5. Jethro TullThick As A Brick
My favourite Jethro Tull album. I know it is partly a send up of the idea of ‘concept’, but it is delivered to perfection. I was a massive Tull fan from very young and they are one of the bands that I saw live in Toronto…yes, we were lucky to see so many incredible concerts when we were very young and, I hope, that too reflects in Rush. I was mesmerised by Ian Anderson. His presentation was simply magical and he delivered it with such a sense of humour and great style. There really wasn’t anyone else who looked or sounded quite like them and that holds true to this day. We saw it as a huge challenge to try and create something that can seem so dynamic onstage. They are probably best regarded as a live band although their series of albums around that period were exceptional. This still sounds fresh and it is great to see that interest in Tull is still growing.
