Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Thick as a Brick (Pt. 1) (1997 Remaster) ORIGINAL VIDEO: • Thick as a Brick (Pt. ... Patreon: www.patreon.com/criticalreactions Twitter: critreactions
Exactly. It is one single song. But on a LP record there is space for only about 25 mins. Or did anybody wonder why songs like Supper's Ready or The Gates of Delirium are about that time long?
Yep exactly though watching them do it live July 1972 (four months after release) where Side One from the record ends, the band breaks for intermission. The "gronk gronk gronk" start of Side Two is a call to return as the song continues.
I found this record in my Dad's music collection freshman year of high school ....and listened to it at least 20 times a week for years. Had the joy to see a portion of it played live.
It was not a spoof anything lol He means every little thing he does from fluttering to gasping lol Make no mistake, this is nothing but cutting political social commentary and he meant every sad word. Did you ignore the lyrics? And what would that make Passion Play ? 😆
Ian plays a jazz style flute, influenced as he was by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, which would explain his "rougher" style (as oppposed to pure, classical style), humming while playing, tongue-ing, etc.
@@terryloveuk Yes, orchestrally speaking, the flute is a proud member of the woodwind group (as opposed to trumpets, saxes, etc as brass). I'm guessing (and I'm sure it's easy enough to dig up the history) that "woodwind" came from the early life of the flute (Renaissance era and before, pre-dating metallic elements in its construction).
@@terryloveuk There ya go! About a decade ago, I was teaching elementary music classes, and the "sections of the orchestra" was right in our lane at that point, even to the point of field trips to watch symphony orchestras play! Good times!
You really need to hear part two to get the full experience of this song. It's really intended as one song but they had to split it up to put it on both sides of the record. In fact, when I first bought this album on CD, it was just one giant 45 min track. It was actually meant to be an over the top parody of prog rock concept albums. Jethro Tull's previous album, Aqualung, was often categorized as a concept album by music critics because of the common themes that ran through the songs. But Ian Anderson insisted it was just a bunch of songs, not a concept album at all. In retaliation he wrote a parody of a concept album, Thick As a Brick, one giant song that took up both sides of the album. The concept was that of Jeremy Bostock, a boy genius who won a contest for an incredibly long and complex poem he wrote. The poem was filled with symbolism that was intentionally nonsensical, but would cause critics to try and read deeper meanings into it. The poem was then put to the music of Jethro Tull and the album sleeve folded out into the shape of a newspaper filled with fake ads and news stories that included the lyrics and liner notes. Of course there was no such person as Jeremy Bostock, and the lyrics were actually written by Ian Anderson himself. The whole thing was meant to be a prank on music critics, many of whom believed the story was real. The ironic thing is, that despite the album being a parody of prog rock concept albums, it wound up being celebrated as one of the best prog rock concept albums of all time. To this day it's often in the top 5 of best prog rock albums of all time.
@ItzThe Poyratz Yes toured with Jethro Tull in 1971 and I think Yes was an influence on Tull to move into a more proggy direction after Aqualung. So yes, they have interacted. Plus they shared at least one band member: Eddie Jobson.
All the band members played their respective instruments you hear in this... keep in mind that music technology back in 1972 was very much in its infancy, so if you wanted a unique sound you had to play it yourself or use the instrument creatively. Organ sound is a Hammond Organ, btw! The other was a harpsichord, xylophone, and a lute. Lot of overdub in the recording. They are masters of time signatures and making them sound fluid... lot of 7/8, some 4/4 and 3's. Only 6 band members. You'd be surprised that although sounding improv like you mentioned, it's actually all written out and composed, everything had a purpose. The amazing thing is it doesn't sound like that which is the beauty of it all! Keep in mind this is a Theme, which themes can repeat and morph. They do a purposeful job in the composition of "bringing it back" to a prior theme from earlier in the album but then taking it to a different theme/place. Listen to a live version of this... it's morphed thru the years in how they played it live... they actually played it all when they toured with this and each band member had an extended solo. Later they trimmed it down to 12-15min when played live. They were in their early 20's when they wrote and recorded this... Ian Anderson wrote the outline w/lyrics and all in a couple of weeks. The band then refined it and put it all together in another 2 weeks... AMAZING when you think about it in terms of how artists write and record these days! You REALLY missed out on where the end of Part 1 was going by not listening to Part 2... that's a shame dude!! Gotta listen to the whole album!! I think you'd also like A Passion Play by Jethro Tull another (this time) and actual FULL BLOWN concept album
I find it bizarre that someone would react to a piece of music/band without a tiny bit of research. 'Not sure what the instrument is, some thing in the flute family', about a band that since 1968 has been internationally renowned for having a flute playing lead singer/songwriter.
