History Music / Passion

* IdiosyncraticCoverArt: The album cover features visual motifs that would become standard for Gabriel's Real World Records label for a good while. Namely, the album features a rainbow stripe that spans from the bottom-left corner of the front cover to the bottom-right quadrant of the back cover, as well as a macro photograph occupying most of the back cover. Like Gabriel's first proper studio album on the label, ''Music/{{Us}}'', the back cover is also predominantly red. A white stripe featuring the artist, album title, and barcode stretch across the top of the back cover and the upper spine, the WOMAD logo is present in the upper-right, and the tracklist is featured on the left side of the back cover in a white box.

''Passion'', released in 1989 through Real World Records in the UK and Creator/GeffenRecords in the US, is the second soundtrack album by British art pop musician Music/PeterGabriel. His debut release on Real World, a vanity label created by Gabriel in the wake of Creator/CharismaRecords' absorption into Creator/VirginRecords, the album acts as the soundtrack to Creator/MartinScorsese's controversial film ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' from the year prior. Like the film, ''Passion'' was designed as an unconventional take on Christian music, avoiding the trappings of European classical music commonly associated with the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in favor of trying to approximate the kind of music that would've been played in first-century Israel, during Jesus' own life. To do this, Gabriel sourced talent from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South Asia, via the resources offered by his organization WOMAD. This included not only returning guest vocalist Youssou N'Dour from ''Music/{{So}}'', but also Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lakshminarayana Shankar, and Baaba Maal, who saw their first major international exposure as a result of their involvement with the album. The collaboration seemed to endear these artists to Gabriel, as Shankar would appear on Gabriel's [[Music/{{Us}} following]] [[Music/UpPeterGabrielAlbum two]] studio albums, with Khan posthumously appearing on the latter as well. Later in the year, Gabriel would release the companion record ''Passion -- Sources'', a compilation of related pieces from the same sessions by the artists brought on board to assist Gabriel on this album.

''Passion'', released in 1989, is the second soundtrack album by British art pop musician Music/PeterGabriel. His debut release on Real World Records, a vanity label created by Gabriel in the wake of Creator/CharismaRecords' absorption into Creator/VirginRecords, the album acts as the soundtrack to Creator/MartinScorsese's controversial film ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' from the year prior. Like the film, ''Passion'' was designed as an unconventional take on Christian music, avoiding the trappings of European classical music commonly associated with the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in favor of trying to approximate the kind of music that would've been played in first-century Israel, during Jesus' own life. To do this, Gabriel sourced talent from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South Asia, via the resources offered by his organization WOMAD. This included not only returning guest vocalist Youssou N'Dour from ''Music/{{So}}'', but also Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lakshminarayana Shankar, and Baaba Maal, who saw their first major international exposure as a result of their involvement with the album. The collaboration seemed to endear these artists to Gabriel, as Shankar would appear on Gabriel's [[Music/{{Us}} following]] [[Music/UpPeterGabrielAlbum two]] studio albums, with Khan posthumously appearing on the latter as well. Later in the year, Gabriel would release the companion record ''Passion -- Sources'', a compilation of related pieces from the same sessions by the artists brought on board to assist Gabriel on this album.

At the same time, however, the album does not represent the soundtrack as it was originally presented in the film. Rather, Gabriel chose to revisit it following the film's release, elaborating upon his work and developing previously unfinished ideas to create a markedly different product than what theatergoers had heard in 1988, similarly to Music/{{Queen}}'s ''Music/AKindOfMagic''[[note]]based on the ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' soundtrack[[/note]] before it and Music/DavidBowie's ''[[Music/HoursDavidBowieAlbum 'hours...']]''[[note]]based on the ''VideoGame/OmikronTheNomadSoul'' soundtrack[[/note]] a decade after it. Thus, Gabriel came to view ''Passion'' as a full studio album, which would technically make it his sixth to hold the distinction. That said, however, the fact that its release tied in with ''The Last Temptation of Christ'' (to the point where most releases subtitle it ''Music for The Last Temptation of Christ'') results in it generally being seen as more of a soundtrack album than a "proper" studio release. If one splits hairs, this could technically be Gabriel's fifth-and-a-half studio album by nature of this dual categorization.

* UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}: The central figure of the album, right down to appearing on the front cover.

The album peaked at No. 29 on the UK Albums chart and No. 60 on the Billboard 200, later being certified gold in the United States. Additionally, alongside Music/DavidByrne's ''Rei Momo'' (released the same year), ''Passion'' has since been recognized as a major figure in the popularization of proper WorldMusic, following the mainstream decline of worldbeat in the latter half of the '80s.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Father, why have you forsaken me?"]]

At the same time, however, the album does not represent the soundtrack as it was originally presented in the film. Rather, Gabriel chose to revisit it following the film's release, elaborating upon his work and developing previously unfinished ideas to create a markedly different product than what theatergoers had heard in 1988, similarly to Music/{{Queen}}'s ''Music/AKindOfMagic''[[note]]based on the ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' soundtrack[[/note]] before it and Music/DavidBowie's ''Music/{{Hours}}''[[note]]based on the ''VideoGame/OmikronTheNomadSoul'' soundtrack[[/note]] a decade after it. Thus, Gabriel came to view ''Passion'' as a full studio album, which would technically make it his sixth to hold the distinction. That said, however, the fact that its release tied in with ''The Last Temptation of Christ'' (to the point where most releases subtitle it ''Music for The Last Temptation of Christ'') results in it generally being seen as more of a soundtrack album than a "proper" studio release. If one splits hairs, this could technically be Gabriel's fifth-and-a-half studio album by nature of this dual categorization.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The album is a GenreBusting effort created as an attempt to create music similar to what could have been played in Israel of that time, with some AnachronismStew thrown in for good measure, generally taking Jesus away from the European High Culture trappings of Classical religious music which developed centuries later and in a land, continent, and culture far removed from First Century Israel.

* SpecialGuest: It wouldn't be a Peter Gabriel album without it. The album features contributions from not only returning ''Music/{{So}}'' guest Youssou N'Dour, but also Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Indian violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar, Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, Music/TearsForFears drummer Manny Elias, Ransom Hold frontman and frequent Gabriel collaborator David Rhodes, Armenian duduk player Vache Hovsepyan, Senegalese sabar master Doudou N'Diaye Rose, [[Music/BruceSpringsteen E Street Band]] member David Sancious, prolific session bassist Nathan East, Music/MilesDavis collaborator Billy Cobham, Mevlevi Sufi master Kudsi Erguner, and avant-garde trumpeter Jon Hassell in a wide variety of roles throughout the album.

* NewSoundAlbum: If one were to go by Gabriel's classification of this as a studio album, it would mark a stark contrast to all prior releases in its darker, {{ambient}}-driven direction.

* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: Despite being permeated by an overwhelming sense of dread throughout most of its runtime, the album closes out with the triumphant-sounding "It Is Finished" and the peaceful "Bread and Wine", representing Jesus' ultimate triumph in redeeming mankind through His death, with His teachings living on to this day.

* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: Despite being permeated by an overwhelming sense of dread throughout most of its runtime, the album closes out with the triumphant-sounding "It Is Finished" and the peaceful "Bread and Wine", representing Jesus' ultimate triumph in redeeming mankind through His death, with His teachings living on to this day.

->"I admire just about everything Peter Gabriel's ever done, from progressive to world music to pop. He's a great man with great ideas-- oh, and he's a great musician. This album features instrumentals from the score that he wrote for the Scorsese movie ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'', plus some additional bits and pieces. I feel very close to this music. I think in many ways Peter hears music the way that I hear it, so I'd have to say he's a kindred spirit."

