I am not falling again into the trap of buying classic albums that I previously own in vinyl format (or maybe I didn’t ahve at all) and they are in a simple CD edition with more or less the same tracklist (give or take a couple of demo or live recordings). After all, I despise this milking from the music industry with those so called digitally remastered editions. The truth is that all the classic records will be re-released someday in a special deluxe edition that might be a little expensive but it will definitely be of a high quality level.

“Thick As A Brick” is a prime example. EMI decided to re-release Jethro Tull’s classic record for the 40th anniversary since the album’s first pressing. The record that features the one and only, two-part title track (remember, at that time, there were two sides of a vinyl record) has hit the record stores in a deluxe edition that also features an AUDIO DVD with four different formats (5.1 DTS and dolby digital surround sound, new stereo mix at 96/24 PCM, 1972 stereo mix flat transfer and  AT 96/24 PCM + 1972 radio ad). Of interest is the excellent work on the graphic design department where the listener fins himself…reading the historical newspaper St. Cleve Chronicle.

In this beautifully crafted box set, one can find a book with more than 100 pages: the first half features the original articles of the newspaper (of the first pressing). The latter one deals with more current issues while it includes lyrics in both German and Italian, the announced dates of the tour (back in the day). We must also underline the presence of Steven Wilson in the overall mixing department.

The vinyl edition of this reissue includes a second vinyl with 17 additional tracks (penned by Ian Anderson) plus a book that most likely is different than the one of the CD/AUDIO DVD edition. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance so far to check this vinyl edition for safer results.