It's now July 2021 and this record still makes me laugh and feel good. It's an all-time favorite of mine. I first heard it way back in 1973 when I was 14 years old, (62 now). Bryan, its one song which has about eight different pieces to it, (maybe more). In the good old days all we had were 33&1/3 vinyl records. That's why its chopped in two. You've got to take the time to turn the record over and hear what's next. There was a newspaper of about six pages long that was carried inside of the sleeve of the original record. (I don't know if CD's will give you the privilege of the newspaper) It was hilarious reading material. Like the letters to the editor of MAD magazine back in the day. All lyrics and newspaper articles written by Ian Anderson. He IS Jethro Tull. That is a flute that he plays and of course he is the singer as well. From what I understand Ian would write one section of lyrics and then show it to the band with his acoustic guitar. The band would work on that while Ian went back to write more lyrics with his acoustic guitar and flute. Apparently they had the entire recording done in like three weeks or something absurd like that. The story line is a fictitious tale of a young man named Gerald Bostock that wins first prize in a poetry contest at the local school. He ends up being disqualified because the judges determine that young Gerald had some help writing the poem from his naughty nanny. The front cover shows the picture of Gerald, his proud mom and dad, a drunken auntie and the naughty nanny showing her quim. (I presume she was his sex-ed teacher) As for the lyrics, well people can read all kinds of things into a lyric sheet. I personally think there are some very important messages in the lyrics but its all up to ones interpretation of it all. Hope you give the entire record one good listen. Crank it up LOUD. Thanks for your video and thoughts on it all. Those were the days. Cheers.
"Complexity through layered simplicity" pretty well sums up "Thick as a Brick". Great summation. It is my favorite Jethro Tull release and one of my favorite albums of all time. Things were quite different then. To appreciate the warmth of the Hammond organ and sweet sounding melodies that rock so tastefully, is to know early seventies teenage musical feeling. This was a very popular album. Also on the table for teens trying to get away from the pop machine was the similar sounding and feeling "The Yes Album" or "James Gang Rides Again". If the emphasis on melody and the less hurried approach do not appeal, it was a different time with a different feel and a different attitude. We were looking for higher quality music than before with intelligent, articulate playing with deep human relevance. Aggression and musical cliche's were reorganized and reinterpreted. These albums need to be listened to with some appreciation of the time and public they were intended for. Things began to get a bit grandiose a year later with "Tales From Topographic Oceans" by Yes and the wonderful, harder rocking "Quadrophenia" by The Who, just to give a sample of what this album was making fun of. Although these albums came out after "Thick...", they represent what artists were building towards in the early seventies. Ian Anderson is an admirer of and good friends with Yes, by the way.
It’s a flute. Ian Anderson picked a flute up at a flea market. He was the ony one who could get a good note out of it, so they said he was the flute player. Turned out that he is one of the most celebrated flute players. He innovated and created new sounds, including breath and singing, gutteral sounds, etc. while playing (standing on one foot much of the time). I also always loved how they combinrd rock with olde English and Celtic rhythms and melodies. Very unique back then…. Check out some videos of Jethro Tull with him playing. Locomotive Breath for one. I got to see them live 5-6 times, including a huge show in Montreal in 1975. Life changing!!
Yes, yes yes! The best time I ever saw the play this was at the Jacksonville Fla Pavillion. Indoor huge place. they did this piece and it was magical. I mean the sound, the performance - everything. I came out of that place saying, "God was the best event of my life. If you want to take me, I'm ready to go home!" At that point I had been away for about 40 hours because of the crazy stuff we were doing. But it was like the music sobered me up! I was so shaken by the beauty of it. Especially the rhythmic link sequence section at the end - which is the pinnacle, the climax of really the whole album. That's why I think the first side is more exciting than the first. Anyway, God didn't take me, I'm still here, thankfully! God bless!