''Passion'', released in 1989, is the second soundtrack album by British art pop musician Music/PeterGabriel. His debut release on Real World Records, a vanity label created by Gabriel in the wake of Creator/CharismaRecords' absorption into Creator/VirginRecords, the album acts as the soundtrack to Creator/MartinScorsese's controversial film ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' from the year prior. Like the film, ''Passion'' was designed as an unconventional take on Christian music, avoiding the trappings of European classical music commonly associated with the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in favor of trying to approximate the kind of music that would've been played in first-century Israel, during Jesus' own life. To do this, Gabriel sourced talent from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia, via the resources offered by his organization WOMAD. This included not only returning guest vocalist Youssou N'Dour from ''Music/{{So}}'', but also Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lakshminarayana Shankar, and Baaba Maal, who saw their first major international exposure as a result of their involvement with the album. The collaboration seemed to endear these artists to Gabriel, as Shankar would appear on Gabriel's [[Music/{{Us}} following]] [[Music/UpPeterGabrielAlbum two]] studio albums, with Khan posthumously appearing on the latter as well. Later in the year, Gabriel would release the companion record ''Passion -- Sources'', a compilation of related pieces from the same sessions by the artists brought on board to assist Gabriel on this album.

The album peaked at No. 29 on the UK Albums chart and No. 60 on the Billboard 200, later being certified gold in the United States. Additionally, alongside Music/DavidByrne's ''Rei Momo'' (released the same year), ''Passion'' has since been recognized as a major figure in the popularization of proper WorldMusic, following the mainstream decline of worldbeat in the latter half of the 80's.

* ColorMotifs: The 2002 remaster ties in the album with the color burgundy, reflecting both the macro photo on the back cover and the blood Jesus shed on the cross (as the album was primarily the soundtrack to ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist).
* ConceptAlbum: True to [[Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist is parent film]], the album explores the final days of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} through instrumental music.

Contrary to its parent film's reputation as being OvershadowedByControversy, ''Passion'' was a near-unanimous critical success when it released, being regarded by both fans and critics as Gabriel's absolute best soundtrack release to this day (even if it's typically ranked below his actual studio albums). In 1990, it won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, and to this day, it sits at No. 2284 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically-praised albums. While not the rousing commercial success of ''So'' before it (and despite its lack of supporting singles), the album also sold fairly well for a soundtrack release, peaking at No. 29 on the UK Albums chart and No. 60 on the Billboard 200, later being certified gold in the United States. Additionally, alongside Music/DavidByrne's ''Rei Momo'' (released the same year), ''Passion'' has since been recognized as a major figure in the popularization of proper WorldMusic, following the mainstream decline of worldbeat in the latter half of the 80's as a result of the controversy surrounding Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}''. Even if perception of it is partly held back by its soundtrack status, it's still regarded as a seminal release in an already acclaimed and influential back-catalog.

->"I admire just about everything Peter Gabriel's ever done, from progressive to world music to pop. He's a great man with great ideas - oh, and he's a great musician. This album features instrumentals from the score that he wrote for the Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ, plus some additional bits and pieces. I feel very close to this music. I think in many ways Peter hears music the way that I hear it, so I'd have to say he's a kindred spirit."

[[caption-width-right:350:"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"]]

!!Truly, these must be the Tropes of God:

Contrary to its parent film's reputation as being OvershadowedByControversy, ''Passion'' was a near-unanimous critical success when it released, being regarded by both fans and critics as Gabriel's absolute best soundtrack release to this day (even if it's typically ranked below his actual studio albums). In 1990, it won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, and to this day, it sits at No. 2284 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically-praised albums. While not the rousing commercial success of ''So'' before it (and despite its lack of supporting singles), the album also sold fairly well for a soundtrack release, peaking at No. 29 on the UK Albums chart and No. 60 on the Billboard 200, later being certified gold in the United States. Additionally, ''Passion'' has since been recognized as a major figure in the popularization of proper WorldMusic, following the mainstream decline of worldbeat in the latter half of the 80's as a result of the controversy surrounding Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}''. Even if perception of it is partly held back by its soundtrack status, it's still regarded as a seminal release in an already acclaimed and influential back-catalog.

