Anderson will also embark on a 19-date UK tour to commemorate the anniversary of 'Thick As A Brick,' with the new sequel album set for release on April 2nd in the UK and April 3rd in North America.

Noble sent over this information about the release: In 1972, Ian Anderson wrote and recorded the Jethro Tull Progressive Rock classic album 'Thick As A Brick.' The lyrics were credited at the time to the fictitious child character, Gerald Bostock, whose parents supposedly lied about his age. The record instantly became a number one Billboard Chart album and enjoyed considerable success in many countries of the world.

So, forty years on, what would Gerald Bostock – aged fifty in 2012 – be doing today? What might have befallen him? The anniversary "part two" album will examine the possible different paths that the precocious young schoolboy, Gerald Bostock, might have taken later in life through alter-ego characters with song-section identities illustrating 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 says of the album, "As we baby-boomers look back on our own lives, we must often feel an occasional 'what-if' moment. Might we, like Gerald, have become instead preacher, soldier, down-and-out, shopkeeper or finance tycoon?" Adding, "And those of more tender years - the social media and internet generation - may choose to ponder well the myriad of chance possibilities ahead of them at every turn ....."

To coincide with this groundbreaking release, for the first time since 1972, Anderson and fellow musicians John O'Hara (keyboards), David Goodier (bass), Florian Opahle (guitar) and Scott Hammond (drums) - as well as some guest performers - will take to the road to perform the album in its entirety and, it can now exclusively be revealed that, in addition, there will be a second part to the show where Anderson and the band will also perform the sequel.

Thick As A Brick 2 ('TAAB2') tracklist [CD, digital]
From A Pebble Thrown
Pebbles Instrumental
Might-have-beens
Upper Sixth Loan Shark
Banker Bets, Banker Wins
Swing It Far
Adrift And Dumfounded
Old School Song
Wootton Bassett Town
Power And Spirit
Give Till It Hurts
Cosy Corner
Shunt And Shuffle
A Change Of Horses
Confessional
Kismet In Suburbia
What-ifs, Maybes And Might-have-beens