JETHRO TULL
Thick As A Brick (1973)
IAN ANDERSON
Thick As A Brick 2: Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock? (2012)
Whatever Happened To Ian Anderson?
I’ve always imagined that Ian Anderson is roundly pissed about how his career has evolved. Not his legacy as a blues-rock/prog showman, of course. The early years of Jethro Tull were marked by invention and innovation almost from the get-go. And, certainly not the quality of said invention, which would make any working musician proud. While it’s true that time and tastes have left Jethro Tull behind in the minds of all but the most ardent fans, Ian Anderson has made attempts to establish his own brand, branching out under his own name to create a musical thread that’s less about the past, and more about where he needs to go in the future. And… that future is not dancing on one leg like a circus animal anymore. Unfortunately, most people, even casual Tull fans, barely recognize his name. So, what’s a legend got to do to get some attention and respect? Anderson has been artistically successful in the new millennium (see The Secret Language Of Birds), but who’s noticed? Irregardless of his talents and temerity, the faithful that routinely filled the cheap seats in arenas all over the world still seem to crave only another encore of “Locomotive Breath.” So, excuse me if this new 2012 release, a sequel to one of Jethro Tull’s most celebrated albums, seems to verify all of the above. Instead of Jethro Tull, the album is credited to “Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson,” in a last-ditch attempt to connect the dots for all those who only respond to the Pavlovian ringing of “Aqualung.” Like a majority of aging artists, Anderson’s grander days may be behind him, but he’s far from artistically spent… and Thick As A Brick 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock is a fine example. Since “concepts” tend to bore me, I haven’t analyzed the storyline, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s secretly about himself, as in… whatever happened to Ian Anderson? Acoustic based, TAAB2 isn’t as sprawling or dramatic (or new) as its predecessor, but it’s a work that’s pleasingly less earnest and wears well on the aging veteran. It’s just sad that an artist of his stature is forced to reference past glories just to get noticed. The original Thick As A Brick posted here is the 1997 reissue, featuring a live, 11 minute rendition, along with band member interviews. Find TAAB1 & TAAB2 (2CD Edition with 5.1 Surround Mix) at Amazon. Check the archives for our other Jethro/Anderson stuff; Carnegie Hall, NY (1969), The Chateau D’Isaster Tapes (the shelved follow-up to TAAB) and Ian’s excellent The Secret Language Of Birds.
THICK AS A BRICK
Thick As A Brick (Side 1) (22:40)
Thick As A Brick (Side 2) (21:10)
Thick As A Brick (Live At Madison Square Garden 1978) (11:50)
Interview With Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Martin Barre and Jeffrey Hammond (15:07)
THICK AS A BRICK 2
From A Pebble Thrown (3:06)
Pebbles Instrumental (3:30)
Might-Have-Beens (0:50)
Upper Sixth Loan Shark (1:13)
Banker Bets, Banker Wins (4:28)
Swing It Far (3:28)
Adrift And Dumbfounded (4:25)
Old School Song (3:07)
Wooton Bassett Town (3:44)
Power And Spirit (1:59)
Give Till It Hurts (1:12)
Cosy Corner (1:25)
Shunt And Shuffle (2:12)
A Change Of Horses (8:04)
Confessional (3:09)
Kismet In Suburbia (4:17)
What-Ifs, Maybes And Might-Have-Beens (3:36)
15 Comments
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Thanks I appreciate this. I was thinking about this the other day. I recalled it blasting out of his 8track in his Camero. Will Passion Play be making an appearance as well?
Don’t even own a copy of APP anymore.
I never understood the appeal of TAAB.. to me one of Tull’s lesser albums. For labyrinthine progginess A Passion Play is better, for bluesiness Stand Up, for folky-rocky Roy Harper imitations Too Old to Rock ‘N Roll, for social commentary Aqualung, etc. Plus I don’t really care what happened to Gerald Bostock, he always seemed like a little twat anyway.
Well, I for one have always enjoyed Anderson’s songwriting and he’s one of the best acoustic guitarists around. This one looks worth a listen. Thanks Willlard.
TAAB2 is released as an Ian Anderson CD/tour because longtime Tull guitarist Martin Barre decided to split ways with Anderson prior to the recording. Anderson has long stated that without Martin there is no Tull. So it appears that he is being true to his word.
Still, it was Anderson who decided to put Tull’s name on the cover. He could have just gone with Ian Anderson.
Quite possible… though it does state “Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson.”
In either case I agree with your observation that Ian must be royally pissed at the direction his career has taken. A long overdue thanks to you and your great website. Cheers.
And thanks to you for stopping by and commenting.
I like Jethro Tull’s first two album best because of the tints of jazz & blues. I would have like to have seen them get more into those two styles rather than the BIG CONCEPT bugaboo (which also almost sabotaged The Who).
Good point. It really weighed these guys down as they tried to move forward.. and they never really found a way back to their blues roots.
Many thanks for this – and for a great blog.
Many thanks.
Thanks Capt
Always thought the first Jeffro Tull album was the best but Thick as a Brick was a close second. I dont know if the stories are true that Ian Anderson made up TAAB1 as he went along. If that is true them the man is a genius.
Regards
Rhod