LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

TRACK LISTING Lies - The Night's Gone - (Deep Down) Recession Blues - Latin Girl - Gnatz (instrumental) - Funny Money - Witness (To A Crime Of Love) - Aby's Lean (instrumental) - The Victim - Love Won't Let You Down - Dead Man's Hill - Maggie Rose Mick Abrahams as described in Dale Griffin's effusive and entertaining sleeve notes is a man for whom "the guitar doesn't merely hang about his person...it is part of the man himself." Mick Abrahams began his long career in the early sixties and around 1964-5 he joined The Crusaders. Not the jazz-funk ensemble but a backing group for the never-quite-made-it singer Neil Christian. Mick took over from Jimmy Page. Some years later, with drummer Clive Bunker and bassist Andy Pyle he formed "McGregor's Engine". It was during this period that he came into contact with John Evan's Smash, the band that included vocalist Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick. Mick jumped ship and joined Anderson and Cornick to form Jethro Tull. Mick Abrahams featured on Tull's first two albums before he split to form the first incarnation of Blodwyn Pig in 1969. This band featured Andy Pyle and Jack Lancaster on saxes. After cutting two acclaimed albums for Chrysalis, Abrahams formed the Mick Abrahams Band with Bob Sergeant on keyboards and Walt Monaghan (bass) - both of whom are also featured on the Angel Air album by Bobby Harrison "Funkist". In the late seventies and eighties Mick Abrahams laid down his guitar for a "city" job but was enticed back to a 1988 "Pig" reunion gig. Since this time, he has continued to record and perform live, either "solo" or with various players. More recently he formed "The This Was Band" which features material from the early Tull albums. This Angel Air release is the perfect showcase for Mick Abraham's writing and playing talents, featuring an eclectic mix of blues-to-pop-to-rock.