a lead solo instrument, but as as part of the mix playing staccato, like Ryan has mentioned Ian plays the flute with a stabbing staccato sound.
One of the best albums in history ! Saw Tull live 23 times. Ian was born in Scotland that's where the sound come from. He gave the critics hell on this LP ! It's hard to imagine that this was recorded in several days. In fact the paper was all written by mostly Ian and Jeffrey Hammond and took longer to finish than the music. Barlow was and is still one of the best on a drum kit.
Tull is still one of my all time favorites, I followed them intently from their beginning throughout the '90's and to this day, attended every tour for years. I would hardly characterize Jethro Tull as "Progressive", more in a slot all their own. Yes, Thick As A Brick was a poke at concept albums, completely done tongue-in-cheek. However...... it took them longer to make the concept album cover than to record it!
I've seen a bunch of reviews of this album and it will always be one of my favorites. I do wish someone would go through the album cover. It explains the whole situation.
Brilliant album! It’s great that you listened to the entire album. There are shorter versions. To fully understand the satire, you should check out the original album cover that included a fold out, multi page newspaper. It is my favorite album cover, ever.
Good reaction, although I've only come across this 3 months after it posted. It is indeed a masterpiece as you both indicated. Ian Anderson is a musical and lyrical genius. His bandmates were equally talented. This is like a modern day symphony and he could be regarded as a peer of Beethoven, etc. No that trilling sound was not a synth - it was indeed the flute - with a modulation added to the flute playing. I did play flute and he was my hero - but you can hear the unmistakable sounds of the breath and attack that can only be done with a real flute. They either modulated with a Leslie system, or electronically, but the root sound is the flute. You can make this sound by trilling your tongue whilst playing, but you cannot maintain it or keep the trilling in time for this long. Not only is this a masterpiece in so many ways, but to put some icing on the cake, they rehearsed it to a performance level in about 10 days, and went into the studio and recorded in 2-3 days, so from inception to completed was 2 weeks!!! This level of skill and genius - well there is no comparison to almost any other band/composer. And they produced at least 1 hit album every year for 10 years after this too! Some or all of them had both jazz and classical training. Ian has a fancy for old folk sounds and baroque - like the old minstrel shows of the middle ages - but mixes in some hard rock and classical styles. (so yes some sounds are like east coast Canadian stuff, but remember where that came from - Irish, Welsh and Scottish tunes and styles - I too am a Canuck, retired to Florida) Yes, this is a parody or satire against "concept" albums, but as He said himself, he was annoyed the critics called Aqualung a concept album so he said I'll show you the mother of all concept albums - and out came Thick as a Brick. (which by the way means dumb as a bag of hammers in the English vernacular) He is adept at storytelling in vivid ways both lyrically and musically - and has a message for many of his songs. Here's two that you both would enjoy to get some added feel for what is the unique and masterful works of Ian Anderson, and Jethro Tull: ua-cam.com/video/5WSulenOUb0/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull - My God (Nothing Is Easy - Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970)) ua-cam.com/video/c4JqvK3Fwn8/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath remastered) And here he is 40+ years later playing live: ua-cam.com/video/2u0XXpVGUwk/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull: Bourée) This is a Bach tune, put into a prog rock mode - and you can hear what I indicated above - he actually does trills with the tongue here, as well as vocalizing whilst playing the flute. (however all that vocalizing while playing took a toll on his vocal chords so he cannot sing like he used to) I saw them live in 1974, awesome - simply awesome. The other thing about Thick as a Brick, is the numerous time and key signature changes and that Ian plays half a dozen different instruments....some very odd time signatures and difficult keys to boot. It may not be obvious to those not musically trained, but this man as composer is brilliant!
Great reaction. There's so many people doing it these days but you guys are interested in the history behind it and the commentary is interesting as well. Great job, guys! FYI, Ian initially started as a guitar player but realized he didn't want to be a second guitar player with not much skill so he took up the flute.
He also heard Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, among others, and didn't think he could compare. So he taught himself the flute. And yet his acoustic guitar playing is brilliant. Couldn't compare indeed!
I have had an appreciation for many JT songs over the years but this album has stood the test of time as a great piece of musical composition, wonderfully executed. Labels are a trap. Context is helpful; but ultimately, as time passes, the ideas and musicianship remain. I remember Ian Anderson as being a bit of a troublemaker and wit, so I always thought bring thick as a brick to mean something an bit more erotic, if you know what I mean - but perhaps that's just me… Anyway, do listen to it again, familiarity breeds understanding and it never stops giving Me [alias Flannelman]
Critics use labels and more often then not get it wrong, the idea is to listen and take a trip to wherever Ian leads you with this one, screw the labels!
Oh! we haven't thrown in the kitchen sink yet, how bout a drum solo and some free form surrealistic monty python shit? (at 43:25) I think you're right about the drum solo. Tull didn't "jam" even when they jammed it was with more of a purpose. Later, Anderson criticized the pointless "noodling" of prog groups, such a beautiful voice and love the "dripping" acoustic chords from his acoustic guitar.
Guys, yes, many prog band brag about their virtuosity, but in all top prog bands it is about the music. Their musicianship and virtuosity enables them to do extremely interesting music that others cannot.
Yeah, a lot of prog bands made that kind of music simply because they genuinely enjoyed it. Never seen any of them imply that they are superior to other genres or artists. It's a bit egocentric to say that they made that music to feel themselves more intelligent than you. I also think the point of prog being boring is entirely subjective, given the massive popularity some prog bands got, it's clear that there's a lot of people who don't find it boring.
John Evans on the Hammond Organ, Piano and Harpsichord! Brilliant musician and wonderfully played! That drum solo by Barlow... OMG!! Bonham had nothing on that!!! All these musicians were hitting their musical peak at this time... If you want a prog/concept album, well there you go Ian and Co. sure brought it!! One of the best albums! You guys need to check out their next prog/concept album "A Passion Play"!!!!!
