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Jethro Tull - A Passion Play CD (album) cover

A PASSION PLAY

Jethro Tull

 

Prog Folk

4.05 | 1657 ratings

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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
2 stars So what is going on here - Tull does cheesy children's pantomime theater?

I love Jethro Tull's music passionately and knew eventually I would get hold of this CD. I picked it up many times, looked at the cover, shook my head and placed it carefully back in the stack. Finally it happened. I had the CD in my hands and was on my way home eagerly awaiting the characteristic enigmatic sound of the Tull to bless my ears.

Wait a minute... what is this? No! This can't be Tull. I must have put on the wrong CD.

My ears were not blessed at all. It was one of the most unnerving experiences. Interesting music and some weird lyrics. I can cope with this until - - - - - - A voice began:

This is the story of the Hare That Lost its Spectacles. It is basically a mix of a strange commentary that is not all humourous and comes across as rather a silly commentary, blended with chaotic fairytale music that is irritating and extremely pretentious. A childish theater prank laced with humour that does not work on any level. Even my children thought it was stupid and questioned what it was all about. The insanity of it all is not even clever and is beyond music - in fact, it is difficult to listen to after one listen and it is one track or section that you will probably skip as it is rather dull once you have heard it once. The novelty wears very thin and only diehard Tull fans will bother, the rest will shake their head in dismay with 'what were they thinking?'

The CD comes with a little bonus filmclip of the HTLIS story with Anderson and co playing it up to the hilt. Bunnies, stillettos, ballerinas and greasy old men - this is Tull at their most freakish. Admittedly the clip is better than the album itself but its available as a bonus on the 21st Anniv DVD so nothing to write home about if you have the DVD.

The press absolutely creamed this release and it received bashings from tabloids worldwide. They didnt get it. and, no, sorry I dont get it either and I implore you not to get it. This release is sandwiched between the masterpiece Thick as a Brick and the great War Child. Anderson found out that releases such as the Passion Play are not worth the effort but it became important for that reason I guess. Here's a prime example of what NOT to do. If you have picked it up and wondered if it is worth a purchase - just place it gently into the CD rack and move on to such Tull brilliance as Thick as a Brick, Aqualung, Minstrel in the Gallery, Living In the Past, Benefit, Stand Up or J-Tull dot com - anything but this pretentious, indulgent nonsense.

**2 stars for the first section and bonus's.

AtomicCrimsonRush | 2/5 |

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