THICK AS A BRICK

This is a musical masterpiece and the first concept album by Jethro Tull. Thick As A Brick was inspired by a poem about a ficticious boy and has a lot to do with the trials of growing up. There are some really interesting lyrics here but for me the best thing about the album is the music.

The progression here is built around a lot of acoustic folk which is often very melodic. Of course there are rockier moments too with lots of time signatures and tempo changes. A large number of themes and sections weave around the 45 minute piece divided into 2 parts. A lot of people liken the arrangements to a classical symphony and it is the first JT album with such a symphonic touch. A lot of instruments play a part as well as the main string arrangements.

Loads of things are going on with this piece so repeated listens are bound to draw you in even more. An essential part to your collection. 5 stars for certain.