I have followed the great guitar career of Mick Abrahams for nearly 60 years. Can you believe this brilliant musician is not on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists ever? He should be in the top 10 for sure!
@@bernarddover1442 That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Listen to the guitar solo that covers most of the second half of "I wonder who baby" from this same concert.
I went to see Jethro Tull at The Railway Hotel Pub in Harrow in about 1967. While at the bar someone asked what I thought of Mick Abraham's version of Cat's Squirrel. I said it was a rip-off of Eric Clapton. Later that evening Mick Abrahams announced the number and he commented "....and as for that c**t at the bar who said it was a rip off of Eric Clapton - I am going to do it anyway!"
The greatest travesty is that he is not on Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Players. Surely he ought to be easily in the top 10 They have Bob Dylan as #50 and that guy can't play his way out of a paper bag.
Mick Abrahams and Ian Anderson founded Jethro Tull in the 60s. Mick A. recorded only the 1st album This Was. Then he founded Blodwyn Pig . He his a brillant musician ! Thank you !
When I went to the Marquee on a rainy Thursday night in ‘68 it was because somebody told me Mick was really good - and the blues band Jethro Tull he was with we’re OK too. I still reckon This Was and Stand Up were their two best albums.
I agree with album choices but myself would throw Benefit into that bag. This Was, to me, #1 & seemingly due to Abrahams' work. Ironicaly enough This Was was the album name because that was This Was (Jethro Tull) because Abrahams was gone (welcome Blodwyn Pig) when the album was completed.
I've just got to say a massive "Wow!". I was introduced to Blodwyn Pig in the early '70's as a v young teenager. I recall being being enchanted by See my Way. Other than that, and that Mick Abrahams had played with Tull, I knew nothing else about them. I'm now in my 60's and just having a reminiscent sort of evening, flicking through UA-cam. I see this and literally just think "Wow, what I never found out, and how did this man never get to be better known?" That was stunning! Thanks for sharing. Great filming, btw.
This is especially fun to hear since Clapton doesn't do this song any more. THIS WAS is one of Tull's best albums. Good to see that Mick is still wailing on guitar.
Mick Abrahams, a good man. And a very fine - yet underrated - guitarist! Part of the foundation of Tull, even as a member of the initial group that produced 'This Was' in '68. Thanks for the video.
Querencias7 yep and Anderson’s whining about how he only wanted to play the blues and wouldn’t fly is just more of his ego spilling over. Abrahams and Jack Lancaster made some great music. Anderson just STFU please.
Mick, always such an entertaining guitarist and performer- thank you Mick. I only wish I'd known about this gig at the time as I would have loved to be there...
Possibly a tad more than 40 years, I remember seeing them there, brilliant club, and brilliant music, we were so bloody lucky, weren't we! What seemed to stick in my mind from seeing them, I'm pretty sure mick did a solo acoustic version of the change song, might be wrong, but hey-ho......does it matter,ha!ha!
New Years Eve lineup at Mothers 69 into 70 . 1st on -Bakerloo Blues Line , 2nd on Savoy Brown , last on Jethro Tull , probably cost about 30 bob admission ! Great days!!😀😀 I realise Mick had left theband by this time, but still a wonderful lineup😄
Mick was very much a part of the sound of Tulls first album.......it's interesting how the sound of Tull developed when Mick left to form Bloodwynn pigg......I truly believe that the collaboration of Martin Barre and Anderson was to result in the sound that we came to recognize as Tull..............the sound of Tull would never have developed if Mick had stuck around...........as a result we the fans benefited from getting two great bands......Tull and Pigg.
Killi'n ...........all these years I've tried to develop a "guitarist"identity for myself and I end up being a combination of Mick A. and Rick Derringer (but not quite) ..thank you Boys ... Mr. Abraham that was killi'n.
Before a gig at the Fox, Palmers Green after the first set from another band, Mick introduced himself and his band individually to the small number of supporters sitting around the room before a marvellous set, including Cats Squirrel. Brilliant!!!!
Thanks for the music Mike. I haven't followed you over the years since I had the Ahead Rings Out Album (I got waylaid by Pink Floyd) but I'd just like to say you are a *true* musician.
