Posted on 02/03/2012 12:26:42 PM PST by InvisibleChurch
On April 3, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson will release Thick As A Brick 2, the followup to 1972′s beloved prog opus Thick As A Brick (an album comprised of two long, interconnected songs). In this extensive interview, rock’s most famous flautist talks to American Songwriter about the sequel’s genesis, its parallels to the original, his distinctive vocal style, and whether or not he believes he can win another Grammy.
With the recent Aqualung reissue and now Thick As A Brick 2, this a pretty exciting time to be a Jethro Tull fan.
It’s a really exciting time for me too. Aqualung and Thick As A Brick are two of my favorite records for the simple reason that from an artistic and a personal songwriting point of view, they’re very different in terms of their musical and lyrical content. They both represent a period when I got brave enough to take a few risks with different topics, different subjects, and different ways of writing music.
So the two albums are very dear to me in sort of artistic sense. I have studiously avoided, over the years, to recreate Thick As A Brick, either in terms of playing it all on stage, or venturing down that slightly more prog-rock course of musical endeavor.
And I was pretty much maintaining that position until sometime late in 2010, when I met up with an old acquaintance by the name of Derek Shulman. He used to be the singer of the band Gentle Giant, a prog-rock band that had quite a bit of success in the late ’70s.
(Excerpt) Read more at americansongwriter.com ...
“Steven” is like Stephen King’s “Walking Dude”.
He’s *always* on the albums...you just have to look for him.
I hope you’ve gotten a chance to hear the outstanding “Along Came A Spider” album.
I think *that* was his ‘sequel’ to WTMN instead of the last year’s release “Welcome 2 My Nightmare”.
Steven -lives- and his “redemption” was temporary, at best.
;]
JT’s best music was not the most popular stuff they did,,they never really went away,just doing what they really like.In fact,most of the fabric of music & society is not wove with popular anything, but what people really enjoy doing
Is this going to increase the collectible value of my album w/newspaper?
[still waiting for a peak market to sell Skynyrd’s “Street Survivors” flaming album]
Definitely. ‘Back to the Family’ and ‘Sossity’...some of the best music ever.
I’ve always suspected the rabbit.
He’s a genius. Got to see him in Hampton twice in the early ‘70s and 3 more time since then.
The most beautifully leering, lust-in-the-dust song ever written.
“Velvet Green”
Walking on velvet green.
Scots pine growing.
Isn’t it rare to be taking the air, singing.
Walking on velvet green.
Walking on velvet green. Distant cows lowing.
Never a care: with your legs in the air, loving.
Walking on velvet green.
Won’t you have my company, yes, take it in your hands.
Go down on velvet green, with a country man.
Who’s a young girls fancy and an old maid’s dream.
Tell your mother that you walked all night on velvet green.
One dusky half-hour’s ride up to the north.
There lies your reputation and all that you’re worth.
Where the scent of wild roses turns the milk to cream.
Tell your mother that you walked all night on velvet green.
And the long grass blows in the evening cool.
And August’s rare delight may be April’s fool.
But think not of that, my love,
I’m tight against the seam.
And I’m growing up to meet you down on velvet green.
Now I may tell you that it’s love and not just lust.
And if we live the lie, let’s lie in trust.
On golden daffodils, to catch the silver stream
that washes out the wild oat seed on velvet green.
We’ll dream as lovers under the stars -—
of civilizations raging afar.
And the ragged dawn breaks on your battle scars.
As you walk home cold and alone upon velvet green.
Walking on velvet green. Scots pine growing.
Isn’t it rare to be taking the air, singing.
Walking on velvet green.
Walking on velvet green. Distant cows lowing.
Never a care: with your legs in the air, loving.
Walking on velvet green.
For those who’ve never enjoyed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rhp2ZWr1SA
Oh, look!
David Palmer was still a man, too!
[”Hunting Girl” is possibly the kinkiest] ;D
Bump for later.
Let’s go retro back to progressive rock!
My very first live concert was Tull: the Passion Play tour in Lincoln Nebraska. Still one of the best I ever saw. “The hare has lost his spectacles..”
Bostock had fine taste in women at age eight. Even if he didn't really exist.
Oh, hell yeah.
And the wicked twist to Sossity’s last line...”Society, you’re a woman”.
Freaking brilliant lyricist, even the best in my book, given my obsession with all his ancient/historical/mythical Celtic pagan references and multiple entendres.
For quite some time I had “I’m the black ace dog handler” in my sig box.
Nobody noticed....:(
Steven makes “guest appearances” on many of the albums. But WTMN, Last Temptation, Along Came A Spider and W2MN are ones where he’s the whole album and each is a complete story for Steven as opposed to the Hitchcock walkthroughs he gets on so many others. I definitely see ACAS as the most close sequel to WTMN, neither LT or W2MN really seem to fit the narrative for me, not that they’re bad albums they just don’t seem to capitalize on what I find interesting in the character.
A slew of times at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
The “Broadsword” tour was the best.
There’s something about listening to the band while sitting in the grass, surrounded by the woods and a black, velvety sky.
Procul Harum opened for him one time.
That was seriously cool.
marker
What?!?
His “love” was in the sink!
LOL
[Bostock later became Bill Clinton...so now you know]
Perhaps Mr Anderson can replace the dead saxophone player Clarence Clemons in Bruce Springstein’s band?
Or Bobby Keys in the Rolling Stones?
One of my all-time favs.
You never heard me say this but W2MN was kind of a let down.
[the “fan pack” album I bought from the UK distributor was seriously cool, though]
Personally, I think he should’ve ignored Shep and gone with the original follow up to ACAS with his “Night Shift” concept album.
[Sorry Alice...ya ~know~ I love ya best, man! ain’t ever got me no JT tats!]
;D
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