[2014-07-01] Jethro Tull "A Passion Play" 2CD/2DVD remaster including 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson (Chrysalis/Universal)

ranasakawa · 26 Jan 2007

Product Description
In 1972 Jethro Tull were riding high on the crest of a popularity wave. They sold out huge arenas on the back of their critically acclaimed fifth album Thick As A Brick. The question was, how do you follow a concept album comprising a single 44-minute piece of music? The answer was, with a double album of separate songs of course.

For the first time in their five year career Tull went into the studio with an unchanged line-up. Founder member and undisputed leader Ian Anderson was still writing songs on flute, acoustic guitar and now saxophone, and he was again joined by guitarist Martin Barre, bassist Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, drummer Barriemore Barlow and keyboard player John Evans. But which studio to use?

The first criterion was that it had to be abroad. The second criterion was that the studio of choice had to have a good reputation. The 18th century Château d'Hérouville near Paris had previously been used by Elton John to record Honky Château and by Pink Floyd for Obscured By Clouds. It contained living accommodation as well as studio facilities, and so seemed the ideal choice. What could possibly go wrong?

The choice was a disaster. First up, there were technical problems with the studio itself. Then there was the accommodation... the band all slept in a dormitory, it was very basic which might have been tolerable, had they been the sole occupants of the rooms. Unfortunately, they had unwelcome company, of a bed-bug variety. And then to make matters infinitely worse everybody got food poisoning from the in-house catering.

Unsurprisingly the band decided to go home and the decision was made to ditch the hour or so s worth of music recorded in France. They decided to start from scratch and write a whole new album, instead of trying to somehow regenerate everybody s interest and commitment to something that had already struggled.

And so to A Passion Play, an album that evolved into a 45-minute piece of quasi-prog rock, with complex time-signatures, complex lyrics and, well, complex everything, really. With a mere nine days left in the studio before the next tour, the pressure was on to produce something quickly. The concept explored the notion that choices might still be faced in the afterlife. It recognizes that age-old conflict between good and bad, God and the Devil.

This beautifully packaged 2CD/2DVD case-bound book expanded edition of A Passion Play includes the original album and earlier Château d'Hérouville Sessions both of which have been mixed to 5.1 surround sound and new stereo mixes by Steven Wilson.

Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J4A27B2/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00J4A27B2/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J4A27B2/?tag=imwan-21

ranasakawa · 26 Jan 2007

[Information from the Dutch Jethro Tull Fanclub]

This beautifully packaged 2CD/2DVD case-bound book expanded edition of A Passion Play includes the original album and earlier Château d'HérouvilleSessions both of which have been mixed to 5.1 surround sound and new stereo mixes by Steven Wilson.

A heavyweight 180g vinyl edition featuring the new stereo mix of the original album is also available.

2CD/2DVD Tracklisting

CD 1
A Passion Play(A new Steven Wilson stereo mix)

1. Lifebeats/Prelude
2. The Silver Cord
3. Re-Assuring Tune
4. Memory Bank
5. Best Friends
6. Critique Oblique
7. Forest Dance #1
8. The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles
9. Forest Dance #2
10. The Foot Of Our Stairs (2 extra verses found on the end of the multi-track reel have been added back in)
11. Overseer Overture.
12. Flight From Lucifer
13. 10.08 to Paddington
14. Magus Perde
15. Epilogue

CD 2
The Château d'Hérouville Sessions (A new Steven Wilson stereo mix)

1) The Big Top
2) Scenario
3) Audition
4) Skating Away
5) Sailor
6) No Rehearsal
7) Left Right
8) Solitaire
9) Critique Oblique (Part I)
10) Critique Oblique (Part II)
11) Animelee (1st Dance) [Instrumental]
12) Animelee (2nd Dance) [Instrumental]
13) Law Of The Bungle (Part I)
14) Tiger
15) Law Of The Bungle (Part II)

DVD 1 (Audio & Video)
Contains:
A Passion Play mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound and PCM 96/24 PCM stereo.
A flat transfer from the original master at PCM 96/24 stereo
Video clips of ‘The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles’ an intro and outro film used in the Passion Play tour of 1973.

DVD 2 (Audio only)
Contains:
The Château d'Hérouville Sessions mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound
PCM 96/24 PCM stereo.

In the book:

*An extensive article by Martin Webb on the preparation and recording of the album and the Château sessions that preceded it.
*Steven Wilson’s thoughts on mixing the recordings.
*Memories of the cover shoot and Hare filming by dancer Jane Eve (Colthorpe)
*The Rev’d Godfrey Pilchard’s recollections.
*1973 tour history
*Recollections of touring and PA systems by sound man Chris Amson.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Nice!

Steve Wilson scores again. Btw....he will be playing in NYC on May 1st at the Best Buy Theater as Blackfield one of his impressive side projects.
But he won't have a J&R anymore to meet fans.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I'm In!

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

It's gonna be an expensive Spring/Summer with this, the Zeps and the Yes releases.

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

I guess with the inclusion of the Chateau stuff here it confirms no deluxe edition of my favorite Tull album, War Child. Pretty sure Ian Anderson, and most everyone else, dislikes that one.

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

Is Château d'Hérouville the same thing as Château D'Isaster?

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

Jimbo wrote:

Is Château d'Hérouville the same thing as Château D'Isaster?

