Progarchives.com has always (since 2002) relied on banners ads to cover web hosting fees and all. Please consider supporting us by giving monthly PayPal donations and help keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 29415
Posted: April 03 2012 at 15:10
Just having my first listen now. Its very clean sounding but disappointingly lacks any real power although on the positive side it also it lacks compression and isn't hurting my ears. This is much closer to rock opera territory than to folk prog. I think Ian has actually remade Tommy and fooled people into thinking its a sequel to something else!
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: The Idiocracy
Status: Offline
Points: 5482
Posted: April 03 2012 at 15:10
Bought it today.
I've listened to it once, so far. Yes, there are plenty of TAAB references, but musically, it seems more like a trip through Tull's, but also Ian Anderson's musical history. I hear songs that sound similar to Heavy Horses period, Crest Of A Knave, Roots To Branches, and more.
I like it a lot so far. But I have to give it a few more spins.
BTW, I can understand whylisteners might think martin Barre is on the album. Florian Opahle does a great Barre impersonation.
Joined: January 06 2008
Location: London, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 617
Posted: April 04 2012 at 08:05
infandous wrote:
Obviously, it's lacking that 70's experimental nature and enthusiasm, but I was surprised as just how good it all sounded. I didn't care for the spoken word parts, but I almost never do for that sort of thing in music anyway. The vocals were surprisingly good, though obviously not like the old days.
Waaaait... you mean there's also a sequel to The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles on here?
Joined: January 06 2008
Location: London, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 617
Posted: April 04 2012 at 08:07
Ludjak wrote:
Warthur wrote:
Not heard it yet, but... are they seriously going with that album artwork? I get the concept, that it's meant to look like a website, but they could at least go with a website that doesn't look like a shoddily designed Geocities page from over 10 years ago...
I think that it's part of the joke - this is supposed to look like a Dreamweaver 4 template, this time making fun of rural community websites. Like newspaper, like website.
Yes, but the original cover made a really careful compromise between accurately reflecting what a community newspaper looks like whilst at the same time being aesthetically appealing. The new one is literally the worst cover art I have ever seen; there are a million ways it could have stayed authentic whilst not looking like total ass.
My very first impression: Not a masterpiece like its illustrious prequel, but an enjoyable album in its own right. I like the way the themes of "Thick as a Brick" are incorporated in the opening tracks.
Joined: October 08 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 3281
Posted: April 05 2012 at 18:46
It's growing on me. Not the career ending triumph we all secretly desired but not a creaking embarassment either. It's certainly better than Dot Com and probably Anderson's best solo effort.
The way he says "2" at the end is genuinely hilarious and I almost wet my pants the first time I heard that. He hasn't lost his sense of humour.
Joined: April 06 2012
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 2
Posted: April 06 2012 at 02:28
I've been a dedicated Tull fan since "Stand Up" was new and have ritually bought everything since - although they have long since lost a certain "something" along the way. Ian's flute playing has never been technically better but maybe with less passion. I bought TAAB2 yesterday, listened to the first 2 tracks then watched the DVD. I'll listen to it properly tonight but am prepared for some degree of disappointment - which will probably be unjustified.
Perhaps there should be less comparison with those long-past years and more evaluation of the music on it's own merits. If not, then any disappointment will probably be my own fault.
Joined: December 26 2011
Location: Massachusetts
Status: Offline
Points: 350
Posted: April 06 2012 at 08:22
i've been a huge tull fan since i was a kid, though the last thing i really listened to was crest of a knave. frankly, when i saw this happening, i cringed and revisited my internal wish that ian had decided to be a full-time salmon famer in 88. but, people seemed to not be trashing this effort, so i thought i'd go for a little suspension of disbelief and give the thing a spin. musically its a bit sterile sometimes, too clean, but overall musically its much better than i would have thought. actually wish ian was singing through the fuzz effect he is using for the whole thing, somehow that seems more like his old voice than his current one.
