Thick as a brick, clear as a crystal.
5
By TallPhantasmic
I listened to my original record of Thick as a Brick many, many times after I first picked it up 30 years ago, it just musically blew me away utterly - one of the most brilliantly creatively successful attempts of a full rock symphony (if you will) with recurring musical themes and melodies that, rather than being simply an assortment of separate songs stuck together with some connective passages, was a full singular piece in its own right. When the CD release came along, I picked it up of course, and was again blown away, this time by the clarity that records, warm as vinyl can be, simply can't provide, at least not for long if you wish to listen to it often (sorry, vinylophiles). When later a newer remastered version came out I enjoyed it as well, but I have to say that this remix is, for me, the one that rules them all. The first noticeable difference to me was that the stereo image seemed widened, giving each separate instrument more room to be heard, and the vocals were perhaps a bit louder - the nuances of Ian Anderson's performance are more distinct than I'd ever heard before. Once the music became fuller and more fully orchestrated with the start of the 'See there a son is born' section, though, the extent of the new mix was immediately unmistakable. I thought I knew this whole album cold, but suddenly I was hearing fine details, and even whole instruments I'd never really noticed before due to the closeness of the original mix; the clarity of every instrument and the new full sonic range was, well, astonishing! It's not confined to the noisier and more raucous bits, either, the quiet moments feel somehow richer as well, the hushes more silent and the instruments breathing like never before. I gotta say, I love it! I should mention, though, I have not listened to this mix on headphones, only through a system with good full-ranged speakers, and as a direct feed from my iPad to a single, decent portable speaker. If you love Thick as a Brick, try this one out, it may impress you as it did me! Thanks for reading! :)