Search - Blodwyn Pig :: Ahead Rings Out

1969 Rarity Given 5 Star Remaster With Genuine Bonus Brillia

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 10/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jethro Tull's first album "This Was" was released on the now legendary Island label in October of 1968 with MICK ABRAHAMS on lead guitar. Dissatisfied with the result, Abrahams left and was replaced by the brilliant MARTIN BARRIE. Abrahams then roped in JACK LANCASTER on Sax, Flute & Violin, ANDY PYLE on Bass and RON BERG on Drums and formed the delightfully named and much revered BLODWYN PIG (Abrahams himself handling lead guitar, vocals and all the principal song writing).



In the middle of 1969, they popped into Morden Studios in Willesden in London and with Producer Andy Johns (brother of the famous Glyn Johns) promptly produced this much-loved gem. The "Blods" or The "Pig" as they're affectionately known over here in Blighty, made only two albums before Abrahams finally went solo. This release "Ahead Rings Out" was their debut in 1969 on Island Records (ILPS 9101). It was housed in the now famous sleeve (a Gatefold who's liner notes are reproduced on this great re-issue). Initial runs were on the hugely desirable "Pink" Island Label Design - followed by a second press on the "Pink Rim" Label. Both have been difficult to find across the years. "Ahead" was followed in April 1970 by their second and last proper album, "Getting To This" on Island/Chrysalis Records ILPS 9122.



"Ahead" was pressed up on a slab of a record for the time - I'd say about 200 grams. And while that felt meaty, unfortunately, like the mottled effect label, the vinyl here in the UK reflected the same. It's an album (like Crimson, Traffic, Tull) that is notoriously difficult to find a good pressing of - pits in the surface etc... So to hear it after all these years in this stunning remastered sound quality is a genuine thrill!



If I were to categorize how they sound, it would be early Tull but with a jazzier feel provided by Lancaster's superb sax playing. As a gangly teenager in Dublin, I was suckered into buying the album by the bluesy feel of their initial single "Dear Jill", but that song doesn't actually reflect what most of the album sounds like - rocking Tull with a jazz tint. I was a bit disappointed at first, but on replays their unique sound grew on me - to a point where I wore the record out - and would replace it sporadically through the years with VG copies - just to have a copy to play!



Back to this superb EMI 2006 re-master - Tracks 1 to 9 is the original US track run of the LP with 10 to 16 being bonuses. Track 10 is "Sweet Caroline", the non-album B-side to their first 7" single on Island "Dear Jill" (WIP 6059 in May 1969). Tracks 11 and 12 are "Walk On The Water" and "Summer Day", their 2nd 7" single on Island from October 1969 (WIP 6069) and are both non-album tracks. Tracks 13 and 14 are "Same Old Story" and "Slow Down", their 3rd 7" single on Chrysalis/Island (WIP 6078) from January 1970 and again are non-album tracks. "Slow Down" is a Larry Williams cover version. Track 15 is "Meanie Mornay" from the "Getting To This" sessions and track 16 is the short "Backwash" sandwiched between "Change Song" and "Ain't Ya Comin' Home, Babe?" on Side 2 of the original UK album. I'd have to say that ALL of the bonus tracks are just that - genuine bonuses - and for collectors - a thrill to hear after all these years languishing in obscurity.



The booklet has liner notes by the now 65 year-old Mick Abrahams; they're witty, humble and very informative. The artwork of the original album is faithfully reproduced along with some tasty European picture sleeves of rare 7" singles. But the real treat is the sound - and my God does it leap out at you! It's shockingly good - and LOUD!! A fabulous job!



Abrahams made 3 solo albums immediately after Blodwyn Pig folded - first up was "A Musical Evening With Mick Abrahams" on Chrysalis Records in 1971 (ILPS 9147, often just referred to as "Mick Abrahams"), followed by "At Last" in 1972 (Chrysalis CHR 1005) and finally "Have Fun Learning Guitar With Mick Abrahams" on the privately pressed SRT Records in 1975. "Evening" and "At Last" are available on CD as are subsequent releases through the years. Of note to this re-issue is the excellent 2CD mini box set in 2004 which is called "All Said & Done" where he re-visits several tracks on "Ahead" with superb rocking results, including the great "Dear Jill".



Like Taste's "On The Boards" (1970), Free's "Fire And Water" (1970) and Fleetwood Mac's "Then Play On" (1969) - "Ahead Rings Out" is a classically great ROCK album of the period with tints of blues and jazz thrown in for good measure. I only have to see the cover and I get mushy!



Buy this superb re-issue with confidence - and a top-notch job done EMI!!!"

New remaster with "See My Way" & mono singles

D. S. Crommie | Portland, Oregon | 08/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the third CD copy I've bought of the Blods first album - released in 1969 shortly after Mick Abrahams left Jethro Tull after their first album "This Was". The sound on this remaster is not exactly a revelation in that it's not a vast improvement, but there are several good reasons to choose this over previous versions - or get this new version to add to your complete Blodwyn Pig collection (as you'll see later in my commentary). First of all, "See My Way" IS on this redux, contrary to the Amazon track listing - making it the complete UK & North American version.Plus, this contains the A & B sides of a few singles not previously available on LP or CD, although they are in Mono. "Walk on the Water" & "Summer Day" are included on "Getting to This" in stereo, but these mono versions are the original single mixes. "Meany Mornay" was inexplicably left off "Getting to This" but is included here - finally! Now this is interesting: The version of "Ain't You Comin Home" is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TAKE than has been previously available, and there is no note of this in the liner notes - which leads me to think it was an accident. It's a perfectly fine take with some very different sax work by Jack Lancaster & solos from Mick, but it's undoubtedly different. One puzzlement: it's weird having "Backwash" at the very end, instead of it's place as the intro to "Ain't You Comin' Home". Maybe Mick didn't really dig this one enough and left it as an afterthought... dunno. Good find & definitely worth picking up. OH yeah, the liner notes from Mick Abrahams makes it worth the price alone - he's a hoot."

This is the one!

T. A. Shepherd | Palmdale, Ca. 93550 | 06/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I reviewed the BGO version of Ahead Rings Out, I may have mentioned this, the new E.M.I. version. Not only is "See My Way" on this one as well as on "Getting to This", but the one here has no fade, unlike its U.K. counterpart. Also included here is the U.K. mixes of "Change Song", "Ain't Ya Comin' Home, Babe?" and "Backwash" (Although the latter is out of sequence, but that can be remedied by manual programming.) The mono single mixes of "Walk on the Water" and "Summer Day" are included, but the stereo versions can be found as bonus tracks on "Getting to This". You will want to get both these discs to have the entire Island/Chrysalis output. Now, if you're a fanatic, you will want to get both the BGO and E.M.I. versions of "Ahead Rings Out" to have the both mixes of "Ain't Ya Comin' Home, Babe?" and "Change Song". Also, the E.M.I. version contains the B-sides of the above mentioned singles and these have been released here for the first time since the vinyl days! I'm not going to go on about the music here, because the crux is that this is the one you're looking for if you want the complete Blodwyn Pig recordings on Island/Chrysalis."