What in the Hell is Jesus Christ Super Star?

What in the hell is Jesus Christ Super Star? A Rock Opera? A Musical? A Broadway play? A gospel album? A feature film? The first time I watched the 1973 film I thought Jesus Christ Super Star was what the burning man festival would be like... a bunch of dirty hippies in a old school bus getting all holy in the middle of the desert. Then one day I learned it was originally released as a concept album and I decided to give Jesus Christ Super Star the album a listen( and try to block out the burning man image). I instantly fell in love with it. Judus’s uncanny voice. The driving line of "Heaven on their minds" to me is a great rock riff. The bass line in "Super Star" is blistering fun to play and listen to and overall Jesus Christ Super Star is a great album. With that being said I didn't feel like it was a concept album. Sure it all ties together and the songs share similar ideas, but it plays more like "The Lion King Soundtrack" then it does The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" or Pink Floyd's "Animals." Yes there is that catchy reappearing motif "Super Star" but many Operas, and soundtracks also have motifs. (Cue "Vader Theme" here) Jesus Christ Super Star also has reappearing characters throughout the songs but thats part of the problem I have with it, they appear too much, and it's too easy to tell the characters apart. Billy Shears is not on every song of Sgt Pepper? Or is he? Jesus Christ Super Star has a whole cast and ensemble. Not common in concept albums.

            If you search the words concept album you get"a rock album featuring a cycle of songs expressing a particular theme or idea." I guess by this definition you could call Jesus Christ Super a concept album.but i strongly disagree with this definition, for starters a concept album does not have to be a rock album. One of my all time favorite concept albums is Deltron 3030. A futuristic concept album by Del the Funky Homosapien. (Ice Cube's little cousin) The album takes place in the year 3030 a.d.,the government has taken over space with mech soldiers, and it's up to Deltron 3030 to take the planet back with futuristic space raps and music. Then there is Frank Sinatra. His albums "Sings for Only the Lonely" and "Songs for Swinging Lovers" are great concept albums. Del and Frank Sinatra did not make rock albums but they did make great concept albums. The other thing this definition and Jesus Christ Super Star lack is a certain ambiguity, a certain mystery, in some cases a even a bit of unresolvedness. People come up with all these weird different ways you are supposed to listen to “Dark Side of the Moon”, you can’t do that with Jesus Christ Super Star, the songs tie together so well the order is pretty established. The characters have no ambiguity. (maybe because they are already so known) I feel like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice are like here is Jesus lord and savior and Green Day is like “Here is Jesus of Suburbia.” The play on words and overall mystery to me is essential to what a concept album is. In some ways Jesus Christ Super Star is so well written it is beyond a concept, it’s a full story complete with beginning and ending.

My final argument on why Jesus Christ Super Star does not feel like a concept album is Tim Rice’s writing style. He never breaks character. I never feel like Tim Rice is singing to me. I feel like Judas is Singing to me. I hear Mary Magdalene singing to me, even Herod. But never Tim Rice. I can tell a change in characters/moods and the actual lyricist/artists in concept albums. I slight difference between Tommy and Pete Townshend, between The Jesus of Suburbia and Billy Joe Armstrong. I know when David Bowie is singing and when Ziggy Stardust is singing. Tim Rice never breaks the fourth wall.

So what the hell is Jesus Christ Super Star? I believe it was written and always intended to be some sort of stage musical production but Webber and Rice did a clever marketing move by cashing in on the late 60’s concept album craze, or just to get it out there and get the ball rolling. And roll it did. After the concept album release in September of 1970, Jesus Christ Super Star made it’s broadway debut in 71, and film in 73. Webber and Rice would team up again for “Evita” Webber went on to do many musicals including “Phantom of the Opera.” Rice went on to work for Disney and do various other projects. He teamed up with Elton John for The Lion King, The Road to El Doraldo, and Aida. Neither Webber or Rice has made a concept album since.

works cited

Beatles “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” Capital Record 1967

Del the Funky Homosepian “Deltron 3030” 75 Ark 2000

Green Day “Jesus of Suburbia” from the album American Idiot. Reprise 2004

Webber, Rice, Jewison Jesus Christ Super Star

album Decca/MCA 1970

film Universal Pictures produced by Norman Jewison released August 15 1973

Andrew Lloyd Webber Documentary 1986

https://youtu.be/JQs3xyHnwdo