''Passion'', released in 1989, is the second soundtrack album by British art pop musician Music/PeterGabriel. His debut release on Real World Records, a vanity label created by Gabriel in the wake of Charisma Records' absorption into Creator/VirginRecords, the album acts as the soundtrack to Creator/MartinScorsese's controversial film ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' from the year prior. Like the film, ''Passion'' was designed as an unconventional take on Christian music, avoiding the trappings of European classical music commonly associated with the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in favor of trying to approximate the kind of music that would've been played in first-century Israel, during Jesus' own life. To do this, Gabriel sourced talent from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia, via the resources offered by his organization WOMAD. This included not only returning guest vocalist Youssou N'Dour from ''Music/{{So}}'', but also Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lakshminarayana Shankar, and Baaba Maal, who saw their first major international exposure as a result of their involvement with the album. The collaboration seemed to endear these artists to Gabriel, as Shankar would appear on Gabriel's [[Music/{{Us}} following]] [[Music/UpPeterGabrielAlbum two]] studio albums, with Khan posthumously appearing on the latter as well. Later in the year, Gabriel would release the companion record ''Passion -- Sources'', a compilation of related pieces from the same sessions by the artists brought on board to assist Gabriel on this album.

* DevelopmentGag: The album takes its name from the WorkingTitle for ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'', ''The Passion''.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The album is a GenreBusting effort created as an attempt to create music similar to what could have been played in Israel of that time, with some AnachronismStew thrown in for good measure, generally taking Jesus from the European High Culture trappings of Classical religious music which developed centuries later and in a land and continent and culture far removed from First Century Israel.

* SpecialGuest: It wouldn't be a Peter Gabriel album without it. The album features contributions from not only returning ''Music/{{So}}'' guest Yossou N'Dour, but also Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Indian violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar, Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, Music/TearsForFears drummer Manny Elias, Ransom Hold frontman and frequent Gabriel collaborator David Rhodes, Armenian duduk player Vache Hovsepyan, Senegalese sabar master Doudou N'Diaye Rose, [[Music/BruceSpringsteen E Street Band]] member David Sancious, prolific session bassist Nathan East, Music/MilesDavis collaborator Billy Cobham, Mevlevi Sufi master Kudsi Erguner, and avant-garde trumpeter Jon Hassell in a wide variety of roles throughout the album.

[[AC:Side One]]

[[AC:Side Two]]

[[AC:Side Three]]

[[AC:Side Four]]

[-Note: CD copies are on a single disc-]

''Passion'', released in 1989, is the second soundtrack album my British art pop musician Music/PeterGabriel. His debut release on Real World Records, a vanity label created by Gabriel in the wake of Charisma Records' absorption into Creator/VirginRecords, the album acts as the soundtrack to Creator/MartinScorsese's controversial film ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' from the year prior. Like the film, ''Passion'' was designed as an unconventional take on Christian music, avoiding the trappings of European classical music commonly associated with the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in favor of trying to approximate the kind of music that would've been played in first-century Israel, during Jesus' own life. To do this, Gabriel sourced talent from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia, via the resources offered by his organization WOMAD. This included not only returning guest vocalist Youssou N'Dour from ''Music/{{So}}'', but also Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lakshminarayana Shankar, and Baaba Maal, who saw their first major international exposure as a result of their involvement with the album. The collaboration seemed to endear these artists to Gabriel, as Shankar would appear on Gabriel's [[Music/{{Us}} following]] [[Music/UpPeterGabrielAlbum two]] studio albums, with Khan posthumously appearing on the latter as well. Later in the year, Gabriel would release the companion record ''Passion -- Sources'', a compilation of related pieces from the same sessions by the artists brought on board to assist Gabriel on this album.