THICK AS A BRICK

While I'm not the world's biggest Tull fan I recognize this album as a truly great piece of music. It is an undeniable statement that is a Tull fan favorite and justifiably so.

TAAB is 40-plus minutes of exemplary, exciting rock and roll courtesy of Anderson, Barre, and Barlow. Furious and intertwining electric guitar, flute, and vocal are accented by superb percussion and occasional piano. Everything is thoughtfully arranged and clear sounding. The lyrics feature some biting and humorous social commentary by Anderson, never one to hold back his feelings. The album holds up well with the other great albums by classic bands that came out in the first half of the 1970s. I think it sounds a bit less dated than some of those other classics.

If you are new to the Tull you really can't go wrong starting here. I have the 25th anniversary edition which is nice because it has an interview with Ian about the album as well as a bonus live excerpt from Thick recorded back in 1978.