| Ahead Rings Out | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Blodwyn Pig |
| Cover: | Blodwyn Ahead.jpg |
| Released: | 25 July 1969[1] |
| Recorded: | April 1969 |
| Studio: | Morgan, London |
| Genre: | Blues rock[2] |
| Length: | 41:46 |
| Label: | Island |
| Producer: | Andy Johns |
| Next Title: | Getting to This |
| Next Year: | 1970 |
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,[3] and sales of Ahead Rings Out rivalled those of Jethro Tull’s next album, Stand Up,[4] reaching No. 9 on the British album chart.[5] [6]
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.[7]
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.”[8]
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."[9] 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."[10]
It was voted number 15 in the All-Time 50 Long Forgotten Gems from Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[11]
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.