Just heard this album for the first time last week, I love it. Originally found you guys from the King Gizzard reactions and i'm glad to see you guys covering this as well!
You made it 😄 and it was great. Good call on Tull's folk influences. The album came with a Monty Python-esque back story, claiming the lyrics to the album had been written by a young boy called Gerald Bostock who won a poetry contest with it, but then caused a scandal, because the prize was withdrawn, due to the jury claiming the poem was "against God and country" 😄 The spoof Newspaper cover the original album came with is still super elaborate by today's standards. Smart-ass info: their most progressive album, in fact, was the follow-up 'A Passion Play', which is more prog than the prog police allowed even in the 1970s, and certainly not a good starting point to get into Jethro Tull.
That modulation you speak of could be from the flute. When I saw this played in its intirety in 2012? I saw anderson play the part that sounded like the trumpet earlier on the flute through something or other. Sorry, I'm making too many comments!
The "East Coast sound" is really British/Celtic Folk Rock music, similar to steeleye span, fairport convention and pentangle... Also the bit about all the heroes writing their memoirs to be published in a paperback version of the boyscout manual is a commentary on all these b-list "famous" people suddenly becoming authors and writing memoirs that only ever get published in paperback by a C - Stream cheap publisher that also publishes the boyscout manual...
there is a second Thick as a Brick from a few years ago, also very good. You can find under "TAAB2" It asks what happened to that 8 year old boy, what became of him and explores 5 different outcomes that he could have been a banker, priest, an army veteran, an ordinary shopkeeper and there was a fifth one.....the music is very good and at the end it brings it all together talking about how our lives can turn out in so many different ways....you might do a reaction for that one....it may be under Ian Anderson or Jethro Tull. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/u2VThrZq3MY/v-deo.html
As usual you guys are entertaining ! Ryan I'll wait till you return if you return from your dangerous submarine work before picking some great albums to expose you and Nathan to! Boy am I going to suprise you two cellar welps ! 😎
Anderson was actually 24 years of age when this was recorded and released; he didn't turn 25 until August 1972; this was recorded in late 1971 early 1972.
Jethro Tull (born 1674, Basildon, Berkshire, Eng.-died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire) was an English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture. Tull trained for the bar, to which he was called in 1699. But for the next 10 years he chose to operate his father’s farm in Oxfordshire, on which about 1701 he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. This was a notable advance over the usual practice of scattering the seeds by hand. In 1709 Tull bought a farm of his own in Berkshire. While later traveling in France and Italy, he was impressed by the cultivation methods in use in the vineyards, wherein the rows of earth between the vines had been pulverized. This reduced the need for manure and increased aeration and the access of water to and from plant roots, though Tull mistakenly believed that earth was the food of plants and that pulverization made it easier for plants to absorb it. He developed a horse-drawn hoe and successfully adopted the vineyard method to his farm. His success led to the publication of his The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation (1731). Tull’s methods were initially subjected to violent attack, but they were eventually adopted by the large landowners and laid the basis for more modern and efficient British farming.
Aqualung was probably the first Jethro Tull album to earn the label "prog"; it featured their characteristic combination of folksy acoustic and hard electric rock elements in musically complex and creative compositions. Thick As A Brick was their next album.
I graduated from HS in 71’…have listened many times…still don’t grasp the entire meaning…I think ..Ian is only one that does…and that again could have been his motive…still a masterpiece…👍
You might wanna dabble into their earlier stuff like Benefit and This Was, which demonstrated a lot of blues influences. I mean, what is PROG? Isn't it an amalgamation of everything, a refusal to be or allow yourself to be labeled. Fusion usually labels its multiple derivatives while prog kind of refused to be limited in even that respect. I think Ian didn't like the thought that prog was self-conscious, when he wasn't attempting anything of the sort. They used elements of folk, rock, blues and even classical but felt as though anyone claiming that there was intent beyond simply displaying anything other than a quality piece of music put an emphasis on the artist rather than the music. However, Ian certainly reveled in the spotlight. It wasn't a lack of humility, it was an almost vaudevillian joyous romp. He was simply that much into the music and as far as his fellow bandmates, he was their biggest fans and it showed.
I enjoy an awful lot of the band's work Don't get me wrong. However, I think you might need to go back and check your history with the band... I don't think history is going to paint Ian as somebody who treated his bandmates beautifully in fact he was pretty darn brutal to a lot of them...
They did not "add flute to put it over the top." Jethro Tull features the flute on all albums. I fact, it's ironic that their most popular song, Aqualung, does not have any flute.
TUull fan here, enjoyed you review of Thick As ,glad you enjoyed this unique band.There is a couple of prog bands you could check out.Gentle Giant and Family, both British bands from late 6070. .keep up the good work.
borderline synth is a glockinspiel. "I see you shuffle in the courtroom with your rings upon your fingers and your downy little sidies and your silver buckle shoes. Playing at the hard case, you follow the example of your comic paper idols who let you bend the rules"
It is for me, too. Well, a little before the lyrics when the acoustic guitar starts to blend with that striking instrument. What is it? A glockenspiel? The vibes? I don't know but each mallet stroke hits me right in my heart. Something that is lost in a lot of reactions is how tight this band is. Much of the music is played like percussion, the persistency is short lived and for ANYTHING to be off would be glaring. The bass and drums are extraordinarily precise as well as Martin just killing it. Is it John Evans on piano and keyboard? Whoever, insane ensemble!
@@lewismaddox4132 glockenspiel or celeste, I think. And yes, Tull were one of the biggest live forces during the 1970s. Extremely virtuoso and tight. John Evans is an unsung hero on piano and keyboard!
'Holy Grail' was Python's second film. The first was 'Now For Something Completely Different,' which was mainly a compilation of sketches from the TV show. I know! I'm being picky...
@@uapuat A film can be anything such as a video story collection made by someone on UA-cam, or a compilation of small skits or pieces or a short story on FILM" . a movie has a succinct storyline and is usually higher budget and appears in cinemas before the release of the home version, thus the "straight to film" or nowadays "straight to DVD" releases that are generally regarded as a poorer quality and with no promotion.... thats basically the difference.....
