Jethro Tull: This Was - 1968

 

I have never been quite sure what Jethro Tull were - rock, folk, prog.  guess they were a bit of all three. They had a rock power to their sound at times, but also the folky interjections of Ian Anderson's folky flute were integral to their music. Furthermore, "concept" albums like Thick As A Brick and A Passion Play were as prog as it gets. Anyway, it's time to stand on one leg and play that air flute....

This was (indeed) Jethro Tull’s debut album, from 1968, and it was a fine rock-blues album free of much, if any, “progressive” characteristics. For me, that can only be a good thing. 

A bit like the debut albums from Yes, The Grateful Dead and Ten Years After, it is absolutely nothing like the group’s later material. This is largely due to the blues-jazz influence of guitarist Mick Abrahams, who later went on to be a member of Blodwyn Pig, I believe. This was his only appearance in Jethro Tull's colours. 

There are not many vocal duties for Ian Anderson on this album, which I do not mind, as his voice always slightly irritated me. He was better off just playing the flute. Having said that, many consider him one of rock's great vocalists, so what do I know. The more I listen to Tull, the more I accept it as an integral part of them, anyway.

To the songs - My Sunday Feeling is a fine flute-enhanced chugging blues-influenced opener. Listen to the throbbing bass on this track, and the mid-song guitar solo for that matter. Recorded, apparently, at a cost of only £1200, which, even for 1968 was comparative peanuts, I can't overstate just how damn good this stuff sounds.

Beggar's Farm is thoroughly appealing, with a laid-back ricking bluesiness and a great mid-song solo. I love this one. The short Move On Alone is attractively both jazzy and bluesy. Serenade To A Cuckoo is a truly winsome, fluty and jazzy instrumental number, possibly the jazziest thing the band ever did. 

The instrumental Dharma For One is very psychedelic and has a drum solo that is typical of its era but nonetheless powerful for it. It’s Breaking Me Up is proper, harmonica and bass-drenched blues. It is as if Free have wandered into the studio. The same can be applied to The Sun Won’t Shine For You. True blues the both of them. 

Cat's Squirrel is quite a well-known, riffy and catchy number with lots of Cream/Eric Clapton influences. It is excellent, and provides a string example of what Tull could be. 

A Song For Jeffrey is an equally noteworthy psychedelic blues closer (it comes just before a brief instrumental entitled Round). Some of the material is so bluesy you would be forgiven for thinking it was original Delta stuff. It was funny how so many bands who debuted in the mid-late sixties were so blues-oriented on their first steps. On hearing this you would be hard-pressed to say it was Jethro Tull, if you didn't know. There are even jazzy bits too. All very appealing it is as well. A quick mention should also to a non-album single, the excellent, rocking Love Story.

Overall, this was a really impressive debut and, although it was. Apparently recorded on a really low budget, the sound is truly excellent - great drums, warm bass, sharp guitars and keyboards and, of course that flute.