Ten Years After was a
British Blues-Rock band formed about
1967.
It consisted of:
Alvin Lee: Guitar and Vocals
Chick Churchill: Keyboards
Leo Lyons: Bass
Ric Lee: Drums
Along the lines of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, The Yardbirds, these blues-rockers have never really, for some unknown reason, gained the credibility of the latter mentioned. They are, to me, a great forgotten rock band. Alvin Lee had just as much relish as Clapton, Hendrix, or Pete Townshend, and like the latter, was a pioneer for synthesizers (yeah, I know...) in music. Although, besides the guitar skills and the aforementioned synthesizer intromission, they don't really claim to anything else as far as that goes.
The originality of the first few albums wanes, but once at 1970's Cricklewood Green, you've reached, in my opinion, Ten Years After at their best.
Also like Pete Townshend and The Who, Ten Years After also had the raw sheer energy onstage and off. Although sloppy at times, Lee's guitar still pounds out good riffs. They didn't have much originality to offer, but what they did came out great.
But, unlike Clapton, The Who, or Hendrix, TYA never had real commercial success. Only with a few songs like "I'd Love To Change The World", "Love Like A Man", and, most prominently-"I'm Goin' Home" - the song that brought them to Woodstock in 1969-did they reach popularity.
With the failure of their 1974 album Positive Vibrations to suceed, they broke up. They reuinted in 1988 for concerts in Europe, producing things like Live at Reading '83. TYA then went on to record About Time in 1989.
Also, their self-titled 1967 debut:
- I Want to Know
- I Can't Keep from Crying, Sometimes
- Adventures of a Young Organ
- Spoonful
- Losing the Dogs
- Feel it For Me
- Love Until I Die
- Don't Want You Woman
- Help Me
Discography
- 1967
-
Ten Years After
- 1968
-
Undead
-
Stonedhenge
- 1969
-
Ssssh
- 1970
-
Cricklewood Green
- 1971
-
Watt
-
A Space In Time
- 1972
-
Alvin Lee and Company
-
Rock and Roll Music to the World
- 1973
-
Recorded Live
- 1974
-
Positive Vibrations
- 1977
-
Greatest Hits
- 1979
-
London Collection
- 1980
-
Profile
- 1981
-
Hear Me Calling
- 1985
-
Goin' Home
- 1987
-
Universal
- 1989
-
About Time
- 1991
-
Essential
- 1993
-
Live at Reading '83
- 1994
-
Love Like A Man
-
Collection
- 1995
-
Live
- 2001
-
Live At The Fillmore East
thanks:
www.allmusicguide.com
www.alvinlee.com
Editors Note:
Lead guitarist Alvin Lee died on 6 March 2013 in Spain. According to his website, he died from "unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure." He was 68 years old.