Dave, Melbourne,Australia
05-09-2014, 01:48 PM
I understand this forum has several Jethro Tull fans, including Rob1956, RobbyLake and Paskatefan. The band's 1972 album "Thick As A Brick" reached #1 on the USA album chart and is in the top 10 on many lists of the best concept albums ever*. In my opinion, frontman Ian Anderson's 2012 sequel "Thick As A Brick 2" was better in terms of songwriting etc and his ability to apply modern concepts to 40-year-old themes.
Last month, Anderson released another concept album "Homo Erraticus" (The Wandering Man) and I've found it even better. It covers the past, present and future of the human race, both in Britain and worldwide. It discusses (in addition to many other things) Neolithic man, the first Iron Age, the Roman-Saxon-Viking invasions, US culture, religion, formal education, road travel, rail and sea travel, the British Empire’s rise and fall, World Wars I and II, television, technology, tourism, overpopulation, pollution, climate change and the need to care for the planet and the coming generations.
Anderson has been quoted as saying “If you want to cram 8400 years of history into 50 minutes of music, only the progressive rock album can do that.” According to the Official Charts Company, the album reached #6 (in Britain I presume). I'm hoping Ian and his band extend their "Homo Erraticus" concert tour to Australia and they have hinted this may happen in Dec2014.
* Those best-concept-albums lists seem to be headed by such albums as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon", The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".
Last month, Anderson released another concept album "Homo Erraticus" (The Wandering Man) and I've found it even better. It covers the past, present and future of the human race, both in Britain and worldwide. It discusses (in addition to many other things) Neolithic man, the first Iron Age, the Roman-Saxon-Viking invasions, US culture, religion, formal education, road travel, rail and sea travel, the British Empire’s rise and fall, World Wars I and II, television, technology, tourism, overpopulation, pollution, climate change and the need to care for the planet and the coming generations.
Anderson has been quoted as saying “If you want to cram 8400 years of history into 50 minutes of music, only the progressive rock album can do that.” According to the Official Charts Company, the album reached #6 (in Britain I presume). I'm hoping Ian and his band extend their "Homo Erraticus" concert tour to Australia and they have hinted this may happen in Dec2014.
* Those best-concept-albums lists seem to be headed by such albums as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon", The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".