My understanding was that Ian was born in Scotland, his father was Scottish & mother was English. They moved to Blackpool when was quite young - I recall hearing 3. He ran away at 16, and attended art school in Blackpool, where he met some of the original members of the band, before moving south to London. In many performances you’ll see him wearing clothing accessories - vests, jackets, capes - made of his Anderson clan tartan as well as the Anderson clan crest badge on his tam.
Yes, the seated girl on the cover is showing off that she has no underwear on - and on the original prints of the album this is quite clear, but it not being the subject of the photo was totally missed by the record label censors. The comparison between this album and Tenacious D is spot-on. Great stuff - I'm stealing that one.
The real irony is that an album who's theme is a parody of the "concept album" is literally a concept album :) I don't think they were ever satirising progressive music itself. Just the trend for thematic albums at the time. 50 years later... Thick As A Brick is a phenomenal concept album :)
So many things I could say about this album, but just one for right now. John Evan is just fucking killing it with the Hammond organ on this whole album. Did Rick Wakeman get jealous?
Isn't Jethro Tull awesome? I think you're gonna get hooked. You hit the nail on the head about how Ian was making fun of Prog Rock - that most take it way too seriously. BTW, the very first song on their very first album was an instrumental with a drum solo! And talking about Monty Python sense of humor, and just stopping in the middle... in the middle of their TAAB concerts they would stop in the middle of the song at some random point to answer a phone call that was for "an audience member". Even more - in their next album, A Passion Play, another single-song album, they stop in the middle to read a story about the Hare who Lost His Spectacles!" If you want to do another Concept Album - Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche.
You're in luck, Ryan reacted to that album on his solo channel! Check it out here: ua-cam.com/video/8nWFnbuLi9w/v-deo.html Then here is the podcast episode he talked about it: bit.ly/3HIQKKc
Jethro Tull was a British agriculturist who invented the horse drawn seed drill in 1701. Amazingly many people erroneously thought that Ian Anderson's name was Jethro Tull. How the band decided on that name I have no idea. When they performed this live you would see guys in long overcoats with hats sweeping the stage and one by one would undress and actually be the members of the band. They left the stage the same way as people with overcoats and hats would start breaking down the equ8ipment as the band members disappeared dawning the same attire.
There could be a prog album for you that is (at least for me) just as funny and entertaining as this one. It's "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by Genesis. This album was recorded when Phil Collins was still "only" the drummer of Genesis and Peter Gabriel (The Sledgehammer-guy) was their singer. It's also a concept album, but the concept may be only making sense to Peter Gabriel. It's for sure more fantasy-like than As Thick As A Brick, a bit like a weird twisted Alice In Wonderland. The Music is of course prog. Genesis were a prog band. However I still think they were not as pretentious as, say, Emerson Lake & Palmer because they also had some humour going on in all of their music. They were more like a unity for me, not just a few musicians writing a song together with each one showing off their talents in 7 minute solos...So "the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is also a very diverse sounding, funny and entertaining but also a bit confusing album. Peter Gabriel also plays flute on one track I believe. It's also split up in a few short songs as well. They have not only classical sounding songs, but also rock and american soundinc classic rock and even a bit of punk on that record, a bit like Omnium Gatherum by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard you have also reacted to... I think also that it's one of the prog albums that open the door in a way to the genre. I mean, I as a gothic rock guy got into this genre because of early proggy Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Led Zeppelin.
It is a "masterwork." Nothing else like it. Have you listened to BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS SMILE from 2004? It is similar, but different, and quite possibly the most brilliant album ever conceived.
@@WelpHereWeAreOnUA-cam Brian Wilson is the “mad genius” behind (most of) The Beach Boys catalog. He’s known particularly for his layered production and intricate vocal harmonies. A more accessible place to start than Smile might be the 1966 Beach Boys album “Pet Sounds”. It’s said to have inspired the Beatles to record “Sgt. Pepper’s” and has some great songs.
Dude, you giggle and smirk at the flute yet admit that you are learning to play the bagpipes! I'll wait to see how you make that instrument rock out. Talk about the pot dissing the kettle.
The music is very serious on this album. Ian Anderson (the lead singer / flute player) didn’t say it was a spoof until many years later. He was rewriting history. At the time, he made no apologies about the record being a concept album.
In my youth in the 70s, I was a bit of a musical snob, maybe in reaction to growing up with rock being called Satanic, I wanted to prove how good it could be, and was quite impressed with rock that incorporated classical or jazz-like complexity. My favorites were Tull, Yes, ELP, and especially Kansas. Then, friends exposed me to punk, reggae, new wave, and also soul music, and I turned and decided all that prog stuff was bogus. Later, saw that I was being dogmatic about that, and decided to enjoy what I intuitively liked. I found that I still liked Jethro Tull, very much, but could ;not stand those other prog/art rock bands. I told myself the difference was, Tull didn't take themselves so seriously, so didn't sound pompous like the others; that was just my personal reaction. I did not know that JT was mocking those other bands with Thick! So, now, my reaction really makes more sense. I still can't enjoy those other bands, much. I can't endure Kansas, who used to be a favorite. But musical tastes are personal reactions, and mine dont mean anyone else is wrong.
I think people calling this a "satire of concept albums" have fallen for a bit of a con job by Ian Anderson. I think he denies that this is a concept and also that _A Passion Play_ was any good because he's deflecting criticism of himself as pretentious. I think that, at this time, he was instead ambitious and had the lyrical talent to bring off this ambitions. If anything, it's the albums from _Minstrel in the Gallery_ on that get to be overly tricky and pretentious. This one is great and _A Passion Play_ is freaking T. S. Eliot.
I fully agree with you that some prog can be boring and pretentious. Another band that is wary of the prog tag is Radiohead. I don't care about tags as long as the music is great. Others to check out, apart from more Tull, I suggest you give a listen to Mike Oldfield, Kate Bush, Steven Wilson and the painfully funny Frank Zappa.
