TEN YEARS AFTER
''THINK ABOUT THE TIMES: THE CHRYSALIS YEARS 1969 TO 1972, DISC THREE''
JUL 26 2010
CHRYSALIS RECORDS LTD.
216:02
DISC ONE
1. Bad Scene/3:30
2. Two Time Mama/2:02
3. Stoned Woman/3:21
4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl/7:10
5. If You Should Love Me/5:24
6. I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name/2:06
7. The Stomp/4:30
8. I Woke Up This Morning/5:32
9. If You Should Love Me (Single B- Side)/4:14
10. Sugar The Road/4:06
11. Working On The Road/4:17
12. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain/7:37
13. Year 3,000 Blues/2:25
14. Me And My Baby/4:18
15. Love Like A Man/7:30
16. Circles/3:58
17. As The Sun Still Burns Away/4:46
DISC TWO
1. Love Like A Man (Single Edit)/3:08
2. I'm Coming On/3:47
3. My Baby Left Me/5:23
4. Think About The Times/4:43
5. I Say Yeah/5:17
6. The Band With No Name/1:37
7. Gonna Run/6:02
8. She Lies In The Morning/7:24
9. Sweet Little Sixteen/4:11
10. One of These Days/5:57
11. Here They Come/4:35
12. I'd Love to Change the World/3:44
13. Over the Hill/2:28
14. Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N' Roll You/2:14
15. Once There Was a Time/3:22
16. Let the Sky Fall/4:20
17. Hard Monkeys/3:11
18. I've Been There Too/5:45
19. Uncle Jam/1:57
DISC THREE
1. I'd Love To Change The World (Single Edit)/3:16
2. You Give Me Loving/6:31
3. Convention Prevention/4:22
4. Turned Off TV Blues/5:12
5. Standing At The Station/7:08
6. You Can't Win Them All/4:05
7. Religion/5:50
8. Choo Choo Mama (1998 Digital Remaster)/4:01
9. Tomorrow I'll Be Out Of Town/4:28
10. Rock 'N' Roll Music To The World/3:47
11. Choo Choo Mama (Single Edit)/3:15
12. Love Like A Man (Live) (Single B- Side)/8:16
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Americans might not understand the title of this Ten Years After collection covering the titular years. That's because the band was not signed to Chrysalis in the States. It was in the U.K. though, and the label was fortunate to be associated with the Alvin Lee-fronted act for its most popular and arguably finest work (Ssssh, 1969; Cricklewood Green, 1970; Watt, also 1970; A Space in Time, 1971, and Rock & Roll Music to the World, 1972). The original four-piece would only release one more studio LP and one double-live package (both for Columbia) before calling it quits in 1974 after the tepid response to Positive Vibrations. This three-disc set presents the albums in order and adds a few negligible B-sides and single edits. The sound is excellent throughout because the compilers predominantly used the 2004 remasters, an enormous improvement over the previous editions. The difference is immediately noticeable on the bass and keyboard parts that were formerly often lost in the mix. The music jumps out of the speakers belying the late-'60s/early-'70s recording technology. So what's not to like? First, this was a perfect opportunity to unearth and add unreleased material, such as the two songs that were tacked onto the reissue of Cricklewood Green, but they're M.I.A. here. Also, there are no new liner notes, no fresh pictures (nearly all the graphics are taken from the existing album artwork), and the somewhat shoddy layout of the skimpy eight-page book looks like it was thrown together in a few hours. Considering how terrific this music now sounds, this was a missed opportunity to issue a classy package that even fans who own the discs would want to include in their collection. Musically, a closer listen to Ten Years After reveals that there was more to the group than just the sped-up, psychedelic boogie blues and Lee's patented, fast-fingered riffing that they typically get pigeonholed for. Although Lee's lyrics weren't particularly memorable, the band matured during these years, resulting in a more folk-oriented slant for their biggest seller, A Space in Time, and Chick Churchill's restrained yet effective use of synthesizers without dragging the proceedings into prog on Rock & Roll Music to the World. Another listen to the oft-derided Watt shows that, although it doesn't approach the heights of its Cricklewood Green predecessor, there is a certain charm in its lackadaisical, murky style. Rock & Roll Music is another unsung gem of sorts, a return to Ten Years After's boogie beginnings with contemporary -- at least for its time -- trappings that's worth reappraisal, especially with the remixed audio revealing subtleties in the recording. Leo Lyons' bass work is impressively present and shows him to be an imaginative and talented musician. There should have been more care applied to the graphics and presentation of this package but newcomers to the band can start here and pick up the remaining entries in Ten Years After's catalog afterwards.