The only time I saw Tull it was with MA (so about 1968), & it was in a club about this size: Jimmy's in Brighton. I recall MA introduced this tune with, "Here's a tune that Eric Clapton f**d up.".
How many others can relate to this?: The very first time I heard "Cat's Squirrel" on FM rock radio (from the THIS WAS album), I would have SWORN it was by Cream....and I only say that because A: I had not yet heard Cream's version, and B: because the DJ had not yet announced that the song was by Jethro Tull. Mick was and still is an astounding guitarist, and he made THIS WAS the outstanding Tull debut album that it was. Gives you pause to wonder what direction the band would have taken had he and Ian been on the same page. At any rate, an incredible musician.
I thought I heard Scott Muni on WNEW FM say Jeff Rotul I thought it was a guitar player named Jeff Rotul [ maybe he should have played a song from the LP that had flute and vocal but since its a guitar instro I got the wrong idea [] later Scott Muni introduced Jethro Tull at Newport
Mick Abrahams parted ways with Tull because they went in a more prog/pop direction. But he was always, and obviously still is, in the top echelon of blues-rock players.
What a player... was lucky enough to see Mick with Blodwyn Pig back in the day. How did Britain produce such an amazing bunch of guitarists in the 60s/early 70s? Kossoff, Blackmore, Abrahams, McPhee, Page, Iommi, Peter Green... and not forgetting Steamhammer's Martin Pugh. Great stuff!
Saw Mick play this at the Woodmans in Louth Lincolnshire on a few occasions.He and his band never disappointed...ever.Unlike the Woodmans who closed down some years back.😢
Mick i met you in the 1970/80s you knew a guy called brian steel and a tall dark haired hippy type bassist maybe called les anyway it was in bedfordshire brian steel was a mechanic.....i dont know if you remember but i do i loved tull still do and i love your playing style.
Cats Squirrel is one of those rare songs where the Cream version was NOT the best - it was Jethro Tulls version thanks to guitarist extraordinaire - Mick Abrahams !
As I watched, I was thinking "what's the difference between Mick and Billy Gibbons, or between this group and ZZ Top? " I have a couple of ideas, but I'd like to hear what any of you think.
Nah, Leslie was already going strong w/ His playin. Seen Him alot ,with the Vagrants from L.I. New York. He ,was also Killin it . We, said this guys amazing . Mountain came next; Knew His Drummer. Whew, long ago , but its Fine in Time....
@@chrisriches4688 ~ Hey Chris, I wonder if Leslie might have copied Mick's style. What do you think? Mick was getting famous several years before Leslie came along wasn't he?
He remind me a little of david Gilmour of pink Floyd I wonder if he stay with ian what Would they have accomplish Too many cooks spoil the broth Martin Barre lack a certain touch of guitar that Mick Abrahams embodies But the album stand up is better than this was Ian don,t like a linear style I mean it's blues
His version on the first Tull album is my favorite - especially with Clive Bunker giving him mad drumming to drive it along ua-cam.com/video/qiZBLghlpC8/v-deo.html
I have followed the great guitar career of Mick Abrahams for nearly 60 years. Can you believe this brilliant musician is not on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists ever? He should be in the top 10 for sure!
Can you believe Mick Abrams isn't IN the rolling stones?
Just discovered today trawling through you tube ! Blown away how have I missed this master all my life ! CD hunting now !!
He's not in the top thousand.. he's basic
@@bernarddover1442 That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Listen to the guitar solo that covers most of the second half of "I wonder who baby" from this same concert.
I went to see Jethro Tull at The Railway Hotel Pub in Harrow in about 1967. While at the bar someone asked what I thought of Mick Abraham's version of Cat's Squirrel. I said it was a rip-off of Eric Clapton. Later that evening Mick Abrahams announced the number and he commented "....and as for that c**t at the bar who said it was a rip off of Eric Clapton - I am going to do it anyway!"
Great story. But Mick was right. Clapton never sounded much like that, as much as I love him.
One of my favorite all time musicians.Hope you’re doing well Mick.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The Best Guitar Player almost no one has ever heard of.
