Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Was............Tull at their best!, 5 Aug 2008
"This Was" was one of my favourite albums of 1968. I bought it on vinyl LP at the time, then on CD in the early `90s, in 2001 the remaster and now the 40th anniversary edition. Hopefully that's cracked it now!
This 2008 version is superb, if only all reissues were as comprehensive as this - Tim Chacksfield's name under the compilers credit usually guarantees a well researched compilation and this one is no exception. Add Abbey Road's Peter Mew as the remasterer / remixer and you know it's going to sound good too.
On CD 1 the original mono mix has been remastered and sounds just great. In 1968 the mono mix usually got more attention than the stereo mix of many albums and this mix is somewhat different to the more often heard stereo mix from that time. The rest of the first CD is filled with tracks from the BBC's John Peel sessions - many are live versions of tracks from the album, but some are songs from the band's live set of the time. The sound restoration quality of these old tapes is amazing, and gives an idea of how good the band would have sounded live in 1968.
CD 2 is a new (2008) remix of the stereo version of "This Was", and sounds quite different to the original stereo mix - perhaps more like the original mono mix to my ears. This is not just another remastering so any earlier version of the album you have will not become redundant if you purchase this one! This version also includes the three bonus tracks that were on the 2001 reissue, but this time "Love Story" & "Christmas Song" are featured as new stereo mixes and again as mono remasters. "One for John Gee" (B side of "Jeffery" single - and Marque manager) is also a mono remaster as is the new addition, and very rare first single, (on MGM as Jethro Toe!) "Sunshine Day".
This set seems to contain almost all the 1968 original band line-up's recorded material plus nine bonus BBC tracks. The only omission I can see is the B side of the first MGM single, the track "Aeroplane"; whether it was deemed not good enough or perhaps the tape was missing is not mentioned in the booklet.
There are reflections from each original band member, photos and material from the original LP release in the booklet and package. I bought the American Capitol version from one of Amazon's American sellers as the price was competitive, it is very similar to the UK version - the music is identical but the packaging is slightly different.
This was Tull as I liked them best, bluesy and jazzy without the trappings of Prog Rock with which they became bogged down in later life.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'This Was' sounding fresher and better than ever, 29 May 2008
I did recollect 'This Was' as a decent if patchy album by one of my favourite bands of yesteryear - until I heard it again in this new reissue, and what a revelation it is. The band is superb with Ian's contribution nicely balanced with all the others; the superb rhythm section of Clive Bunker and Glenn Cornick, and Mick Abrahams in great form. There are some lovely jazz tinges in amongst the overall blues feel of the album that would sadly be lost on their later albums. There is a freshness and lightness of execution about this and their other early albums, that became leaden by the time they turned the guitar amps up, went a bit heavy metal and got lost in the woods of old England. Despite the always fantastic musicianship, I never really got all the elves, squirrels and celtic myth stuff but the eclectic blues and jazz of 'This Was' still does it for me.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a no-brainer of a purchase., 7 May 2008
Whilst i'm not a huge fan of all the collector's editions which exist, here's one which is well worth buying. Particularly since it's just a touch more expensive than the regular version.
A lovingly packaged product, which comes with a pleasing booklet and some worthwhile bonus material. The big upside is that purchasers will be rewarded with being able to familiarise themselves with the mythical "reverb-soaked" mono mix. I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire an inexpensive copy of this vinyl rarity, some ten years ago, but this deluxe copy will enable me to enjoy the mono mix a bit more regularly.
The second cd is given over to the more "compressed" stereo mix of the album, as released by the short-lived line-up of Jethro Tull with the excellent Mick Abrahams on guitar. The group was into a more blues-based sound, as was somewhat fashionable at the time. (Check out the Cream/Clapton-inspired cover of "Cat's Squirrel", for example.) But this album stands up as being a really decent debut release.
And the bonus material doesn't disappoint in the slightest. There are numerous tracks from John Peel sessions, a couple of tracks released in single form, and there's even the "Sunshine Day" MGM single rarity. This is one collector's edition which can wholeheartedly be recommended to anyone who is unfamiliar with this release. And also those who are.
PS. I must say that the mono and "new" stereo mixes sound pretty similar. However, "It's Breaking Me Up" and "Cat's Squirrel" sound somewhat different. As do the vocals on "(A) Song For Jeffrey". "Cat's Squirrel", in particular, sounds fabulous in mono and shows Abrahams, Bunker and (particularly) the under-rated Glenn Cornick as a really decent power trio. And check out the mono mixes of "Love Story", which is a bit different, and "Christmas Song". The latter loses the " 'ere Santa..." line.
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