Starting at age 6 my son used to take my album and put it on his little record player and play this all the time It was his favorite for whatever reason maybe because he heard me listening to it all the time... So when Ian Anderson came out with thick as a brick 2 My son was 11 and I decided to take him to the show... of course he was the youngest one at the rock concert. They played some of thick as a brick before doing 2 and it was a very memorable event for the two of us. I met a bunch of my friends from high school there too so it was a good night for all.
The dichotomy of this album is stunning. The trite, satiric lyrics juxtaposed against absolutely monster playing by a band at the top of their game.
I saw Jethro Tull in '72 - They started the concert by playing the entire Thick as a Brick album and without pausing, Ian Anderson said "Now for our next song." The album cover told anyone with a lick of wit that it was satire but, and as you said, very well done satire. As for finding a "deeper meaning" in the music; that depended on the individual and what they were smoking.
You cannot image the joy i get from watching someone listen to an almost 50 year old album and still being blown away by the overwhelming display of musicianship. This song is one of my earliest memories, and has been a lifelong companion, I listen to it several times a month, either by myself, or through reaction videos like this. It will be played at my funeral, and when it finishes, so will I.
Awesome!
That's going to be a really long funeral service 👍
I heard this when it first came out (on vinyl, remember) in 1972 and saw them in concert - blown away by the album and also by their concert (so much fun ... their roadies wore long raincoats as they set up the instruments, milling around, until they all took off their coats and it was the band!). Traffic next?
Remember the newspaper thing that folded out of the album? And traffic would be so good! Dude!
Yes they had wigs attached flat caps!
Jethro Tull is to Rock what Weather Report is to Jazz Fusion; there’s nothing these virtuosos can’t do, but always remaining true to who they are. Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play are superb albums. Period.
A great part of the fun of this album is that it came with a complete "small English town weekly newspaper" as the album sleeve. It is very Pythonesque. They actually spent more time coming up with the stories for the newspaper than they spent recording the album.
Side note of the Python-esque nature of this album, Ian Anderson was one of a number of rock musicians who provided the financing for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I tried to play this for my friends when I was in Jr. High and their attention span just couldn't grapple with Ian's barbed humor or the patience it took to appreciate less than nuclear guitar solos. Ensemble sound didn't click so they went back to Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. Nothing wrong with that but you could take a week off from Dark Side of the Moon. It wasn't going anywhere. In fact, it stayed on the charts for a decade or so.
I realize, (not at the time), that it was a light hearted jab at prog, and prog could take it. Prog was so self-absorbed that it wouldn't notice. Don't get me wrong, I love Yes, Genesis and Supertramp. They broke so many barriers and are responsible for much of what is possible today. Yet underneath, although Ian never came out and stated it as far as I know, Thick as a Brick was a very serious indictment of the English class structure. Listen to it. It pulls no punches and Ian remained a staunch advocate for the disadvantaged and was always an uncanny empath. His music is filled with narratives of human nobility at every level. Few musicians have so enthralled me.
Seeing Tull in early '77 in Green Bay, I recall the TaaB performance (basically the first side of the album) was a tremendous dose of Ian Anderson in Renaissance garb with leotards, repeated swapping guitars for flute, with nearly equal amounts of running across the stage, jumping on stage monitors, twirling flute overhead and standing center stage singing and cranking on the flute on only one leg! And all the band members were just as talented as, if not as famous as, Ian Anderson. Seeing Tull live was a mind-blowing experience. But that era was filled with these visually enhanced/theatrical performing live shows; like Supertramp's Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments and Kansas's Opus tours all visiting Milwaukee's old Oriental, MECCA, or Alpine Valley in the mid-to-late '70s. (BTW, as a recording engineer at the time, I could report that musicians HAD plenty of analog and composite electronic [early digital] synthesizers and tape-based loop/effects keyboards and devices then.) BTW, that era also had Yes, Mike Oldfield, ELP, and others (what you're terming as progressive) live shows, which were stunning experiences.
This album, aside from the proggy playing, has really striking melodies as well. A Passion Play was their follow up and it's very similar
If you think this is the most 'prog' they ever got, wait until you hear 'Passion Play.'
Great review!
right?
I'm waiting for them to discover King Crimson lol what will they think of 21st Century Schizoid Man ?
Saw them do this live in the 70s, my favorite band. Excellent live band, no equal 👏 👌 👍
This is the best reaction to Thick as a Brick on UA-cam. Jethro Tull push the boat out even further on their next album, the amazing A Passion Play. For a another time though. Thank You.
Very kind Ty !
The melodies are all very catchy and it doesn't take long before you're singing and humming along with the entire thing.
love what you say about prog in general. I see this more as cinematic folk rock with the kitchen sink with tons of humour. The pomposity only lends too the naivitee (sp?) which i want to believe and embrace. Which is why, i believe the fans so embraced it and it stood at number on the billboard charts in 1972. BTW i dont think you will find anything else like this with the exception of the follow up Tull album ,1973's Passion Play. Which is actually quite different and a different sound.
I have always been curious about Julia on the album cover the chum who used to help Gerard writing poems. She must have been helpful indeed while the others were in Cornwall with Biggles writing up their memoirs.. 😆
I'm really glad you're going through this journey and I'm glad the people in the comments are filling in the gaps for you and correcting anything you might have strayed on a little...
First time here very enjoyable
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My guitar teacher played this for me when I was around 11 years old. My head exploded
Ian never took himself and Tull too seriously..just fantastic musicians..talent..and Best to see Live…when we were in our 20s and 30’s…Great Memories!
We're enjoying it too! Old fart here, I got to see them live a few times in the 70s, I've been blessed. My dudes, we were just coming out of the 60s, the Fair Housing Marches, Vietman, the Weather Underground, MLK and Malcolm, Watergate was about to break or breaking; we were young and in awe of everything, lost and music was our only anchor.
