Description

“The album is non-chronological and contains some edit versions. Thick As A Brick is cut down from 44 minutes to just three makes sense. They chose the first three minutes, which are ojectively the best known. Other edits are the single versions of Too Old To Rock n Roll: Too Young to Die and Minstrel in the Gallery, while Heavy Horses gets a new edit bringing it from nine minutes to a more single-like three. The songs span the 1968 debut ‘This Was’ to 1995s ‘Roots to Branches’… Several non-album singles are included… such as the well known Living In the Past and the wicked string-laden Sweet Dream.

The album has an excellent flow, only interrupted with the synth-y Steel Monkey from 1987s Grammy-winning ‘Crest of a Knave’. Preceded by the savage Locomotive Breath and followed by the tender picking of Thick as a Brick, it doesnt fit in except as a speedbump. If I may be so bold, I believe Steel Monkey was included simply because it would be odd not to include something off that controversial Grammy winner.

While I enjoyed all the songs, the one that stood out particularly strong was Bourée. I never heard Bach swing like that before! The diversity of this CD, spanning all styles of rock from progressive to blues to folksy.

Yes, the flute can rock and Ian Anderson is the Eddie Van Halen of the instrument! 4/5 stars” – Mike Ladano