A PASSION PLAY

It would be impossible to describe the richness of this bizarre tapestry of an album. All the old familiar elements of Jethro Tull come crowding in a different...way. This is one of the hardest albums to follow. I literally fell asleep the first few times I heard it. I was prepared to give up on it. I was ready to say, "I don't get what others see in this." Then, with no small measure of courage and persistence, I held onto the few places in the music that held onto me, and my investment paid rich dividends. Each section contains amazingly memorable melodies that just beg to be heard again and again. Plus, for some weird reason, this album became my favorite to play while I was in the cups, and to this day, I like to play it around four in the afternoon after I've had a few. In fact, I play this album far more often than I do their previous record, but that could be due to the beer I consume and the fact that I purchased Thick as a Brick the exact same day I lost both of my cats. Oh well. Whether Jethro Tull was trying to bank off the ironic success of Thick as a Brick or not, I don't care. Nor do I care what the critics said about it. This is the ultimate comeback album for me as a listener, as a record I once regarded as the lamest of lames is now shoulder to shoulder with the grandest of grands. And if the ice cream lady wets her drawers to see me at all, well, who am I to complain?

"A Passion Play, Pt. 1" The opening instrumentation introduces the main vocal theme of the piece until the rest of the band enters in with their jaunty rhythm and main instrumental motif. Eventually a gentle acoustic guitar and whistle come in, bringing the listener to the vocals of maestro Ian Anderson. The acoustic guitar is brilliant with Anderson's vocals, and eventually gives away to some great organ and electric guitar music. The music is varied and yet united. Each section contains amazingly memorable melodies that just beg to be heard again and again.

"A Passion Play, Pt. 2" The children's story about the hare who lost his spectacles always made me cringe. The first time I heard it, I felt cheated. I wanted to haul the album back to the store from whence it came and get my money. Now that I am a father, and have come to enjoy this for everything it is, I find this narrative to be just a natural part of the album- I can no longer imagine it without it. The swirling segment, the one that came at the end of the first part, returns after the silly little tale, and is brilliant- one of the best things Jethro Tull ever did. And so much happens thereafter. My shoulders can't help but move in rhythm with the section just over fourteen minutes in. The following acoustic part is lovely and something one may wish to dance to, but, as with "Minstrel in the Gallery," the acoustic grandeur is broken up by a gritty wakeup call from the electric guitar. This lively segment is a punchy one that always dismissed my interest quickly, but my patience with going through with the album made this part just as enjoyable as the rest. Have I mentioned that each section contains amazingly memorable melodies that just beg to be heard again and again?