THICK AS A BRICK

Here we have the most famous 1-song-album of all time. A 43 minute beast that is a mishmash of folk and pure progressive rock. It is an album that surely deserves it's position as one of the top rated albums on PA. Whether you're sitting by a campfire, going for a stroll, or just sitting down on the couch waiting for the time to pass, you can pop this album in and indulge yourself in the pure art that Jethro Tull has presented for us.

The song: Part 1 takes off right away with a great acoustic riff, some bouncy flute work, and vocals from Ian Anderson. This section goes through many moods, but is for the most part, fast pace. The entire section makes great use of beautiful flute melodies and very progressive instrumental sections. This part will keep your attention for the entirety of it as it never drags on.

Part 2 begins with one of the faster melodies heard in Part 1, then takes us into a very fast drum solo. This part can be seen as a sort of reprise of Part 1, as it doesn't contain much material that you already haven't heard. Still, this section is still a great listen and ends majestically with a beautiful string section and one final saying of the chorus. Pure bliss...

PROS:

Lyrics: My personal favourite lyrical work of all time. Anderson's lyric writing style is just so unique with lines like "Really don't mind if you sit this one out / My word's but a whisper your deafness a shout" in the beginning.

The flute: The song is largely flute-based and contains some gorgeous flute melodies and some bouncy and memorable ones. Anderson really shows off his mastery of the flute in this work of art.

Musicianship: Every instrument gets it's time to shine here. The acoustic guitar delivers beautiful melodies, the drums get their long but very entertaining drum solos, and the harpsichord plays some fast paced and incredibly fun parts in the instrumental sections.

Consistency: There isn't a single disappointing moment throughout the song. There aren't many 43-minute songs that can say that.

CONS:

Repetition: Part 2 does get a little repetitive at parts and sometimes when you're waiting for a new melody to be presented, you are instead shown something you've heard.

Recommended for: Fans of epics. Fans of a perfect blend of folk and pure prog.

My rating: 5 stars. Unquestionably one of the true gemstones of folk and prog in general.

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