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A Passion Play

Jethro Tull - A Passion Play Audio CD

A fair review of the Jethro Tull "A Passion Play" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jethro Tull reviews here, or go back to the Jethro Tull tabs.

Band: Jethro Tull
Title: A Passion Play
Rating:

Release Date: 2003-05-20
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Passion Play, Pt. 1 2: Passion Play, Pt. 2 3: Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles [Enhanced Video Track]

Guess I'm Just Not "Passionate" Enough for It
It just may simply be a case of too much too soon after the success of TAAB that Ian Anderson thought "Well, surprisingly it worked once, so let's just try it again. A Passion Play - (1973) 2 Tracks (45:08) *** � Stars

This follow-up to Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick certainly has its moments, but sounds a little bit cobbled together in my opinion. " I much prefer the edited version of the main track that is found on numerous greatest hits packages of JT. Now, I will admit, I have only listened to this a few times, and I know some great pieces of Art have to soak in for awhile for the individual to truly appreciate it, but I don't think I'm ever going to be saying this particular Tull album is great. Another reviewer stated that people seemed to either "love it, or hate it". I don't hate it, but I just don't "get it". Only recommended to completists that want all of Jethro Tull's albums.

This digitally remastered version includes an "enhanced" bonus track, the video of The Hare Who Lost his Spectacles along with a theater progamme.
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Ian's favorite
Need I say more, Tullsters? It is my favorite as well. It was years ago but Ian Anderson said that this was his favorite Tull album. I saw the complete performance of this piece of genius at the L. A. Forum in July of 1973. J. T. played the entire album beginning to end and in the middle "intermission" section played the movie "The Hare. . . . " great show. After playing Passion Play for 45 minutes and receiving a roaring ovation, Ian said "Thanks so much, I thank you, and now for our second number". . . . and then launched into Thick as a Brick, the entire album as well. Back to back 40 minute-plus pieces of music to open a concert. That doesn't happen very often. . . . . encore was Cross-Eyed Mary, Aqualung and a very long Wind Up, which included Ian leaving the stage for a well-deserved break and Martin Barre ripping off power chords and jamming with the band for a good 6 to 7 minutes. This jam was amazing and parts of it ended up on Minstrel in the Gallery (especially on the middle section of the title cut). All of that Tull magic played for hours. Steeleye Span was the opening act, excellent set. Passion Play is so complex and wonderful. For a brief period of time, Ian and Co. proved that they could more than hang with the prog heavyweights of the day. This was sadly their last "prog concept" album. I wish they would have continued in this vein for a few more releases considering how great they were at doing these albums. Buy this today and wear it out. . . . . "we sleep by the ever-bright hole in the door, eat in the corner, talk to the floor".

One of My 2 Favorite Albums of All Time

People either love or hate this album. Lucas Biddle, above, said it all. I'm in my mid-30s, so I grew up in the 80s, when the only music with any real depth that was accessible on the radio was heavy metal like Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath/Dio. But this makes that stuff look like children's music.

Anyway, I have some friends in their mid-20s who think they have depth when it comes to music. They aren't far wrong- Coheed and Cambria and the other kinds of stuff they listen to isn't bad at all, and some of it has some real depth, but sorry, nothing compares to JT at the height of their musical powers- except perhaps ELP (the dove, bss, tarkus) or KC (red, larks, Islands or court of) of course. Anyway, I played Aqualung for them, and they said "that stinks, Courtney".
Why is it that when people actually HATE something, it's almost *almways* because they don't understand it. This album has taken a lot of flak. Now, I think anyone who's reading this review will agree that my 20-year old friends said that about Aqualung for one reason only: They couldn't get their minds around it- ie, they don't understand Aqualung, it didn't fit with the little model in their minds of what rock music "should" sound like.
So it is with APP. There are Jethro Tull fans who will slam this album the same way my ignorant friends slammed Aqualung, and with even greater passion in their revulsion. Why is that? It doesnt fit with thier little pre-concieved model of what Jethro Tull "Should" sound like. It breaks the barriers, shatters myths and preconceptions.

If you will look up the history of all of the greatest works of art that were considered ground-breaking, without variance they all have one thing in common: they were despised by their contemporaries, with a passion.

This album is like that. One day, mark my words, we will probably be long dead, but one day, if Rock every becomes a fully-fledged classical reperatoire like jazz and classical, someone will look back and understand what this album was about, and it will be studied the way Bach and Rameu and Mozart are studied now.
One other reason this album is so hated: it dares trod on the feet of jazz and classical, without being either. Society likes homogeneity and for things to be easily classified, tagged, and easily filed away, so we can make judgements on it without ever having to actually listen to it. If Metallica did a country song, could you imagine how angry thier narrow-minded fans and corporate backers would be? This is the same reason interracial couples were forbidden in society for a long time.

Anyway, as their opinions on Aqualung are so unevolved, I wonder what my narrowminded friends would say if they ever heard THIS album? It would probably turn their brains to slush and cause blood to flow out of their ears if they ever actually listened enough to begin to get an inkling of what it is about.

Courtney.

A ride in the clouds.
It's a really different and refreshing sound, creative, theatrical, just overall wonderful. This album is sometimes dark, sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, sometimes sinister, snarling, tongue-in-cheek, and whatever else. I'm glad to see this album is popular with so many people because it certainly is a gem that never got it's due.

It's a fantastic album to sit down and listen to whether it be on a stereo or on your headphones (both work great), but it isn't exactly background music for a social gathering.

If you haven't heard this album before, I don't think anyone could describe this close enough for you to expect what you actually hear. Or hear what you actually expect? Who knows.

Masterpiece
I happen to love it. "A Passion Play" can be loved or hated. It is basically a "one" song album with a break in the middle. Full of amazing rythym changes and melodies within melodies. I would bet that every instrument within eyesight was used on this album. It took a few years to know this album intimately. When I got comfortable knowing where the musical changes were going I could relax and. . . take this awe inspiring 40 something minute epic in. Simply put, it is one of rock great triumphs. Not because it IS an epic but because once the listener get's this into perspective the treats and jewels whiz by at the speed of sound. Catch them if you can. Highly recommended
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You can see a complete list of all Jethro Tull discography, or go back to the Jethro Tull tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.