Ten Years After – Essential

189

5 Stars

“Essential” by Ten Years After is something of a rarity as I find it faultless in collecting together on one CD what are the “Essential” recordings. In other words, a true “Bests Of” Ten Years After.

Ten Years After were the classic case of a band with limited talent, but they aimed all their time and effort at what they’d got and worked their fingers to the bone. They must still hold the record for a major band touring the states, completing twenty-eight coast to coast tours. The main object of their talent was the fastest guitarist in the west, Alvin Lee, who also handled all the vocals, wrote all the songs, and stood center stage leaving the others very much in subordinate roles.

They weren’t cute; they definitely weren’t trendy. (Alvin Lee used to come on stage wearing that well-known Rock ‘n’ Roll footwear, a pair of Dutch clogs.) However, England’s Ten Years After were among the most electrifying groups from the late sixties and early seventies. At a time when blues-based bands were two a penny, Ten Years After towered above the opposition with a sizzling combination of tough rootsy songs, both their own compositions and well-chosen covers, and driving powerhouse ensemble work, highlighted by perhaps the hottest guitar licks in the universe. Just listen to Alvin’s guitar breaks on their version of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen,” recorded live at the Isle of Wight Pop Festival as the group’s final encore from their album “Watt,” and you will never have heard anybody play faster. Mind you, drummer Ric Lee (no relation) sounds as if he is thrashing away at dustbin lids, not high hats.

At the time, Alvin Lee was the ultimate axe hero. He sprayed searing blues notes from his red Gibson like a crazed machine gunner mowing down live audiences in their masses and adding that certain hint of danger that made their studio albums stand out from the crowd.

Ten Years After always had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. Their appearance in the Woodstock Festival movie is possibly the standout contribution. When you consider they were lined up against Santana, Hendrix, The Who, and Joe Cocker, that’s quite an achievement.

The proof is all here in this action-packed set of fourteen tracks spanning their entire career, with a couple of live tracks to boot.

Their blistering signature tune, “I’m Going Home” from Woodstock, all ten glorious minutes of it; American radio station favorites like “I’d Love To Change The World,” “Me And My Baby,” which reminds us Lee was a soulful singer not just a devastating Rock ‘n’ Roll outlaw.

Ten Years After also had one worldwide hit single, “Love Like A Man.” Here we get the full unedited version, and then, of course, there is all the no-holds-barred no-nonsense, classic foot-stomping rock ‘n’ roll. From a scorching version of Little Richard’s “Goin’ Back To Birmingham” to the supersonic boogie of “Choo Choo Mama.” (Z.Z. Top took a page or two from the Ten Years After book when they laid down their blueprint).

Alvin and the boys could rattle windows and shake walls with a feverish intensity rarely witnessed since rock’s first generation of stars (who were saluted by the band’s very name).

Taken as a whole, some of Ten Years After albums could be a little patchy and none of their studio releases clocked in over thirty-eight minutes. But with “Essential” you get over an hour’s worth of them at their very best, which testifies to the timeless appeal of stripped-down, high-octane rock ‘n’ roll. Slip the CD into your player, crank the volume, and feel free to boogie one more time.