A three-album guide to Mick Abrahams and Chris Rea

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

The past week has witnessed the loss of two rock stars who created an impact in different eras. On December 19, British guitarist Mick Abrahams passed away at 82 and three days later, 74-year-old singer-songwriter Chris Rea, also from the UK, left us. While the former had more of an underground following, Rea's music had more mainstream appeal.

Fans would remember Abrahams as the first guitarist of prog-rock giants Jethro Tull, fronted by the legendary flute-playing icon Ian Anderson. He played on the 1968 debut This Was, but with Anderson wanting to move from a bluesy flavour to include more folk idioms, he quit and formed Blodwyn Pig.

Rea, on the other hand, was best known for his solo work using rock and pop flavours and a smattering of blues in the 1980s and early 1990s. While the 1986 composition 'Driving Home For Christmas', re-recorded two years later, remains his most famous song, his 1989 album The Road To Hell is a landmark in recorded music history, with its 6x platinum certification.

To pay tribute to these two musicians, and to introduce the younger generation of rock fans to their work, we choose and profile three albums which are available on the streaming apps.

This Was/ Jethro Tull (1968)

As mentioned, This Was was the only Tull album featuring Abrahams, whose place was taken by the outstanding guitarist Martin Barre from the second release Stand Up. It was released in 1968, when blues-rock was the flavour of the day, thanks to artistes like John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Cream, Yardbirds, Free and Ten Years After.

Though frontman Anderson had a larger say in the band's sound on the album, Abrahams chipped in with his blues and jazz influences. So if the first two songs 'My Sunday Feeling' and 'Some Day The Sun Won't Shine On You', and the masterpiece 'A Song For Jeffrey' came from Anderson's mind and pen, Abrahams wrote and sang lead vocals on 'Move On Alone', besides co-writing The Beggar's Farm'.

Abrahams of course impressed on both electric and acoustic guitar, playing great lead on his own arrangement of the traditional 'Cat's Squirrel'. Of course, Anderson's trademark vocals, flute and prominent use of mouth organ acted as the harbinger of the Tull to come.

Ahead Rings Out/ Blodwyn Pig (1969)

After leaving Tull, Abrahams formed Blodwyn Pig with the genius Jack Lancaster, who played flute, violin and saxophone. Bassist Andy Pyle and drummer Ron Berg completed the quartet, whose sound was a mix of blues-rock and prog.

The first two albums Ahead Rings Out and Getting To This showcased Abrahams' skills as a bandleader and songwriter, while he played electric and slide guitar in his own style. Ahead Rings Out boasts of vintage Abrahams songs like 'Dear Jill' (his own all-time favourite, as he claimed), 'It's Only Love' and 'The Change Song', with Lancaster writing the jazz-inspired beauty 'The Modern Alchemist'. The original album had nine songs, and the 2006 digital remaster seven additional bonus tracks.

Blodwyn Pig had its own cult following, though it did not have the lasting impact of Tull. Over the years, it was mainly the Tull followers who remembered him for his minor role. Even with Blodwyn, Abrahams kept getting disillusioned with the way the business functioned, and left to play solo or join other groups, only to return. Thus the group reformed a few times to release live albums or compilations.

The year 2025 has been tragic for them. Seven months before Abrahams, Lancaster passed away in May. Those who haven't heard the group may just click that button.

The Road To Hell/ Chris Rea (1989)

Rea had a very strong following among the 1980s music buffs. He had a resonant voice and smooth singing style, somewhat in the Mark Knopfler and Bruce Springsteen mould. He played cool guitars, and wrote on subjects that people would relate to.

The Road To Hell was his 10th studio record, and his most successful one. Though it has often been described as a political album, with its reference to violence, riots and Thatcher-time policies, it's actually quite varied in its choice of subjects.

Yes, the two-part title track has its description of deteriorating social values, and 'You Must Be Evil' is an indictment of the way the media sensationalises things in the name of news (and this was 1989). But there are positive emotions on 'Your Warm And Tender Love' and 'Looking For A Rainbow', and a reference to the Ferrari race on 'Daytona'. The last song 'Tell Me There's A Heaven', written with his then-six-year-old daughter in mind, is a gem that's inspiring for children, even today. It's a must-listen, along with 'Driving Home For Christmas', as we bask in the season's spirit.

Rest in peace, Chris. And Mick.