This Was (Collectors Edition) (2CD)

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Customer reviews

review by: REAL GUITARIST date: 2008-09-07 rating:
spinal tap
Surely this dismal jam session was the blueprint for Spinal Tap. Its of its time, over-indulgent and plain silly. I just cannot hear any trace of musicianship in it, and it sounds as if it was recorded at Regent Sound. br /YUK!

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review by: Jim date: 2008-08-05 rating:
This Was............Tull at their best!
"This Was" was one of my favourite albums of 1968. I bought it on vinyl LP at the time, then on CD in the early `90s, in 2001 the remaster and now the 40th anniversary edition. Hopefully that's cracked it now! br / br /This 2008 version is superb, if only all reissues were as comprehensive as this - Tim Chacksfield's name under the compilers credit usually guarantees a well researched compilation and this one is no exception. Add Abbey Road's Peter Mew as the remasterer / remixer and you know it's going to sound good too. br / br /On CD 1 the original mono mix has been remastered and sounds just great. In 1968 the mono mix usually got more attention than the stereo mix of many albums and this mix is somewhat different to the more often heard stereo mix from that time. The rest of the first CD is filled with tracks from the BBC's John Peel sessions - many are live versions of tracks from the album, but some are songs from the band's live set of the time. The sound restoration quality of these old tapes is amazing, and gives an idea of how good the band would have sounded live in 1968. br / br /CD 2 is a new (2008) remix of the stereo version of "This Was", and sounds quite different to the original stereo mix - perhaps more like the original mono mix to my ears. This is not just another remastering so any earlier version of the album you have will not become redundant if you purchase this one! This version also includes the three bonus tracks that were on the 2001 reissue, but this time "Love Story" "Christmas Song" are featured as new stereo mixes and again as mono remasters. "One for John Gee" (B side of "Jeffery" single - and Marque manager) is also a mono remaster as is the new addition, and very rare first single, (on MGM as Jethro Toe!) "Sunshine Day". br / br /This set seems to contain almost all the 1968 original band line-up's recorded material plus nine bonus BBC tracks. The only omission I can see is the B side of the first MGM single, the track "Aeroplane"; whether it was deemed not good enough or perhaps the tape was missing is not mentioned in the booklet. br / br /There are reflections from each original band member, photos and material from the original LP release in the booklet and package. I bought the American Capitol version from one of Amazon's American sellers as the price was competitive, it is very similar to the UK version - the music is identical but the packaging is slightly different. br / br /This was Tull as I liked them best, bluesy and jazzy without the trappings of Prog Rock with which they became bogged down in later life. br /

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review by: date: 2008-05-29 rating:
'This Was' sounding fresher and better than ever
I did recollect 'This Was' as a decent if patchy album by one of my favourite bands of yesteryear - until I heard it again in this new reissue, and what a revelation it is. The band is superb with Ian's contribution nicely balanced with all the others; the superb rhythm section of Clive Bunker and Glenn Cornick, and Mick Abrahams in great form. There are some lovely jazz tinges in amongst the overall blues feel of the album that would sadly be lost on their later albums. There is a freshness and lightness of execution about this and their other early albums, that became leaden by the time they turned the guitar amps up, went a bit heavy metal and got lost in the woods of old England. Despite the always fantastic musicianship, I never really got all the elves, squirrels and celtic myth stuff but the eclectic blues and jazz of 'This Was' still does it for me.

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review by: Crash date: 2008-05-22 rating:
Yes, Another Reissue.... But....
Look - it IS a bit much that this is being revisited so soon after the recent slew of Tull reissues. On the other hand, while later reissues in the recent series got lavish extras and booklets, This Was was treated rather lightely (as were all the early albums to be honest). br / br /So here we have This Was done right. Talk about lavish - double disc, great booklet (with comments from ALL band members), and a fold out cover with more shots from the period. br / br /I've been playing the Mono version, and it's just glorious. The bonus material? It matches what's on the original disc, in both quality and sound. Those John Peel sessions sound like they were done yesterday. br / br /It's unlikely new fans are stumbling upon this disc - but if you're a Tull fan and you're on the fence having just paid out for the last reissue, then don't hesitate any more. For better or worse this easily trumps that last release. The 40th Aniversary Version presented here is just glorious. br / br /I really lucked out - this is my most played Tull album. Didn't want to buy it yet again, not so soon, but I'm sure glad I did. br / br /


review by: date: 2008-05-15 rating:
Just Great
They may only have been a blues band for a short while but this version of Tull made an album that sounds every bit as fresh now as the day it was released. Featuring strong original songs like "My Sunday Feeling" and "Beggar's Farm" and a distinctive British take on the blues, these guys were every bit a match for their better known blues-boom contemporaries. In truth I'm not much of a Tull fan but this package rocks. I can't think of anywhere else you could find manic flute playing like that on Roland Kirk's "Serenade to a Cuckoo" alongside Mick Abrahams wonderful guitar heavy take on "Cat's Squirrel" There's some inventive bass and drum playing too and even the drum solo isn't completely out of place. The sound has been superbly remastered/remixed and there's a shed-load of excellent extra sessions and bonus tracks. The whole thing is an object lesson in repackaging. I haven't stopped playing this since it arrived. If they can give the same treatment to "Stand Up" I might just be tempted.....

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