BIOGRAPHY
by William Ruhlman
Ten Years After is a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944), guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill (born January 2, 1949), keyboards; Leo Lyons (born November 30, 1944) bass; and Ric Lee (born October 20, 1945), drums. The group was formed in 1967 and signed to Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing "I'm Going Home," a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After's U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of "I'm Going Home." Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood Green, containing the hit single "Love Like a Man," reached number four. Watt completed the group's Decca contract, after which they signed with Columbia and moved in a more mainstream pop direction, typified by the gold-selling 1971 album A Space in Time and its Top 40 single "I'd Love to Change the World." Subsequent efforts in that direction were less successful, however, and Ten Years After split up after the release of Positive Vibrations in 1974. They reunited in 1988 for concerts in Europe and recorded their first new album in 15 years, About Time, in 1989 before disbanding once again. In 2001, Ric Lee was preparing the back catalog for rerelease when he discoverd the Live at the Fillmore East 1970 tapes. He approached Alvin about getting back together to promote the lost album, but Alvin Lee declined. The rest of the band was up for it, though, and together with guitarist Joe Gooch, Ten Years After started touring again. In addition to touring the world, this new incarnation recorded their first new material in about a decade and a half and released Now in 2004 and added the live double CD set Roadworks in 2005.
''THINK ABOUT THE TIMES: THE CHRYSALIS YEARS 1969 TO 1972, DISC THREE''
JUL 26 2010
CHRYSALIS RECORDS LTD.
216:02
DISC ONE
1. Bad Scene/3:30
2. Two Time Mama/2:02
3. Stoned Woman/3:21
4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl/7:10
5. If You Should Love Me/5:24
6. I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name/2:06
7. The Stomp/4:30
8. I Woke Up This Morning/5:32
9. If You Should Love Me (Single B- Side)/4:14
10. Sugar The Road/4:06
11. Working On The Road/4:17
12. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain/7:37
13. Year 3,000 Blues/2:25
14. Me And My Baby/4:18
15. Love Like A Man/7:30
16. Circles/3:58
17. As The Sun Still Burns Away/4:46
DISC TWO
1. Love Like A Man (Single Edit)/3:08
2. I'm Coming On/3:47
3. My Baby Left Me/5:23
4. Think About The Times/4:43
5. I Say Yeah/5:17
6. The Band With No Name/1:37
7. Gonna Run/6:02
8. She Lies In The Morning/7:24
9. Sweet Little Sixteen/4:11
10. One of These Days/5:57
11. Here They Come/4:35
12. I'd Love to Change the World/3:44
13. Over the Hill/2:28
14. Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N' Roll You/2:14
15. Once There Was a Time/3:22
16. Let the Sky Fall/4:20
17. Hard Monkeys/3:11
18. I've Been There Too/5:45
19. Uncle Jam/1:57
DISC THREE
1. I'd Love To Change The World (Single Edit)/3:16
2. You Give Me Loving/6:31
3. Convention Prevention/4:22
4. Turned Off TV Blues/5:12
5. Standing At The Station/7:08
6. You Can't Win Them All/4:05
7. Religion/5:50
8. Choo Choo Mama (1998 Digital Remaster)/4:01
9. Tomorrow I'll Be Out Of Town/4:28
10. Rock 'N' Roll Music To The World/3:47
11. Choo Choo Mama (Single Edit)/3:15
12. Love Like A Man (Live) (Single B- Side)/8:16
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Americans might not understand the title of this Ten Years After collection covering the titular years. That's because the band was not signed to Chrysalis in the States. It was in the U.K. though, and the label was fortunate to be associated with the Alvin Lee-fronted act for its most popular and arguably finest work (Ssssh, 1969; Cricklewood Green, 1970; Watt, also 1970; A Space in Time, 1971, and Rock & Roll Music to the World, 1972). The original four-piece would only release one more studio LP and one double-live package (both for Columbia) before calling it quits in 1974 after the tepid response to Positive Vibrations. This three-disc set presents the albums in order and adds