This was the music of our hearts and souls, and don't let the lilt of the magic flute lull you into a false sense of security. Ian Anderson is a lethal political knife and he meant every word. Remember, his words but a whisper, your deafness a shout. He meant that too lol And they sounded exactly as crisp and on tempo when they were live, exactly. Nowdays they use machines and autotune lol
Have you guys done Pink Floyd also? And where did this whole thing about concept albums come up? I think new people are misunderstanding the term as we used it half a century ago, and the satire was a joke aimed directly at the church and the state. Ian Anderson is our own beloved court jester and he will make you both laugh and cry, if you have a soul.
Jt was absolutely amazing live when they did this album man they were on point and the crowd loved it.
Before "prog" we, Tull included, thought of the music as "progressive". Progressive included Aqualung and even Stand Up and Benefit. It was more rock with added influences, adding to the music. Anderson embraced all music to add to his Stew.
I love Tull, but never considered Stand Up or Benefit to be Prog. I've been a Prog Head for nearly 50 years, and SU is my favourite Tull...strange, that!
Really liked your reaction to this great piece of music which I bought on the day of its release in the UK and saw the band perform it in its entirety live three days later. I don't think anyone else has mentioned why Ian Anderson took up the flute. This was because he believed he could never become as good as Eric Clapton, or Jimmy Page on guitar.
John Bonham of Led Zeppelin said of Barrie Barlow that he was the best drummer to come out of England. Personally I think Barlow excels in this piece in utilising the drums as a musical instrument as well their usual role of providing the beat. After his stint with Jethro Tull, Barrie did some work with Jimmy Page.
Instruments played by Anderson, acoustic guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone, accordion. The trumpet adds great sound here not as a lead solo instrument, but as as part of the mix playing staccato, like Ryan has mentioned Ian plays the flute with a stabbing staccato sound.
So interesting! We have to remember, Eric went down to the crossroads, Ian did not lol
One of the best albums in history ! Saw Tull live 23 times. Ian was born in Scotland that's where the sound come from. He gave the critics hell on this LP ! It's hard to imagine that this was recorded in several days. In fact the paper was all written by mostly Ian and Jeffrey Hammond and took longer to finish than the music. Barlow was and is still one of the best on a drum kit.
Tull is still one of my all time favorites, I followed them intently from their beginning throughout the '90's and to this day, attended every tour for years. I would hardly characterize Jethro Tull as "Progressive", more in a slot all their own. Yes, Thick As A Brick was a poke at concept albums, completely done tongue-in-cheek. However...... it took them longer to make the concept album cover than to record it!
I think most of the bands labeled as "progressive" back at the time, could be considered as being in their own category.
I'm just going to be that guy and point it out.
@32:30 -- 'Xylophone!'
That was a glockenspiel.
I've seen a bunch of reviews of this album and it will always be one of my favorites. I do wish someone would go through the album cover. It explains the whole situation.
Brilliant album! It’s great that you listened to the entire album. There are shorter versions. To fully understand the satire, you should check out the original album cover that included a fold out, multi page newspaper. It is my favorite album cover, ever.
Ian has said that the cover is just as much a farce as the music, just brilliant!
Good reaction, although I've only come across this 3 months after it posted. It is indeed a masterpiece as you both indicated. Ian Anderson is a musical and lyrical genius. His bandmates were equally talented. This is like a modern day symphony and he could be regarded as a peer of Beethoven, etc. No that trilling sound was not a synth - it was indeed the flute - with a modulation added to the flute playing. I did play flute and he was my hero - but you can hear the unmistakable sounds of the breath and attack that can only be done with a real flute. They either modulated with a Leslie system, or electronically, but the root sound is the flute. You can make this sound by trilling your tongue whilst playing, but you cannot maintain it or keep the trilling in time for this long.
Not only is this a masterpiece in so many ways, but to put some icing on the cake, they rehearsed it to a performance level in about 10 days, and went into the studio and recorded in 2-3 days, so from inception to completed was 2 weeks!!! This level of skill and genius - well there is no comparison to almost any other band/composer. And they produced at least 1 hit album every year for 10 years after this too! Some or all of them had both jazz and classical training. Ian has a fancy for old folk sounds and baroque - like the old minstrel shows of the middle ages - but mixes in some hard rock and classical styles. (so yes some sounds are like east coast Canadian stuff, but remember where that came from - Irish, Welsh and Scottish tunes and styles - I too am a Canuck, retired to Florida)
Yes, this is a parody or satire against "concept" albums, but as He said himself, he was annoyed the critics called Aqualung a concept album so he said I'll show you the mother of all concept albums - and out came Thick as a Brick. (which by the way means dumb as a bag of hammers in the English vernacular) He is adept at storytelling in vivid ways both lyrically and musically - and has a message for many of his songs. Here's two that you both would enjoy to get some added feel for what is the unique and masterful works of Ian Anderson, and Jethro Tull:
ua-cam.com/video/5WSulenOUb0/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull - My God (Nothing Is Easy - Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970))
ua-cam.com/video/c4JqvK3Fwn8/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath remastered)
And here he is 40+ years later playing live:
ua-cam.com/video/2u0XXpVGUwk/v-deo.html (Jethro Tull: Bourée) This is a Bach tune, put into a prog rock mode - and you can hear what I indicated above - he actually does trills with the tongue here, as well as vocalizing whilst playing the flute. (however all that vocalizing while playing took a toll on his vocal chords so he cannot sing like he used to)
I saw them live in 1974, awesome - simply awesome. The other thing about Thick as a Brick, is the numerous time and key signature changes and that Ian plays half a dozen different instruments....some very odd time signatures and difficult keys to boot. It may not be obvious to those not musically trained, but this man as composer is brilliant!
Great reaction. There's so many people doing it these days but you guys are interested in the history behind it and the commentary is interesting as well. Great job, guys! FYI, Ian initially started as a guitar player but realized he didn't want to be a second guitar player with not much skill so he took up the flute.
Cheers ty ! 🤟🙏🤟❤️🙏
He also heard Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, among others, and didn't think he could compare. So he taught himself the flute. And yet his acoustic guitar playing is brilliant. Couldn't compare indeed!
