Why is Tull's "A Passion Play" rated so low?

This is where the "definition" of the word ART is a problem. And then, how do we make out who fits and doesn't fit.

I tend to look at the complete history of their work ... not just one album, mind you ... before I consider them an artist, and in this sense, yes, JT fits, even if a lot of his music was more radio inclined (even when FM was almost dead in America!!!), than otherwise, and sometimes (this is just me -- but I have not kept up with IA or JT ... there are way too many others out there doing better NOW!), this is not for my tastes ... I have that feeling that because his "concept" albums (PP/Minstrel) originally did not do as well, and the critics did not like it compared to Aqualung, that it took a little out of Ian, enough to come back with songs for the radio ... which got played enough to sell some, but it was not the monster that his early albums had been.

Anyone, can make a piece of music ... anyone can paint a picture ... anyone can write a novel ... but doing so consistently is another story ... and this is where I have an issue ... is Stephen King an artist even though I do not care for his material or work? I have to take my "personal" view away ... and this is important ... and then go ... it is better than a lot of pulp fiction, even if a lot of it is ... mostly what appears to be just weird twists and turns to create a story, and further take it somewhere else.

So in this sense, a lot of bands, JT included, have to have the appreciation for their ART, even if it is not perfect, and I will tend to be a bit more detailed on new things, and hope that they can also come back strong, so to "fortify" their ability and standing ... the obvious question would be ... as was the case with Mozart ... how many pieces are you going to see, before you realize that this guy is strong and talented?

My only concern, again, is that we tend to believe this "top ten" stuff and in effect turn off some listeners to anything else by that artist ... and I don't think that's fair ... I have listened to all the newer stuff by Dream Theater, and although I did not deem it necessary to review ... I'm not going to doubt their ability to put something together, even if it seems a bit duplicated for my tastes ... like saying that you and I do not feel like that about Tchaikovsky or Beethoven beyond the pieces that we know ... in fact, sometimes you can tell right off the bat who is who ... 

But I am not sure that the "listener" has anything to do with the work itself ... you see ... Stephen King writes off his "movie mind" (for lack of a better description), just as Mozart did off his movie mind (nicely pre-viewed in the well known movie!), just as Huxley kept a diary and track of his "inner" experiences to put together an incredible amount of literature ... to many of these, it is not about the "public" ... maybe their wife/friend and what not, but I doubt that is a whole lot beyond that except on some occasions.

The main problem with publicity and the media is that it thinks it has a right to make a decision, and one of these days, as artist is going to hang himself/herself in a concert to make their point ... I am not here to write for you ... and you can not stop me from being myself and instead be your slave! Get fudged! And we're still going to sit there and be sordid and upset that someone had the guts to take us down a step that should have been done earlier ... but that person/artist didn't know any better, as is the case with many of these women out there ... exposing something they are not, and in some cases, trying to be a teenager, when they are no longer one! And no one gets that it's a lie disguised in publicity!

It's just too weird ... and one of the reasons why I have such a disdain for "top ten" ... heck I got to see FM radio come up, and then 6 years later the station was bought by Texaco and a year later ... it was all dots and you could not play blah and blah from 8 to 8 kind of thing and no weird stuff before midnight so we don't "alienate" the audience ... never mind that we're playing the same ten songs each hour! Let's now even consider, discuss what happened to KMET in Los Angeles ... the greatest crime that the FCC has ever committed and allowed to happen ... on a station that was very highly rated because they ... whatevahhhh!!!

When you have seen those kinds of things, you remember them ... but too many folks here, have no idea what all this meant, and how it hurt the "progressive scene" that many think DIED in the 80's ... it didn't die ... it just got "censored" as I like to call it, and we bought into it and NEVER EVER said anything about it like good boys and girls!

How much sicker is that?