Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick And A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs (profiles In Popular Music)
by Tim Smolko /
2013 / English / PDF
4.2 MB Download
Since the 1960s, British progressive rock band Jethro Tull has
pushed the technical and compositional boundaries of rock music
by infusing its musical output with traditions drawn from
classical, folk, jazz, and world music. The release of Thick as a
Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973) won the group legions of
new followers and topped the Billboard charts in the United
States, among the most unusual albums ever to do so. Tim Smolko
explores the large-scale form, expansive instrumentation, and
complex arrangements that characterize these two albums, each
composed of one continuous song. Featuring insights from Ian
Anderson and in-depth musical analysis, Smolko discusses the
band's influence on popular culture and why many consider Thick
as a Brick and A Passion Play to be two of the greatest concept
albums in rock history.
Since the 1960s, British progressive rock band Jethro Tull has
pushed the technical and compositional boundaries of rock music
by infusing its musical output with traditions drawn from
classical, folk, jazz, and world music. The release of Thick as a
Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973) won the group legions of
new followers and topped the Billboard charts in the United
States, among the most unusual albums ever to do so. Tim Smolko
explores the large-scale form, expansive instrumentation, and
complex arrangements that characterize these two albums, each
composed of one continuous song. Featuring insights from Ian
Anderson and in-depth musical analysis, Smolko discusses the
band's influence on popular culture and why many consider Thick
as a Brick and A Passion Play to be two of the greatest concept
albums in rock history.
