Controversial Albums!

I don't find "Passion play" difficult , just disappointing. After "Thick as a Brick", I eagerly anticipated Tull's next album. I hoped that my initial lack of appreciation would disappear with repeated listens, but it didn't. I don't think the composition on the album is any where near the standard Tull set on other albums.

VC, what do you think of the "Nightcap" album? Personally, I find the music of the "Chateau Disaster" tapes, (which was the initial attempt to make a follow up to "TAAB") to be far better than "A Passion play".

It's interesting that on the sleevenotes for "Nightcap", Ian Anderson himself  describes "A passion play" as "down-beat and controversial".

Easy Livin wrote: goose wrote: I think it'll take a lot of listens for me to get into A Passion Play (apart from the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles :)) I've tried that Goose, and it still hasn't worked for me!

D'ya know what "Passion Play" is about? I stayed up till 1:30 last night reading the annotation at http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/app/index.htm

It's about Ronnie Pilgrim: he dies, then goes to limbo, then is shown a video of himself in life (eg, the "passion play"), then goes to heaven and finds it really boring, and he talks to "G. Oddie" (God) about relocating to hell; then he talks to Lucifer and decides hell sucks too; then he escapes, wishing he was alive again; so finally he decides to take a ferry to the real world to get reincarnated.

Has nothing to do with Jesus: don't let the title fool you. A tip: before I get an album, I read the lyrics and annotations so that I fully understand it before I buy it. Then when I get it, the first listen is easier to get, and two or three listens later you 'get' all of it.

goose wrote: I think it'll take a lot of listens for me to get into A Passion Play (apart from the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles :))

I've tried that Goose, and it still hasn't worked for me!

gdub411 wrote: Also I must say...I have never heard Spock's Beard or Porcupine Tree as of yet

I've got (downloaded...) Spock's Beard's "The Light" and Porcupine Tree's "Signify" and "Lightbulb Sun." I'm going to get "Snow" eventually I think.

threefates wrote: gdub411 wrote: The only one that is essential(4 or 5 stars) would be The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway....while I don't classify it as a masterpiece it is still an album every progger should own....the rest is unnecessary.,which doesn't mean their bad...but fall into the good but non-essential catagory Thats the funniest thing I've read from you yet!

I am sorry Threefates, but as you know I have never been bowled over by Yes as of yet and Brain Salad Surgery to me is just good....not great. I much prefer their 1st 2 albums. ELP has alot of great music ,but there is always something on each album that doesn't quite win me over. I don't mean to slam anyone's tastes or insult anyone, it is just my opinion.

I voted 'The lamb..' 5 stars. A classic that was not that well recieved at the time. I understand this album caused a certain amount of controversy in the US when they toured out there with it. I think the English public school perception of what a Peurto Rican teenager would be like didn't go down that well with some members of that community. Just what I read.

"controversial albums" is just the title, it means nothing. I left out ones I'm not even considering, and threw in a few pop ones just to see what you thought about them.

I'm looking at getting "Relayer" soon and maybe "A Passion Play".