Ian Anderson Announces the Thick As A Brick Tours for 2012.
Ian Anderson performs Thick As A Brick in its entirety for the first time since 1972, going out for a world tour commencing in the UK in Mid-April. Then, it's on to European countries in the late Spr
ing and Summer before landing in the USA for two tours spanning September, October and early November. This tour will feature a more theatrical production with video, additional musicians and a troupe of dancing elephants. (Just kidding about the dancing elephants: they don't dance.,...)
In 1972, Ian wrote the music (and the lyrics which were credited at the time to the fictitious character, 8 year-old Gerald Bostock, whose parents lied about his age) and recorded with Jethro Tull, Thick As A Brick. The record became a number one Billboard album and enjoyed huge commercial success in most countries of the world. The album featured only one song, lasting nearly 45 minutes. To accommodate the album on LP vinyl and cassette, the seamless track was split on both sides of the record. It reached number one on the US Billboard Pop Albums chart.
Tull then dutifully took the somewhat theatrical show on the road in the Great Britain, USA, and other world markets.
Since 1972, the album has never been performed in its entirety although a few minutes of the material have been a regular repertoire staple in both Tull and IA solo shows over the years.
Now, scheduled for performance again in 2012, Ian will take the original album to a theatre near you. It will be performed in its entirety in a theatrical setting with band, and additional guests.
Well this past Summer (2011), Tull did the complete Aqualung live, which I missed unfortunately (but saw The Book of Right On and Zebulon Pike instead at least). But while I like Aqualung, Thick as a Brick is a bloody fucking masterpiece to me, my favorite Tull record, and one of my favorite records of all-time. So this very much will seem to mean a lot more to me.
Ticket prices? who knows, but given it's not the actual "Jethro Tull" name, the cost very easily could be less. Regardless, as long as there's a show in Minnesota (Fitzgerald, Orpheum, State or somewhere else), and I don't have another conflict, I certainly plan to see this.
A bump hopefully will come once the dates are announced.