Those ending lyrics of part 1 always get me: So, come on ye childhood heroes! Won't you rise up from the pages of your comic-books, your super-crooks And show us all the way? Well, make your will and testament Won't you join your local government? We'll have Superman for president Let Robin save the day You put your bet on number one and it comes up every time The other kids have all backed down and they put you first in line And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are And you take your place in a wiser world of bigger motor cars And you wonder who to call on So, where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last saturday? And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you though? They're all resting down in Cornwall Writing up their memoirs for a paperback edition Of the Boy Scout manual
You made some very good observations on this acclaimed album. One thing you may not be fully aware of is the backstory for this "mother of all concept albums" ( Ian's words). Ian Anderson was upset with critics calling his previous album a concept album, which he insisted was incorrect. He decided Thick as a Brick would be essentially a spoof on rock concept albums of groups like Yes and ELO. The album liner notes and lyrics were all written with Monty Python type humor, so keep that in mind if you listen to the rest of the song (and it is intended to be one song) and the lyrics are integral to the music. A subsequent concept album, A Passion Play, was more serious. Both albums reached #1 in US Billboard album charts. And 5 and 16 on UK charts. Jethro Tull is one of those bands that are difficult to categorize.
Jethro Tull is one of the few classic prog bands I understand the hype for, find this much more engaging than a lot of other prog around the time this came out
Ian Anderson vocals,acoustic guitar and flute among others is a genius.Self taught himself the flute to become recognized as one of the best.You need to watch the live performance of this at Madison square garden 1978 only 12 minutes of the song but an amazing show a must watch.
Iain MacLennan Yes I believe you are correct. I was thinking of Ian living in Scotland.Seen them in 1971 and 2003 in Indianapolis Indiana they have always been a favorite of mine
It would benefit you to review some of their live performances. They were so great in concert. Ian Anderson, in addition to being a creative genius, was one of the most entertaining stage performers ever.
Listen to this album beginning to end and only pay attention to what the drummer is doing. Absolute Tour de Force. Ian must have absolutely loved Barrie Barlowe.
Ian Anderson, the flute and acoustic guitar player, has stated the he's really just a folk player playing with a rock band and as such had to create a flute style that wouldn't get lost in the noise.
I have the vinyl with the whole newspaper...So many hilarious tongue in cheek Ads, stories, But just hearing side one is like turning off Freebird before the guitar solo...
I've had this as an original vinyl release in 1972, then as an 8-track, then as a cassette, then as a CD, now as a digital download. I've seen them live I think 4 times, 3 in the '70s and once in the '80s. The odd ending of part 1 was to tell you to get up and flip the record over. 😊An interesting thing to consider about many of the prog bands that came out of the '60s was that they started as straight blues/folk/jazz bands where that jamming of repeat lines was the order of the day.
There's something about physical media that warms me so I really love hearing from people about owning records and tapes and cds. Plus it's rare to find an album that just....sticks with you. So to hear about you constantly "upgrading" this album is such a delight. I'm glad Jethro Tull has brought such positivity into your life!
@@CriticalReactions This is one that you should check out a live performance of in your spare time (hahaha). Ian Anderson is really the heart of Jethro Tull - vocalist, main songwriter, flutist. He is a master showman. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hAt1b21S97k.html
@@CharlesEMurphy I feel the Madison Square Garden show in 1978 was a better showcase. However, My God isn't examined often enough, so here's that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5WSulenOUb0.html
Believe it or not, this 40 minute piece went to No1 in the U.S. Welcome to the wonderful world of Tull! This album is pretty much a pinnacle of prog and music in general. I hope you give yourself a chance to listen when you are not critiquing! It's a march because it's the epic battle of a young man''s life.
@@marysweeney7370 When I was living in Kansas City in 76-77, there was one FM station that would play nothing but album sides from about Midnight to 4 or 5 in the morning! Freaking awesome! A far cry from what FM radio has devolved to.
Repetition is an important part in rock music. It was originally music for dancing, after all. And its roots are in the blues, which is also based on repetitive riffs.
Ian Anderson, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is THE creater of the brilliant Tull. A one off in a biz full of ego maniacs! Indeed, he is one friendly original chap.
