THICK AS A BRICK 2 (AKA: TAAB2)

Ian Anderson

Prog Folk

3.75 | 440 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

russellk
Prog Reviewer

So IAN ANDERSON decides to write a follow-up to the great 'Thick as a Brick'. I don't know why - and, truly, I wish he hadn't. For as pretty as this is, it detracts from the original.

He goes at it with all the gusto of a 64-year-old, and it shows in the music. Few risks, little energy and none of the joie de vivre we enjoyed from the first TAAB. A few motifs lifted from the original - the strongest figure (Banker Bets, Banker Wins, and others) seems to have been taken from the song 'Minstrel in the Gallery' - a bit of acoustic noodling and some limp flute. Was there a rhythm section? I didn't hear one.

The concept is about as interesting as the music. A younger ANDERSON would have selected one future for Gerald Bostock and followed it through. Providing us with a range of possible futures is a cop-out. None of them touch us because we know they're all illusory.

Annoyingly, his trick worked. I bought the album. I had to: what if it had been worthy of the original?

It wasn't.

russellk | 2/5 | 2012-4-23

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Share this IAN ANDERSON review

Social review comments () BETA

Review related links

Send comments to russellk
Report this review (#743480)
Buy IAN ANDERSON music online with PA partners
Show all IAN ANDERSON MP3/Stream
Go to IAN ANDERSON page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
Go to Thick as a Brick 2 (aka: TAAB2) page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
Search the Forum for IAN ANDERSON related discussions