This Was

Infobox Album | Name = This Was
Type = Album
Artist = Jethro Tull


Released = October 25, 1968 (UK)
Recorded = June 13, 1968 - August 23, 1968 at Sound Techniques Studio, Chelsea, London
Genre = British blues
Length = 38:21 (original) 42:55 (remaster)
Label = Island Records (UK), Reprise Records (US)
Producer = Terry Ellis and Jethro Tull
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=10:4kq7g44ttv1z link]
*Allen Evans, "New Musical Express" (favourable) [http://www.tullpress.com/nme26oct68.htm October 26, 1968]
*"Melody Maker" (favourable) [http://www.tullpress.com/mm2nov68.htm November 2, 1968]
*George Starostin rating|8|10 (overall rating: 11/15) [http://starling.rinet.ru/music/tull.htm#Was link]
Last album =
This album = "This Was"
(1968)
Next album = "Stand Up"
(1969)

"This Was" (1968) is the first album by the rock band Jethro Tull. Recorded at a cost of only £1200 GBP, the album received generally favourable reviews and sold well upon its release. In the documentary film of the Woodstock Festival, portions of the song "Beggar's Farm" may be heard on the PA system, indicating the level of notice the album achieved in the United States. The album reached number 10 on the UK Album Chart. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=2064 Chart] ]

Unlike their later albums, vocalist Ian Anderson shared songwriting duties with guitarist Mick Abrahams. Due to his influence, the album overall has more of a rhythm and blues feel than the progressive rock the band later became known for.

This album also contains the only Jethro Tull song not sung by Ian Anderson, "Move On Alone", where Mick Abrahams sings. David Palmer provided the horn arrangement.

Abrahams left the group following this album in a dispute over "musical differences."

The album includes a cover version of the jazz tune "Serenade to a Cuckoo" by Roland Kirk, whose flute technique was an influence on Anderson.

"Dharma for One" was later covered by Ekseption and Pesky Gee!.

"Cat's Squirrel" was later used by Mick Abrahams in Blodwyn Pig, Abraham's post-Jethro Tull band.

Track listing

"This Was" was remastered in 2001 and released with three bonus tracks.

#"My Sunday Feeling" (Anderson) – 3:43
#"Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You" (Anderson) – 2:49
#"Beggar's Farm" (Abrahams/Anderson) – 4:19
#"Move on Alone" (Abrahams) – 1:58
#"Serenade to a Cuckoo" (Kirk) – 6:07
#"Dharma for One" (Anderson/Bunker) – 4:15
#"It's Breaking Me Up" (Anderson) – 5:04
#"Cat's Squirrel" (Traditional, arranged by Abrahams) – 5:42
#"A Song for Jeffrey" (Anderson) – 3:22
#"Round" (Anderson/Abrahams/Bunker/Cornick/Ellis) – 1:03

Bonus tracks

The 2001 remastered CD added three bonus tracks (which had been on the "20 Years of Jethro Tull" box-set) and extensive liner notes:

11. "One for John Gee" (Abrahams) – 2:06
12. "Love Story" (Anderson) – 3:06
13. "Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 3:06

Credits

*Ian Anderson: Vocals, flute, mouth organ, "claghorn" [Claghorn:quote|"a strange bamboo flute with a saxophone mouthpiece attached to it called a claghorn — a dreadful instrument that I invented"|Ian Anderson, interview with BBC Radio Scotland, August 27 2001 [http://www.tullpress.com/scot27aug01.htm] ] , piano
*Mick Abrahams: Vocals, guitar, nine-string guitar
*Clive Bunker: drums
*Glenn Cornick: Bass guitar
*David Palmer: French horn and orchestral arrangements

References

External links

*
* (bonus tracks)
* [http://www.progressiveworld.net/jethrotull7.html "This Was"] at Progressive World