Thick as a Brick
by Jethro Tull
- Type: Album
- Released: 3 March 1972
- Label: Chrysalis, Reprise (America
- Country: United Kingdom
- Length: 1:12:10
- Community rating: 4.41/5 from 14 ratings
Artists on this release: Barriemore Barlow, Martin Barre, Ian Anderson, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, John Evan
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Conceived as a parody of the concept album genre, 'Thick as a Brick' consists of a single, continuous piece of music structured as a satirical rock adaptation of an epic poem by a fictional child prodigy. The album's intricate arrangement shifts between numerous musical themes, tempos, and time signatures, blending hard rock, English folk, and classical elements. Ian Anderson's compositions and the band's dynamic performance feature a diverse instrumentation, including flute, Hammond organ, harpsichord, and strings, creating a sound that is both complex and a caricature of progressive rock's grandiosity.
Genres
Descriptors: flute, conceptual, satirical, suite, through-composed
Tracklist
- Thick as a Brick (Pt. I) (22:40)
- Thick as a Brick (Pt. II) (21:10)
- Thick as a Brick - Live at Madison Square Garden (11:50)
- Interview with Jethro Tull (16:30)
Credits
- Ian Anderson - vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone, producer, writer
- Barriemore Barlow - drums, timpani, percussion
- Martin Barre - electric guitar, lute
- John Evan - organ, piano, harpsichord
- Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond - bass guitar, spoken word
- Dee Palmer - orchestral arrangements
- Terry Ellis - executive-producer
- Robin Black - engineer