Ahead Rings Out

''Ahead Rings Out'' is the debut album by British blues-rock band Blodwyn Pig, released in 1969. The band had been formed in 1969 by Mick Abrahams, the former guitarist of Jethro Tull, and sales of ''Ahead Rings Out'' rivalled those of Jethro Tull’s next album, '' Stand Up'', reaching No. 9 on the British album chart.

The album contained a healthy mixture of various styles of progressive blues and “The Modern Alchemist” displayed the jazz influence and saxophone skills of Jack Lancaster.

Background

In liner notes for the 2001 re-issue of the album, songwriter and singer Mick Abrahams recalled:

About “See My Way”, he comments: “It was a solid two days work to get it just how we felt it should be with all the odd changes of tempo and feel, i.e. the section that sounds like Ravel’s ''Boléro'' ... That song didn’t go on the UK version of ''Ahead Rings Out'', but instead the powers that be decided in their wisdom to put it on the USA version and left it until we recorded the second album, '' Getting to This''.”

He described “The Modern Alchemist” as “a great composition of Jack Lancaster’s that brought a mixture of hard hybrid jazz-rock flavour to the album.”

Blodwyn Pig were unsatisfied with the album, with Lancaster telling a ''Beat Instrumental'' interviewer in 1969 that he considered it "awful", adding: "It has a sound which hits you and that’s all. You can’t get any more out of it."

Reception

''Ahead Rings Out'' was a critical success. ''Melody Maker'' stated, "An excellent debut with lots of exciting music. The album has direction and thought and gives a great deal of hope for the future of the often maligned progressive pop scene.""Impressive debut album from Blodwyn Pig". ''Melody Maker''. July 26, 1969. 23. ''New Musical Express'' wrote, "Hooting grunting blues mingled with snorts of jazz adds up to an excellent debut album from one of our most promising groups.""Got the lot!" ''New Musical Express''. August 9, 1969. 10.

It was voted number 15 in the All-Time 50 Long Forgotten Gems from Colin Larkin's ''All Time Top 1000 Albums''. Writing in '' The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock'' (1999), Larkin wrote that the album "contains a healthy mixture of various styles of progressive blues." In 2019, ''Classic Rock'' ranked it at number 21 in their list of the best 30 British blues rock albums ever, praising it as a "wildly diverse debut" that contrasts heavily with Jethro Tull.

Discussing the material, ''Classic Pop'' opined that only the jazzy, flute-based "Leave It with Me" compares with Jethro Tull, evoking " Dharma for One" (1968), otherwise highlighting the "freewheeling, rocking abandon" of "It's Only Love" and "Sing Me a Song That I Know", the gentle "Dear Jill", the relaxed blues song "Up and Coming" and the heavy metal track "Ain't Ya Comin’ Home Babe?" Larkin comments that the latter song was influenced by Jethro Tull, grouping it alongside the slide guitar-driven "Dear Jill" as two of the strongest songs, alongside the lengthy "The Modern Alchemist", which showcases Lancaster's jazz influence and saxophone talents.

Track listing

;UK release

#“It's Only Love” ( Mick Abrahams) – 3:23
#“Dear Jill” (Abrahams) – 5:19
#“Sing Me a Song That I Know” (Abrahams) – 3:08
#“The Modern Alchemist” (Jack Lancaster) – 5:38
#“Up and Coming” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Andy Pyle, Ron Berg) – 5:31
#“Leave It With Me” (Lancaster) – 3:52
#“The Change Song” (Abrahams) – 3:45
#“Backwash” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Pyle, Berg) – 0:53
#“Ain’t Ya Comin’ Home, Babe?” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Pyle) – 6:04

* Bonus tracks on 2006 EMI Digital Remaster reissue CD:

:10. “Sweet Caroline” (Abrahams) – 2:51
:11. “Walk on the Water” (Abrahams) – 3:42
:12. “Summer Day” (Abrahams, Pyle) – 3:44
:13. “Same Old Story” (Abrahams) – 2:36
:14. “ Slow Down” (Larry Williams) – 4:20
:15. “Meanie Mornay” (Abrahams) – 4:45
:16. “Backwash” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Pyle, Berg) – 0:53

NB: CD reissue has track 8 as "See My Way", as per comments above regarding US track listing, hence track 8 from the UK release "Backwash" being included as a bonus track 16.

;U.S. release

#“It's Only Love” ( Mick Abrahams) – 3:23
#“Dear Jill” (Abrahams) – 5:19
#“Walk on the Water” (Abrahams) – 3:42
#“The Modern Alchemist” (Jack Lancaster) – 5:38
#"See My Way" (Abrahams) – 5:00
#“Summer Day” (Abrahams, Pyle) – 3:44
#“The Change Song” (Abrahams) – 3:45
#“Backwash” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Pyle, Berg) – 0:53
#“Ain’t Ya Comin’ Home, Babe?” (Abrahams, Lancaster, Pyle) – 6:04

Personnel

* Mick Abrahams – guitar, vocals, seven-string slide guitar
* Jack Lancaster – flute, violin, tenor sax, baritone sax, soprano sax, brass arrangements
* Andy Pyle – electric bass, six-string bass
* Ron Berg – drums

References

External links

Blodwyn Pig – ''Ahead Rings Out'' (1969) album review by Mike DeGagne, credits & releases
at AllMusic.com

Blodwyn Pig – ''Ahead Rings Out'' (1969) album releases & credits
at Discogs.com

Blodwyn Pig – ''Ahead Rings Out'' (1969) album credits & user reviews
at ProgArchives.com

Blodwyn Pig – ''Ahead Rings Out'' (1969) album to be listened
as stream at Play.Spotify.com

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Blodwyn Pig albums
1969 debut albums
Island Records albums
Albums produced by Andy Johns
Albums arranged by Jack Lancaster
Progressive music albums by English artists
Blues albums by English artists
Progressive pop albums