THICK AS A BRICK

One of the most acclaimed prog records of all time, and perennially in PA's top 10, Thick as a Brick is certainly a behemoth of an album. In a way, this is stereotypical prog- long songs (erm... song- one 43 minute song), concepts (like making fun of concept albums), winding instrumental passages, flute, and the list goes on. Anyway, the album is very solid, featuring Anderson's always great lyrics- the overall meaning is probably growing up, though there's probably much more to this. than just that. The flute that Jethro Tull has become famous for is used to great effect on TAAB, creating peaceful atmospheres where needed, in contrast to other, harder parts anchored by the other instruments- everything is played very, very well, and each instrument finds a way to the foreground at some point- on only side one, you'll find a flute solo a quarter of the way through,the acoustic guitar that begins the album, an organ solo a little more than halfway through, an many, many parts where each instrument works together with the others to make a part filled with feelings and emotion. Overall, the album is a sprawling, meaty monster- however, the album's only flaw is that it's TOO big- the one song IS 43 minutes, after all, and at points, connections or pieces are a bit weak. This is certainly a challenging listen, and not for the fain of heart- however, if you have the time and open mind to take this in, it's amazing. My rating is four stars, recommended to fans of "traditional" seventies prog, and any beginners who want to know what prog is all about- it may take a while to fully appreciate the album, but it pays back double for your efforts.