A Passion Play

A Passion Play is the sixth studio album by Jethro Tull, released in July 1973 in both UK and US. Like its predecessor, Thick as a Brick (1972), it is a concept album comprising individual songs arranged into a single continuous piece of music (which is split into two parts on the original vinyl LP release). The theme of the concept is apparently the spiritual journey of one man (Ronnie Pilgrim) in the afterlife. In the original tour to support the album, three videos were used: one for the intro of the "play", a second for "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", and a final short segment to conclude the act. The whole of the concert was the high water mark of Jethro Tull's elaborate stage productions.[2]

A Passion Play
Studio album by
Jethro Tull
Released13 July 1973 (UK) and 23 July 1973 (US)
RecordedMarch 1973
StudioMorgan Studios, London
GenreProgressive rock[1]
Length45:05
LabelChrysalis
ProducerIan Anderson, Terry Ellis
Jethro Tull chronology
Living in the Past
(1972)		 A Passion Play
(1973)		 War Child
(1974)
Singles from
A Passion Play
  1. "A Passion Play [Edit #8]"
    Released: 1973
  2. "A Passion Play [Edit #6]"
    Released: 1973

Despite initially receiving generally negative reviews, with many critics comparing it unfavourably to Thick as a Brick, A Passion Play became Jethro Tull's second No. 1 album in the United States.

Production

A Passion Play was undertaken when the band resolved to move to France, in the Château d'Hérouville studios - known in the '70s for being frequented by artists such as Pink Floyd, Elton John and T. Rex. The move was motivated to escape high British tax rates. The original idea was to make a double album, the logical next step from Thick as a Brick. The concepts were as varied as the meaning of life ("Skating Away"), critics ("Critique Oblique"), and the comparison between the man and animal world ("Animelee" and "Law of the Bungle"). Although enough material was recorded to fill three sides of the intended double album, problems in the studio and discomfort of the band members made Ian Anderson discard the songs and start from scratch.[2]

Little of the material was re-used in A Passion Play, with the notable exception of "Critique Oblique" which was adapted to the new concept. Some of the material would later be used in the War Child album, like "Skating Away" and "Only Solitaire."

Musical style

Moving further into the progressive rock genre, A Passion Play featured the entire band playing a multitude of instruments, heavily toned with dominating minor key variation. The spoken word piece "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", has its relations in musical terms with Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.[2] Bruce Eder describes Anderson's singing in biblical-sounding references, interwoven with modern language as a sort of a rock equivalent to T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land with the music a "dazzling mix of old English folk and classical material, reshaped in electric rock terms."[3]

Concept

Background

A Passion Play borrows its title from a traditional type of play depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ, though the title is evidently ironic, since the album at first appears to present a generically Christian view of the afterlife but then rejects Christian theological conclusions.[4] A Passion Play is described in its album liner notes as though it were a staged theatrical "play" in four acts. Of this album, "the lyrics themselves are extremely complicated, the story is often unclear, and much is left to the individual's interpretation."[4] Knowledge of the characters and setting actually comes less from the music itself and more from the few brief words in the satirical, six-page Linwell Theatre "programme" included in the original album packaging, which names Rena Sanderone (an anagram of "Eean Anderrson") as the author of A Passion Play.[5] A basic narrative plot can be loosely interpreted from the lyrics, liner notes, and "theatre programme" of A Passion Play, centering on everyman protagonist Ronnie Pilgrim, who is named only in the album's programme.

Plot synopsis

Ronnie Pilgrim recognises his own death and, in ghostly form, attends his own funeral, before traversing a purgatorial desert and "icy wastes", where he is visited by a smiling angel guide (Act 1). Pilgrim is next admitted into a video viewing room by a Peter Dejour, and events of Pilgrim's life are replayed by a projectionist before a demanding jury.[6] After a long-winded and bizarre evaluation process, the sardonic jury concludes that they "won't cross [Pilgrim] out", suggesting that he has led a mostly decent life and so will be admitted into Heaven, which corresponds with the sudden start of a cheerful "Forest Dance" melody (Act 2).

