JETHRO Tull's Ian Anderson is to many the king of prog-rock and his album Thick as a Brick one of the definitive moments of his career.

The 1972 concept album features the words of a fictitious schoolboy called Gerald Bostock, aged 8, and was presented as one track lasting 46 minutes.

The record was a commercial success and helped make Anderson one of the most famous musicians of his generation.

He is back on the road this year for a world tour to perform Thick as a Brick in its entirety for the first time since '72.

Anderson is also releasing a follow up to the album called TAAB2 - Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock? which returns to take a look at what might have happened to the boy, who would now be in his 50s.

Ian Anderson said: "The theme of this anniversary part two album is to examine the possible different paths that the precocious young schoolboy, Gerald Bostock, might have taken later in life and to create alter-ego characters whose song-section identities illustrate the hugely varied potential twists and turns of fate and opportunity.

"Not just for Gerald but to echo how our own lives develop, change direction and ultimately conclude through chance encounters and interventions, however tiny and insignificant they might seem at the time."

Ian Anderson will be performing Thick as a Brick at Birmingham's Symphony Hall on Monday April 30.

The Base Sessions is recorded and produced by Base Studios in Stourbridge.