Your hearing the founder and principal composer of JT, Ian Anderson, playing his metal flute. He only picked up the flute about a yr before the band's debut album, and his style is heavily breath focused, including frequent "singing" through his flute.
If you listen to that section that you thought was brass then you will find that it's an early synth keyboard. I was lucky to see them live around this time and they played part of this live... Man, they were a band that put on a show.. it was fabulous... really included the audience in between songs. The musicianship of all of the players in the band was top notch. Loving your reactions.
Jethro Tull is my dad's favorite band so I heard a lot of them growing up. He even had a couple of their VHS's. On one of them there was a pretty funny story from Ian Anderson. He was recounting the early days of British rock when he was trying to become a rock star guitarist. Then he saw Eric Clapton play at a club and said "Well, I'll never be that good." Then he decided to pick up the flute. The rest is history lmao
Jethro Tull are a British rock band formed in Blackpool, England, in 1967. Initially playing blues rock and jazz fusion, the band soon incorporated elements of English folk, hard rock, and classical music, forging a signature progressive rock sound.
I just wish somebody would talk about the lyrics. But i am soooo grateful you got into the detail of the instrumentation and the production of this. Can you imagine producing this? Dayum.
That weird break between tracks where you said "where is this going" was done because of the limits of vinyl. They fade back in on the second track, aka side 2 of the vinyl aka the second half of the 45 minute song.
I am not sure if this has been mentioned in the comments already, but the original sleeve design took longer than the record to design and make. It was a parody of a local newspaper and as far as I know, unique in that there was a critical musical review of this record forming part of the newspaper. Awesome to get a "young" person's perspective on an album from so so long ago.
That's the point! Y'all throw music at me and I amplify those suggestions to a larger audience. Everyone gets to hear awesome stuff that they haven't before. :)
Upon initial release (1972), Warner Bros. Records issued a banded, radio-friendly promo LP of "TAAB," so that radio stations could play SOME of the album, opening up airplay to more FM stations, and even, if they dared, AM, should they land on a single possibility!
When I first saw an hour long video I thought for sure we were listening to both parts so I was slightly sad when I realized we weren't, but the fact that we got a 60 minute video for one song is insane. No one does what you do. We're very lucky. And I'm sure you'll check out part 2 eventually.
JustJP does reviews in this vein, and he's into prog as well (off and on). Justin doesn't make comments while the song is playing - but I like to hear the reviewer's thoughts live.
Several points. It's vocals, flute, trumpet, violin, sax and acoustic guitar by Ian Anderson. Doubled electric guitar and lute by Martin Barre. Keyboards by John Evan. Barry Barlow drums and percussion. Jeffery Hammond on bass. The studio version allowed for all the overdubs. There are constant time and key changes throughout the recording. Anderson 'wrote' in some unusual time signatures. He can't read music, by the way. He may have learned by now, though. Terry Ellis, producer and Robin Black deserve mention as well. People claimed, incorrectly, that Aqualung was a concept album, so tongue in cheek he wrote one based on a fictional award winning poem by a kid. You should watch the Madison Square Garden live version! On stage, each player is a different 'character' and each is at the top of their game.
back when you had to set aside time for music. a concert when you wanted, not a steady drone but something to look forward to like a cold beer after work
As someone else said Tull is hard to categorize. I was a big fan since their first North America tour when they opened for Led Zeppelin. It is a flute, btw. Their music can be pretty complex at times with changing time signatures, counterpoint, a few songs in 5/4 time. I saw them in concert many times over the years. The musicianship in the band is other level. And the singer/composer/flutist/acoustic guitar player, Ian Anderson, is fun to watch live. He was a great, funny energetic frontman. One of my favorite things about him are the lyrics he writes. You can read many of them just as poetry. Personally, two of my favorite albums are “Songs From the Wood”, and “Heavy Horses”. Many great lyrics in those two albums. Songs From the Wood was from a period when he became interested in old English folk music. Both albums are well worth a listen. This album was actually written as a parody of concept albums. I wore it out on vinyl when it first came out, though I especially found the second side rather tedious. Now I prefer to listen to listen to the shorter live versions. There’s a live version from 1978 at Madison Square Gardens that is one of the better versions. I do find the original version boring now. There’s a long flute solo he did in Tampa Bay on You Tube where he throws a couple Bach ditties in and he does a lot of interesting things with the flute, humming along, making weird noises, etc. Ian was a really interesting guy with a lot of humor in what he did. Mostly I prefer the studio versions when I listen to their music now. There’s a song from a Christmas album called Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow. Rhythmical complex and I know it’s mostly in 5/4 but there may be some 4/4 thrown in there, too. I really haven’t quite figured it all out, yet.