An absolute masterpiece. Hail to Ian Anderson & the group.
Tull is miles ahead! They don't give a hoot whether it's prog or frog. It is MUSIC, and that is what counts.
I have had an appreciation for many JT songs over the years but this album has stood the test of time as a great piece of musical composition, wonderfully executed.
Labels are a trap. Context is helpful; but ultimately, as time passes, the ideas and musicianship remain.
I remember Ian Anderson as being a bit of a troublemaker and wit, so I always thought bring thick as a brick to mean something an bit more erotic, if you know what I mean - but perhaps that's just me…
Anyway, do listen to it again, familiarity breeds understanding and it never stops giving
Me [alias Flannelman]
Critics use labels and more often then not get it wrong, the idea is to listen and take a trip to wherever Ian leads you with this one, screw the labels!
Oh! we haven't thrown in the kitchen sink yet, how bout a drum solo and some free form surrealistic monty python shit? (at 43:25) I think you're right about the drum solo. Tull didn't "jam" even when they jammed it was with more of a purpose. Later, Anderson criticized the pointless "noodling" of prog groups, such a beautiful voice and love the "dripping" acoustic chords from his acoustic guitar.
Guys, yes, many prog band brag about their virtuosity, but in all top prog bands it is about the music. Their musicianship and virtuosity enables them to do extremely interesting music that others cannot.
Yeah, a lot of prog bands made that kind of music simply because they genuinely enjoyed it. Never seen any of them imply that they are superior to other genres or artists. It's a bit egocentric to say that they made that music to feel themselves more intelligent than you. I also think the point of prog being boring is entirely subjective, given the massive popularity some prog bands got, it's clear that there's a lot of people who don't find it boring.
John Evans on the Hammond Organ, Piano and Harpsichord! Brilliant musician and wonderfully played!
That drum solo by Barlow... OMG!! Bonham had nothing on that!!!
All these musicians were hitting their musical peak at this time... If you want a prog/concept album, well there you go Ian and Co. sure brought it!! One of the best albums! You guys need to check out their next prog/concept album "A Passion Play"!!!!!
John Bonham said of Barrie Barlow - "The best Rock drummer England ever produced"
Just heard this album for the first time last week, I love it. Originally found you guys from the King Gizzard reactions and i'm glad to see you guys covering this as well!
Lol right after i posted this nate mentioned them! Glad we are on a similar wavelength
"Borderline" synthesiser is simply piano and organ together.
Have loved this song since 1972. Thanks to "Rufus" for loaning this album.
You made it 😄 and it was great.
Good call on Tull's folk influences.
The album came with a Monty Python-esque back story, claiming the lyrics to the album had been written by a young boy called Gerald Bostock who won a poetry contest with it, but then caused a scandal, because the prize was withdrawn, due to the jury claiming the poem was "against God and country" 😄
The spoof Newspaper cover the original album came with is still super elaborate by today's standards.
Smart-ass info: their most progressive album, in fact, was the follow-up 'A Passion Play', which is more prog than the prog police allowed even in the 1970s, and certainly not a good starting point to get into Jethro Tull.
We had a blast. Thank you for pledging this album for us
The reason music has such a great sound from back then is that they were recorded analog/tape.
Thanks, guys, for respect to Jethro. Still it was a pleasure to relisten to this album with you and see you both like it. Have a good day.
I think 'Celtic' was the word you were looking for when you were talking East Coast and Shanty sounds.
That modulation you speak of could be from the flute. When I saw this played in its intirety in 2012? I saw anderson play the part that sounded like the trumpet earlier on the flute through something or other. Sorry, I'm making too many comments!
I was 18 when this album came out and it was not widely received as a great album back then. It sounds great even now.
The "East Coast sound" is really British/Celtic Folk Rock music, similar to steeleye span, fairport convention and pentangle...
Also the bit about all the heroes writing their memoirs to be published in a paperback version of the boyscout manual is a commentary on all these b-list "famous" people suddenly becoming authors and writing memoirs that only ever get published in paperback by a C - Stream cheap publisher that also publishes the boyscout manual...
I loved the way your modest expectations evolved into a sincere appreciation of the depth of talent here.
Watch the Thick as a Brick live version from Madison Square Garden 1978!
there is a second Thick as a Brick from a few years ago, also very good. You can find under "TAAB2" It asks what happened to that 8 year old boy, what became of him and explores 5 different outcomes that he could have been a banker, priest, an army veteran, an ordinary shopkeeper and there was a fifth one.....the music is very good and at the end it brings it all together talking about how our lives can turn out in so many different ways....you might do a reaction for that one....it may be under Ian Anderson or Jethro Tull. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/u2VThrZq3MY/v-deo.html
As usual you guys are entertaining ! Ryan I'll wait till you return if you return from your dangerous submarine work before picking some great albums to expose you and Nathan to! Boy am I going to suprise you two cellar welps ! 😎
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MORE TULL!
Loved listening with you! Nice job!!! Sorry i wasn't live with you
Great info and comments ty !
Tull was beyond just progressive rock.
They mixed old English folk and medieval sounds.
The all album hs this epic sound as a march. Its just great
Anderson was actually 24 years of age when this was recorded and released; he didn't turn 25 until August 1972; this was recorded in late 1971 early 1972.
Jethro Tull (born 1674, Basildon, Berkshire, Eng.-died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire) was an English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture.
Tull trained for the bar, to which he was called in 1699. But for the next 10 years he chose to operate his father’s farm in Oxfordshire, on which about 1701 he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. This was a notable advance over the usual practice of scattering the seeds by hand. In 1709 Tull bought a farm of his own in Berkshire. While later traveling in France and Italy, he was impressed by the cultivation methods in use in the vineyards, wherein the rows of earth between the vines had been pulverized. This reduced the need for manure and increased aeration and the access of water to and from plant roots, though Tull mistakenly believed that earth was the food of plants and that pulverization made it easier for plants to absorb it. He developed a horse-drawn hoe and successfully adopted the vineyard method to his farm. His success led to the publication of his The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation (1731). Tull’s methods were initially subjected to violent attack, but they were eventually adopted by the large landowners and laid the basis for more modern and efficient British farming.
