Chronicle 2012

Released in 2012, Thick as a Brick 2, abbreviated TAAB 2 and subtitled Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock? is the fifth studio album by Ian Anderson, and is a follow-up of Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull’s highly acclaimed 1972 album. Thick As A Brick 2 focuses on Gerald Bostock, the fictional boy genius author of the original album, forty years later. “I wonder what the eight-year-old Gerald Bostock would be doing today. Would the fabled newspaper still exist?” – Ian Anderson. The follow-up album presents five divergent, hypothetical life stories for Gerald Bostock, including a greedy investment banker, a homosexual homeless man, a soldier in the Afghan War, a sanctimonious evangelist preacher, and a most ordinary man who (married and childless) runs a corner store; by the end of the album, however, all five possibilities seem to converge in a similar concluding moment of gloomy or pitiful solitude. In March 2012, to follow the style of the mock-newspaper cover (The St Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser) of the original Thick as a Brick album, an online newspaper was set up, simply titled St Cleve.

Released in 2012, Thick as a Brick 2, abbreviated TAAB 2 and subtitled Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock? is the fifth studio album by Ian Anderson, and is a follow-up of Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull’s highly acclaimed 1972 album. Thick As A Brick 2 focuses on Gerald Bostock, the fictional boy genius author of the original album, forty years later. “I wonder what the eight-year-old Gerald Bostock would be doing today. Would the fabled newspaper still exist?” – Ian Anderson. The follow-up album presents five divergent, hypothetical life stories for Gerald Bostock, including a greedy investment banker, a homosexual homeless man, a soldier in the Afghan War, a sanctimonious evangelist preacher, and a most ordinary man who (married and childless) runs a corner store; by the end of the album, however, all five possibilities seem to converge in a similar concluding moment of gloomy or pitiful solitude. In March 2012, to follow the style of the mock-newspaper cover (The St Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser) of the original Thick as a Brick album, an online newspaper was set up, simply titled St Cleve.

Spanning fifty-three movies and forty-one editions of the Olympic Games, 100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012 is the culmination of a monumental, award-winning archival project encompassing dozens of new restorations by the International Olympic Committee.

There have been a few Christy hits collections before, but none like this one. Here, at last, is a comprehensive (75 minutes-plus), single-CD chronicle of the evolution of the New Christy Minstrels beginning with their earliest recordings with founder Randy Sparks in 1962 through the turbulent 'Sixties and ending with a sampling of their first recordings in the next decade. Sequenced in chronological order, the 25 tracks have been carefully chosen to include their biggest hits ("Green Green," "oday," and "Saturday Night"), standout album tracks ("This Land Is Your Land," "Preacher and the Bear," "Juliann," and "Blacksmith of Brandywine"), as well as recordings that represent their best efforts to adapt to changing times ("The Girl from Ipanema," "Highflyin' Bird," and "Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings"). Unlike any other Christy release, this collection features more spotlight solos by some of the biggest talents who passed through the ranks. Of course, you ll hear the voices of the key players who defined the early Christy sound – Randy Sparks, Barry McGuire, Nick Woods, Art Podell and Karen Gunderson – but you'll also hear rare tracks by Bob Buchanan (later a member of The International Submarine Band with Gram Parsons) and a young fellow from Texas by the name of Kenny Rogers. Also, this set includes four Christy tracks that are making their CD debut, including the rare studio recording of "Walk the Road" (their concert opener in '63 and '64) and a beautiful ballad penned by Minstrel Gary Fishbaugh called "Door into Tomorrow." The set is accentuated with rare photos and behind-the-scenes liner notes by Christy historian, Tom Pickles.