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32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The early sound of a band who went on to better things, 27 Sep 2001
Everybody knows that Tull started off as a blues band. This wasn't exactly an original thing to be in 1968 and, indeed, by the time of the album's release the band's sound had moved on, hence the title 'This Was'. As a blues band, Jethro Tull were OK - a sight better than the dreary likes of Chicken Shack, Ten Years After or Savoy Brown. 'Beggar's Farm' is a most effective song and the opening track 'My Sunday Feeling' even had a spate as a Northern Soul dance floor filler after I played it to a DJ friend. Despite the incomprehensible lyrics, 'Song For Jeffrey' is also excellent and notable for some tasty slide work by Mick Abrahams. Other songs are standard blues fare or overlong instrumentals; not bad overall but far from great. The additional tracks are welcome. 'One For John Gee' isn't very good but sure is hard to come by. 'Love Story', the band's last recording with Mick Abrahams, is already in a very different style to 'This Was' while 'Christmas Song', a more-or-less solo performance from Ian Anderson was indicative of a new folkier direction. I have to say something about the packaging of these new remasters: 4/10 to Chrysalis for a total lack of effort. Sure, they're not as bad as the old CDs (which were simply shabby beyond belief) but they're still not good - indifferent front artwork, no photos, press cuttings or lyrics and only skeletal notes (though penned by Ian Anderson which is good).
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Was the Beginning. Brilliant Music, Shame About The Cover, 9 May 2008
This was the beginning of this band and demonstrates how they could have been a much more varied and interesting band than they were.
Of course they went on to brilliant things but having a single central creative force, in this case Ian Anderson is a double edged sword. Yes it gives direction and vision but it also stifles innovation and diversity. The departure of Mick Abrahams following this album was a tragedy although, musically, the change in direction was not very great at first. Like in other reviews here some may sneer at the blues influences in bands like Jethro Tull but that is just illogical prejudice. Although the blues influence is stronger here than later albums, Stand Up drew on very similar influences as did Benefit. It was later that Anderson's total control really drew them in a quite different direction.
This is the best Jethro Tull album bar none, starting with My Sunday Feeling which kicks off the album in grand style with various highlight including some wonderful flute by Anderson on Serenade to a Cuckoo (rather non-bluesy) and Cat's Squirrel, which is way better than the Cream version.
There is vitality to the music in this album that did remain with the band. I stuck with them up it about Heavy Horses (although Too Old to Rock and Roll..." passed me by) before I found that they had become too bland and stale for my tastes, but if you still like their much later stuff that's fine.
I recommend that you catch the beginnings of a great band at the beginning when they were young and keen and "the ugliest band in the world". That was official and they were proud of it, hence the rather unflattering cover photograph
This is the best Jethro Tull album bar none, starting with My Sunday Feeling which kicks off the album in grand style with various highlight including some wonderful flute by Anderson on Serenade to a Cuckoo (rather non-bluesy) and Cat's Squirrel, which is way better than the Cream version.
There is a vitality to the music in this album that did remain with the band. I stuck with them up it about Heavy Horses (although Too Old to Rock and Roll.." passed me by) before I found that they had become too bland and stale for my tastes, but if you still like their much later stuff that's fine.
I recommend that you catch the beginnings of a great band at the beginning when they were young and keen and "the ugliest band in the world". That was official and they were proud of it, hence the rather unflattering cover photograph
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Back in the mists of time..., 28 Aug 2001
By A Customer
So here it is, the place where the 30 year+andstill going journey began, and if the group decided to re shoot the album cover today, it'd look much the same without the make up! 'This Was' is Jethro Tulls first album, but even here their distinctive sound is apparent. The album is note-worthy also for being the only one in Tulls' vast back catalogue not featuring Martin Barre on guitar, he only joined for the second album,(Stand Up), and here his space is filled by Mick Abrahams, who left the band shortly after this album to form Blodwyn Pig and has seldom been seen since! The album is more Blues tinged than any Tull album since,(Abrahams influence?), Tracks like 'Someday the sun won't shine for you' and 'my sunday feeling' being the more obvious cases. Also missing from most tracks is Andersons trademark flute playing, here largely replaced by the more blues appropriate harmonica. The most 'Tull-like' track here is 'Song for Jeffrey', which still remains a Tull classic, and was the shape of things to come.Anderson also shares song writing duties on this album, which he has seldom done since. All in all a good album, which launched my favourite band into world before I was born, but 33 years on they're still at it, so something must be right eh?
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