10 Best Progressive Rock Albums Of All Time
3. Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
The greatest parody of prog rock ever recorded, Jethro Tull's 1972 LP was a refreshing prank in a mostly serious and complicated music scene.
Frontman Ian Anderson had taken great exception to the critical reception of their previous album 'Aqualung'. Widely regarded as a concept album, the group themselves thought it was anything but and sought to teach listeners a lesson the following year.
Sporting a cover that claimed it was modelled on an eight-year-old genius' poem, the aptly titled 'Thick As a Brick' is one piece of music spread over just shy of 44 minutes. Despite its spoof-heavy attitude and stylings, the interminable titular track boasts much of what made Jethro Tull an elite level name in the genre.
For many, 'Thick As a Brick' also serves as Jethro Tull's official entry into prog rock. Initially sporting more of a blues-focused sound, the band's use of unpredictable tempo changes and curious thematic imagery ingratiated them with prog listeners, even as they mocked the genre. In the years after, the group continued to plumb the depths of progressive sound with 1973's 'A Passion Play' essentially serving as a serious take on what they had lampooned in '72.