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POP (Germany)
30 August 1973
Note: the majority of the interview in this article is taken up with a general history of the band, so I have only transcribed the final comments concerning the new album. Conducted in English, translated into German, and, now, translated back into English, the text below can only give a rough sense of the original conversation.
IA: "Our new LP is a single piece of work, with distinct musical motifs in a framework of smaller sections."
'A PASSION PLAY' IS NOT A POP-CHRISTIAN PASSION PLAY
What kind of Passion is this — what's the essential message, the musical intention?
"A Passion Play is not a black and white statement, but rather a humorous musical exploration of our inner emotional world. Our thoughts and feelings are often caught in this conflict between the mysteries of life and death. Our new album contains many questions of this kind — but there is no single, logical answer. Everyone has to work it out for themselves.
"It's something which concerns all of us: I mean, even though people may continue to dispute the fact [of life after death?] the uncertainty will continue to gnaw away inside. This question about our existence will arise again and again, and somehow we all have to figure it out in our own way.
"For me, though, the reason for this existence is clear: intellectual development and physical growth — a creative way of life."
What are the consequences of this outlook on life, for you?
"Every person possesses creative energies. Every human being is capable of expressing himself artistically, in music, poetry, or painting. It would be the happiest day of my life if I walked out on stage and found the venue empty, because everybody who had ever seen us live would have taken a piece of us home — and would now be playing their own instruments!"
Translation: Jan Voorbij, with amendments by AJ.