2281 Jethro Tull - Critique Oblique

From: A Passion Play; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock

For the last couple of days I've had this song on my mind; I thought it would make a good pick for today.
This song, of course, comes from Jethro Tull's epic A Passion Play; it is part vii on the record and appears halfway through the second act: The Memory Bank where the protagonist Ronnie Pilgrim gets shown all of his lifetime's misdeeds in a theatre in the afterlife. It is by far the heaviest song on the album, and as with the rest of the album John Evans' playing on the Hammond Organ is the main driving force along with the thundering bass. Probably the aspect of the song that I've always liked the most is the feeling that not only the song, but the entirety of act 2 gives; that of being put on display and being out of control and accused from all directions.
This was also one of the tracks that survived from "the album that didn't happen" and actually survived and was put on the Nightcap album's disc one where Ian Anderson attempted to reconstruct the album that wasn't. While the song(s) are similar in many ways, there are some lyrical differences and, of course their delivery is different as well. While the overall musical theme and main melody is more or less the same the song is arranged quite differently. It is quite a bit more dynamic and focuses more on complex instrumental sections than lyrics and features distinctively different minimal and full-on loud rock sections. It also contains parts that would make up other songs in Act 2 of A Passion Play as well; Memory Bank and Best Friends in particular. Because of this the earlier version clocks in at double the length at just over 9 minutes in length; it is also my more favourite of the arrangements even though I love hearing it when I listen to A Passion Play.

Hear Critique Oblique from A Passion Play on YouTube. This is the full A Passion Play piece, the song starts at the 15:22 mark and ends at roughly the 20 minute mark.
Hear the earlier version from The Chateau d'Isaster Tapes on YouTube.



My song pick a year ago today: Hawkwind - Adjust Me

My song pick two years ago today: Frank Zappa - Treacherous Cretins

My song pick three years ago today: Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Skyliner

My song pick four years ago today: Santana - Oye Como Va

My song pick five years ago today: Joe Walsh - Vote for Me

My song pick six years ago today: Jerry Reed - East Bound and Down