At this time, the main plot is interrupted by an unrelated, spoken-word comedic interlude (narrated by Jeffrey Hammond with an exaggerated Lancashire accent) backed by instrumentation. Presented as an absurd fable, the interlude details (with much wordplay) the failure of a group of anthropomorphic animals to help a hare find his missing eyeglasses.[7]

The "Forest Dance" melody resumes, and Ronnie Pilgrim now appears in Heaven, two days after his judgment at the viewing room, communicating two unexpected thoughts: "I'll go to the foot of our stairs" (an expression of surprise) and "pie in the sky" (an expression of scepticism about the fulfilment of a reward). Pilgrim's dissatisfaction with Heaven appears to be linked to its mundane atmosphere where most of its residents endlessly reminisce, chronically obsessing over the living. Therefore, unable to adapt, Pilgrim goes to G. Oddie & Son to frankly request a relocation to Hell, feeling that he has a "right to be wrong".[7] Descending into Hell, Pilgrim is confronted by Lucifer (named "Lucy" in the album's fictitious programme), who asserts his cold authority as Pilgrim's "overseer" (Act 3). Pilgrim immediately finds Hell even worse than Heaven and flees, understanding himself now as neither completely good nor evil, wishing that he could trade his "halo for a horn and the horn for the hat I once had". He speaks with a Magus Perdé about his dilemma and, having sampled and rejected both extremes of his afterlife options, he finally stands on a Stygian shore as a "voyager into life". On this beach, other people and animals also prepare to "renew the pledge of life's long song". The final triumphant lyrics include the phrases "ever-burning fire", "ever-door", "ever-life", and moving "from the dark into ever-day", so that the play concludes with a strong implication of eternal rebirth (Act 4).[8]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]
Sea of Tranquility[10]

Upon its original release, it received generally negative reviews. Rolling Stone was very harsh, saying that the album was "a pop potpourri of Paradise Lost and Winnie The Pooh, among many other literary resources, not to mention a vast array of musical ideas derivative of influences as far-flung as Purcell, flamenco and modern jazz", with the final judge of the album as an "expensive, tedious nonsense" piece of music.[11] New Musical Express considered the album as "the fall" of Jethro Tull.[12] Even Chris Welch of Melody Maker had a bad impression, stating "Music must touch the soul. A Passion Play rattles with emptiness".[13] Lester Bangs, writing for Creem Magazine, stated that he became "totally bamboozled" after hearing the album. Bangs concluded: "I almost like it, even though it sort of irritates me. Maybe I like it because it irritates me. But that's my problem".[14] The later three star review of Bruce Eder from AllMusic was a little lighter in its judgement, saying that "the music puts it over successfully, a dazzling mix of old English folk and classical material, reshaped in electric rock terms. The band is at its peak form, sustaining the tension and anticipation of this album-length piece across 45 minutes, although the music runs out of inspiration about five minutes before it actually ends".[3]

Despite the reviews, A Passion Play sold well enough to reach No. 1 on the charts in the United States and Canada.[15][16] The album also had good sales in Germany and Norway, where it reached No. 5. In the United Kingdom it reached only No. 13.[17] The 2013 box A Passion Play: an Extended Performance achieved the Nº 48 in the Top Rock Albums.[18]

Retrospectively, the album has received much more positive reviews. A Passion Play was included in the list The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time by ProgMagazine at number 49.[19] PopMatters ranked A Passion Play the 17th best progressive rock album of all time.[20] In 2015, Iron Maiden's bassist Steve Harris included the album among his favorites by Jethro Tull while describing it as an "acquired taste" during an interview.[21]

Aftermath

A low point occurred when Jethro Tull's business manager, Terry Ellis, announced in Melody Maker that the band would retire from live performances in response to negative reviews of the album and concerts. This was just a publicity stunt of which the band had no knowledge; Anderson felt it made them look petulant and brought them the wrong sort of publicity.[22][23]

Releases

Subsequent to the original 1973 release, the album was released on CD. Later, in March 1998 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a CD, which indexed tracks along the lines of, but not quite matching, the radio-station promo (see below) and in 2003 a remastered CD version with an additional video track was released.[1] The Gold CD version also includes an additional verse not on the original release of "The Foot Of Our Stairs". It extends the track about another 45 seconds.

