Everything was too serious and overblown. People, who abdicate their responsibility to think, allow sadists to take power. Job done, Id say. Thick as a Brick By Ben Gerson June 22, 1972 Although not in the shops yet, I was able to acquire a 'white label' pressing of the current Jethro winner Thick As A Brick from their London. Most of the characters in the newspaper were members of the band, their management, road crew, or colleagues. and he pees himself in the night. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP. Let me help you pick up your dead as the sins of the father are fed All of the potentially good aspects of a particular moral fad are eclipsed when, inevitably, a sadist takes over and upsets the balance. The newspapers contents were written mostly by Anderson, bassistJeffrey Hammondand keyboardist John Evan. To me, thats what we as a band did on Thick As A Brick. The three-minute pop song had become pass. 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 . your super crooks And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are Thick as a Brick (thing) by Electricsound Tue Sep 19 2000 at 4:48:22 The 1972album by the concept-loving folk rockers Jethro Tull. Believe it or not, I just perused this thing for the first time today. 0 bids. [55] Rush's Geddy Lee has said Thick as a Brick is one of his favourite albums,[56] as has Iron Maiden's Steve Harris.[57]. The original packaging, designed like a newspaper . And, they all make small talk whilst doing the same monotonous thing day after day. The very reason why I hate Cds. I was a student at the University of Kentucky located in Lexington , Kentucky back then ( my hometown was Louisville , Kentucky - eighty (80) miles away ) and I recorded the entire album on a ninety (90) minute cassette tape from my professional recording cassette deck that I used as my . He called Thick as a Brick "Jethro Tull's own stand-or-fall epic after the lines of Tommy" and "an assault on the mediocrity and harshness of lower-middle-class existence in '70s Britain". Late in 1971, they began work on their next album, Thick as a Brick. The tidal destruction The moral melee. Aqualung sold steadily, so either Thick As A Brick was going to take off, or wed just sink. You must start inventing Miracles and other mechanisms that indicate the existence of an all-powerful, personified being. Sarcasm, again: I guess that its a good idea to let super-heroes and figments of our imagination rule our lives, nest pas?. And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you though? What are you going to do now?! God I miss covers like this. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! The album was recorded in late 1971 and features music composed by Ian Anderson and arranged with the contribution of all band members. In Chateau DIsaster, the lost album just after TAAB, Ian attacks the Rat Race the business people whom he charicatures as various types of animals. Jack floats back through time. But, for me, thats beauty of true prog rock it must have both.. The poet has just finished a masterpiece, whereas the soldier is frothed up and ready to begin the slaughter again. Thick as a Brick was deliberately crafted in the style of a concept album, as well as a "bombastic" and "over the top" parody of the then-prevalent vogue for concept albums. Was he trying to make it all ultimately bomb-proof? Anderson produced afollow-up to the albumin 2012, focusing on the adult life of the fictional Gerald Bostock. [78], Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. How they are handed down. The pavements are empty: the gutters run red while the fool the wiser man who rushes clear. They thought that they were different from their elders, yet they quickly conformed to each other and formed a new wave. While the conversation is civil, it is possible to see John arguing with his father, but when the intensity rises, I see Ians opinions poking through and taking over Johns character Ian drops his guard and drops the pretense of telling a story. [6] Some parts were recorded in a single take with every member having an input, including significant contributions from keyboardist John Evan. I must admit to being a little surprised that we got to the top of the charts over there, says Anderson. In general, I feel that Ian believes in free will and in the humanitarian aspects of modern religions we can determine our own actions and we are charged with the responsibility to act with compassion towards ourselves, other people, animals and nature. [15][16], Thick as a Brick was viewed by some critics as Jethro Tull's first progressive rock album. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Essentially its setting out future scenarios of what might happen., Some of the elements in the lyrics are quite serious, offers Anderson, where I drew upon my own childhood and my own early experiences for ideas for sections within the overall work. Cover photo Thick as a Brick copybyArizona Parrotis licensed underCC BY-ND 2.0, First Image Ian Anderson, Jethro Tullbybeanmunsteris licensed underCC BY 2.0, Second image jethro tull 9/4/73bytony morelliis licensed underCC BY-SA 2.0, 2023 Record Album Art Recording engineer Robin Black played a local roller-skating champion. For the 50th anniversary, a new vinyl pressing of the Wilson remix, mastered at half speed, was released with the original newspaper cover. A true artist feels certain emotions and convictions, then writes/paints/composes items which go with that flow. at its launch in 1981. Seagulls tend to feed on the detritus at the edge of the shore. Theyve managed to brain-wash Jack. In its place were labyrinthine epics about things like Greek nymphs, moon dogs and strange Russian hogweed. Worse, if you convince anyone else to go along with your belief in the existence of God, without proof, then you must perpetuate that white-lie. Thick as a Brick was deliberately crafted in the style of a concept album, as well as a "bombastic" and "over the top" parody of the then-prevalent vogue for concept albums. Ian describes societys fickle virtues and morals by likening them to sand-castles they easily crumble whenever a new fad (wave) hits. [21], The original LP cover was designed as a spoof of a 12-by-16-inch (300mm 410mm) 12-page small-town English newspaper, entitled The St. Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser, with articles, competitions and advertisements lampooning the typical parochial and amateurish journalism of the local English press. I.e. [30] At the start of the show, men wearing capes appeared onstage and began sweeping the floor, counting the audience and studying the venue; after a few minutes, some of them revealed themselves to be members of the band and began to play. With their jock-straps pinching, they slouch to attention. But there are a few missing members of the original album, namely Jethro Tull. [6] Although Anderson wrote all the music and lyrics, he co-credited the writing to a fictional schoolboy named Gerald Bostock. Which one will he choose? The original album cover was designed as aspoofof a 12-page small-town English newspaper, entitledThe St. Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser. When Ian claims that these lyrics dont make a whole lot of sense, hes obviously commenting on the fact that he didnt try to keep to a single coherent story line. Jethro Tull: the story behind Thick As A Brick By Malcolm Dome ( Prog ) last updated July 14, 2022 In 1971, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson set out with tongue-in-cheek to make "the mother of all concept albums". So, even the Hippies, who thought of themselves as free-thinkers, were not immune to the disease. [8] Unlike previous albums, where Anderson had generally written songs in advance, only the initial section of the album had been worked out when the band went into the studio. It is a relief to him that he doesnt have to be an activist for all of his life, that his ideas are being accepted without struggle. Structurally more ambitious than Aqualung, and supported by an elaborately designed jacket in the form of a newspaper, this record was essentially one long song steeped in surreal imagery, social commentary, and Anderson's newly solidified image as a wildman-sage. you mean 25th, I presume Glad I kept a sealed copy then Well, I'm kind of crapping in my own thread here, but. http://www.orthogonal.com.au/music/taab/index.htm, 2 inches West of where I was 365 days ago, Forum Policies, Rules, and Terms of Service. [24] The front cover includes a piece where Bostock is accused without foundation of being the father of his 14-year-old friend Julia's child. are not to be expected for a year. I think I read every single word in it when it was released. God I miss covers like this. [3] His wife Jennie was also an inspiration, whom he credited to have devised the character and lyrics to "Aqualung". , , 9 spotlight, , 6 activity book, - , 2 2100, 6 , 6 , 3 3 , a aa a, a 11 a , , , 10-11 , a 9 a new millennium, , 8 , 7 2006, , , , 10 2008 2008 2008, 7 , , aaa a, 10 a a aa, 8 , 2009 7 , 9 , 2 , 9 , 7 . , , .. Today it is regarded as a classic of progressive rock, and has received several accolades. TAAB is just another 60s protest song (albeit, masterfully done). Wars are waged in the name of Religion and are perpetuated by the fools who cant see the connection. I drew upon my own childhood and my own early experiences for ideas for sections within the overall work. So, I stood apart from others of my age, and drew on this for the character of Gerald Bostock. And they all wear bulges to attract the ladies Another Ian Phrase-Twist, a simple word substituted into a common phrase. Why dont you just let your 2-dimensional comic book super heroes lead you through life? The first pressing of the DVD/CD box contained a faulty DVD with significant audio errors. When progressive rock started out, it was all about bands such as ourselves moving beyond merely being influenced by American blues. [2] Reviewing the 40th anniversary reissue, Noel Murray suggested that many listeners of the original album "missed the joke". But perhaps this comes down more to the whole premise of progressive rock rather than anything else at least as far as Anderson is concerned. So! Ian Anderson recorded a new version specifically for the commercial to avoid having another artist do it. your real self sings the song. Let me sing of the losers who lie in the street as the last bus goes by. theme which Ian develops in later albums. I may make you feel but I cant make you think. Use the pen and the mind or use the sword and brawn. The album has been reissued on CD several times: the first CD release (1985),[58] the MFSL-release (1989),[58] the 25th Anniversary Edition (1997), and the 40th Anniversary Edition (2012). The music themes change very quickly, at around 5 minutes the song changes into a dramatic sounding tune. But I was also drawing very much on the world of the eight-year-old Gerald Bostock. The subject of this piece is no longer Ian it is someone else, Jack, lets say, who has succumbed to integration into society. Privately, we all saw the silly side, we were like John Cleese in a bowler hat lampooning the bureaucrats, while revelling in it.. Stream songs including "Thick As A Brick, Pt. I like the story regarding the Reprise exec who has his briefcase stolen. Monty Python lampooned the British way of life, says Anderson. Jethro Tull in 1972: \u201cThick As A Brick was the mother of all concept albums\u201d, (Image credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot\/Redferns), Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson on politics, God, and Ritchie Blackmore's clothing, How Headspace made All That You Fear Is Gone, The story of Steven WIlson's The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories), D'Virgilio, Morse and Jennings: three of a proggy kind, I really didnt expect the scale of the success: The story behind Asia's self-titled debut album, Every issue delivered direct to your door. Wars are waged in the name of Religion and are perpetuated by the fools who see! The detritus at the edge of the DVD/CD box contained a faulty DVD significant... All make small talk whilst doing the same monotonous thing day after day members of the charts over there says. Just sink a dramatic sounding tune fictional Gerald Bostock John Evan own experiences! 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