{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Bump Ahead | type = studio | artist = Mr. Big | cover = Mr._Big_-_Bump_Ahead.jpg | alt = | released = September 21, 1993 | recorded = 1993 | studio = *Rumbo (Los Angeles) *Fantasy (Berkeley) | genre = Hard rock<ref name="mk" >{{Cite web |title=Mr. Big - Bump Ahead |url=https://www.metalkingdom.net/album/mr.big-bump-ahead-2088 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Metal Kingdom}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://metalstorm.net/bands/album.php?album_id=56631&band_id=&bandname=Mr.+Big | title=Mr. Big - Bump Ahead }}</ref> | length = 44:41 | label = Atlantic | producer = Kevin Elson | prev_title = Lean into It | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = Hey Man | next_year = 1996 | misc = {{Singles | name = Bump Ahead | type = studio | single1 = Wild World | single1date = October 1993<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/573/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=573 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}</ref> | single2 = Ain't Seen Love Like That | single2date = February 1994 }} }} {{Music ratings | noprose = yes | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r188967}}</ref> | rev2 =''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev2Score = 6/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last = Popoff | first = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = August 1, 2007 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | page=298|isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev3Score = B<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1993/10/29/week-1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126191040/http://www.ew.com/article/1993/10/29/week-1|title=THE WEEK (Mr. Big, ''Bump Ahead'')|last=Eddy|first=Chuck|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=November 5, 1993|archive-date=November 26, 2015|page=70|access-date=December 27, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Music Week'' | rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Andy|last=Martin|title=Market Preview: Rock|magazine=Music Week|date=September 11, 1993|page=14|accessdate=February 1, 2023|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-09-11.pdf}}</ref> | rev5 = ''Rock Hard'' | rev5Score = 8.5/10<ref name="rockhard">{{cite magazine|last=Trojan|first=Frank|title=Review Album : Mr. Big - Bump Ahead|url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/mr.-big-bump-ahead_239403.html|issue=77|year = 1993| magazine = Rock Hard |accessdate=April 12, 2021| language=German}}</ref> }}
'''''Bump Ahead''''' is the third studio album by the American rock band Mr. Big. It was released on September 21, 1993, by Atlantic Records.
==Overview== Released two years and five months after their previous album ''Lean Into It'', this work marks the band's third studio album.
Following the huge success of the single "To Be With You", the band faced intense pressure from their record label during the production of this album. Recording was completed in April 1993, and the release was originally scheduled for June. However, after listening to the finished version, the label rejected it, saying that there was no powerful ballad comparable to "To Be With You". As a result, the band was forced to create numerous new ballad demos. Even interviews with music magazines that had already been conducted had to be replaced, which led to some discrepancies between the final album and previously published interviews or liner notes.
To address the label's concerns, several tracks were replaced or added, including a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World". The album was finally released in September. Despite the production difficulties, the album was highly polished, featuring songs with bold use of synthesizers and strings, showcasing a broader and more mature musical direction.
The album's title, like ''Lean Into It'' and ''Hey Man'', was suggested by Pat Torpey. He came up with the idea after finding a unique photograph in a San Francisco library showing a man sticking his head out of a manhole. When he showed it to the other members, Billy Sheehan spontaneously remarked, "Bump ahead". The phrase carries a double meaning — both “Look out!” and “Move forward.” Interestingly, the title for their next album, "Hey Man", had already been conceived during the making of this record.
According to Paul Gilbert, demos for "What’s It Gonna Be", "Mr. Gone", and the outtake "Stand By Me" had already been recorded before their tour with Bryan Adams.
==Track listing== {{Track listing | title1 = Colorado Bulldog | length1 = 4:13 | writer1 = Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, Pat Torpey, Eric Martin, Tony Fanucchi | title2 = Price You Gotta Pay | length2 = 3:56 | writer2 = Sheehan, Gilbert, Torpey | title3 = Promise Her the Moon | length3 = 4:07 | writer3 = Martin, André Pessis | title4 = What's It Gonna Be | length4 = 3:57 | writer4 = Gilbert, Torpey, Pessis, Sheehan | title5 = Wild World | note5 = <small>Cat Stevens cover</small> | length5 = 3:28 | writer5 = Cat Stevens | title6 = Mr. Gone | length6 = 4:33 | writer6 = Torpey, Gilbert, Sheehan | title7 = The Whole World's Gonna Know | length7 = 3:52 | writer7 = Gilbert, Sheehan | title8 = Nothing but Love | length8 = 3:46 | writer8 = Gilbert |title9 = Temperamental | length9 = 4:55 | writer9 = Martin, Gilbert, Fanucchi, Torpey | title10 = Ain't Seen Love Like That | length10 = 3:32 | writer10 = Martin, Mark Spiro, Pessis | title11 = Mr. Big | note11 = <small>Free cover</small> | length11 = 4:25 | writer11 = Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke }} {{Track listing | headline = Japanese edition bonus track | title12 = Long Way Down | length12 = 3:48 | writer12 = Martin, Pessis, Torpey, Sheehan, Gilbert | total_length = 48:29 }} {{Track listing | headline = 2009 remastered digital edition bonus tracks | title12 = Long Way Down | length12 = 3:48 | writer12 = Martin, Pessis, Torpey, Sheehan, Gilbert | title13 = Ain't Seen Love Like That | length13 = 4:39 | note13 = Demo | writer13 = Martin, Spiro, Pessis | title14 = Mr. Big | note14 = Demo; originally recorded by Free | length14 = 4:16 | writer14 = Fraser, Rodgers, Kossoff, Kirke | total_length = 57:24 }}
==Personnel== ;Mr. Big * Eric Martin – lead vocals * Paul Gilbert – guitar, backing vocals * Billy Sheehan – bass, backing vocals * Pat Torpey – drums, backing vocals
;Additional musicians * Little John Chrisley – harmonica on "Price You Gotta Pay"
;Production * Kevin Elson – producer, engineer, mixing, mastering * Andy Udoff, Stephen Hart, Dick Kaneshiro, Michael Semanick – assistant engineers * Tom Size – mixing * Bob Ludwig – mastering * Melanie Nissen – art direction * Reisig and Taylor – photography, images
==Charts== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Chart (1993) ! Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref name="ARIA history pages">{{cite web|url= https://imgur.com/a/xlOG5wZ | title=Mr Big ARIA Chart History (albums) complete to 2024|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date= July 26, 2024}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> | align="center"| 119 |- {{album chart|Austria|22|artist=Mr. Big|album=Bump Ahead|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5| language= fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 30 |- {{album chart|Germany|39|artist=Mr. Big|album=Bump Ahead|id=1700|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |- !scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref> | align="center"| 4 |- {{album chart|Switzerland|16|artist=Mr. Big|album=Bump Ahead|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|36|artist=Mr. Big|album=Bump Ahead|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|UK2|61|date=19930926|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|82|artist=Mr. Big|access-date=December 11, 2023|rowheader=true}} |}
== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|artist=Mr. Big|title=バンプ・アヘッド|region=Japan|award=Platinum|relyear=1993|certyear=1994|certmonth=3}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=313&CDName=Bump+Ahead Heavy Harmonies page]
{{Mr. Big}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Mr. Big (American band) albums Category:1993 albums Category:Atlantic Records albums Category:Albums produced by Kevin Elson