Released on 2 April 2012, Thick as a Brick 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock? revisits the world of the original 1972 concept album by imagining the grown‑up fate of its fictional author. Rather than a single continuous suite like the original, TAAB2 unfolds through 13 connected tracks that flow together, presenting five alternate life paths for Bostock—investment banker, homeless man, soldier, evangelist preacher, or ordinary shopkeeper—ultimately converging in scenes of reflective solitude. Anderson conceived the sequel after decades of refusing the idea, finally embracing the narrative question of what might befall the gifted schoolboy forty years later.

Musically, the album mirrors the stylistic palette of early‑70s Tull while incorporating modern production techniques, with the album’s mixing handled by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. It mixes acoustic guitar, flute, dynamic rock passages, and recurring melodic references to the original Thick as a Brick without descending into pastiche. Critics noted its cleaner, streamlined structure, strong musicianship, and successful balance between nostalgia and new material.

Commercially, the album charted internationally, reaching No. 55 in the US, No. 35 in the UK, and top‑20 positions in several European markets. Anderson toured the full TAAB and TAAB2 works in 2012, later released as Thick as a Brick – Live in Iceland. The album remains one of Anderson’s most ambitious late‑career projects, exploring fate, age, and identity through the lens of his most famous fictional creation.