Thick as a Brick: Overrated on Progarchives

Zeph wrote: PA lists are just statistics. Nobody sit down and rate each album with every other album in mind, which is hardly even possible with only 1-5 stars to give. It’s just a bunch of data sorted and rated to an average. It is neither correct or wrong, it’s data. How the data is used is perhaps something to discuss (rating weight), but of course the list doesn’t match everyone’s taste, or anyone’s at that.. The fact PA only got five ratings to give also make the lists less accurate. I can rate many albums four or five stars, but if we had half stars or a 1-100 system, it would be a lot more nuanced.

 

Frenetic Zetetic wrote: Zeph wrote: PA lists are just statistics. Nobody sit down and rate each album with every other album in mind, which is hardly even possible with only 1-5 stars to give. It’s just a bunch of data sorted and rated to an average. It is neither correct or wrong, it’s data. How the data is used is perhaps something to discuss (rating weight), but of course the list doesn’t match everyone’s taste, or anyone’s at that.. The fact PA only got five ratings to give also make the lists less accurate. I can rate many albums four or five stars, but if we had half stars or a 1-100 system, it would be a lot more nuanced. I've always thought a 10 star system with the option for 1/2 and 1/4 stars would be ideal. You could really, really nail down some crazy nuanced points on an album at like 8.5, and another could be close but just a tad better at 8.75.

If they went with a system of 100 different ratings, I think I'd prefer 1-100 over 1-10.0. The period doesn't add anything, so might as well toss it.

Cristi wrote: rogerthat wrote: On PA, if you give TAAB a 4, it feels like a 'low' score because of how much acclaim it has received.  But an 87/100?  Nobody would say that's a really low score. 4 stars on PA is a really high rating, it means "essential album". What am I missing here?

I like Tull, but I have never considered them a strong Prog band. TAAB to me just is not that great. I feel it is over-rated as well.

It is your opinion and like , but to me and many other fans of progressive rock music , Jethro Tull is one of the best prog bands and strongest , it is the only band that combines in only one piece of music different styles that could vary from Folk , blues , hard rock , symphonic rock , Classic style etc , they have done with perfection and smartness due of the brilliant brain of Ian Anderson. It is not free why Jethro Tull has sold more albums than strong prog bands as Yes , King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer, only Genesis and Pink Floyd have sold more than Tull because they are more popular bands , Genesis probably for the Collins era which became a pop band . And Floyd because is easier to hear than Tull and Crimson, Floyd is not complex musically than Tull and Crimson . So Jethro Tull is one of the best progressive rock band ever existed, only for smart ears . People that not appreciate the brilliant and beautiful music of Jethro Tull don’t know about
Good music .

^ I’ll also add Jethro Tull is one of my favorite bands anyways, those kinda of condescending elitist comments like the one you’ve quoted here is the reason why people make fun of Prog fans and/or have a stigma against the genre. To that guy, we all hear music differently and listen for different things, people probably say the same things about genres you despise.

Awesoreno wrote: This is becoming like the Rick & Morty fandom. A show I enjoy, by the way. But "to be fair, you have to have a very high I.Q. to understand Rick & Morty..." yada yada.

tigerfeet wrote: The thing about Thick as a Brick, its not just about if it was proggy enough or at all, or if you liked it at the time or even still like it. Whatever you think about it, it still has something about it, almost like a reputation it has to keep up to.  For me, i loved it, bought it, and when in my hippy phase, would hear nothing bad said about it.  Now i am listening to it again after 30 years of not listening to it. Woww !! I like it again. I went off it for 30 years, now i like it again. Its fresh to me again so yeah, its not overrated right now to me. It stands like Dark Side of the Moon as an icon of that time and era. And i hardly listen to that album anymore either.

You're avatar always puts me in a good mood.  I haven't seen it in a while.

Edited by SteveG - December 14 2020 at 13:00

The last Jethro Tull albums are fantastic also masterpieces, Roots to Branches, J-Tull.com and The Christmas Album , which is marvelous in this J Tull went back to their original style. Well done again Jethro Tull as usual.