# A Long March: The First Recordings

A Long March: The First Recordings is the first compilation album by American metalcore band As I Lay Dying. The album was released on May 16, 2006, through Metal Blade Records. It features their first album Beneath the Encasing of Ashes (2001), as well as re-recorded and original versions of the songs featured on their split album with American Tragedy. The album debuted at no. 129 on the Billboard 200.

## Background

In January 2006, As I Lay Dying announced plans to re-release both of their out-of-print Pluto Records albums on one CD. The album would include the group's debut full-length, "Beneath The Encasing Of Ashes" in addition to their half of the split release with American Tragedy. The band also shared that the upcoming release would likely include a new version of the song "Reinvention," which the band intends to record in February. Look for the effort to hit stores in May via Metal Blade Records.
The album was released because the band - as they said - "were a bit tired of seeing Beneath the Encasing of Ashes being sold for unreasonable prices ($90+ on eBay)", so they decided to re-release all of their early recordings in one package." In a 2006 interview with Ultimate Guitar, Nick Hipa added that other labels that didn't have the band's best interests in mind were making offers to rights-holders Pluto Records for the albums' rights, and that the albums' were primarily available as bootlegs online, so the band and label agreed to purchase and re-release the songs in a "legitimate format."
The compilation's title is the title of the 8th track from Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, making "A Long March" the title track.
Amongst 5 re-recordings, "Reinvention" was specially recorded for this compilation in 2006, while "Illusions" was taken from Shadows Are Security and other 3 ones from Frail Words Collapse.
The version of the track "Beneath the Encasing of Ashes" that is presented on this compilation is slightly shorter than the version on its eponymous album, as it omits a line of spoken dialogue originally present at the beginning of the track.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | |
| V13.net | |
Commercially, the album was the band's second to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at no. 129 on June 3, 2006, and spending two weeks on the chart.
AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek called the production "surprisingly clean" despite the small budget with which they were originally recorded, though he noted the drums sounded "a bit muddy." Crediting the band for "progressing considerably" since the songs first debuted, Jurek noted the re-recording offerings were indeed superior, but credited the band for making the early works again available to fans. Other reviewers approached the record with nostalgia, appreciating the earlier, less-refined / commercially-accessible sound of the tracks.

## Credits

* Jacob Bannon – Design, Photography
* Jeff Forest – Engineer, Mixing
* Tim Lambesis – Producer
* Paul Miner – Engineer
* Steve Russell – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
* Andy Sneap – Mixing
* Brad Vance – Mastering

## Charts

| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| US Billboard 200 | 129 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 5 |