Jethro Tull: A Passion Play pt. 2
 

Just spent the morning listening to the second half of "A Passion Play" while reading the lyrics. Then I spent another hour scouring youtube for some decent video footage of it, at which I was unsuccessful.

Some call APP one of Tull's weakest moments, but I would argue that the whole album, and especially the second half, is one of most powerful pieces of music every recorded. Unlike so many other 20-minute epics that piece together separate songs to create an extended track, the 2nd half of APP is one relentless, completely coherent piece of music, and it is absolute perfection. I've been listening to it for 10-years, and it just never gets old to me.

I go around and around on my favorite prog side-long epic (TAAB pt.1, APP pt.2, CTTE, Relayer, Lighthouse Keepers, Suppers Ready), and they are all great, but this morning APP pt. 2 reigns supreme for me.

Just an amazing section of music.

I`ve never really decided what I think about that album to be honest, part of it is a load of twaddle, but there is also a lot of quality stuff on it. I`m no huge fan of Thick as a Brick either, but I think its the better album of their prog phase.

What part do you consider twaddle?

The lyrics and story, although written in pretty dense metaphorical verse, are actually quite coherent and tell a very interesting story of death, heaven, hell, and ultimately rebirth. Here's a line by line analysis, if anyone is interested... jethro tull,apassion4

The music in the first half is not quite as strong as the second half, but it is still A+ material, and I think the music in the second half is as close to perfection as you can get.

Some people knock the whole play within play thing (The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles), but if you take record as a mock play, and take that section as a somewhat humorous fable to break up the play, it actually serves its purpose quite well.

It is certainly TAAB's dark sequel, but in my opinion it is equally as good if not better. The most amazing part is that both albums went to #1 upon their release. Those were certainly different times for popular music.

I thought certain segments such as "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" to be weaker aspects and much of the album to be a whole load of whimiscal self-indulgence, as said though I don`t dislike the album, but I never have a desire to put it on if I fancy listening to some Jethro Tull.

As said, its amazing how both albums went to the top of the charts as this was hardly mainstream sounding music, but then again prog-rock was at its all time height of popularity around that time period.