Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play

Description

<P>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.</P>
<P>Preface<BR>Acknowledgements<BR>1: Providing a Context for Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play<BR>2: Galliards and Lute Songs: The Influence of Early Music in Jethro Tull<BR>3: Geared Toward the Exceptional Rather than the Average: The Album Cover and Lyrics of Thick as a Brick<BR>4: The Music of Thick as a Brick: Form and Thematic Development<BR>5: The Music of Thick as a Brick: Other Features<BR>6: The Château d’Isaster Tapes and the Album Cover and Lyrics of A Passion Play<BR>7: The Music of A Passion Play<BR>8: Monty Python, Reception, and Live Versions<BR>Conclusions<BR>Epilogue: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?<BR>Appendix 1: The Complete Lyrics to Thick as a Brick<BR>Appendix 2: The Complete Lyrics to A Passion Play<BR>Appendix 3: Analysis of the Instrumental Passages<BR>Notes<BR>Bibliography <BR>Index</P>

Sujets

• Livres
• Art, musique et cinéma
• Musique
• Popular music
• British music
• Music of the United Kingdom
• Rock music
• Cultural Studies
• Music

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 07 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• EAN13: 9780253010384
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Exrait

Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play

PROFILES IN POPULAR MUSIC

Jeffrey Magee and Felicia Miyakawa, editors

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Johnny Cash and the Paradox of American Identity Leigh H. Edwards

Jazzwomen: Conversations with Twenty-One Musicians Wayne Enstice and Janis Stockhouse

Choro: A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music Tamara Elena Livingston-Isenhour and Thomas George Caracas Garcia

Rush, Rock Music, and the Middle Class Chris McDonald

Five Percenter Rap: God Hop’s Music, Message, and Black Muslim Mission Felicia M. Miyakawa

The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Legacy in Country Music Jocelyn R. Neal

The Megamusical Jessica Sternfeld

Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album Marianne Tatom Letts

Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play

This book is a publication of

INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS Office of Scholarly Publishing Herman B Wells Library 350 1320 East 10th Street Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA

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© 2013 by Timothy J. Smolko

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No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smolko, Tim, author. Jethro Tull’s Thick as a brick and A passion play : inside two long songs / Tim Smolko. pages cm. – (Profiles in popular music) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-253-01026-1 (cloth : alkaline paper) – ISBN 978-0-253-01031-5 (paperback : alkaline paper) – ISBN 978-0-253-01038-4 (ebook) 1. Jethro Tull (Musical group) 2. Rock music – England – 1971-1980 – History and criticism. 3. Progressive rock music. I. Title. II. Series: Profiles in popular music. ML421.J5S66 2013 782.42166092’2 – dc23

1 2 3 4 5 18 17 16 15 14 13

2013010486

Contents

•List of Illustrations

•Foreword by Adrian Stone-Mason

•Preface

•Acknowledgments

1 Life Is a Long Song: Providing a Context forThick as a BrickandA Passion Play

2 Galliards and Lute Songs: The Influence of Early Music in Jethro Tull

3 Geared toward the Exceptional Rather than the Average: The Album Cover and Lyrics ofThick as a Brick

4 The Music ofThick as a Brick:Form and Thematic Development

5 The Music ofThick as a Brick:Other Features

6The Château d’Isaster Tapesand the Album Cover and Lyrics ofA Passion Play

7 The Music ofA Passion Play

8Monty Python, Reception, and Live Versions

•Conclusions

•Epilogue: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?

•Appendix 1. The Complete Lyrics toThick as a Brick

•Appendix 2. The Complete Lyrics toA Passion Play

•Appendix 3. Analysis of the Instrumental Passages

•Notes

•Bibliography

•Discography

•Videography

•Index

3.1. 3.2. 3.3. 3.4. 6.1. 6.2. 6.3. 6.4.

