Thick As A Brick overrated?
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21869
Printed Date: June 27 2025 at 19:49
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Topic: Thick As A Brick overrated?
Posted By: Sacred 22
Subject: Thick As A Brick overrated?
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 19:47
| Just curious, and of course this will probably stir up the pot. I think the album is overrated. Any thoughts? |
Replies:
Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 19:49
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Absolutely not, IMHO! TaaB is one of the cornerstones of prog! |
Posted By: eddietrooper
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 19:51
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No!
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Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 19:52
No definitely not. Its in my top 5 greatest albums of all time. Excellent lyrics (the band called it "the mother of all concept albums" in an interview, and i think so too) great musicianship. A perfect blend of prog, folk and hard rock.  ------------- 
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 19:54
Its not just overrated....its rubbish too! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 20:05
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One of my favorites. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 20:07
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Thick as a brick is not overrated, but A passion play sure is underrated ------------- 
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 20:10
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Yes. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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chamberry wrote:Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 20:26
I agree with this as well. Thick as a Brick is one of the greatest albums of all-time. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: proglil49
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 20:35
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I don't think too that Thick As A Brick had been overrated. For me, it's the best album that Jethro Tull ever did. ------------- I want to be an astronaut |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 21:00
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No. Not in the slightest. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Losendos
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 21:28
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It's very good though it has it's flaws as do all the top 10. For me the second side doesn't reach the standard of the first ------------- How wonderful to be so profound |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 21:40
Well...that is true...but it´s still an amazing album ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: andYouandI45
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 21:46
| I think you have no balls. |
Posted By: Ghandi 2
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 21:59
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I think that comment has no relevance whatsoever. I think it's overrated only in the sense that everything in the PA top 10 is overrated; it's impossible for it to live up to being on of "the greatest prog albums ever." I agree that APP is underrated. Sure, The Hare... sucks, but the two sections adjacent to the vinyl on TAAB suck too. And at least The Hare... actually has some real music; those sections on TAAB are a bunch of sounds. It would have been better if they just ignored the seperation. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 22:33
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I think TAAB is slightly overrated. The album is excellent, but not as good as A Passion Play, IMO! ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: dagrush
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 22:43
My sentiments exactly. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/omgwtfdagrush/"> 
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Posted By: R_DeNIRO
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 23:27
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------------- We were always be much human than we whish to be. |
Posted By: bamba
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 23:32
well is the masterpiece of the subgenre. but a little overrated  ------------- Learning Flute [Amigo de Manticore y Memowakeman] (primo)[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/2437702285_fbb450500d_o.jpg |
Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 23:35
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Prog Perfection. It's only competition is CTTE. There is so much going on in that album it is mind boggling. Every listen I discover something new. I love the non-linear structure of it. It's what makes albums like Close to the Edge great. The song structures are more like intricate cobwebs rather than riff based music. Little references and implications and subtleties not found in your every-day prog album, all glued togethor in a giant jigsaw puzzle of music. Unmatched. ------------- 
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Posted By: ken4musiq
Date Posted: April 16 2006 at 23:44
| This was Anderson's need to provev that he could write a through composed concept album. And he did it better than anyone else. |
Posted By: Philrod
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:03
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Nope. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Philrod/?chartstyle=Geldropdown-small"> 
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Posted By: OldFatherThames
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:14
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God no... Without a quesiton on the top three of the best progresive album. I think TaaB is a perfect album...no weak moments... |
Posted By: Sacred 22
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:14
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The funny thing, the band says in the interview on the re-master that thier was no plan or idea, it just came together. They said that the cover art took longer than the actual music. It seems to me that they kind of put this thing together on the fly, another words it's jammed out. Sorry, maybe I just don't get it. Ya, lots of notes and timing changes, but then so does a good jazz jam with good musicans. |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:18
No, it's just that everything else is underrated!  ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:26
And just what is the point in that comment?  -------------  |
Posted By: Sacred 22
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:34
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exactly, it serves no purpose to attempt to insult people because they don't share your opinion and if I am a woman, I don't need or want balls. |
Posted By: martinprog77
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 00:56
 ------------- Nothing can last there are no second chances. Never give a day away. Always live for today. |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:06
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Absolutely not!!It is one of prog's finest albums. ------------- 
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Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:07