Blodwyn Pig
Couldn’t have said it better.👍🏻
Most were fawning over Clapton @ the time. It's a bloody shame; Mick is much better.
one of the best PERIOD!
The greatest travesty is that he is not on Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Players. Surely he ought to be easily in the top 10 They have Bob Dylan as #50 and that guy can't play his way out of a paper bag.
Mick Abrahams and Ian Anderson founded Jethro Tull in the 60s. Mick A. recorded only the 1st album This Was. Then he founded Blodwyn Pig
. He his a brillant musician ! Thank you !
When I went to the Marquee on a rainy Thursday night in ‘68 it was because somebody told me Mick was really good - and the blues band Jethro Tull he was with we’re OK too. I still reckon This Was and Stand Up were their two best albums.
I agree with album choices but myself would throw Benefit into that bag. This Was, to me, #1 & seemingly due to Abrahams' work. Ironicaly enough This Was was the album name because that was This Was (Jethro Tull) because Abrahams was gone (welcome Blodwyn Pig) when the album was completed.
I've just got to say a massive "Wow!".
I was introduced to Blodwyn Pig in the early '70's as a v young teenager. I recall being being enchanted by See my Way. Other than that, and that Mick Abrahams had played with Tull, I knew nothing else about them.
I'm now in my 60's and just having a reminiscent sort of evening, flicking through UA-cam. I see this and literally just think "Wow, what I never found out, and how did this man never get to be better known?" That was stunning!
Thanks for sharing. Great filming, btw.
I like Mick Abrahams. He´s a great musician.
Still rippin' it up! I've always loved Mick's tone. This is fantastic.
This is especially fun to hear since Clapton doesn't do this song any more. THIS WAS is one of Tull's best albums. Good to see that Mick is still wailing on guitar.
Another in a long line that never got the recognition they deserved.
Of all the versions I've heard of Cat's Squirrel, gotta say -- MICK OWNS THIS SONG! Thank you, Mr. Irreverant! Keep on playing!
Mick Abrahams, a good man. And a very fine - yet underrated - guitarist! Part of the foundation of Tull, even as a member of the initial group that produced 'This Was' in '68. Thanks for the video.
Querencias7 yep and Anderson’s whining about how he only wanted to play the blues and wouldn’t fly is just more of his ego spilling over. Abrahams and Jack Lancaster made some great music. Anderson just STFU please.
Mick made this his own, and he owns it
Jethro Tull 'This Was' is epitome of underground R&R.
This is real rock music.
TheRunner75 b
Reminds me of This Was days. Extraordinary!
Mick, always such an entertaining guitarist and performer- thank you Mick. I only wish I'd known about this gig at the time as I would have loved to be there...
A fan since the beginning.....
GREAT guitarist
This is so good,lotsa fun thanks for posting 🙏😷🎵❗👀
Mick Abrahams gehört zu den Musikern meiner Generation, welchen ich gerne auf meine Facebook Seite posten will. Bravo für diese schöne >Musik
Mick performs as good now as when I saw him at Mothers Club 40 or so years back........
Possibly a tad more than 40 years, I remember seeing them there, brilliant club, and brilliant music, we were so bloody lucky, weren't we! What seemed to stick in my mind from seeing them, I'm pretty sure mick did a solo acoustic version of the change song, might be wrong, but hey-ho......does it matter,ha!ha!
New Years Eve lineup at Mothers 69 into 70 . 1st on -Bakerloo Blues Line , 2nd on Savoy Brown , last on Jethro Tull , probably cost about 30 bob admission ! Great days!!😀😀 I realise Mick had left theband by this time, but still a wonderful lineup😄
most underrated guitar player in the history of Rock...
Agreed
@Kev Ctulu :Rory Gallagher, add to that list.
Very good Mick!!!
Great performer and still got that magic touch.. An absolute classic blues rock tune that sits nicely alongside the best of that era.
fabulous player !!
Great Mick Abrahams!!
wow wow wow. what a treat.
Oh Joy! The truly wonderful Mick Abrahams!!
Mick was very much a part of the sound of Tulls first album.......it's interesting how the sound of Tull developed when Mick left to form Bloodwynn pigg......I truly believe that the collaboration of Martin Barre and Anderson was to result in the sound that we came to recognize as Tull..............the sound of Tull would never have developed if Mick had stuck around...........as a result we the fans benefited from getting two great bands......Tull and Pigg.
and one of the best tull albums , this was!