Illustrations

FIGURES

Cover ofThick as a Brick Comic on p. 7 of theSt. Cleve Chronicle Article on p. 8 of theSt. Cleve Chronicle Lyrics toThick as a Brickfrom theSt. Cleve Chronicle Front cover ofA Passion Play Back cover ofA Passion Play Inside gatefold ofA Passion Play Inside gatefold ofA Passion Playwith mock theater program

Example 4.1 Example 4.2 Example 4.3 Example 4.4 Example 4.5 Example 4.6 Example 4.7 Example 4.8 Example 4.9 Example 4.10 Example 4.11 Example 4.12 Example 4.13 Example 4.14 Example 7.1 Example 7.2

MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Thick as a Brick, melody in first A section of Vocal 1, 0:11 side 1 Thick as a Brick, melody in second A section of Vocal 1, 1:00 side 1 Thick as a Brick, Motive 1 Thick as a Brick, Motive 2 Thick as a Brickmeter, 0:48 side 2, Motive 2 in Thick as a Brick, Motive 2fortspinnungpassage, 18:42 side 2 Thick as a Brick, Motive 3 Thick as a Brick, Motive 3 on organ, 17:31 side 1 Thick as a Brick, Motive 4, 11:23 side 1 Thick as a Brick, Motive 2 interrupted by Motive 4, 19:46 side 2

Thick as a Brick, Motive 5, 16:35 side 1

Thick as a Brick, Motive 6

Thick as a Brick, Motive 6 layered onto Motive 2, 20:04 side 2

Thick as a Brick, Motive 7

A Passion Play, Overture Theme 1 A Passion Play, Overture Theme 2

Example 7.3 Example 7.4

Example 7.5 Example 7.6 Example 7.7 Example 7.8 Example 7.9 Example 7.10 Example 7.11 Example 7.12 Example 7.13

Table 4.1 Table 4.2 Table 4.3 Table 4.4 Table 4.5 Table 4.6 Table 4.7 Table 4.8 Table 4.9 Table 4.10 Table 4.11 Table

Johann Sebastian Bach,French Suite in E major BWV 815, “Gigue” Hector Berlioz,Symphonie Fantastique, “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath,” mm 21– 25 “Neapolitan Tarantella,”Traditional A Passion Play, Motive 1: Heartbeat A Passion Play, Motive 2 A Passion Play, Motive 3 A Passion Play, Motive 4 A Passion Play, Motives 4 and 3 combined, 17:41–17:58, side 1

A Passion Play, Motive 5

A Passion Play, Story Theme 1

A Passion Play, Story Theme 2

Song forms inThick as a Brick

TABLES

Large-scale form ofThick as a Brick

Multiple climaxes inThick as a Brick

Vocal sections ofThick as a Brickwith local repetition

Appearances ofThick as a BrickMotive 1

Metrical progression from 16:18–17:41, side 1

Appearances ofThick as a BrickMotive 2

Appearances ofThick as a BrickMotive 3

Appearances ofThick as a BrickMotive 6

Appearances of allThick as a BrickMotives throughout side 1

Appearances of allThick as a BrickMotives throughout side 2

Instrumentation ofThick as a Brick

5.1 Table 5.2 Table 5.3 Table 5.4 Table 6.1 Table 6.2 Table 6.3 Table 6.4 Table 7.1 Table 7.2 Table 7.3 Table 7.4 Table 7.5 Table 7.6 Table 7.7 Table 7.8 Table 7.9 Table 7.10 Table 7.11 Table 7.12 Table 7.13 Table 7.14

Instrumentation legend ofThick as a Brick

Flute paired with other instruments inThick as a Brick

Chord progressions in the first eleven minutes ofThick as a Brick

Lyrics about the parallels between human and animal behavior

Lyrics about the theater as a conceit for human life

Settings of the four acts ofA Passion Play

Subtitles on the MFSL Gold CD release ofA Passion Play

Musical events in the Overture toA Passion Play

Song forms inA Passion Play

Large-scale form ofA Passion Play

Multiple climaxes inA Passion Play

Appearances ofA Passion PlayMotive 1

Appearances ofA Passion PlayMotive 2

Appearances ofA Passion PlayMotive 3

Appearances ofA Passion PlayMotive 4

Appearances ofA Passion PlayMotive 5

Appearances of the phrase “Passion Play”

Appearances of allA Passion Playmotives throughout side 1

Appearances of allA Passion Playmotives throughout side 2

Instrumentation ofA Passion Play

Instrumentation legend ofA Passion Play

Table 7.15

Table 8.1 Table 8.2 Table 8.3 Table 8.4

Appearances of the two themes in “The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles”

Form ofFlying Circusepisode: “How to Recognize Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away” Form ofThick as a Brick, Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 version

Form ofThick as a Brick, live “Out in the Green” Festival version (1986)

Form ofThick as a Brick, 25th Anniversary Box Set studio version (1992)