I had the opportunity to see Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) in concert this past summer, and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen – impeccably choreographed, masterfully performed, surreal and often downright hilarious. Most artists Ian Anderson’s age may slot in a couple of new songs into their act, but mostly keep to a “greatest hits” setlist. But he managed to get his audience to sit through an entire hour of new material by the rather clever stratagem of writing an album-length sequel to Thick as a Brick (entitled, creatively, Thick as a Brick 2 [2012]) and then performing the two records back-to-back.
The great thing is, it’s not a half-bad album. No, better than that: it’s an excellent album, a worthy follow-up to one of the all-time prog classics. “Banker Bets, Banker Wins” is one of the album’s highlights, and has been on constant repeat the last couple of days. It hits a solid triple: 1) classic electric/acoustic prog with a killer riff; 2) rock flute (you can never have enough); and 3) a clever take-down of the bastards who’ve made it their professional calling to wreck the economy every decade or so (again, you can never have too many such songs). Check it out.
Related articles
- Homo Erraticus – The New Studio Album from Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson (jethrotull.com)
- Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Talks with Dr. Music (www.positivelynaperville.com)
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Audio: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson on humorless prog-rock genre, “Thick As A Brick” sequel (www.tacomaweekly.com)
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