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;“Q Rock Stars Encyclopedia”, ed. Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Dorling Kindersley, 1996 further, sales of Ahead Rings Out rivalled those of Jethro Tull's next album, Stand Up,BBC website record review, Bbc.co.uk reaching No. 9 on the UK albums chart.Guinness Book of Hits of the 60s by Tim Rise et al., GRRR Books, 1984.

The album contained a mixture of various styles of progressive blues. "The Modern Alchemist" track displayed the jazz influence and saxophone skills of Jack Lancaster.The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music by Colin Larkin. Muze UK Ltd, 1997.

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".Liner notes to 2001 re-issue of Ahead Rings Out.

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. p. 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

Charts Chart (1969) Peakposition Canada RPM Top 100 Albums74 UK Albums Chart9 US Billboard Top LPs149

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