June 04, 2022

Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This (1970)

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Blodwyn Pig was a British blues rock band, founded in 1968 by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams.
Abrahams left Jethro Tull after their debut album, This Was, was released, due to a falling-out with Tull vocalist Ian Anderson over the direction of the band. He formed Blodwyn Pig with Jack Lancaster (saxophone and flute), Andy Pyle (bass guitar), and Ron Berg (drums).
With Abrahams and Lancaster in the lead, Blodwyn Pig recorded two albums, Ahead Rings Out in 1969 and Getting to This in 1970. Both reached the Top Ten of the UK Albums Chart and charted in the United States.

Getting to This was the second album by British blues-rock band Blodwyn Pig, released in 1970. The album was the band's last until a brief reunion in the 1990s. Peter Banks joined from Yes after the recording of Getting to This, but the band split up at the end of 1970. The album reached 8 on the UK album chart.
The second excellent album by Blodwyn Pig; had it come 1-2 years earlier, it could have been more successful. 
Compositionally and with instrumental chops, the chaps are in the top league of blues-rock. Ambitions beyond blues-rock are still apparent as featured on the masterpiece "San Francisco Sketches". 
Excellent dynamic drumming and guitar-saxophone tandem will immediately catch listener's attention. Busy bass guitar offers very good elasticity to the sound, listen to the instrumental "The Squirelling must go on" or "Variations on Nainos" where bass guitar can also play the lead melody. 
Flute is a welcome addition to a couple of songs and might be a Jethro Tull reference. Abrahams is a brilliant blues-rock guitar player but has no hesitation to dabble in jazz world with jazzy chords. "See my way" is a great example of a tight bass/drum collaboration, one that others could envy.

The most sophistication comes with with a strong and ambitious tandem of "The Squirelling must go on" and "San Francisco Sketches", the latter cone composed of multiple sections. A quiet flute-led folk part followed by jazz-prog part, then comes a short hippie-vocal inspired moment that turns into a jazz saxophone soloing. Incredible piece of music.

On another hand, having "Toys" as a intimate guitar-vocal piece and fitting Abrahams vocal. "Send your son to die" has vocals that remind me of Cream.


Track listing

  1. "Drive Me" – 3:19 (Abrahams)
  2. "Variations on Nainos" – 3:47 (Abrahams)
  3. "See My Way" – 5:04 (Abrahams)
  4. "Long Bomb Blues" – 1:07 (Abrahams)
  5. "The Squirreling Must Go On" – 4:22 (Abrahams, Pyle)
  6. "San Francisco Sketches" – 8:11 (Lancaster)
    • a) "Beach Scape"
    • b) "Fisherman's Wharf"
    • c) "Telegraph Hill"
    • d) "Close the Door, I'm Falling Out of the Room"
  7. "Worry" – 3:43 (Pyle)
  8. "Toys" – 3:03 (Abrahams)
  9. "To Rassman" – 1:29 (Berg)
  10. "Send Your Son to Die" – 4:25 (Abrahams)
  11. "Summer Day" (bonus track on CD release) – 3:48 (Abrahams, Pyle)
  12. "Walk On the Water" (bonus track on CD release) – 3:42 (Abrahams)

Personnel
  • Mick Abrahams – guitar, vocals, seven-string guitar, tenor guitar
  • Jack Lancaster – flute, violin, electric violin, tenor sax, baritone sax, soprano sax, phoon horn, cornet
  • Andy Pyle – electric bass, six-string bass
  • Ron Berg – drums, tympani
  • Graham Waller – piano ("Drive Me", "Beach Scape")
Companies, etc.
Credits

Notes
Released:  April 10, 1970 
Recorded:  1970 Studio Olympic and Trident Studios 
Genre:  Blues Rock, Jazz-Rock
Length:  46:07

Label - Chrysalis 

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