a few negligible B-sides and single edits. The sound is excellent throughout because the compilers predominantly used the 2004 remasters, an enormous improvement over the previous editions. The difference is immediately noticeable on the bass and keyboard parts that were formerly often lost in the mix. The music jumps out of the speakers belying the late-'60s/early-'70s recording technology. So what's not to like? First, this was a perfect opportunity to unearth and add unreleased material, such as the two songs that were tacked onto the reissue of Cricklewood Green, but they're M.I.A. here. Also, there are no new liner notes, no fresh pictures (nearly all the graphics are taken from the existing album artwork), and the somewhat shoddy layout of the skimpy eight-page book looks like it was thrown together in a few hours. Considering how terrific this music now sounds, this was a missed opportunity to issue a classy package that even fans who own the discs would want to include in their collection. Musically, a closer listen to Ten Years After reveals that there was more to the group than just the sped-up, psychedelic boogie blues and Lee's patented, fast-fingered riffing that they typically get pigeonholed for. Although Lee's lyrics weren't particularly memorable, the band matured during these years, resulting in a more folk-oriented slant for their biggest seller, A Space in Time, and Chick Churchill's restrained yet effective use of synthesizers without dragging the proceedings into prog on Rock & Roll Music to the World. Another listen to the oft-derided Watt shows that, although it doesn't approach the heights of its Cricklewood Green predecessor, there is a certain charm in its lackadaisical, murky style. Rock & Roll Music is another unsung gem of sorts, a return to Ten Years After's boogie beginnings with contemporary -- at least for its time -- trappings that's worth reappraisal, especially with the remixed audio revealing subtleties in the recording. Leo Lyons' bass work is impressively present and shows him to be an imaginative and talented musician. There should have been more care applied to the graphics and presentation of this package but newcomers to the band can start here and pick up the remaining entries in Ten Years After's catalog afterwards.
BIOGRAPHY
by William Ruhlman
Ten Years After is a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944), guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill (born January 2, 1949), keyboards; Leo Lyons (born November 30, 1944) bass; and Ric Lee (born October 20, 1945), drums. The group was formed in 1967 and signed to Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing "I'm Going Home," a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After's U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of "I'm Going Home." Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood Green, containing the hit single "Love Like a Man," reached number four. Watt completed the group's Decca contract, after which they signed with Columbia and moved in a more mainstream pop direction, typified by the gold-selling 1971 album A Space in Time and its Top 40 single "I'd Love to Change the World." Subsequent efforts in that direction were less successful, however, and Ten Years After split up after the release of Positive Vibrations in 1974. They reunited in 1988 for concerts in Europe and recorded their first new album in 15 years, About Time, in 1989 before disbanding once again. In 2001, Ric Lee was preparing the back catalog for rerelease when he discoverd the Live at the Fillmore East 1970 tapes. He approached Alvin about getting back together to promote the lost album, but Alvin Lee declined. The rest of the band was up for it, though, and together with guitarist Joe Gooch, Ten Years After started touring again. In addition to touring the world, this new incarnation recorded their first new material in about a decade and a half and released Now in 2004 and added the live double CD set Roadworks in 2005.
1 comment :
The links of the discs of alvin lee and ten years after are wrong, only the number 2164 is correct.
Post a Comment