Blodwyn Pig
A Greatest Master
Thank you !! Excellent !!!
Thank you
Better with age outstanding forgotten legend
Jethro Tull - This Was Album - Amazing, amazing, amazing...
Freakin awesome 👏🏻💥🎶
Killi'n ...........all these years I've tried to develop a "guitarist"identity for myself and I end up being a combination of Mick A. and Rick Derringer (but not quite) ..thank you Boys ... Mr.
Abraham that was killi'n.
Wow! Loving this!
Great player
I always belied that Mick and Kim Simmons were the most melodic of guitarists along with Mick Ronson.
@joe pollard :most? include Rory Gallagher,please.
+ Miller Anderson
I really wish that at least one version of this song became big.
Quite the guitar picker ! Good show Mick and lads .
EC doesn't do it anymore nice to see he does and it sounds Great 👍🎸
Great performance Mick !
Before a gig at the Fox, Palmers Green after the first set from another band, Mick introduced himself and his band individually to the small number of supporters sitting around the room before a marvellous set, including Cats Squirrel. Brilliant!!!!
Thanks for the music Mike. I haven't followed you over the years since I had the Ahead Rings Out Album (I got waylaid by Pink Floyd) but I'd just like to say you are a *true* musician.
Mick you are a really fine wine, big bodied, luscious with a great aftertaste. Open a couple more bottles please.
when guitar gods are relegated to the small clubs.
on the other hand, a small club is the greatest of all venues.
good point.
Always is. Small venues is where the audial magic happens..
@Acoustic Guitar Blues : E Winter - R Derringer ,live small venue , Shweet!! combo supremo.
The only time I saw Tull it was with MA (so about 1968), & it was in a club about this size: Jimmy's in Brighton. I recall MA introduced this tune with, "Here's a tune that Eric Clapton f**d up.".
How many others can relate to this?: The very first time I heard "Cat's Squirrel" on FM rock radio (from the THIS WAS album), I would have SWORN it was by Cream....and I only say that because A: I had not yet heard Cream's version, and B: because the DJ had not yet announced that the song was by Jethro Tull. Mick was and still is an astounding guitarist, and he made THIS WAS the outstanding Tull debut album that it was. Gives you pause to wonder what direction the band would have taken had he and Ian been on the same page. At any rate, an incredible musician.
Mick Abrahams didn't write "Cat's Squirrel", Tull & Cream just performed it. It was written and released in1961, by Dr. Isaac Ross.
I thought I heard Scott Muni on WNEW FM say Jeff Rotul I thought it was a guitar player named Jeff Rotul [ maybe he should have played a song from the LP that had flute and vocal but since its a guitar instro I got the wrong idea [] later Scott Muni introduced Jethro Tull at Newport
Mick had a group called THIS WAS but Ian told him to stop it
the first Jethro Tull 45 is Softly as a Morning Sunrise mislabeled as JETHRO TOE
When I first heard this tune on the radio in 1968 I though Jethro tull was a guitarist.....man was I ever surprised!
Still damn good. Watch the old Beat Club footage of the band in their heyday.
Amazeballs!!!
Mick Abrahams parted ways with Tull because they went in a more prog/pop direction. But he was always, and obviously still is, in the top echelon of blues-rock players.
super !(!album this was)!jethro tull!!!
What a player... was lucky enough to see Mick with Blodwyn Pig back in the day. How did Britain produce such an amazing bunch of guitarists in the 60s/early 70s? Kossoff, Blackmore, Abrahams, McPhee, Page, Iommi, Peter Green... and not forgetting Steamhammer's Martin Pugh. Great stuff!
ah... and how about Beck, Clapton, Trower... and a bunch more!
Mick should be recognised as one of the all time greats! 😮
Super cool...was not expecting the Travis picking...Mick can wail.
Saw Mick play this at the Woodmans in Louth Lincolnshire on a few occasions.He and his band never disappointed...ever.Unlike the Woodmans who closed down some years back.😢
That was Cool !!!
woooooooo...!!!!!!!!