Check out the Stand Up album from 1969. You will hear the jazzy style of Nothing is Easy. Then listen to Benefit (1970) and then Aqualung (1971). Each album different from each other
2 songs because a vinyl record has 2 sides and they couldn't release it as one - this is pre-CD/DVD days The right genre for JT is "Jethro Tull", a folk, blues, rock, jazz, classical... individually and mix and match. Ian at this time a relatively new self-taught flute player, he does his own thing with it that classic flute players didn't think to do, or didn't think to put together (maybe because they were playing set pieces - Ian didn't read music)
I think it is Anderson's technique with the flute, which he was known for, that threw you off as to what the instrument was. He was also experimenting with the saxophone during this period.
It's interesting to read how they come to do this album! They are amazing musicians, all of them. Ian is somehow crazy, he search permanent new sounds, that's the reason to learn the flute.
Now try Cross Eyed Mary, and Locomotive Breath (off the album Aqualung) I'm 66, this band was the soundtrack to my young life. Thick as a Brick was 1971, I think.
This was our daily fare in the 70s, plus Pink Floyd, and why us old folk are the way we are lol Ian Anderson is the master and I got to see the band live a few times, very lucky girl here. WE knew it was complex genius, and so much fun to see people re-discover the magic! Ian Anderson (lead man, singer and floutist) is certainly our own beloved court jester, but the jest is aimed at the church and the state, not at anything else, and not at concept albums lol
There's a part two by the way. They made this album as a joke because critics thought their previous album "Aqualung" was a concept album. So they thought; "what a joke, but hey why not make a fake concept album !" A lot of it is parody and there's also a bit of Monty Python in it ... and it became one of the best concept-albums ever.
Yes indeed! My fav part of the Passion Play is the prologue. ( The instrumental piece with flute that opens the piece up.) The pace is frantic and the timing is amazing. It 's like you have to catch your breath. Here's a true story. I've loved Tull since I was 17, and have been to about 17? concerts. I know the repertoire. I met Ian one time, when I stood on line to get his signature once. It was after the Philidelphia 1995 "Divinities Tour," -a solo work. Anyway, I was desperate to come up with some really profound question to ask, as I stood 5th in line. I suddenly remembered what I wanted to ask, above all else, and that was the meaning of the last lines in the Passion Play. So when it was my turn, I stood there all stiff and nervous, said, "Hi, my name' s Kathy and I wanna know, what did you mean when you wrote, 'Man Son of man, by the flame of ever life, yours to breathe and breathe the pain of living- living be! Here am I, roll the stone away, from the dark into ever day!" this is the last stanza of the Passion Play. It is accompanied by flute and clashing cymbals, among other instruments. What I was keying in on here was I wanted to get his thoughts on his seeming confession of Jesus as savior, that seemed to be the meaning of the last lines of this song/poem. (At least, what I construed as the meaning to be.) Well, unfortunately for me, I got so nervous, I forgot my lines.(to the song) Could have remembered if I'd just sung them!! But know, I was clueless! So, Ian immediately jumped on my game, and almost rebuked me saying sharply with his British accent, "I was eating cat food that day, I was hallucinating!" In other words, he was apologizing or retracting his -what seemed to me, in this piece, a confession of faith. To which I was speechless, dumbfounded, sad that he had apparently retracted any confession of faith in Christ he once may have had. So I felt very shot down, to say the least, In fact, I remember it was a second that felt like eternity, me wishing intensely that I would dry up and blow away! But amazingly, in the next couple of seconds, I heard myself replying, "Well Jesus is Lord." Which was Sooooo ironic - because the title of the Album he had just performed was, as I mentioned before, "Divinities, 12 Dances with God."( The music on this work is amazing, all instrumental). And the content is that each song is dedicated to a deity or religion. So, the wrap-up of this episode was that God gave me the answer, I didn't think this out at all! in that flash of a second by the Holy Spirit. (yes, God does use fools just like he says in the Bible.) You see ,I love Tull' s music so much I want to see them all in heaven. The Bible says, that he who believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth that God raised Jesus from the dead will be saved. Roman's 10:9-10. Can you imagine how much God loves Ian Anderson and the rest of Tull if he used me. (a mere fool) Of course I am sure he's used others as well. If you are a Christian, pray for their salvation.(Ian's probably about 76 right now. And if your not saved don't wait, get saved today. It's all about faith! Read the Gospels and Acts. God loves you . And God created music for his praise and glory too! (Psalm 150:5)
I think you should react to SONGS FROM THE WOOD, (the song, not the full album) live in 1977... it`s amazing how they sounded live... and that song has some sick vocal armonies...
