Blodwyn Pig

A quirky detour of late-'60s British progressive/blues rock, Blodwyn Pig was founded by former Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams, who left Tull after the This Was album. Abrahams was joined by bassist Andy Pyle, drummer Ron Berg, and Jack Lancaster, who gave the outfit their most distinctive colorings via his saxophone and flute. On their two albums, they explored a jazz/blues/progressive style somewhat in the mold of (unsurprisingly) Jethro Tull, but with a lighter feel. They also bore some similarities to John Mayall's jazzy late-'60s versions of the Bluesbreakers, or perhaps Colosseum, but with more eclectic material. Both of their LPs made the British Top Ten, though the players' instrumental skills were handicapped by thin vocals and erratic (though oft-imaginative) material. The group were effectively finished by Abrahams' departure after 1970's Getting to This. They briefly reunited in the mid-'70s, and Abrahams was part of a different lineup that reformed in the late '80s; they have since issued a couple of albums in the 1990s.

None of Jethro Tull's progressive rock tendencies or classical influences followed Mick Abrahams into his creation of Blodwyn Pig, even with the inclusion Jack Lancaster's sax- and flute-playing prowess. Instead, Abrahams built up a sturdy British blues-rock sound and used Lancaster's horn work to add some fire to the band's jazzy repertoire…

"Radio Sessions '69-'71" is a Secret Record exclusive! When listening, it can be understood why Mick Abrahams left Jethro Tull in order to carry on the fantastic Blodwyn Pig. This album features previously unreleased, early live recordings from 1969 and 1970 featuring Mick Abrahams on guitar and vocals, Andrew Pyle on bass guitar, Jack Lancaster plays Saxes, Phoon Horn and violin with Ron Berg on drums. '69-71' is the classic period for Blodwyn Pig and sees them firing on all cylinders; reaching the UK Top 10 with each album release, being billed as a top live act alongside Small Faces and Santana and gaining the success that was due for such a talented band…

Excellent addition to any rock music collection
Less than a year after the release of their début, Blodwyn Pig returned with what would prove to be their final album (although further material would eventually appear in the Blodwyn Pig name as a result of a reunion many years later).

Excellent addition to any rock music collection.
Blodwyn Pig will probably forever be considered an offshoot of Jethro Tull, as the band was put together by Mick Abrahams.

Freak Out from Knittelfeld was formed in the late 1960s by Robert Musenbichler on guitar and vocals, Mike Gärtner on bass and occasional saxo­phone, and Karl-Michael "Charly" Dienes on drums. Their live LP was recorded in front of around 1000 people in the auditorium of the Klagenfurt Concert Hall, 24 April 1971. During the two-hour gig, they played mainly well-known cover versions from Santana, Blodwyn Pig, East of Eden, John Mayall, Spirit, Keef Hartley Band, Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, etc. Nine of these eighteen tracks were selected for the LP, which appeared with a circulation of a few hundred copies as "Life".

Crawling Up A Hill is a fascinating document of a genre that, though relatively short-lived, would have a seismic influence on the subsequent development of rock music.