Jethro Tull
This Was

THE REVIEW

The exalted often finds in its art form a point where veneration is indispensable.

"This Was", the debut album of Jethro Tull is pure grace and majesty that every good listener with some intelligence understands from the very first track. Anderson (vocals and flute) does not fail to amaze the listener with his flute, right from the start with My Sunday Feeling, it seems one could get lost in a world where our storyteller immerses us without letting us out. We are talking about an album that is probably hard to surpass, it has dark tracks (a beggar's farm decidedly very sinister in its atmosphere), and obviously a good dose of blues (it's burning me up, a song for Jeffrey, someday the sun won't shine for you) aided by a good jazz (some alone) and just this would be enough to declare it a masterpiece. But the real novelty lies in introducing the flute as a perfectly harmonized instrument with everything else, but there is also the undeniable talent of the other members, namely Glenn Cornick, Bunker (in Dharma for one would leave anyone speechless and provoke only great envy) and Mick Abrahams who influences the band with his preference for the blues. Moreover, Anderson does not fail to send us back to Roland Kirk with his Serenade To A Cuckoo perfectly played with his inseparable flute. You can feel a small aftertaste of Hard Rock wanting to emerge (Cat Squirrel, Dharma for one) but flavoured like this, it proves to be even better. Unforgettable A song for Jeffrey gives us a formidable blues.

A band fascinating just right releasing one of perhaps the most important albums in rock history both for its flute experimentation and for the magnificence of the tracks that venture listeners into the world of the incredible. Unique and Extraordinary, if this was (this was) let's hope it returns soon.