Thick as a Brick Songs Ranked

Thick as a Brick is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on March 3, 1972. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is a parody of the concept album genre. The original packaging, designed like a newspaper, claims the album to be a musical adaptation of an epic poem by fictional eight-year-old genius Gerald Bostock, though the lyrics were actually written by the band’s frontman, Ian Anderson.The album was recorded in late 1971, featuring music composed by Anderson and arranged with the contribution of all band members. The album was the first to include drummer Barrie “Barriemore” Barlow, replacing the band’s previous drummer Clive Bunker. The live show promoting the album included the playing of the full suite, with various comic interludes. Thick as a Brick is considered by critics to be the first Jethro Tull release to entirely consist of progressive rock music. It received mixed reviews upon its release, but was a commercial success and topped various charts in 1972. Today it is regarded as a classic of progressive rock, and has received several accolades. Anderson produced a follow-up to the album in 2012, focusing on the adult life of the fictional Gerald Bostock. Here are all of Thick as a Brick songs ranked.

Enjoy listening to this British rock band. Click below and enjoy the blues-rock and jazz fusion music of Jethro Tull.

2. Thick as a Brick (1)

“A remarkable work, especially for a band still early in its career. Many Tull fans who are more fond of the earlier, more youthful and impetuous Tull music rank this work as their favorite. And it’s easy to see why. It is a compelling and stylistically complex album — the seeds for much of what Tull was later to achieve were sown here. Naturally, it is most famous for being the mother of all concept albums — not, of course, in the sense of being the first of such things but as being the ultimate in concept albums.”

See more: Jethro Tull Albums Ranked

See more: Jethro Tull Songs Ranked

1. Thick as a Brick (2)

“The deft interplay between delicate acoustic and frenzied prog rock segments within the song give the listener the feeling of watching a high wire act with no safety net. The progression is impeccable, save for an unfortunate (yet necessary for the LP format) break between the two sides of the album that disrupt the continuity somewhat. Guitarist Martin Barre, keyboardist John Evan, and of course, lead man Ian Anderson turn in the performances of a lifetime, flawlessly juggling the disparate elements that unite so satisfyingly as a whole.”