Jethro Tull - CD review by Maggie Woods

“Ian Anderson formed Jethro Tull in 1968.
They went on to become one of the most
successful and enduring acts in British
rock history, with landmark albums such
as Aqualung, Thick As A Brick and Too
Old To Rock ’n’ Roll, Too Young To Die.
Now Jethro Tull’s promise will be fulfilled
with this wonderful digitally-remastered
album This Was: 40th Anniversary
Collector’s Edition (to be released on CD
on 28 April 2008) and the band’s April /
May tour dates...”

THERE'S NO GETTING AWAY FROM THE FACT that Jethro Tull has proved to be very resilient in music terms. That is, the band's own particular style and unmistakable sound has been around for a long time, with the current tour set to endorse its continuing popularity as much as the release, on 28 April (2008), of Jethro Tull: This Was as a 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition of two CDs.

EMI are proud to announce the release of this very special 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition of Jethro Tull's seminal debut album, This Was. Disc 1 is the album in mono — which has never been released on CD before — plus nine BBC tracks from sessions which relate
to the album. Disc 2 is a new stereo mix of the album plus rare early singles tracks: an infusion of cheerfulness with Sunshine Day, Song For John Gee, Love Story and the magical Christmas Song. Both CDs are packaged in a double digi-pack within a clear slipcase, and include notes and anecdotes from the band members.

Originally a strange kind of blues band, mixing blues with folk and sometimes hard rock, Jethro Tull's first line-up included Mick Abrahams, Glenn Cornick, Clive Bunker and, of course, Ian Anderson. At one time, the band's advisers tried — without success — to persuade Ian to give up the flute and let Mick do all the singing. But it was Ian's stage performances — standing on one leg and giving it all he'd got — that elevated the band above other blues rock bands of the time and brought Jethro Tull to the attention of
the media.

The Summer of '68 saw Jethro Tull performing at the first Hyde Park Festival, opening for Pink Floyd. A great time to be around, the Sixties was full of charm and originality with a laid-back attitude. Jethro Tull slotted neatly in with their undulating, uplifting witchery
with overtures from a Mediaeval fayre. Later that year came the debut album — This Was, which reached number 10 in the UK charts 40 years ago, thanks partly to great airplay from BBC Radio DJ John Peel.

More recently, Jethro Tull's music has been recognised and featured in several television shows, from The Sopranos — Tony Soprano sang a Tull song — to Saxondale, Friends and Ugly Betty, that featured a name check.

Not a band to rest on their laurels, Jethro Tull has sold over 60 million albums and has performed over 2,600 shows in more than forty countries in the last four decades and they are celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band with a 29-date UK tour — An Evening
With Jethro Tull. Just some measure of the attraction they hold for a wide audience!

Most performances will feature a special guest as Ian Anderson honours past band mem-bers, friends and local musicians. Much of the show will focus on the first three albums — performing such early favourites as Serenade To A Cuckoo, My Sunday Feeling, Living In The Past, Bouree, A Song For Jeffrey and A New Day Yesterday. Raise a ruckus, boys!

This Was tracklisting

CD1 (Mono)

1 My Sunday Feeling | 2 Some Day The Sun Won't Shine | 3 Beggars Farm (4.19) | 4 Move On Alone | 5 Serenade To A Cuckoo | 6 Dharma For One | 7 It's Breaking Me Up | 8 Cat's Squirrel (5.42) | 9 A Song For Jeffrey (3.22) | 10 Round (1.03).

BBC Sessions

John Peel Top Gear July 23 1968, Transmitted August 4 1968 and 22 September 1968:
11 So Much Trouble | 12 My Sunday Feeling | 13 Cat's Squirrel | 15 A Song For Jeffrey.

John Peel Top Gear November 5 1968, TX 15 December 1968:
16 Love Story | 17 Stormy Monday | 18 Beggars Farm | 19 Dharma For One.

CD2 (new stereo mix)

1 My Sunday Feeling | 2 Some Day The Sun Won't Shine | 3 Beggars Farm (4.19) |
4 Move On Alone | 5 Serenade To A Cuckoo | 6 Dharma For One | 7 It's Breaking Me Up | 8 Cat's Squirrel (5.42) | 9 A Song For Jeffrey (3.22) | 10 Round (1.03) | 11 Love Story | 12 Christmas Song.

Additional mono recordings

13 Sunshine Day (A-side of single MGM 1384 released in February 1968 on MGM) | 14 One For John Gee (B-side of Song For Jeffrey single WIP 6043 released in September 1968 on Island) | 15 Love Story (A-side of single WIP 6048 released in November 1968 on Island) | 16 Christmas Song (A-side of Love Story single WIP 6048 released in November 1968 on Island).

• This Was: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition is released on CD on 28 April (2008) | Catalogue No: 206 4972.

"A great time to be around, the Sixties was full of charm and originality with a laid-back attitude. Jethro Tull slotted neatly in with their undulating, uplifting witchery with overtures from a Mediaeval fayre" — MotorBar

Jethro Tull tour band 2008

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