This Was

While vocalist Ian Anderson's creative vision largely shaped Jethro Tull's later albums, on This Was Anderson shared songwriting duties with Tull's guitarist Mick Abrahams. In part due to Abrahams' influence, the album incorporates more rhythm and blues and jazz influences than the progressive rock the band later became known for. In particular: This Was also contains the only Jethro Tull lead vocal not performed by Ian Anderson on a studio album, in "Move on Alone". Mick Abrahams, the song's author, provided vocals; Dee Palmer provided the horn arrangement. Abrahams left Jethro Tull following the album's completion. The song "Dharma for One", a staple of Tull's early concerts (usually incorporating an extended drum solo by Clive Bunker), was later covered by Ekseption, Pesky Gee! and The Ides of March. This song featured use of the "claghorn", a hybrid instrument invented by Jeffrey Hammond which combined the body of a recorder, the bell of a toy trumpet and the mouthpiece of a saxophone. Anderson also claims to have invented the instrument. In the documentary film Woodstock, the songs "Beggar's Farm" and "Serenade to a Cuckoo" can be heard playing over the festival's PA system. ==Reception==

This Was received generally favourable reviews and sold well upon its release. Record Mirror thoroughly recommended the album in 1968 for being "full of excitement and emotion" and described the band as a blues ensemble "influenced by jazz music" capable of setting "the audience on fire". Allen Evans of New Musical Express wrote in his review that the album "sounds good and has a lot of humour about it" and that the band "play jazz really, in a soft, appealing way, and have a bit of fun on the side with tone patterns and singing". American critic Robert Christgau, on the contrary, was appalled by the success of a band that combined "the worst of Roland Kirk, Arthur Brown, and your nearest G.O. blues band." An AllMusic reviewer remarked how Jethro Tull on their vinyl debut appeared "vaguely reminiscent of the Graham Bond Organization only more cohesive, and with greater commercial sense". and number 62 on the US Billboard 200. It was voted number 574 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. ==Track listings==

Standard edition • 1973 cassette reissue has same track order, but on opposite sides. • Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–10 on CD reissues. • The 2001 remastered CD added three bonus tracks (which had been on the 20 Years of Jethro Tull box-set) and extensive liner notes. • The 2018 edition CD added six bonus tracks (including four previously unreleased tracks). 40th anniversary collectors' edition (2008) A deluxe, two-CD 40th anniversary edition was released in 2008. It contains the original mono version, a stereo version remixed from the original four-track session tapes, non-LP single tracks and the BBC sessions recorded by the band in 1968 for John Peel's "Top Gear". 50th anniversary collectors' edition (2018) ==Personnel==

Jethro Tull • Ian Anderson – lead vocals (all except track 4), flute, harmonica, claghorn (track 6), piano (track 10) • Mick Abrahams – electric guitar, nine-string acoustic guitar, lead vocals (track 4), co-lead vocals (track 2), backing vocals • Glenn Cornick – bass guitar • Clive Bunker – drums, percussion hooter, charm bracelet Additional musicians • Dee Palmer – French horn and orchestral arrangements Production • Terry Ellis – producer • Victor Gamm – engineer ==Charts==