A Passion Play / The Château d'Hérouville Sessions / A Passion Play / The Chateau d'Herouville Sessions

While A Passion Play was Jethro Tull’s second album-length concept piece, following the single-track Thick as a Brick album, it was critically thrashed at the time of release. That's unfortunate, since many pieces of the album come together quite well, with only the spoken-word pieces coming off as overwrought. This 2014 release features the original album and the sessions at the French recording studio called the Chateau D’Herouville, where the band worked on the original concept for the album until homesickness set in. The excellent “Audition,” “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day” (which found release on the next album, War Child), and “Sailor/No Rehearsal” prove the group were onto something in the original sessions, despite legend referring to the sessions as “Chateau D’Isaster.” Having Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson remixing the tracks ensures that a dedicated fan who understands the group’s nuances is bringing out their best.