Search - Blodwyn Pig :: All Tore Down Live

Mick Abrahams Returns

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 04/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mick Abrahams was the guitarist for Jethro Tull on their first lp. He then quit the group to form Blodwyn Pig another blues/jazz influenced progressive rock group. The group broke up and he recorded a couple of solo albums and then retired from the music business. Recently he has began to play and record again. This particular disc was recorded live in 1993. It sounds as if it was recorded in a club. I have to say that Mick Abrahams guitar playing on this album is astonishing. He can more that hold his own with other more famous British blues rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Stan Webb. He has lost none of his skills during his retirement. The album features a combination of cover tunes and songs written by Mick himself. Among the highlights is a cover of "Cat's Squirrel" which also appeared on the first Jethro Tull album "This Was". His playing segues effortlessly through a number of guitar styles. He is also adept at playing slide guitar. His slide guitar playing is featured on "Billy The Kid" and "Dead Man's Hill". This disk has the feel of a long lost album from the late sixties British blues rock boom. The only problem with the album is that the synthesizer becomes annoying at times. The band would have been better served to stick to either piano or organ which are more traditional blues instruments than the synthesizer. If this disk is any indication of what is to come then the unjustly obscure Mick Abrahams is back and better than ever."