And that is why very few covers of this exist.
Fantastic
loved him in Tull and Blodwyn Pig.🐽
Great to see a guitar legend who has enough of a backbone not to fall for the atrocious shredders bullshit.
Brilliant guitarist,very underated but still up there with the greats ......but there is only one RORY,God rest him up playing with Robert JONSTON..
+tommy mcilwee "Jonston"?
Nice
@ Gareth Jones
That is true - just crushes the Cream version that I remember.
NICE!!
just watched previously a clip of vintage sg guitar mick Abrahams replica...and her he is playing live.... with a hand made expensive sg.....?
Mick i met you in the 1970/80s you knew a guy called brian steel and a tall dark haired hippy type bassist maybe called les anyway it was in bedfordshire brian steel was a mechanic.....i dont know if you remember but i do i loved tull still do and i love your playing style.
Cats Squirrel is one of those rare songs where the Cream version was NOT the best - it was Jethro Tulls version thanks to guitarist extraordinaire - Mick Abrahams !
Agreed. This is because Mick Abrhams is better guitarrist than E. Clapton. Is my opinion. Regards all thums up.
I disagree
@@34bully ok. I respect your opinión but for me E. Clapton is more famous and a good guitarist but there are better guitarists. Regards.
Check out Dr Ross version.
@@danielbergstrom4080 i will do it. Greetings.
So natural, so unstrained. All you could ask and all in fun. Damn.
what's that thing attached to the tail of the bridge?
nice soloing and control of the gain with the volume though...
As I watched, I was thinking "what's the difference between Mick and Billy Gibbons, or between this group and ZZ Top? "
I have a couple of ideas, but I'd like to hear what any of you think.
⭕ utstanding
Man... Can He Play a Blues Guitar...
Damn, but that preamble was seriously embarrasing, but Mick managed to pull it off in the end in the Blodwyn fashion. Cracking shit right there! LoL
At which venue was (or is) the Blues Club in Bishop's Stortford?
Christ, Mick knows 'is way round an SG3. 😁
Cats Squirrel 1:44
no applause at cats squirrel song announced? bad crowd
REMINDS ME A LITTLE BIT OF ROY BUCHANAN.BUT ROY TOOK THINGS AND STRINGS TO MUCH HIGHER LEVELS.THIS GUY DOES JAM THOUGH.
guys named mick, ian, clive, trevor, geoff, colin, jon, graham, vyvyan, malcolm and nigel are cool. :)
Gareth ... AGREED, Abrahams versions were ALWAYS better.
I didn't know Keith Olbermann played Bass.
Mick cut a mean figure.
1:47 CS
Exceptional playing but, ain’t we all gettin long in da tooth? How’d that appen?
@Ric Strange :a quote from Moe, "speak for yourself", we're trapped like Rat's.
1:35
Leslie West sounds very much like this. I have an idea he copied Mick's style.
Nah, Leslie was already going strong w/ His playin. Seen Him alot ,with the Vagrants from L.I. New York. He ,was also Killin it . We, said this guys amazing . Mountain came next; Knew His Drummer. Whew, long ago , but its Fine in Time....
Until I read this I was going to say he’s the English Leslie West. I’ve seen them both. Both are excellent
@@chrisriches4688 ~ Hey Chris,
I wonder if Leslie might have copied Mick's style. What do you think? Mick was getting famous several years before Leslie came along wasn't he?
I say, this is quite good, idn't it...??
He remind me a little of david Gilmour of pink Floyd
I wonder if he stay with ian what
Would they have accomplish
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Martin Barre lack a certain touch of guitar that Mick Abrahams embodies
But the album stand up is better than this was
Ian don,t like a linear style I mean it's blues
Just needed a better last hit of the strings to finish.
That's as rough as a bag of spanners
His version on the first Tull album is my favorite - especially with Clive Bunker giving him mad drumming to drive it along ua-cam.com/video/qiZBLghlpC8/v-deo.html
Tull's version of Cat Squirrel was better than Cream
Lately I've been listening to the 1st Jethro Tull album, Sure is some good guitar playing I wonder who it is..😃
Amazeballs!