however, one giant ugly problem is making me rue the day i bought this. the ridiculous spoken word intros to so many of the songs. they make me feel embarrassed for ian and good old JT.
maybe i'll give a couple more listens, but those word bits are tough, tough, tough to swallow
or, maybe i'll just go throw minstrel or benefit on
Just listening at it. First feeling of nostalgia after TAAB initial tune repreasal. Had no real expectations and the work can't be compared with the one of 40 years ago. Was curious about the concept album approach, which is something that I like ver much in principle, but I was a bit disappointed at the end. I do not know if there is anything wrong with my CD but I find the frequency and amplitude rather compressed. All in all a respectful project by Ian IMO, but something definitely uncomparable.
Joined: March 23 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2447
Posted: April 06 2012 at 11:19
someone_else wrote:
My very first impression: Not a masterpiece like its illustrious prequel, but an enjoyable album in its own right. I like the way the themes of "Thick as a Brick" are incorporated in the opening tracks.
This was is pretty much my feeling. I think it's saving grace is that it's NOT an attempt to capture the glory of the original. It's a new album, which he just happened to link to the original with a few melodies and the lyrical theme. Oh, and probably because he know more people would buy something named after one of his (and Tull's) most revered and classic albums.
Joined: March 23 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2447
Posted: April 06 2012 at 11:22
topographicbroadways wrote:
Nostalgia trips are for some reason extremely profitable these days.
The prog movement isn't something I particularly enjoy repetition of. So I have no intention of hearing this album.
It's not really that nostalgic. It's the best thing he's done in years, though certainly not up to the standards of 70's Tull. To my ears anyway. If it had been called something else only die hard Ian A fans would be talking about it, but it would still be a good album.
Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995
Posted: April 06 2012 at 11:56
Warthur wrote:
Ludjak wrote:
Warthur wrote:
Not heard it yet, but... are they seriously going with that album artwork? I get the concept, that it's meant to look like a website, but they could at least go with a website that doesn't look like a shoddily designed Geocities page from over 10 years ago...
I think that it's part of the joke - this is supposed to look like a Dreamweaver 4 template, this time making fun of rural community websites. Like newspaper, like website.
Yes, but the original cover made a really careful compromise between accurately reflecting what a community newspaper looks like whilst at the same time being aesthetically appealing. The new one is literally the worst cover art I have ever seen; there are a million ways it could have stayed authentic whilst not looking like total ass.
I disagree. It looks totally like a local village website.
Joined: February 17 2009
Location: Telford, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 933
Posted: April 07 2012 at 15:16
Heard the album several times now. I really like it. It is difficult to compare it to TAAB1, because this album has only just been released and has therefore not had 40 years to build its reputation. The weight of expectation will always leave the album wanting, regardless of how good it is.
Having said that, I think Anderson has made a good fist of it. There is some great playing on the album and plenty of clever musical references to the original album for Tull fans to get their teeth into. However, there is also a freshness to the album that make accusations of this being a nostalgia exercise a little unfair.
Listening to the album with an open mind/ear (which is difficult when it is entitled Thick as a Brick 2), I think it is one of the best albums released this year that I have heard. It is certainly better than most of the Tull albums released since their 70s heyday. For me, it is on a par with Songs from the Wood and Stormwatch (but not Aqualung and TAAB)
Haiku
Writing a poem
With seventeen syllables
Is very diffic....
Joined: September 25 2010
Location: Melbourne
Status: Online
Points: 2516
Posted: April 07 2012 at 18:50
Sounds pretty good to me considering the age of Ian and the era we are in. The bass playing is a bit standard though, He doesn't show much creativety. I think Dotcom has the better tracks of the 2 albums though mainly due to Noyce being a more interesting bass player
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
This page was generated in 0.188 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
What did we think of Thick As A Brick 2?
Topic Options
infandous wrote:
