THIS WAS

Jethro Tull's debut effort sounds like nothing else before it or since, not even some of the band's later efforts. This crazy hybrid of blues and jazz is certainly an eye-opener when it works, but it's a laughable experiment when it doesn't. The thing to remember is that Ian loads the album with tons of lead flute passages.

''Beggar's Farm'' is the one song where every positive aspect of THIS WAS culminates into one beautiful package. With a hypnotic, haunting riff from Mick Abrahams and stellar flute playing from Ian Anderson, this track is sure to please. Also here are four instrumental tracks eager to please the ears with intensity. The rendition of ''Serenade to a Cuckoo'' is the strongest of these, but the guitar work of ''Cat's Squirrel'' and the riff and drum solo of ''Dharma for One'' are hard to ignore.

Unfortunately, the band decided to include two straight-out slow blues numbers in ''Someday...'' and ''It's Breaking Me Up''; I absolutely loathe slow blues tunes (all the ones I've heard are very boring), but Tull isn't the only group to annoy me like this as Led Zeppelin did this on their debut the following year as well. And would you believe me if I told you ''Song for Jeffrey'' is rather bland?

Make sure you're a real fan of Jethro Tull before you pick this one up, but it's a nice find. While it doesn't sound much like later efforts from this group, it does have the roots of that distinct Jethro Tull sound. Rather overlooked even if not that essential.