The songs posted here look pretty similar, to my memory.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I owned the 2 cd out takes set (I THINK it was Château?) at one time. I found it pretty boring, though I definitely like PP

rtsurroundfan · **Joined:** 02 May 2011 **Posts:** 73

DanO wrote:

I guess with the inclusion of the Chateau stuff here it confirms no deluxe edition of my favorite Tull album, War Child. Pretty sure Ian Anderson, and most everyone else, dislikes that one.

Why do you say that?
After all, the Chateau sessions were recorded before "A Passion Play", not after them, so therefore, it makes sense that those sessions would be included in "A Passion Play" Collector's Set and not with "War Child".
Unless Ian Anderson and/or Steven Wilson says otherwise, I still think it's entirely possible that we will see a 5.1 surround collector's edition of "War Child" either this fall or next year.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

This may not be a popular suggestion, but between my taste in Tull & preference for hi-res, I'd rather see them hold off awhile on War Child & Too Old, & do hi res editions of This Was & Stand Up (I know they both got the new cd treatment fairly recently) & also like to see them do Songs From The Woods, Minstral & Bustin' Out.

Other than the few singles, I always felt Too Old & War Child were a bit weak.

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

rtsurroundfan wrote:

DanO wrote:

I guess with the inclusion of the Chateau stuff here it confirms no deluxe edition of my favorite Tull album, War Child. Pretty sure Ian Anderson, and most everyone else, dislikes that one.

Why do you say that?
After all, the Chateau sessions were recorded before "A Passion Play", not after them, so therefore, it makes sense that those sessions would be included in "A Passion Play" Collector's Set and not with "War Child".
Unless Ian Anderson and/or Steven Wilson says otherwise, I still think it's entirely possible that we will see a 5.1 surround collector's edition of "War Child" either this fall or next year.

I hope so, but War Child is to Chateau what Who's Next is to Lifehouse.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

DanO wrote:

I guess with the inclusion of the Chateau stuff here it confirms no deluxe edition of my favorite Tull album, War Child. Pretty sure Ian Anderson, and most everyone else, dislikes that one.

I love War Child and it hit #2 on the charts and had one of their biggest hit singles.

In the Tull album thread I did I described my love for the album.

I wasn't aware of a backlash towards that record.

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

Invisible Pedestrian wrote:

DanO wrote:

I guess with the inclusion of the Chateau stuff here it confirms no deluxe edition of my favorite Tull album, War Child. Pretty sure Ian Anderson, and most everyone else, dislikes that one.

I love War Child and it hit #2 on the charts and had one of their biggest hit singles.

In the Tull album thread I did I described my love for the album.

I wasn't aware of a backlash towards that record.

Ian definitely hates "Bungle in the Jungle" and I've read he is underwhelmed by the album. With "Aqualung", "Thick as a Brick" etc, it usually is the unwanted step-child. It's my favorite though, with "Aqualung" second. I'll have to hunt down your Tull post and thread. I think I read most of it, but I need to look again.

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

Just revisited IP's Tull albums thread from 3 years ago. I see I made similar comments back then, and that Jimbo, John G, and Beachy are also big fans of the WAR CHILD record (along with IP). Nice to know I'm not alone!

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

War Child is probably the Tull album I reach for most often.

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

Well there is hope for a reissue on "War Child".

Ian's was quite surprised and bewildered even to some degree that Steve really wanted to do "Passion Play" and to Mr. Wilson's, excuse the pun, passion to do this reissue it became a realty.

"War Child" was a excellent seller for Tull so maybe if we can petition Steve Wilson for "War Child" he then can........ :wink:

Rick A.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

It would be nice if they would start offering cheaper options without the cd's. There's tons of freeware out there to downsample the dvd's to 44/16 if you want to burn a cd for the car after buying the 96/24 dvd.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

DanO wrote:

Just revisited IP's Tull albums thread from 3 years ago. I see I made similar comments back then, and that Jimbo, John G, and Beachy are also big fans of the WAR CHILD record (along with IP). Nice to know I'm not alone!

I wish I had time when I interviewed Ian to ask about War Child and so many other albums, but even in an hour it wasn't possible.

I did tell him Songs From The Wood was my favorite album and "One Brown Mouse" from Heavy Horses my favorite song and he agreed there is a fondness for that era, and he thought Songs From The Wood was one of their best.

I kept my feelings on Under Wraps to myself ha ha.

ranasakawa · 26 Jan 2007

Heavy Horses next ? Wishful thinking......

The Human Top · **Joined:** 29 Jan 2011 **Posts:** 1114

Yay! This is great news.

I'm really enjoying these reissues. I just wish the packaging on some of the releases was a little more high end. But the sound has been incredible. Steven Wilson was able to perform miracles on Aqualung.

This might be a minority opinion but in my circle of friends growing up "Warchild" was considered the point when Jethro Tull started to go a bit off the rails and "Songs from the Woods" was the album that got them back on track. I tend to agree with that assessment, although I do like Minstrel in the Gallery's softer side. "Skating Away" from "Warchild" is one of their greatest songs as well.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

I've always wished Rainbow Blues had been added to War Child, that would have made it a stronger album. Then it would have had 3 big hits.

[2014-07-01] Jethro Tull "A Passion Play" 2CD/2DVD remaster including 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson (Chrysalis/Universal)

Who is WANline