THICK AS A BRICK

In my opinion, "Thick As A Brick" is a good album but not a beautiful album. Not one of the greatest in prog history. It's important, I know, for prog history, because for the first time a group produced an album with only one suite. But musically, the inspiration is not high. Melodies are not remarkable.

First side: the beginnig is very good, maybe the only melody easy to remember in the hole album. But minute after minute the rhythm became too much supported or repetitive, near to math rock of Gentle Giant, and the final is compulsive.

Second side: overexcited beginning, then acoustic melodies, then a lot of variety of arrengements; but It seems to me that the passages are forced. In the end returns the initial melody.

This is an album without anticlimax but even without climax. Homogeneous, and with a good execution; the arrangements are very neat and varied. Ian Anderson proves to be able to brush music from many musical styles (the early blues is just one of many contributions to the record) and to know how to do without his flute for long breaks. But the suite does not flow easily, it results too built, more forced than spontaneous.

It seems to me that one reason for the great consideration Thick As A Brick enjoys is due to the fact that the whole album is composed by a suite. The Jethro Tull are to be commended for the evolution they have had, in fact this album is a very great effort for this band and even for the progressive rock, but, in my opinion, a record made by a single suite doesn't make automatically the greatness and the beauty of an album.

Vote: 7,5/8. Three stars.