A PASSION PLAY

I would like firstly, to clear up hopefully a few things about "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles". Unlike many reviewers who believe it does not have a place on this album and is an attempt at monty pythonish humour, I believe have missed a crucial clue to it's possible meaning. The Hare in ancient pagan belief is a persons representative in the underworld, and having lost his spectacles, means he has lost his way in the afterlife. Through all the attempts to help him and subsequent failures. The meaning being that you have to make your way on your own. Make your own choices. Finding his spare pair he continues on his journey. Told in the style of a fable. The other characters probably represent specific figures in the afterlife, but I can't say who they would be maybe someone could help me with that.

On to the album I find this work a perfect blending of music and theme. Starting with the medieval street fair music to the closing of the door severing the silver cord "umbilical" of life. The music immediately gets heavier in a compressed stifling way, like your underground. There follows burst of energy like attempts at escape, diabolical strains of music and more. Then having braved all this He emerges safe on the other side.

It is really too bad this album got such a critical panning. I would have wished that Tull had followed this path a while longer, I feel cheated.