THICK AS A BRICK

This was my first album, and therefore my introduction to Jethro Tull, and WOW what a way to start. Judging by the reviews of the other albums, the others are no where near as good as this, so others will no doubt be disappointing as I explore the rest of their catalogue. The concept of a one song album is certainly very progressive, and is very well executed.

Tull manage to effortlessly meld folk and prog rock elements here, with some great flute sections but also good guitar solos, strong basslines and good mix of light/heavy sections but also vocal and instrumental. The vocals are excellent, as is all the musicianship. There are some catchy hooks, and I love the acoustic playing in the opening.

Due to the lenght of the piece, it does drag in a couple of parts, and some elements are a bit repetitive. However, these do not bring the album down to anything less than masterpiece status.

Five Stars.