A Passion Play Songs Ranked

A Passion Play is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in July 1973 in both the UK and US. Following in the same style as the band’s previous album Thick as a Brick (1972), A Passion Play is a concept album comprising individual songs arranged into a single continuous piece of music (which was split into two parts across the original vinyl release’s two sides). The album’s concept follows the spiritual journey of a recently deceased man (Ronnie Pilgrim) in the afterlife, exploring themes of morality, religion and good and evil. The album’s accompanying tour was considered the high water mark of Jethro Tull’s elaborate stage productions, involving a full performance of the album accompanied by physical props, sketches and projected video. A Passion Play was negatively received by critics upon its initial release. However, the album was a commercial success, becoming Jethro Tull’s second number one album in the United States. Here are all of A Passion Play songs ranked.

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4. A Passion Play – 1

“A disturbing intro, dark, but not very necessary, I think that the saxophones in the distance give this song a little more darkness, but the final result leaves much to be desired, the organs begin to appear to herald the change to the next movement…”

See more: Jethro Tull Albums Ranked

3. The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles pt. 2

“Another of the disc’s unnecessary fillers, an interlude that deals with a pseudo satirical children’s story. Narrated by Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond and with piano backgrounds provided by John Evans. It doesn’t come on this album, it’s more the proof that Ian couldn’t find a way to fill in the suite so it would last so long… Even so, it would have been good for a separate short film, like the one that was shown during the live performances, what’s more, these were better than the record, or in a separate mini-movie from Jethro’s discography… The ending immediately gives way to the second half of the suite and a new movement.”

See more: Jethro Tull Songs Ranked

2. A Passion Play – 2

“What opens the second part is The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles, a ‘children’ tale that tells the story of a Hare who loses his glasses and is helped by forest animals, I still don’t quite understand the correlation of this music inside the second part, but it’s so good to hear Jeffrey narrating the whole story in that slurred accent that I don’t even bother. The instrumental of this part is without a doubt one of the most worked of all the world prog (only compared to the geniuses of Gentle Giant, complex to say enough).”

1. The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles pt. 1

“A lot of lyrics on this album (as on the previous one) it’s very complicated to prepare these giant ‘texts’ for music. It’s not just about writing, it has to make some sense. There’s a part towards the end with guitars and a keyboard that’s awesome, a really cool martial melody, there must have been at least four guitars recorded here. And then… The guitar comes with everything in a melody that is not strange, it seems to me already from the guys’ repertoire, some keyboards from hell and a fantastic vocal! The end of the record couldn’t be better, although… the taste of continuation, I want more, it’s not that cool (laughs)”