On the original release of the album, as well as the original CD release, side one of the album ends in the middle of "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles". The sound at the end of side one was a nod to children storytelling records which signaled the child or parent to flip the record over. Side two begins where it left off. However, on the 2003 remastered CD, the second part begins with the full story so that it does not get cut off in the middle.

In 2014, commemorating the 40th anniversary (slightly belated) of the album, it was released a box called A Passion Play: An Extended Performance, which contains the complete Chateau d’Herouville sessions and brand-new mix by Steven Wilson. The DVDs also include the video clips of stage intro film and "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles". The discs are packaged in a box set along with a book featuring interviews with Wilson, dancer Jane Eve, spun man Chris Amson, plus the memoirs of the Reverend Godfrey Pilchard.[24]

Chateau D'Isaster recordings

Early concepts for the album were developed at the recording studio Château d'Hérouville, which the band, due to difficulties at the studio, playfully referred to as "Chateau D'Isaster". Previously unreleased recordings from these sessions were first offered to public under the title "The Chateau D'Isaster Tapes" on the 1988 compilation 20 Years of Jethro Tull (three recordings) and then in the 1993 compilation Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters 1973–1991. Nightcap included almost all the recordings with additional flute solos by Ian Anderson.

The full recordings were released in 2014, in the box A Passion Play: An Extended Performance. The box contains previously unreleased tracks such as "Sailor" and "The Big Top" along with the aforementioned "Skating Away" and "Critique Oblique".

Track listing

These titles were provided by Anderson for the 1973 DJ pressing of the LP, though they were not included for the standard pressing. The gold Ultradisc Original Master Recording CD of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (1998) contains cueable tracks for each title, but the standard CD releases contain only one or two tracks, depending on the version. The benefit of the latter, being an uninterrupted experience, with musical passages that crossfade.

All songs written by Anderson unless stated otherwise.

1973 original release
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."A Passion Play, part I
  • I. "Act 1: Ronnie Pilgrim's funeral — a winter's morning in the cemetery"
  • II. "Act 2: The Memory Bank — a small but comfortable theatre with a cinema-screen (the next morning)"
    • I. "Memory Bank"
    • II. "Best Friends"
    • III. "Critique Oblique"
    • IV. "Forest Dance #1" (instrumental)
  • III. "Interlude: The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles"
23:09
  • 9:08
    • 1:14
    • 2:14
    • 4:29
    • 1:11
  • 14:01
    • 4:20
    • 1:58
    • 4:38
    • 1:35
  • 1:30
    • 1:30
Side two
No.TitleLength
2."A Passion Play, part II
  • I. "Interlude: The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles"
    • I. "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Anderson, Hammond, Evan)
  • II. "Act 3: The business office of G. Oddie & Son (two days later)"
    • I. "Forest Dance #2" (instrumental)
    • II. "The Foot of Our Stairs"
    • III. "Overseer Overture"
  • III. "Act 4: Magus Perdé's drawing room at midnight"
    • I. "Flight from Lucifer"
    • II. "10:08 to Paddington" (instrumental)
    • III. "Magus Perdé"
    • IV. "Epilogue""
21:58
  • 2:48
    • 2:48
  • 9:30
    • 1:12
    • 4:18
    • 4:00
  • 9:40
    • 3:58
    • 1:04
    • 3:55
    • 0:43
Total length:45:05

1998 Ultradisc Original Master Recording Gold CD (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 720)
Gold CD Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Lifebeats"1:14
2."Prelude"2:14
3."The Silver Cord"4:29
4."Re-Assuring Tune"1:11
5."Memory Bank"4:20
6."Best Friends"1:58
7."Critique Oblique"4:38
8."Forest Dance No. 1"1:35
9."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles"4:18
10."Forest Dance No. 2"1:12
11."The Foot of Our Stairs"4:18
12."Overseer Overture"4:00
13."Flight from Lucifer"3:58
14."10:08 to Paddington"1:04
15."Magus Perdé"3:55
16."Epilogue"0:43

2003 Remastered 30th Anniversary Edition
The same listing from 1998 with a Quick Time video
No.TitleNotesLength
1."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles"The 2003 release includes this additional 7-minute QuickTime video,[1] which was used in the original APP concerts. 