Ah this takes me back, my dad would play me this as a kid. Must be why I love prog metal so much! Hopefully he wasn't trying to say something to me through the song :P
Saw the first tour of this album. It was billed as a "Rock Opera"...an audio and visual feast designed to be heard with no breaks but we had to deal with flipping vinyl in those days...
First time listener. Ian Anderson was so creative and his cynical way made me a huge fan. Back in the 70's he was the best showman. You should watch some of the live video from that time period. Unfortunately there is no good quality video from 1972. We wrote a lot of other stuff since your doing a deep dive in the song writing. Check out Aqualung, My God, Locomotive Breath, Bake Street Muse and many more.
Would recommend the live version of Excerpts from Octopus from the album Playing the Fool. They were amazing live. Alternatively, their concept album Three Friends is really good, particularly with headphones, but that should really be listened to in its entirety.
There is the original studio version, which is one song, two sides of a vinyl analog album. It was shortened/compressed for live performances. Blues. One long epic poem, basically.
You said you think it was a little bit long but actually it's only halfway done you have to play the other half to hear it all. or you could listen to thick as a brick live at Madison square garden or thick as a brick live at Tampa stadium. Both are condensed versions of the entire album. You can also get a chance to see what Jethro Tull would be like in a live performance. That would really give you a much better understanding of Jethro Tull .
You need to watch this live! Anderson wrote sang played acoustic flute and lyrics.!!!!!! Genius work of art. One of the best ever. A almost 50 year old song.
The dropped volume on the guitar was an organ. The two soloists doing their own thing is the same guitarist Martin Barre, overdubbed. Tull jams, Genesis doesn't so much. C'mon, you must know the singer Ian Anderson plays the flute (not a woodwind instrument), as parodied by Will Ferrell in Anchorman. The breathy style of flute playing is something that Ian Anderson got from jazz artist Roland Kirk. Not sure why an organ part would be the precursor for electronica when Kraftwerk was out before this album came out. There were no xylophones/bells interacting with the organ, it was the upper and lower keyboards of the organ. There was no software used at the time of this recording, all analog, all multitrack tape. There are a few bands still record all analog today (see Dave Grohl's documentary on Sound City). Thick as a Brick and Passion Play are two of Jethro Tull's most progressive albums, and they are authentically 70s prog, but some of their earlier albums are more rock. And Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath was Tull's guitarist in their early days (as seen in the Rolling Stones 60s television special, Rock and Roll Circus). As a composer you talk a lot about "bars" and rhythm and not a lot about harmonic structure. As far as the "jammy" comments, do you listen to any black American music like blues or jazz? Improvisation (unstructured soloing) is essential to both blues and jazz, which formed the foundation for British rock. In the context of 70s rock music, free soloing was present in all rock music. Composing every note in a song is almost anti-rock, and almost strictly a white European paradigm. Even Indian classical music is improvised. Every iconic black blues player from the past would fail under your white criteria. And why the hell are you always talking about metal?? Is it relevant? You seem to be stuck inside of your own personal preferences.
A vinyl LP album was maximum about 22 minutes per side, therefore there had to be a transition so you could turn it over to play the second half of a 43-minute song. I don't think 1 CD could hold a full LP vinyl album so you usually lost a song or two on the CD.
