csc
Prentice Jack
Posts: 7
|
Post by csc on Oct 10, 2008 3:27:13 GMT
What was Tull's debut "This Was" like musically?
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Oct 10, 2008 7:40:06 GMT
I quote Greg Russo from his book "Flying Colours":
"......a melange of well-played music incorporating jazz and rock within a loose blues framework. What removed This Was from many of the blues-based albums of 1968 was Anderson's now masterful flute playing."
I would add that from my point of view, Mick Abrahams guitar work was equal and in most cases superior to other guitar players on the live circuit at that time. He's still a formidable player today and is greatly underated.
|
|
|
Post by nonrabbit on Oct 10, 2008 7:43:14 GMT
What was Tull's debut "This Was" like musically? Bluesy/ great Mick Abrahams guitar - Cat's Squirrel etc / good jams with Anderson's newish flute playing skills. Not one of my favs tho
|
|
|
Post by tullistray on Oct 10, 2008 13:45:34 GMT
I quote Greg Russo from his book "Flying Colours": "......a melange of well-played music incorporating jazz and rock within a loose blues framework. What removed This Was from many of the blues-based albums of 1968 was Anderson's now masterful flute playing." I would add that from my point of view, Mick Abrahams guitar work was equal and in most cases superior to other guitar players on the live circuit at that time. He's still a formidable player today and is greatly underated. This reference of Russo's to Ian's flute playing, just month's into learning the instrument as "masterful" is enough to keep me from ever reading his book. Love the This Was album, I am sure Ian, now 41 years into playing, would get a chuckle out of his playing even today being referred to as masterful, although I do believe it has been for at least 15 years. Now filled with character, tuneful, unique I could buy. And he has long since transcended the early references to his playing as being a Roland Kirk rip off, taking the flute places Kirk never did. But if you are going to take an early influence from someone, Rahsaan was a pretty damn good choice.
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 10, 2008 20:38:19 GMT
Hmmm tough question, these things are so subjective.
To my ears This Was is the sound of a bunch of young musicians learning their craft by playing the cool music of the time, the blues. There are of course some fairly big hints of what will become Jethro Tull on Stand Up and beyond but on the whole IMO This Was is very much a 60's electric blues album.
|
|
|
Post by maddogfagin on Oct 11, 2008 8:11:30 GMT
It is certainly "an album of its time". British blues with a flute was certainly different at the time and I had plenty of friendly arguements with friends who queried my purchase of the album when it first was issued! I don't think that any of the books on Tull that I have read, and I stand to be corrected which I'm sure I will, have actually done justice to the album as a groundbreaking piece of music. Groups who issued albums following This Was that featured the flute owed a large debt to IA and the rest of the band in being original and not following the usual format of 12 bar blues and related music as recorded at the end of the sixties. Perhaps what we need on this forum is a dedicated thread discussing the various books on Tull and their merits and shortcomings?
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 12, 2008 20:25:51 GMT
. Perhaps what we need on this forum is a dedicated thread discussing the various books on Tull and their merits and shortcomings? Good idea, and perhaps threads discussing Tull's albums and their merits and shortcomings too maybe?
|
|