THICK AS A BRICK

Thick as a Brick is definitely an exceptional piece of work, and probably Tull's finest effort. As epic pieces go this has to rank among the top 10 ever. There are about 5 distinct melodies, each very powerful and greatly moving. Tull manages to connect these main themes seamlessly for the most part. One remarkable effect of this work is that I remember it being easy to 'grasp' and appreciate by the first listen (not a quality shared in most epic songs, especially in the 40 minute range). With this piece Jethro Tull really manages to draw out all of the best elements that progressive rock (in particular folk progressive) has to offer.

If there is one flaw it would be in the few spots that the band seems to be jamming and moving aimlessly, at one point they actually just shut the operation down and start fresh. It is because of these 'dead' spots that I reluctantly give this four stars as opposed to five.