Special Edition: Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)

It’s a Christmas miracle! The Abrahams take a break from the tyranny of the Rolling Stone 500 list to discuss a mutually adored masterpiece: the original 1970 concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar. Abraham (Chenzie) and AbraHAM (Guy) deep dive into "Abraham Lore," revealing how this specific album cemented their friendship back in music school (after some initial arrogance).

Since this album isn't actually on the list, the hosts turn to ChatGPT to generate a "Rolling Stone style" blurb. Which, shockingly, turns out to be better written than the real thing. They break down the raw, "Woodstockian" sound of the recording, featuring Deep Purple's Ian Gillan screaming his lungs out as Jesus to the backing of Joe Cocker's Grease Band.

Is Andrew Lloyd Webber a genius of leitmotifs or just a lazy-ass hack who recycles melodies? Is the New Testament essentially "fanfic" of the Old Testament? And why does the violin solo in the epilogue sound suspiciously like Schindler’s List? Join us for a theological, musicological and (mostly) hysterical breakdown of the one of the greatest rock operas ever recorded (according to us!!!)

In This Episode

• (00:00:00) - Welcome to The Abraham Records: Christmas Special
• (00:01:40) - Abraham Lore: How this album cemented the hosts' friendship
• (00:04:27) - The "AI" Blurb: Using ChatGPT to generate a Rolling Stone critique
• (00:10:44) - The Personnel: Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and The Grease Band
• (00:15:00) - Origin Story: Why it started as an album (and the "Gospel of Judas")
• (00:18:55) - Compositional Analysis: Leitmotifs vs. "Recycling" Melodies
• (00:26:10) - The Theological Rant: The New Testament, blood libels, and anti-semitism
• (00:30:50) - The Mary Magdalene Debate: Is Yvonne Elliman high or just too confident?
• (00:37:50) - The Overture: Why foreshadowing with 39 lashes is a bold move
• (00:40:38) - Historical Fact-Check: Pilates, Herods, and the geography of Galilee
• (00:46:12) - Genre Definition: Comparing JCS to Tommy and Pink Floyd’s The Wall
• (00:49:37) - Music Theory Corner: Asymmetric time signatures (7/8 and 5/4 grooves)
• (00:51:19) - Vocal Showdown: Ian Gillan’s "Hard Rock" vs. Ted Neeley’s "Glam Metal"
• (00:59:41) - Deep Dive: "John 19:41" and the Itzhak Perlman cameo
• (01:03:30) - Character Spotlight: Barry Dennen's overacting excellence as Pilate
• (01:05:00) - The Judas Legacy: Murray Head's funk soul vs. Carl Anderson's iconic movie role
• (01:09:00) - The Final Verdict: Does this belong in the real Top 500? (Yes.)

About The Abraham Records

Welcome to The Abraham Records, where we cover the 500 “greatest” albums of all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, but certainly not according to us.

Join us on an odyssey of discovery to determine which albums are truly great and which ones will hurt your face.

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