This Was

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This Was
This Was cover
Studio album by Jethro Tull
Released October 25, 1968 (UK)
Recorded June 13, 1968 - August 23, 1968
Genre British blues
Length 38:21 (original) 42:55 (remaster)
Label Island Records (UK), Reprise Records (US)
Producer Terry Ellis and Jethro Tull
Professional reviews
Jethro Tull chronology
This Was
(1968)		 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.[1]

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.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

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

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

[edit] 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:

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

[edit] Credits

[edit] References

  1. ^ Chart
  2. ^ Claghorn:

    "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 [1]

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson · Martin Barre · Doane Perry · David Goodier · James Duncan · John O'Hara
Mick Abrahams · Clive Bunker · Glenn Cornick · Barriemore Barlow · Jeffrey Hammond · John Evan · David Palmer · John Glascock · Mark Craney · Peter-John Vettese · Eddie Jobson · Dave Pegg · Gerry Conway · Maartin Allcock · Dave Mattacks · Jonathan Noyce · Andrew Giddings · Tony Iommi
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations
Box sets
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