A Passion Play
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| A Passion Play | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image JethroTullAPassionPlay.jpg Album cover | ||
| LP by Jethro Tull | ||
| Released | July, 1973 | |
| Recorded | 1973 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 48 min 13 s | |
| Record label | Chrysalis Records | |
| Producer | Terry Ellis | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| Melody Maker | Unfavorable | July 21, 1973 (http://www.tullpress.com/mm21jul73.htm) |
| New Musical Express | Unfavorable | July 21, 1973 (http://www.tullpress.com/nme21jul73.htm) |
| Rolling Stone | Unfavorable | August 30, 1973 (http://www.tullpress.com/rs30aug73.htm) |
| Creem | Request for reader reviews from Lester Bangs | October 1973 (http://www.tullpress.com/croct73.htm) |
| Creem | Reader reviews (mixed) | January 1974 (http://www.tullpress.com/crjan74.htm) |
| Jethro Tull Chronology | ||
| Living in the Past (1972) | A Passion Play (1973) | War Child (1974) |
A Passion Play is a "concept album" released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the afterlife, it is similar to Thick as a Brick in that it is one long track split across both sides of the LP vinyl record, save for the interruption of the oddly-whimsical spoken word piece "The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles". The dense lyrics, filled with wordplay and allegory, along with music that some found lacking in creativity compared to earlier work, have made A Passion Play one of the most disputed albums in Tull's catalog. On its release in 1973, it received generally negative reviews; nevertheless, it sold well enough to reach #1 on the charts in the U.S. Today, Jethro Tull fans are still divided over the merits of the album.
Track Listing
- "A Passion Play" (Ian Anderson)
- "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Anderson/Jeffrey Hammond/John Evan)
Personnel
- Ian Anderson - flute, acoustic guitar, saxophones, vocals
- Barriemore Barlow - percussion
- Martin Barre - electric guitar
- John Evan - piano, organ, synthesizers, speech
- Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar, vocals
External links
An excellent line-by-line annotated interpretation of the lyrics can be found at The Ministry of Information (http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/app/index.htm).