Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Prog | Heft: Jahrgang 2012, eclipsed Nr. 139 / 4-2012 | VÖ-Jahr: 2012 | Wertung: 8/10 | Label: EMI | Autor: WT
For a long time Ian Anderson didn't want to know anything about a sequel to "Thick As A Brick"; only after Gentle Giant-Frontman Derek Shulman had drilled long enough could the Tull boss be persuaded - and that's a good thing: The 1972 concept album, practically the climax of Jethro Tull's short progressive rock phase, has found an almost equal successor with the 2011 recording. And this one proves what an excellent songwriter Anderson still is. The fact that none of the musicians who forty years ago set the story around the schoolboy Gerald Bostock to music with him did not harm the project - even though the absence of Martin Barre might hurt the hard core of the Tull following violently. But with Florian Opahle, Anderson discovered a guitarist about ten years ago who is a reliable partner in his solo activities and who has also appeared on stage instead of Barres as a member of Jethro Tull. Anderson and Opahle recorded a series of demos for "Thick As A Brick 2" together in Munich, which were then worked out with Tull musicians David Goodier (bass) and John O'Hara (keyboards) as well as jazz drummer Scott Hammond on TAAB 2. Faithful Tull - and/or Anderson - concert goers know the eight-minute, medieval breathed on "A Change Of Horses" already for some years, while "CosyCorner" experienced the public live premiere with Andersons appearance on 24 February in the Potsdamer Nikolaisaal. Altogether "Thick As A Brick 2" is an album, which naturally wants to be heard completely in one go - and which contains pearls like "Wootton Bassett Town" and "Kismet In Suburbia", which sound new and yet strangely familiar.