Giant age gap in action  -------------
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Posted By: eriksalkeld
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:12
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Not overrated at all, one of the best rock albums of all time for sure, even if my personal favorite JT album is Songs from the Wood ------------- Autenticidad, actitud, pluralidad, espiritu e inteligencia, si es prog bien, si no, tambien. |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:27
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Please explain me this, if the ten best albums by Prog Archives are overrated, then all the best ten albums of every reliable Progressive Rock site are overrated, because I assure you:
Are in almost every Prog site in the top ten. Of course you can find Foxtrot, Nursery Cryme and probably another Yes album in many other sites also. So, the vast majority of Prog fans around the world who visit the net (I believe most of the fans do) are wrong and overrate the music. Would love to see your top ten, because this makes me curious. Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Rorro
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:40
| No way!! it's not overrated, it is an excellent album, a masterpiece |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:43
that's right.after Aqualung,hearing that many called it a concept album he said NOW I'LL GIVE YOU A CONCEPT ALBUM YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!!  -------------
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 01:46
It has nothing to do with an age gap.It has everything to do with treating people with some respect.Not one person who posted before that comment said anything to warrant that kind of response. ------------- |
Posted By: Dragon Phoenix
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 04:05
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Overrated is an overrated word. If you mean: is it mandatory to love the album, then the answer is definitely no. Personally, it does not do much for me even after numerous spins. But we all have different tastes even though we all love prog. ------------- Blog this: http://artrock2006.blogspot.com |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 04:16
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overrated compared to what..? the PA member ratings are what they are. "thick as a brick" is an excellent album, i'm not really a Tull fan but i have "this was..." , "stand up" and "thick as a brick" and enjoy them on occasion, and i love reading the newspaper sometimes - a Triumph TR4 for £245.??? ...those were the days!!!! -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: Sacred 22
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 04:23
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That's how I feel about it. I own the album, but I have trouble really getting into it. It seems to mimic itself over and over again. I don't know, but it's interesting to see how many people really like this album. That's fine, we need variety in thinking in this world. I grew up in that era and I listened to it all and now I pretty much listen to YES, Genesis (Genesis not as often as I once did). ELP rarely. King Crimson a bit more and some Zappa. Pink Floyd on occasion. Some of the other stuff I kind of lost interest in. A good example would be Gentle Giant and the Strawbs. I tend to listen to lots of fusion and some newer progressive rock. Porcupine Tree grabs me as well as some of the Flower Kings stuff, Spock's Beard, and the Liquid Tension stuff is great. Riverside is a pleasant surprise as well. To me the band that really grabs me though is still YES. After all those years I still think they are the finest band I have ever heard. |
Posted By: Joolz
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 06:04
Well, if that's how you feel, all I can say is "I really don't mind if you sit this one out ....." IMHO it is underrated ..... by the non-Prog world! No, it's not overrated - it deserves to be up amongst the greats. |
Posted By: Ounamahl
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 06:09
Again, there is no such thing as overrated. I rated TAAB 3 stars, I don't like it (some great moments) and I might not get it why people like it. But it's my loss if I don't like it... (I wish I liked it  )
------------- This is an electrified fairytale |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 06:33
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TAAB is musically stronger than the whole careers of any rock band that has formed after 1980 :). It's also better than most rock bands careers formed before 1980 ;) |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 06:38
the shortening of Thick as a Brick to TAAB is so ugly,BTW 
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Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 07:11
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Probably overrated when it comes to Progressive Rock. However, It is still very underrated in the whole rock n'roll spectrum. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Tony Fisher
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 08:32
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Not if people like it, it isn't. It's where it is because people have rated it so. Personally, I slightly prefer Aqualung. I'd rate TAAB (yes, it looks ugly) as a very good 4* album. It doesn't captivate me in the way (say) Snow Goose, Argus or Selling England do. But the cover is brilliant. |
Posted By: soundspectrum
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 09:20
| How is it overated in the world of progressicve rock? |
Posted By: Firepuck
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 09:47
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Whatever people's opinions are - and they vary greatly - if you are a progressive rock fan you owe it to yourself to give this album at least one good listen and judge for yourself. There is a reason it is so highly reverved by so many prog fans. ------------- Kryten : "'Pub'? Ah yes, A meeting place where humans attempt to achieve advanced states of mental incompetence by the repeated consumption of fermented vegetable drinks." |
Posted By: Firepuck
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 09:48
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^ Oh, and to answer your question, IMO not over-rated at all. ------------- Kryten : "'Pub'? Ah yes, A meeting place where humans attempt to achieve advanced states of mental incompetence by the repeated consumption of fermented vegetable drinks." |
Posted By: akin
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 10:17
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No overrated. This album is to me the perfection of progressive rock. Overrated is dull most of the times. Even if you don't like the top ten albuns, you can't deny that the inspiration and musicianship of the members of the band are superb. Overrated should be used to describe artists who make (or made) success because of other things rather than their musical talent (as appearance, "rebel without a cause" behaviour, sexual appeal, great media exposure or things like that) |
Posted By: Gomurisu
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 11:03
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Definately not! It's the greatest album Tull ever did, and one of the greatest rock albums ever!
