Jethro Tull

This Was – The 50th Anniversary Edition ParloPhone Massive revamp of a significant debut.

In light of how the band developed, this first album from Jethro Tull is something of a oneoff, with blues and jazz inflections running through it. Guitarist Mick Abrahams shows off his bluesy chops on a cover of the traditional Cat’s Squirrel. My Sunday Feeling (which includes a nod to The Pink Panther theme) and Beggar’s Farm display genuine blues grounding. A version of Roland Kirk’s jazz classic Serenade To A Cuckoo highlights Ian Anderson’s growing technique as a flautist. There’s also the unique Move On Alone, the only song in Tull’s studio history with lead vocals not by Anderson; in this case Abrahams steps up to the mic.

This celebratory release comes on three CDs and a DVD. One CD and the DVD have an enormous body of album remixes by Steven Wilson, who has done a similar job on other recordings included here, also done during this period. The second CD features sessions for Radio 1’s Top Gear show, and on the third CD you also get the original mono and stereo mixes of the This Was album. Phew!