Jethro Tull - The Forrest - Part 1&2 (A Passion Play) 1973

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. The album has since received a more positive critical reassessment.
Following the release of the critically and commercially successful Thick as a Brick in 1972, Jethro Tull made the decision to record their next album at the Château d'Hérouville studios in Hérouville, France, known in the 1970s for being frequented by artists such as Pink Floyd, Elton John and T. Rex. The band were persuaded by their management and accountants to record their next album in tax exile outside of the UK in order to avoid what Anderson described as "a pretty scary tax regime" of the time.[6] The band planned to make a double album, with concepts as varied as the meaning of life, music criticism and the comparison between the man and animal world.
Upon arrival at the Château, however, the band faced a variety of challenges which made the recording sessions difficult, ranging from technical issues with the studio equipment to bug-infested beds and food poisoning epidemics, causing Anderson to give the Château the nickname "Château d'Isaster" [6] Although the band had recorded enough material to fill three sides of the intended double album, the issues living in the studio convinced the band to abandon the sessions and leave the Château.[3] The band considered moving the album's production to Switzerland, for they had just recently been granted Swiss citizenship; however, the decision was ultimately made to return to the UK and completely restart writing and recording of the album (although two tracks from the Château d'Hérouville sessions were later included on the band's 1974 album War Child).
A Passion Play borrows its title from passion plays which depict the Passion of Jesus Christ, though the title is evidently ironic, since the lyrics at first appears to present a generically Christian view of the afterlife but then rejects Christian theological conclusions.[8] A Passion Play is described in its album liner notes as though it were a staged theatrical "play" in four acts. Of this album, "the lyrics themselves are extremely complicated, the story is often unclear, and much is left to the individual's interpretation".[8] Knowledge of the characters and setting actually comes less from the lyrics themselves and more from the few brief words in the satirical, six-page "Linwell Theatre programme" included in the original album packaging, which features photos of the band members listed alongside fake names and biographies as the "actors" of the play, including Rena Sanderone (an anagram of "Eean Anderrson") as the playwright.[9] A basic narrative plot can be loosely interpreted from the lyrics, liner notes, and "programme" of A Passion Play, centering on everyman protagonist Ronnie Pilgrim, who is named only in the programme.