Aqualung was probably the first Jethro Tull album to earn the label "prog"; it featured their characteristic combination of folksy acoustic and hard electric rock elements in musically complex and creative compositions. Thick As A Brick was their next album.
I graduated from HS in 71’…have listened many times…still don’t grasp the entire meaning…I think ..Ian is only one that does…and that again could have been his motive…still a masterpiece…👍
You might wanna dabble into their earlier stuff like Benefit and This Was, which demonstrated a lot of blues influences. I mean, what is PROG?
Isn't it an amalgamation of everything, a refusal to be or allow yourself to be labeled. Fusion usually labels its multiple derivatives while prog
kind of refused to be limited in even that respect. I think Ian didn't like the thought that prog was self-conscious, when he wasn't attempting
anything of the sort. They used elements of folk, rock, blues and even classical but felt as though anyone claiming that there was intent beyond
simply displaying anything other than a quality piece of music put an emphasis on the artist rather than the music.
However, Ian certainly reveled in the spotlight. It wasn't a lack of humility, it was an almost vaudevillian joyous romp. He was simply that much
into the music and as far as his fellow bandmates, he was their biggest fans and it showed.
I enjoy an awful lot of the band's work Don't get me wrong. However, I think you might need to go back and check your history with the band... I don't think history is going to paint Ian as somebody who treated his bandmates beautifully in fact he was pretty darn brutal to a lot of them...
@@daveking9393 and yet there must have been a certain equity in his criticism. Either that or Martin was just a masochist.
Love This Was!
They did not "add flute to put it over the top." Jethro Tull features the flute on all albums. I fact, it's ironic that their most popular song, Aqualung, does not have any flute.
TUull fan here, enjoyed you review of Thick As ,glad you enjoyed this unique band.There is a couple of prog bands you could check out.Gentle Giant and Family, both British bands from late 6070. .keep up the good work.
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borderline synth is a glockinspiel. "I see you shuffle in the courtroom with your rings upon your fingers and your downy little sidies and your silver buckle shoes. Playing at the hard case, you follow the example of your comic paper idols who let you bend the rules"
I always thought so, too. Either that or a celeste.
I think the music was on the front burner and the tale of the album was for those whom wanted to dig deeper.
Same as Quadrophenia.
Finally: my favorite part is also yours (the end of part one, beginning with the "childhood heroes") 😀
We loved it
It is for me, too. Well, a little before the lyrics when the acoustic guitar starts to blend with that striking instrument. What is it?
A glockenspiel? The vibes? I don't know but each mallet stroke hits me right in my heart.
Something that is lost in a lot of reactions is how tight this band is. Much of the music is played like percussion, the persistency is
short lived and for ANYTHING to be off would be glaring. The bass and drums are extraordinarily precise as well as Martin just
killing it. Is it John Evans on piano and keyboard? Whoever, insane ensemble!
@@lewismaddox4132 glockenspiel or celeste, I think.
And yes, Tull were one of the biggest live forces during the 1970s. Extremely virtuoso and tight. John Evans is an unsung hero on piano and keyboard!
My favourite bit too. IMO the very best but on an altogether excellent album.
I love how they throw the strings in near the end just to "throw in the kitchen sink".
I was a teenager hearing this so happy your looking at this time... :)
Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Zeppelin Financed Monty Python's first movie "The Holy Grail"!
'Holy Grail' was Python's second film. The first was 'Now For Something Completely Different,' which was mainly a compilation of sketches from the TV show.
I know! I'm being picky...
@@uapuat to clarify he did say movie rather than film... "and now..." was not a movie
@@richardctaylor79 Serious question here... What's the difference? I thought those words were synonymous.
@@uapuat A film can be anything such as a video story collection made by someone on UA-cam, or a compilation of small skits or pieces or a short story on FILM" . a movie has a succinct storyline and is usually higher budget and appears in cinemas before the release of the home version, thus the "straight to film" or nowadays "straight to DVD" releases that are generally regarded as a poorer quality and with no promotion.... thats basically the difference.....
Tull did make the flute *huge* in mainstream rock, but The Moody Blues also featured flute quite prominently in their songs.
Greatest concept album of all time
At the end Ian sounds like he's exhausted. Interesting effect.
Actual strings at the end'
When I saw then early 70s there was no-one on a darkened stage by the time the wind arrived.
Ian Anderson the lyricist though born in Blackpool had Scots parents and the fiddle is very Scotish.
It a somewhat autobiographica Chuldhood.
My understanding was that Ian was born in Scotland, his father was Scottish & mother was English. They moved to Blackpool when was quite young - I recall hearing 3. He ran away at 16, and attended art school in Blackpool, where he met some of the original members of the band, before moving south to London. In many performances you’ll see him wearing clothing accessories - vests, jackets, capes - made of his Anderson clan tartan as well as the Anderson clan crest badge on his tam.
Yes, the seated girl on the cover is showing off that she has no underwear on - and on the original prints of the album this is quite clear, but it not being the subject of the photo was totally missed by the record label censors.
The comparison between this album and Tenacious D is spot-on. Great stuff - I'm stealing that one.
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The real irony is that an album who's theme is a parody of the "concept album" is literally a concept album :)
I don't think they were ever satirising progressive music itself. Just the trend for thematic albums at the time.
50 years later... Thick As A Brick is a phenomenal concept album :)
So many things I could say about this album, but just one for right now. John Evan is just fucking killing it with the Hammond organ on this whole album. Did Rick Wakeman get jealous?
Nice commercial right at the end…”to be thick” …commercial!!!…. “as a brick.”
Spoiled it, but GREAT SHOW guys!!
