Vinyl pressings
by Archie Shepp · 1968
The Way Ahead was first pressed on vinyl in 1968. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1968, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.
AS-9170A LWSide A, variant 1, etched
AS-9170B LWSide B, variant 1, etched
AS - 9170ASide A, variant 2, etched
AS - 9170B LWSide B, variant 2, etched
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | US | Impulse! A-9170 / Impulse! AS-9170First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1969 | France | Impulse! A-9170 / Impulse! A. 9170LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1969 | Japan | Impulse! A-9170 / ABC Records A-9170LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1969 | UK | Impulse! MIPL-516LP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1969 | UK | Impulse! SIPL 516LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | US | Impulse! AS-9170 / ABC Records AS-9170LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1974 | US | ABC Impulse! AS-9170 / Impulse! A-9170LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1976 | Italy | Impulse! IMP 441 / ABC Records IMP 441LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1977 | Japan | ABC Impulse! YP-8605-AI / Impulse! YP-8605-AILP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | USA & Europe | Impulse! A-9170 / Impulse! AS-9170LP, Album, Club Edition, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Stereo · Limited, Numbered, Club edition | LP, Album, Club Edition, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Stereo · Limited, Numbered, Club edition |
10 vinyl pressings of The Way Ahead are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1968 and 2026.
The earliest pressings are from 1968, in US. One of them is Impulse! A-9170, released December 1968.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use A-9170) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, AS-9170A LW and AS-9170B LW. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.