2014 An Extended Performance
CD 1: Steven Wilson stereo remix of the album
No.TitleLength
1."Lifebeats / Prelude"3:24
2."The Silver Cord"4:28
3."Re-Assuring Tune"1:11
4."Memory Bank"4:20
5."Best Friends"1:56
6."Critique Oblique"4:35
7."Forest Dance #1"1:34
8."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles"4:10
9."Forest Dance #2"1:12
10."The Foot of Our Stairs"5:08
11."Overseer Overture"3:58
12."Flight from Lucifer"3:56
13."10:08 to Paddington"1:04
14."Magus Perdé"3:53
15."Epilogue"0:44
CD 2: Steven Wilson stereo remix of The Château d'Hérouville Sessions
No.TitleLength
1."The Big Top"3:05
2."Scenario"3:25
3."Audition"2:33
4."Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day"3:27
5."Sailor"3:10
6."No Rehearsal"5:09
7."Left Right"5:02
8."Only Solitaire"1:28
9."Critique Oblique (Part I)"8:50
10."Critique Oblique (Part II)"5:28
11."Animelee (1st Dance)"3:36
12."Animelee (2nd Dance)"1:34
13."Law of the Bungle (Part I)"5:08
14."Tiger Toon"2:31
15."Law of the Bungle (Part II)"5:28
DVD 1: Steven Wilson 5.1 surround and stereo mixes and flat transfer of the original stereo mix of the album and video clips of The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles and intro and outro film footage used in the 1973 tour
No.TitleLength
1."Lifebeats / Prelude" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:24
2."The Silver Cord" (5.1 Surround Mix)4:28
3."Re-Assuring Tune" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:11
4."Memory Bank" (5.1 Surround Mix)4:20
5."Best Friends" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:56
6."Critique Oblique" (5.1 Surround Mix)4:35
7."Forest Dance #1" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:34
8."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (5.1 Surround Mix)4:10
9."Forest Dance #2" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:12
10."The Foot of Our Stairs" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:08
11."Overseer Overture" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:58
12."Flight from Lucifer" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:56
13."10:08 to Paddington" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:04
14."Magus Perdé" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:53
15."Epilogue" (5.1 Surround Mix)0:44
16."Lifebeats / Prelude" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:24
17."The Silver Cord" (2014 Stereo Mix)4:28
18."Re-Assuring Tune" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:11
19."Memory Bank" (2014 Stereo Mix)4:20
20."Best Friends" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:56
21."Critique Oblique" (2014 Stereo Mix)4:35
22."Forest Dance #1" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:34
23."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (2014 Stereo Mix)4:10
24."Forest Dance #2" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:12
25."The Foot of Our Stairs" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:08
26."Overseer Overture" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:58
27."Flight from Lucifer" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:56
28."10:08 to Paddington" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:04
29."Magus Perdé" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:53
30."Epilogue" (2014 Stereo Mix)0:44
31."Lifebeats / Prelude" (Original Stereo Mix)3:24
32."The Silver Cord" (Original Stereo Mix)4:28
33."Re-Assuring Tune" (Original Stereo Mix)1:11
34."Memory Bank" (Original Stereo Mix)4:20
35."Best Friends" (Original Stereo Mix)1:56
36."Critique Oblique" (Original Stereo Mix)4:35
37."Forest Dance #1" (Original Stereo Mix)1:34
38."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Original Stereo Mix)4:10
39."Forest Dance #2" (Original Stereo Mix)1:12
40."The Foot of Our Stairs" (Original Stereo Mix)5:08
41."Overseer Overture" (Original Stereo Mix)3:58
42."Flight from Lucifer" (Original Stereo Mix)3:56
43."10:08 to Paddington" (Original Stereo Mix)1:04
44."Magus Perdé" (Original Stereo Mix)3:53
45."Epilogue" (Original Stereo Mix)0:44
46."The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles video clip from the 1973 tour" 
47."Intro and outro video clip from the 1973 tour" 
DVD 2: Steven Wilson 5.1 surround and stereo mixes of The Château d'Hérouville Sessions
No.TitleLength
1."The Big Top" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:05
2."Scenario" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:25
3."Audition" (5.1 Surround Mix)2:33
4."Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:27
5."Sailor" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:10
6."No Rehearsal" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:09
7."Left Right" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:02
8."Only Solitaire" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:28
9."Critique Oblique (Part I)" (5.1 Surround Mix)8:50
10."Critique Oblique (Part II)" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:28
11."Animelee (1st Dance)" (5.1 Surround Mix)3:36
12."Animelee (2nd Dance)" (5.1 Surround Mix)1:34
13."Law of the Bungle (Part I)" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:08
14."Tiger Toon" (5.1 Surround Mix)2:31
15."Law of the Bungle (Part II)" (5.1 Surround Mix)5:28
16."The Big Top" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:05
17."Scenario" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:25
18."Audition" (2014 Stereo Mix)2:33
19."Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:27
20."Sailor" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:10
21."No Rehearsal" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:09
22."Left Right" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:02
23."Only Solitaire" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:28
24."Critique Oblique (Part I)" (2014 Stereo Mix)8:50
25."Critique Oblique (Part II)" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:28
26."Animelee (1st Dance)" (2014 Stereo Mix)3:36
27."Animelee (2nd Dance)" (2014 Stereo Mix)1:34
28."Law of the Bungle (Part I)" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:08
29."Tiger Toon" (2014 Stereo Mix)2:31
30."Law of the Bungle (Part II)" (2014 Stereo Mix)5:28

