Jethro Tull
Thick As A Brick - CD & Audio DVD Special Collector's Edition

THE REVIEW

I am about to review my favorite album. I want to clarify that I am not reviewing the remastered edition (called Late Extra) released for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the album's release; the subject of this review is, in fact, the collector's box set Thick As A Brick - CD & Audio DVD Special Collector's Edition. At first glance, it might seem to be a special edition randomly packaged to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of an album; but no! What I am reviewing is not a Special Edition randomly packaged! From an audio/video content perspective, it has little to offer, indeed, but those who, like me, adore the album Thick As A Brick will find it quite satisfying. As the name of this box set suggests, it includes a CD and an audio DVD. The CD (a stunning pistachio green!) contains the album, but this listening experience holds a surprise: Steven Wilson, in fact, had the great idea to 'remix' it and remove ten seconds compared to the original. However, in my opinion, this is not a flaw, especially since the new version is practically identical to the original. The DVD contains the album in its original version and a radio spot used to promote the record.

Moreover, this Special Edition includes not only the reconstruction of the complete newspaper (the now-historical St. Cleve Chronicle): the true gem of this collector's set is that, at the end of the newspaper, there is a sixty-four-page color insert featuring more or less rare photos of the band and various curiosities about the album and the recordings. In this supplement, the full version of the interview, an excerpt of which was included in the Late Extra edition of this album, is also reported. This set is absolutely unmissable, especially if you want to listen to a great super classic!