A Passion Play
| A Passion Play | ||||
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| Studio album by Jethro Tull | ||||
| Released | 6 July 1973 | |||
| Recorded | December 1972-January 1973, Château d'Hérouville, Val-d'Oise & March 1973, Morgan Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 45:05 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Ian Anderson | |||
| Jethro Tull chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Passion Play |
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
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| Melody Maker | unfavourable |
| New Musical Express | unfavourable |
| Rolling Stone | unfavourable |
| Creem | mixed |
A Passion Play is the sixth studio album by Jethro Tull, released in July 1973 in both UK and US. Like its predecessor, Thick as a Brick (1972), it is a concept album comprising individual songs arranged into a single continuous piece of music (which is split into two parts on the original vinyl LP release) and a television film starring The Royal Ballet among other people, including members of the band themselves, namely John Evan (the pierrot introducing "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectales"), Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (narrator of story) and Ian Anderson (who gives a clipboard to Hammond-Hammond. The theme of the concept is apparently the spiritual journey of one man (Ronnie Pilgrim) in the afterlife. In the original tour to support the album, three videos were used: one for the intro of the play, a second for "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", and a final shot passage to conclude the act. The whole of the concert was probably the high water mark of Jethro Tull's elaborate stage productions.
A Passion Play initiated when the band resolved to move to France, in the Château d'Hérouville studios - known in the 70's for being frequented by artists such as Pink Floyd, Elton John and T. Rex. The move was motivated to escape high British tax rates. The original idea was to make a double album, the logical next step from Thick as a Brick. The concepts varied as the meaning of life ("Skating Away"), critics ("Critique Oblique"), and the comparison between the man and animal world ("Animelee" and "Law of the Bungle"). Although enough material was recorded to fill three sides of the intended double album, problems in the studio and discomfort of the band members made Ian Anderson discard the songs and start from scratch.
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