Isn't Jethro Tull awesome? I think you're gonna get hooked. You hit the nail on the head about how Ian was making fun of Prog Rock - that most take it way too seriously. BTW, the very first song on their very first album was an instrumental with a drum solo! And talking about Monty Python sense of humor, and just stopping in the middle... in the middle of their TAAB concerts they would stop in the middle of the song at some random point to answer a phone call that was for "an audience member". Even more - in their next album, A Passion Play, another single-song album, they stop in the middle to read a story about the Hare who Lost His Spectacles!"
If you want to do another Concept Album - Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche.
You're in luck, Ryan reacted to that album on his solo channel!
Check it out here: ua-cam.com/video/8nWFnbuLi9w/v-deo.html
Then here is the podcast episode he talked about it: bit.ly/3HIQKKc
A Passion Play !!!
incredible album
Jethro Tull was a British agriculturist who invented the horse drawn seed drill in 1701. Amazingly many people erroneously thought that Ian Anderson's name was Jethro Tull. How the band decided on that name I have no idea. When they performed this live you would see guys in long overcoats with hats sweeping the stage and one by one would undress and actually be the members of the band. They left the stage the same way as people with overcoats and hats would start breaking down the equ8ipment as the band members disappeared dawning the same attire.
Those electronic effects similar to the flute are meant to mimic Ian's flute. I think think they even double the flute at times. Very clever.
The instrument you had problems identifying with is a violin. Yes, Ian Anderson played violin on the album. He is a genius!
Best album I have ever heard!
In the seventies must of us called it ROCK FOLK MUSIC, as in Scottish folklore, at least that was here in Guatemala
Progressive rock was big at the time. Tull was very progressive. Prog rock was a whole different animal, well worth satirizing.
"I wonder if they are satirizing the drum solo"...wait for it
If you are able, listen to there first 3 albums. Quite the contrast to Thick as a Brick. Blues.
There could be a prog album for you that is (at least for me) just as funny and entertaining as this one. It's "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by Genesis. This album was recorded when Phil Collins was still "only" the drummer of Genesis and Peter Gabriel (The Sledgehammer-guy) was their singer. It's also a concept album, but the concept may be only making sense to Peter Gabriel. It's for sure more fantasy-like than As Thick As A Brick, a bit like a weird twisted Alice In Wonderland.
The Music is of course prog. Genesis were a prog band. However I still think they were not as pretentious as, say, Emerson Lake & Palmer because they also had some humour going on in all of their music. They were more like a unity for me, not just a few musicians writing a song together with each one showing off their talents in 7 minute solos...So "the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is also a very diverse sounding, funny and entertaining but also a bit confusing album. Peter Gabriel also plays flute on one track I believe. It's also split up in a few short songs as well. They have not only classical sounding songs, but also rock and american soundinc classic rock and even a bit of punk on that record, a bit like Omnium Gatherum by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard you have also reacted to...
I think also that it's one of the prog albums that open the door in a way to the genre. I mean, I as a gothic rock guy got into this genre because of early proggy Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Led Zeppelin.
It is a "masterwork." Nothing else like it. Have you listened to BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS SMILE from 2004? It is similar, but different, and quite possibly the most brilliant album ever conceived.
Never have listened to any Brian Wilson
@@WelpHereWeAreOnUA-cam Brian Wilson is the “mad genius” behind (most of) The Beach Boys catalog. He’s known particularly for his layered production and intricate vocal harmonies. A more accessible place to start than Smile might be the 1966 Beach Boys album “Pet Sounds”. It’s said to have inspired the Beatles to record “Sgt. Pepper’s” and has some great songs.
Strange - this is in my music collection, too. 😉😉
It's very sunshine pop, but in a complex way - wonderful arrangements.
Dude, you giggle and smirk at the flute yet admit that you are learning to play the bagpipes! I'll wait to see how you make that instrument rock out. Talk about the pot dissing the kettle.
Awesomeness! We will keep you posted ! Thank you for watching:))
How hard can it be????
The music is very serious on this album. Ian Anderson (the lead singer / flute player) didn’t say it was a spoof until many years later. He was rewriting history. At the time, he made no apologies about the record being a concept album.
In my youth in the 70s, I was a bit of a musical snob, maybe in reaction to growing up with rock being called Satanic, I wanted to prove how good it could be, and was quite impressed with rock that incorporated classical or jazz-like complexity. My favorites were Tull, Yes, ELP, and especially Kansas. Then, friends exposed me to punk, reggae, new wave, and also soul music, and I turned and decided all that prog stuff was bogus. Later, saw that I was being dogmatic about that, and decided to enjoy what I intuitively liked.
I found that I still liked Jethro Tull, very much, but could ;not stand those other prog/art rock bands. I told myself the difference was, Tull didn't take themselves so seriously, so didn't sound pompous like the others; that was just my personal reaction.
I did not know that JT was mocking those other bands with Thick! So, now, my reaction really makes more sense. I still can't enjoy those other bands, much. I can't endure Kansas, who used to be a favorite.
But musical tastes are personal reactions, and mine dont mean anyone else is wrong.
On the lyrics it should say "And your wise 'men' dont know how it feels..."
TAAB came out in 1972
Side 2 is my favorite.
This song is an entire album....about 43 minutes. As a Tull fan, the 12 minutes is nicely condensed for a concert.
Jethro Tull is the name of the group
I think people calling this a "satire of concept albums" have fallen for a bit of a con job by Ian Anderson. I think he denies that this is a concept and also that _A Passion Play_ was any good because he's deflecting criticism of himself as pretentious. I think that, at this time, he was instead ambitious and had the lyrical talent to bring off this ambitions. If anything, it's the albums from _Minstrel in the Gallery_ on that get to be overly tricky and pretentious. This one is great and _A Passion Play_ is freaking T. S. Eliot.
I fully agree with you that some prog can be boring and pretentious. Another band that is wary of the prog tag is Radiohead. I don't care about tags as long as the music is great. Others to check out, apart from more Tull, I suggest you give a listen to Mike Oldfield, Kate Bush, Steven Wilson and the painfully funny Frank Zappa.