| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
WatcherOfTheSkies88 
Forum Groupie
Joined: February 22 2010
Location: Hawaii
Status: Offline
Points: 79
|
 Topic: Is "A Passion Play" as bad as everyone says?
Posted: January 24 2011 at 17:56 |
|
Seems like Jethro Tull's "A Passion Play" gets a lot of grief, especially compared to the brilliant "Thick as a Brick". Anyway, do you guys think it's as bad as people say? What about it is so bad? I haven't listened to it yet. Is it worth it?
|
 |
Epignosis
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32588
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 17:58 |
|
A Passion Play is probably the greatest thing Jethro Tull ever did.
For me, it sits alongside another poo-pooed album, Minstrel in the Gallery.
I've begun to think I "overrated" Thick as a Brick. It does very little for me in comparison to these two albums.
|
|
|
|
A Person
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 10 2008
Location: __
Status: Offline
Points: 65760
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:02 |
|
I like APP just as much as TAAB, as a whole I think it might be better.
|
|
TODDLER
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: August 28 2009
Location: Vineland, N.J.
Status: Offline
Points: 3126
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:08 |
|
For me personally it is their darkest effort. It's the definite bizzare side to Jethro Tull. The remaster includes the video made for "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles". It's dark theatre and "A Passion Play" itself is a real treat if you are in the mood. I quite enjoy the original sessions included on "Nightcap". There were a bunch of songs written during this time period that turned up on "Warchild". This entire period of Jethro Tull drives me crazy and I go on the outs to collect every recording that either could have been possibly written during the sessions for A Passion Play or shortly after. I often play everything loosely connected to the time period and it takes about 3 hours. It's a strange period for Jethro Tull and that's why I find it to be so unique.
|
|
Tapfret
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 12 2007
Location: Bryant, Wa
Status: Offline
Points: 8641
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:16 |
|
"Everyone"? It has a 4 star rating. That would mean most who review it like it. Its my favorite JT for sure.
|
|
|
|
MFP
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 31 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 9509
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:22 |
|
My favorite JT album.
|
|
Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:24 |
|
No it isn't. An acquired taste well worth acquiring.
|
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
|
Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65867
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 18:25 |
|
a great, great record
|
|
moshkito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 18811
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 20:32 |
 Epignosis wrote:
A Passion Play is probably the greatest thing Jethro Tull ever did.
|
Thank you Ep ...
I second that and then some.
It's a very tough album for most rock fans because it is not clear what all this is about and the cover doesn't make it any easier, and Ian is not gonna tell!
All in all, it is fabulous, and extremely enjoyable, and probably the one work of Jethro Tull that deserves the description of "progressive" because there is not much that could be considered progressive about "Thick as a Brick", even as a composition on its own. yes, I know this is not an opinion that many share here.
In the end, consider this the Grimm Tales ... of rock music at the time, and kinda shows you that by that time even Genesis was being looked at as kinda funny and weird, and though it became everyone's darling, in the end, the story and music ... did not hold up a whole lot until they gave up the fairy tale idea and made their own fairy tale (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway).
I still think, in a sort of literary like discussion of the continuity of the works that JT did at the time, that this is more than anything else a really good comment about "concepts" and of course ... "classical music", which to Ian and I, not you maybe, is important. And the main reason why I say that a lot of this work is what I call the "classical music of today" done by folks out own age? ... take a look at that cover ... classics are dead! The ballerina is dead!
It's a new time and place and music ... and we have to face it. I really think that after Ian saw Yes, ELP, get hammered in the press for long cuts, specially Tales from Topographic Oceans, that he probably felt that he could not do anything he wanted ... and I think that he did his last "concept" anything right then and there and deliberatly made it weird and strange ... to get us all confused.
There is also the story, that we would not know anything about it, because Roger Waters has tried to hide it for 35 years ... and it is that the cover was also a comment about the Pink Floyd concerts with Twyla Tharp and her group and their lullaby version of Atom Heart Mother, which got senselessly trashed everywhere ... and is one of the things that Roger and PF tried to live down and ignore and make sure it dies kind of thing ... but sadly, it shows one thing that is even more symbolic and important ... and Jethro Tull captured it in the cover. The mix of old and new was not working and it was killing the old stuff ... the ballerina is dead ... and the palce is empty!
I always saw that in music ... it was so obvious. The long cuts died in the English market over night and the experimental stuff was over for many of these bands, including Pink Floyd ... and it was the media that killed it, not the creativity!
And I think this album is important in that respect and is the real meaning of the hare's story ... and important punch line ... "it was his own affair!" Boom ... done! ... but we and the media refused to accept that! And still don't!
Edited by moshkito - January 24 2011 at 20:32
|
|
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com
|
|
himtroy
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 20 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1601
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 20:35 |
I like it. And even though I've heard people dispute how great some think it is I haven't really heard many say it's bad...
|
|
Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance.
|
|
Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 22:13 |
|
Best to not listen to it and make up your own mind without having done so.
|
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
|
dr prog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 25 2010
Location: Melbourne
Status: Offline
Points: 2536
|
Posted: January 24 2011 at 23:29 |
Pretty good album, although i rate these better:
TAAB
LITP
HEAVY HORSES
WARCHILD REMASTER
BURSTING OUT
|
|
Man With Hat
Collaborator
Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team
Joined: March 12 2005
Location: Neurotica
Status: Offline
Points: 166183
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 02:09 |
|
Its like good and such. Really good.
|
|
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
|
|
iluvmarillion
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 09 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3247
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 04:14 |
Man With Hat wrote:
Its like good and such. Really good. |
Next best album after TAAB (IMHO)
|
|
daslaf
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 03 2009
Location: Chile
Status: Offline
Points: 290
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 06:14 |
|
It's a worth listen, wether you like it or not, it is something you have to listen and you'll probably enjoy it
|
|
But now my branches suffer
And my leaves don't bear the glow
They did so long ago
|
|
yanch
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 03 2010
Location: Lowell, MA
Status: Offline
Points: 3247
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 06:16 |
|
APP is one of the best Tull albums, as good as, or better than TAAB. It has some of Tull's most interesting musical moments. It may be darker lyrically, but musically it's a masterpiece.
|
|
Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 06:19 |
|
Excellent album. probabvly their bvest.
|
|
|
|
harmonium.ro
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 18 2008
Location: Anna Calvi
Status: Offline
Points: 22989
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 06:35 |
WatcherOfTheSkies88 wrote:
Seems like Jethro Tull's "A Passion Play" gets a lot of grief, especially compared to the brilliant "Thick as a Brick". Anyway, do you guys think it's as bad as people say? What about it is so bad? I haven't listened to it yet. Is it worth it?
|
I've had the same impression as you a few years back, but in the last two years the discourse has changed drastically, a lot of people like it a lot now (as shown by the replies in this thread). The way I see it now it's that I don't like it nowhere near as much as it is liked now. The same thing happened wih Yes' TFTO, the majority is now quite positive about it.
|
|
hobocamp
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 17 2010
Location: Fine Furniture
Status: Offline
Points: 525
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 08:19 |
Topic: Is "A Passion Play" as bad as everyone says?
Yes, yes it is. Why, it's the baddest m*********ing album Tull ever recorded. 
Admin note: please don't try to circumvent the "bad word" filter.
User note: corrected
Edited by hobocamp - January 25 2011 at 09:28
|
|
Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
|
Posted: January 25 2011 at 08:38 |
I see that "what-you-don't-see-is-what-you-don't-get" apple is working good for you Tony 
|
|
What?
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
Is "A Passion Play" as bad as everyone says?
