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Bruce, His Other Brother Bruce, and Ian Anderson

Hi Bruce: 

Read your interview with Ian, which was very enjoyable.  But do you really believe his statement that Thick As A Brick was meant as a parody of concept albums?  That seems a bit revisionist to me … and if he was really attempting to parody the concept album, why did JT follow up TAAB with another concept album, A Passion Play?  No, I believe that TAAB was intended as a concept album … and in fact, when one looks at the timeline of concept albums, you will see that TAAB was not JT’s first concept album; Aqualung was (1971).  As to parodying the other bands:

•       Yes did not release their first concept album until September 1972 (Close to the Edge).  Heck, even TAAB was released in March of 1972.  •       Foxtrot by Genesis was not released until October of 1972.  And nobody purchased Nursery Cryme anyway.
•       King Crimson, a concept album?  I don’t think so. 
•       ELP:  Well maybe 

This seems like an attempt of Ian to “distance himself” from a format that he once liked, but now finds distasteful.
 
Someone needs to call out Ian on this stuff … total B.S.
 
Bruce Wagner

Dear Bruce,

YOU can call Ian out if you like, I’m not touching that. After spending time with him, I wouldn’t debate that dude on a bet. He’s way too sharp and would leave you twisting in the wind I’m sure. One of the most engaging, witty and charming people I’ve ever had the pleasure to spend time with.

Thanks for the feedback in any case. I had not, and don’t plan on the detailed analysis and chronological exercise to determine who did what and when, and what Ian may or may not have been thinking. You may be right (or, you may be crazy). Whatever Ian intended when he planned TAAB, it may be that “concept music” was closer to his target. Longer, more involved conceptual pieces that bands like Moody Blues, King Crimson and Genesis (and many others) were definitely exploring at the time. I do remember a quote from an older interview where he chided the idea of “art rock” and the tendency of some artists to get pretentiously overblown. Perhaps over time “concept album” became a more concise way to describe what he was parodying (or not parodying as the case may be).

A couple of point on your points, and I stand by these with the assurance that my editor can take your editor any day:

•    Even if Yes and ELP weren’t making them yet, there were plenty of concept albums around prior to TAAB. Sgt. Pepper, Tommy, Days of Future Passed, not to mention conceptual works by The Kinks, Zappa, and others.
•    Close To The Edge is not a concept album. No, it’s just not, trust me. It’s just three songs and two of them are really long.
•    Ditto Aqualung. Those are just songs, there’s no story or common thread. There is minor continuity of the theme of poverty in two songs, but it’s minor. And the religious stuff, well ALL Jethro Tull albums were filled with that from Aqualung on. If you can connect “Mother Goose” and “Wind Up” in any logical fashion, I’m all ears brother. For what it’s worth, Ian has refuted many times that Aqualung is a concept album.
With that said, I found this quote which supports your theory about TAAB, while blowing up your theory about Aqualung:

“Aqualung was never meant to be a conceptual album, it was the critics that said it was. About halfway through it, I realized that two-thirds of the songs had some sort of relationship to religion or my attitude toward religion, but I never intended the album to be a single unit. Since then, because of Aqualung, I’ve wanted to do a record that was really a concept album.”
-Ian Anderson, Circus Magazine, 22 June 1972

Bottom line for me, is the dude is a genius, and I’ll be forgiving if he practices a little revisionism. Thanks again Bruce, and keep reading.

Sincerely,
The Real Bruce

Somewhere Over Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow

How about reviewing at least one Rainbow album? After all, it was Dio’s start in metal, and since someone took the time to review those last four embarrassments from The Ian Gillan band — oh wait, sorry, “Deep Purple” — maybe someone could give Blackmore some respect!

It’s always interesting when someone preaches respect but fails to give it to a very talented band (the current DP lineup consists of three members from its most famous Mark II lineup, plus Steve Morse and Don Airey… no lack of talent there).  That said, ask and ye shall receive…

Jimmy Invents the Internet (Or Something Like That)

Hi Jason:

I’ve been reading reviews on your website for years and I think your writers do an excellent job. I find so many publications to be overly cynical, often reducing an album or artist to a few lines of text. A lot of so called music critics are so preoccupied with sub genres and where each band fits in to them that the music itself becomes an afterthought in both the listening and writing process. You and I have pretty similar taste in music so I enjoy reading your work in particular.

One of my favorite records of the last decade was John Mayer’s Continuum. The first time I listened to Continuum I was like “This can’t be as good as I thought it was.” So I listened to it again and by about the fourth listen of “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” I was texting all of my friends and telling them John Mayer’s new album was better than almost everything Clapton had released in the last 20 years.As evidenced by its mediocre score on Metacrtic, not too many writers approached that record with the same lack of personal bias that you did.  

I just finished reading your review of Jimmy Eat World’s Invented and I thought it was spot on. When Bleed American came out in 2000 I was 19 years old and I didn’t love that album and Futures because I was crying into my pillow over a girl every night. They’re just great rock albums. Jim Adkins has such a great sense of melody and is so unpretentious that it’s tough to dislike his writing.

Anyway, I agree completely. It’s not a perfect album. It’s doesn’t flow like Futures and the heavier tunes lack some of the punch of their best stuff,  but the title track is without question one of their finest moments. I wasn’t disappointed with Chase This Light, but it certainly lacked the soul of the previous albums. Invented recaptures that. Hopefully I can catch them live on tour. I saw them in Saskatoon (I’m from Regina, Canada) on their last tour, but it’s the only time they’ve been through my neck of the woods. Keep up the good work

Craig

Thanks a lot, Craig.  As you might imagine, the site doesn’t get a ton of mail, and a lot of it is of the “hey, why haven’t you covered my favorite band ____??” variety.  All of us on the Vault do this for a hobby and don’t make a dime.  The amazing part is that so many people stay year after year… most of us just really enjoy what we do.

Continuum felt like a major statement to me from the first time I heard it… glad you heard it the same way.  Interestingly, I have not bought Battle Studies.  I know part of that decision is a result of my feeling that it would inevitably have to fall short, especially after all the time John has spent in the tabloids since Continuum.  That affects people in strange ways, and a defensive, rationalizing John Mayer is not nearly as interesting to me as a confident, open one.

Anyhow, thanks again and best wishes to you.  Your support is much appreciated.

Jason

Which One Is The Dark Half?

So, I’ve read Bruce Rusk and Jason Warburg’s Asia reviews and looked at their reviewer profiles, and I’ve got to ask: are they actually separate people or is one of them just a pseudonym for the other?

Bruce: I’m real.
Jason: Are you sure about that?
I’ve got a driver’s license.
They give those to anybody.
No they don’t.
Yes they do.
No they don’t, you have to show a birth certificate.
They give those to anybody, too.
Anybody who’s been born.
Everybody’s been born!
No they haven’t.
Yes they have!
Haven’t.
Have!

[Editor’s note: Did we mention they’re both Monty Python fans, too?]

If I write a letter to the Feedback column and you think my question or comment is out of line or dumb or anything like that, will you reply with barbed sarcasm and possibly a gratuitous personal insult of some kind?

Depends on who wrote the letter. We are perpetually kind to old people, children and pets. Well, unless they don’t like our favorite band. Then we lock and load.