Chart positions
Year Chart Position
1973 Australia (Kent Music Report)[25] 9
1973 Billboard Pop Albums 1[15]
1973 UK album charts 16[17]
1973 Danish Albums Chart 4[26]

Personnel
Jethro Tull
Additional personnel
  • Dee Palmer – orchestral arrangements
  • Robin Black – sound engineer
  • Terry Ellis – producer
  • Brian Ward – photography

References
  1. Eder, Bruce. Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973) album review, credits & releases at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  2. "A Passion Play". Jethrotull.com. 6 July 1973. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  3. Eder, Bruce. "Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973) album review, credits & releases". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  4. "The core narrative of Jethro Tull's 'A Passion Play' explained at the Ministry Of Information". Neil Thomason (NRT). 2003. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  5. "A Passion Play – Linwell Theatre Program". J-tull.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  6. "Voorbij, Jan (2009). An introduction to "A Passion Play" at www.CupOfWonder.com". Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  7. Smolko, Tim (2013). Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs. Indiana University Press. pp. 126-127
  8. "Jethro Tull Tour History, annotated Passion Play and blog, at the Ministry Of Information". Ministry-of-information.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  9. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 430. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  10. Pettengill, Steve (2003). "Review: 'Jethro Tull: A Passion Play (remaster) – Sea of Tranquility – The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". SeaOfTranquility.org. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  11. "Jethro Tull Press: Rolling Stone, 30 August 1973". Tullpress.com. 30 August 1973. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  12. "Jethro Tull Press: NME, 21 July 1973". Tullpress.com. 21 July 1973. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  13. "Jethro Tull Press: Melody Maker, 21 July 1973". Tullpress.com. 21 July 1973. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  14. "Jethro Tull Press: Creem, May 1973". Tullpress.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  15. Billboard chart info A Passion Play at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  16. "Album artist 51 - Jethro Tull". Tsort.info. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  17. "Official Charts Company of Jethro Tull A Passion Play". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  18. Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973) album awards at AllMusic.com
  19. ProgMagazine - The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time: 60-41 (Prog.TeamRock.com)
  20. https://www.popmatters.com/25-best-progressive-rock-albums-2495470374.html
  21. Lawson, Dom (8 October 2015). "Steve Harris: Genesis Was Never The Same After Peter Gabriel Left". Prog. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  22. "Melody Maker". tullpress.com. 25 August 1973. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  23. "Press". Jethrotull.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  24. "Jethro Tull's Passion Play gets extended edition - Prog". Prog.teamrock.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  25. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 155. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  26. Danish Albums Chart at DanskeHitLister.dk

Sources
  • Smolko, Tim (2013). Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs. Profiles in Popular Music. ISBN 9780253010315.
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