Published on Feb 4, 1997
What is this, concept album week? Yesterday Bill Ziemer looked
at Queensryche’s opus
Operation: Mindcrime; today, same idea, different group and
album.
British group Jethro Tull’s first attempt at a concept album
(Ian Anderson has repeatedly said that
Aqualung was not a concept album), their 1972 effort
Thick As A Brick features some of the best performances this
group ever did – but they can only maintain that level of expertise
for so long.
The concept is that the song is based on a controversial poem by
child prodigy Gerald Bostock (in reality written by Anderson). The
group carried the idea to a whole new level by designing the album
jacket to resemble a 16-page newspaper. (Some may call this a
stroke of genius, others may see it as having way too much free
time. You be the judge.)
The album opens with a folky sound, featuring Anderson’s vocals,
acoustic guitar and flute, with just a touch of drums, bass and
electric guitar. This movement is one of the best-known on the
album, having been featured on two of Tull’s best-of collections.
But just when you think the album will feature the band delving
into their folk roots (which they would do about five years later),
the album explodes into a jazzy beat that is hypnotizing and
frenzied. Martin Barre’s guitar work and John Evan’s keyboards
provide a solid foundation for the band, with bassist Jeffrey
Hammond-Hammond and drummer Barriemore Barlow rounding out the
troupe.
This is where it becomes difficult to review the album. Because
Thick As A Brick is essentially a two-sided song, it is hard
to determine criteria for judging the work. (Was that last portion
movement seven, eight or twelve?) So, we’re left to see if the
whole piece flows smoothly and does not become tiring to listen
to.
And for the first side, the album succeeds. The different
movements are solidly written and performed, and the side quickly
passes for the listener. However, the second side sounds more
forced than the first, possibly showing that Anderson and crew were
running out of ideas near the end. The first warning sign comes
when Barlow kicks into a mini-drum solo frenzy, backed by
Anderson’s flute and percussion. The second side should be
approached with caution.
The experience obviously didn’t sour Jethro Tull on concept
albums; they tried again the following year with
A Passion Play – with disastrous results.
Thick As A Brick is not an album that listeners will
immediately warm up to. But if you give it several listens, you’ll
find some of Jethro Tull’s best work – as well as some of their
weakest.