"the trumpets didn't come back" "I think the song might have been a little too long". Dude, you only listened to half the song. No points off for the lack of a callback (which there totally was in the half you listened to) if you didn't listen to the whole song. Also, to help you get a handle on what's going on, I'd say watch a live performance of a highly abridged version of this song. I recommend the Madison Square Garden from 1978.
Well, you picked up on the marching, given that one of the major album themes is the organized fighting soldier versus the contemplative soul, inter alia.
One of the first gigs I ever saw was on Plymouth on the TAAB tour - they wandered on stage and started with the whole thing, over an hour live, then Ian simply said 'That was our new album.'
Thanks for doing these. This was my dad's favorite band. I could never stand them, for whatever reason, and probably haven't given them a serious listen in 12 years. I really appreciated this opportunity to experience them as an adult with thoughtful commentary. It's a nice way to remember him, I wish I had the maturity to enjoy this at the time. I agree with all of your comments, the music itself isn't as compelling to me as the genuine feel of experimentation and the context for modern music. I've gained a lot of respect for it.
Missed opportunities to bond with one's parents - thank you for mentioning this. It touches me. Mine are both gone. They had a lot of classical music I quite appreciated back then - but I never asked them how they had come by it, and why they liked it. I remember playing the first minutes of Tales (Yes) for my old-fashioned dad, and him saying, surprisingly open-minded, that it sounded like Gregorian chants - which the two of us had enjoyed singing along with in church once. I didn't push further. My dear mother's taste in music I never got to know. They had Harry Belafonte's "Lead Man Holler", a plantation slaves' song - HOW COME? To all of you who still have the chance: ask them!
It sounds like typical British folk music of that time with Old English flute, guitar, rhymes, harmony, English lifestyle commentary lyrics and humour, mixed with contemporary and rock music etc etc... a time when singles weren't popular...
Great song. If you want something more jarring and kind of resembles modern prog as far as experimentism while still being rooted in classic prog, id suggest Proclamation by Gentle Giant. They have other excellent tracks, but that one is their most popular and is still an excellent song.
@Daniel Alferes - Did you see the recent fan video cover on the Gentle Giant channel? That was pretty kickass. (I have to admit, my favorite Gentle Giant song isn't Proclamation--I really like some of the songs off Octopus, and think The Advent of Panurge is a great intro to Gentle Giant as a whole for someone who likes prog, Think of Me with Kindness for someone who isn't as familiar with the genre.)
Interesting your talking about jazz, too. Miles was there with Charlie Parker and supposedly wrote “Donna Lee”, which is driving me crazy trying to learn on guitar. Jazz and classical is what I listen to mostly now, though I used to listen to a lot of rock back in the 70s and 80s.
"I'm going to call it a flute". I am saddened and kind of appalled that Jethro Tull has apparently been forgotten. You really should watch some concert footage to see Ian Anderson (singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and, yes, flutist) in person, he was quite the spectacle. Calling JT prog is sort of tricky, they really have their own thing going on, but after Aqualung became such a hit, they were jumped in with Genesis, Yes, and the like. This album was sort of Ian's response to that, a bit of mockery of prog mixed with brilliant music. The jam feel, blues, rock and folk, and even some classical influences varied from album to album, and not all albums are great, but always original. A band that I think you would enjoy is Godley and Creme. "This Sporting Life" in particular.
They were prog ... but they weren’t only prog. Blues, jazz, folk, classical, world music, hard rock, metal, pop, electronic, country ... everything except disco or reggae. 😄
@Marco von Catfish I know what you mean. Jethro Tull weren't what I call 'HIgh Prog' in the sense of Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, etc. But they definitely had progressive elements in the broader sense of early '70s.
Just FYI, the acoustic guitar is capoed at the 3rd fret. Not sure if he always did this, but that's what I had to do to play the beginning acoustic part before it gets heavier. The lead guitarist, Martin Barre, is one of the most underrated guitarists IMO. As for this being Prog or not, I would say it is. The lead singer/acoustic guitarist/flutist/ lyricist Ian Anderson once said in an interview in the 70's that when they try to be Prog and complex, they wind up sounding like the Mahavishnu Orchestra slowed down or Yes backwards!!! I think that their follow-up album, Passion Play, is a bit more complex than Thick as a Brick.
