A Passion Play

A Passion Play

Infobox Album | Name = A Passion Play
Type = Album
Artist = Jethro Tull


Released = July 13, 1973 (UK)
Recorded = March 1973, Morgan Studios, London
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 48:13
Label = Chrysalis Records
Producer = Ian Anderson
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=10:16jweaz04xa7 link]
*"Melody Maker" (unfavorable) [http://www.tullpress.com/mm21jul73.htm July 21, 1973]
*"New Musical Express" (unfavorable) [http://www.tullpress.com/nme21jul73.htm July 21, 1973]
*Rolling Stone (unfavorable) [http://www.tullpress.com/rs30aug73.htm August 30, 1973]
*George Starostin rating|6|10 (overall rating: 9/15) [http://starling.rinet.ru/music/tull.htm#passion link]
Last album = "Living in the Past"
(1972)
This album = "A Passion Play"
(1973)
Next album = "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 (actually a medley of segued shorter songs,) 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 (in the U.K however, it did not do as well, reaching #13). Even today, Jethro Tull fans are still divided over the merits of the album.

Script of the concept:

*Act 1: Ronnie Pilgrim's Funeral: a winter's morning in the cemetery.
*Act 2: The Memory Bank: a small but comfortable theatre with a cinema-screen (the next morning).
*Act 3: The business office of G. Oddie & Son (two days later).
*Act 4: Magus Perdē's drawing room at midnight.

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 as per the radio-station promo (see below) and in 2003 a remastered CD version with an additional video track was released.cite web
title = allmusic - A Passion Play (bonus tracks) - Overview
url=http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8y62mpbk9f5o
accessdate = 2007-11-10
]

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 contains cueable tracks for each title, but the standard cd releases contain only one or two tracks, depending on the version.]

All songs written by Anderson unless stated otherwise.

#"Lifebeats"
#"Prelude"
#"The Silver Cord"
#"Re-Assuring Tune"
#"Memory Bank"
#"Best Friends"
#"Critique Oblique"
#"Forest Dance #1"
#"The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Anderson / Hammond / Evan)
#"Forest Dance #2"
#"The Foot of Our Stairs"
#"Overseer Overture"
#"Flight from Lucifer"
#"10.08 to Paddington"
#"Magus Perdē"
#"Epilogue"

The 2003 release includes an additional 4-minute QuickTime video "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", showing a part of "A Passion Play"'s stage presentations.

Chart positions

Personnel

*Ian Anderson - flute, acoustic guitar, saxophones, Vocals
*Barriemore Barlow - drums, percussion
*Martin Barre - electric guitar
*John Evan - piano, organ, synthesizers, speech
*Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar, vocals

References

External links

* An excellent line-by-line annotated interpretation of the lyrics can be found at [http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/app/index.htm The Ministry of Information] .
*
* (bonus tracks)
* [http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=jt-app "A Passion Play"] at Ground and Sky.
* [http://www.progressiveworld.net/jethrotull18.html "A Passion Play"] at Progressive World.

succession box
before = "Chicago VI" by Chicago
title = "Billboard" 200 number-one album
years = August 18 - August 24, 1973
after = "Brothers and Sisters" by The Allman Brothers Band


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Passion play (disambiguation) — Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Christ.Passion Play may also mean: *A Passion Play, an album by Jethro Tull, about the journey of a recently deceased man through the after life *Passion Play (play), a stage play… …   Wikipedia

  • Passion play — Passion Pas sion, n. [F., fr. L. passio, fr. pati, passus, to suffer. See {Patient}.] 1. A suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress (as, a cardiac passion); specifically, the suffering of Christ between the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Passion play — n. a religious play reenacting the Passion of Jesus …   English World dictionary

  • Passion Play (play) — Passion Play is a 1981 play by British playwright Peter Nichols dealing with adultery and betrayal …   Wikipedia

  • passion play — n a play that tells the story of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Passion play — Passion ,play noun count a play about the death of Jesus Christ according to the Bible, often performed at Easter …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • passion play — ► NOUN ▪ a play about Christ s crucifixion …   English terms dictionary

  • Passion play — A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Christ: the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition.Origin and history… …   Wikipedia

  • passion play — a dramatic representation of the passion of Christ, as that given every ten years at the Bavarian village of Oberammergau. Also, Passion Play. [1865 70] * * * Religious drama of medieval origin dealing with the suffering, death, and resurrection… …   Universalium

  • Passion play — noun a play representing the Passion of Christ • Hypernyms: ↑play, ↑drama, ↑dramatic play * * * ↑passion play * * * ˈPassion play [Passion play] noun a play about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Passion play — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms Passion play : singular Passion play plural Passion plays a play about the death of Jesus Christ according to the Bible, often performed at Easter …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”