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Phoenix_/?chartstyle=RecordArmMonochrome"> 
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Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 12:11
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It's over-rated. Aqualung and a Minstrel in the Gallery were much better. |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 12:17
What a typical fanboy response. That statement is so preposterous it is laughable. ------------- |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 12:45
I scratch my head and wonder  -------------
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Posted By: Tuzvihar
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 14:27
Ditto! ------------- "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent." Charles Bukowski |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 21:46
| give me tools best 10 songs and it would only make an album 1/2 as good as TAAB. Thanks ;) |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: April 17 2006 at 21:48
------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 04:36
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but i dont think tool would have 10 songs I would rate as good good=8/10 |
Posted By: MorgothSunshine
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 05:03
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In my opinion YES IT IS! It's a great album, of course, but here in prog archives is surely overrated, I don't think it could be considered one of the best 10 prog albums of all the times, probably one of the best 25! ------------- For every truth even the contrary is true... 
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Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 14:03
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No it's not, its a progressiv masterpiece. ------------- 
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 14:04
But more people would listen to them.  ------------- |
Posted By: bsurmano
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 14:12
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Definitely yes, overrated. ------------- 'Sundown,yellow moon, I replay the past I know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast..... Either I'm too sensitive or else I'm gettin' soft.' Bob Dylan |
Posted By: ken4musiq
Date Posted: April 18 2006 at 16:55
I think we are both right. The band wanted to prove that they could do this 'through composed' album, for lack of a better term. The satire is the concept and holds that album together. Anderson really kept a tight control over the band from what I have read. He said about Songs from the Wood that the album worked well because he had freed the reigns of the musicians and let them do what they want for a change. That being said, listening to Anderson's work in the 1980s, one can readily see what these musicians brought to the table. Why would somebody criticize Thick as a Brick? It is ingeniously witty in its satire, wonderfully lyrical musically and the ensemble is really playing at some of progs best. If you are going to talk about jazz or any other music we can criticize most prog saying, the music is not fully integrated and organic like classical composition says it should be; the playing often lacks what the great jazz masters brought to the table. It is often pretentious and overblown. Hey, on all three accounts, that's what I like about the music. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: April 19 2006 at 08:30
| TAAB is one of the top 5 albums of all time. I don't think Genesis had anything as exciting. Only Foxtrot would be up there. It's definately the best song of all time. The first 20 minutes is unbeatable and the last 20 minutes is not far behind |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: April 19 2006 at 08:58
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Aaarrgh! By "overrated," do you mean that I (and many others) don't like the album as well as I say I do, and that when I reviewed, I gave it an inflated rating on purpose? Perhaps you think you can "teach" me not to like it as much as I do? No offense, but these "overrated' topics are really DUMB. Do you think there's a pro-TAAB conspiracy, or something, or that all the numerous fans of this classic album are deluded, or just not as perceptive as yourself? What are you really trying to say? "This is a very popular album, but I don't like it very much." I love TAAB and I always will. This thread won't change that, or my rating of the album. ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Who cares? 
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: April 19 2006 at 10:28
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My main problem with this type of thread is that when you say that an album is "overrated," you are not just commenting on YOUR reaction to that album (which you have every right to do), but also on OTHERS' reaction to that album (which you have no real right to do). I (like many others here) was one of the people who took the time to review and rate TAAB. I carefully thought about my rating before assigning it, as I do for all of my reviews. When you write that TAAB is "overrated" here, you are, through your ill-advised choice of words (and whether you mean to or not), attacking my (and others') integrity re my review and rating of the album, as well as my taste in music. I really think "overrated" is a DUMB, confrontational word to use for describing an album's status here: I can imagine an album, book, restaurant, etc being "overrated" by an individual reviewer when there is a bribe given by those who wish to sell more of their product (in radio, this is known as "payola"). I can even imagine, for example, a building or bridge's value or safety being "overrated" in the same manner -- money changes hands, and the building or bridge is made to appear more valuable/safer than it really is. BUT: I (as with ALL who review here) receive NO PAYMENT WHATSOEVER for my reviews and opinions. I am a volunteer -- a non-professional critic with absolutely no vested interest in delivering anything but my honest opinion of an album. I gave TAAB five stars, because I really DO like it that much. I enjoy it as much as I enjoy ANY album. To say that YOU don't care for a popular album is one thing, but to imply that I (and all others who love the album) should not like it as much as I do, and rate it as highly as I do, or that I am somehow misinformed, or being deceptive, is arrogant and confrontational in the extreme. This thread REALLY says that the topic originator does not like this popular album very much. So why not just say that (if you must)? Review the album yourself -- address this grave injustice -- but stop using the word "overrated." ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: August 09 2006 at 07:02
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Actually, six first minutes of each movement are excellent. Unfortunatly, after it becomes repetitive, flat, uninspired... 
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Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 09 2006 at 07:10
| I recall I disliked this album much when I listened to it long time ago, but I just loaned it from the library for relistening. In my opinion JT's best releases come from the 60's. |
Posted By: Kleynan
Date Posted: August 09 2006 at 10:50
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Maybe a little overrated. But only because they made A Passion Play, which is much better. ------------- 
You've just had a heavy session of electroshock therapy, and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks. |