- Chuck Churchill - keyboards (1965-)

- Alvin Lee - vocals, lead guitar (1965-)

- Ric Lee - drums (1965-)

- Leo Lyon - bass (1965-)

- Dave Quickmire - drums (1965-67)

- Alvin Lee (solo efforts)

- Ten Years Later

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Ten Years After

Company: Deram

Catalog: DES 18009

Year: 1967

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4349

Price: $40.00

Cost: $66.00

Ten Year After LPs aren't all that hard to find, though for some reason their 1967 debut has become quite scarce.  This is only the third copy I've seen in some 20 years of collecting.

Singer/guitarist Alvin Lee got his start as a professional musician with The Notingham-based The Jaybirds.  Together with keybaordist Chuck Churchill, bassist Leo Lyon and drummer Dave Quickmire, the group became a popular local club draw, eventually drawing the attention of manager and agent Chris White.  They also underwent a personnel change with original drummer Quickmire being replaced by Ric Lee.  White began scoring them gigs around the country, including a stint in Hamburg, Germany.  Their blues-rock sound becoming increasingly popular, Decca's Deram subsidiary signed the band in late 1967.

Co-produced by Mike Vernon and Gus Dudgeon, 1967's "Ten Years After" is an interesting debut.  To be honest, the set isn't any great shakes in terms of originality, or even most of the performances.  Most of the album features rather pedestrian blues moves; several such as the eight minute plus 'Help Me' strung out well beyond maximum comfort level.  Producers Vernon and Dudgeon certainly didn't waste a great deal of time or effort on the recording sessions since most of the album features a rather raw and under-produced sound (yeah mate flip the recorder on and let's go get a beer).  That's not meant as a criticism since that laid back sound gives the album quite a bit of its appeal.  Lee's nasal deliver doesn't make him the greatest singer in the world, but his enthusiasm is contagious and the man's chops are undeniable - check out his playing on the Lee original ' Losing the Dogs' and 'Don't Want You Woman'.  Elsewhere, having listened to the album for the first time in a couple of years, blues is clearly their first love, but I'm surprised and impressed by the jazzy edge tracks such as the opener 'I Want To Know' and 'Love Until I Die".  Personal favorite is the jazz-cum psych influences on 'Feel It For Me' display.   

"Ten Years After" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Want To Know   (McLeod) - 2:06
2.) I Can't Keep From Crying, Sometimes   (Al Kooper) - 6:23
3.) Adventures Of A Young Organ   (Alvin Lee - Chuck Churchill) - 2:29
4.) Spoonful   (Willie Dixon) - 5:49
5.) Losing The Dogs   (Alvin Lee - Gus Dudgeon) - 3:07

(side 2)
1.) Feel It For Me   (Alvin Lee) - 2:38
2.) Love Until I Die (instrumental)  (Alvin Lee) - 2:03
3.) Don't Want You Woman   (Alvin Lee) - 2:34
4.) Help Me   (Sonny Boy Williamson - Bass) - 9:45

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Undead

Company: Deram

Catalog: DES 18016

Year: 1968

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4363

Price: $8.00

Cost: $66.00

In an interesting marketing move, Ten Years After's second release was a live set.  Recorded at London's Klooks Keek Railway Hotel Club (isn't that where The Who got their start?), there's nothing sophisticated here.  Alvin Lee and company sledgehammer their way through a series of extended, jazz-influence pieces such as 'I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Always Be Wrong' and Woody Hernan's 'Woodchopper's Ball'.   The spotlight's clearly on Lee and his speed of light guitar work (check out his stunning work on 'Woodchopper's Ball'), though in a democratic (though needless) move, each band member's given a chance to stretch out and show their stuff.  The solos probably add a needless ten minutes to the proceedings (check out Lee's drum showcase 'Shantung Cabbage'), but that's apparently part of the band's attraction for hardcore fans.  Doesn't do much for me, but what do I know ...  Elsewhere the album includes the original version of their forthcoming US hit 'I'm Going Home'.  Slower and more menacing the version played at Woodstock and the hit single; I actually like this live version better.

"Undead" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Always Be Wrong   (Alvin Lee) = 9:50

2.) Woodchopper's Ball   (Woody Herman - Bishop) - 7:40

(side 2)
1.) Spider In You Web   (Alvin Lee) - 7:50

2.) Summertime   (George Gershwin) - 6:00 

3.) Shantung Cabbage   (Ric Lee) 

4.) I'm Going Home   (Alvin Lee) - 6:30

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Stonedhenge

Company: Deram

Catalog: DES 18021

Year: 1969

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4350

Price: $20.00

Cost: $66.00

Having focused on the blues over their first couple of albums, 1969's "Stonedhenge" found Alvin Lee and company taking some tentative steps to diversify and spread their creative wings.  While the album brought the band some initial commercial recognition in the States, that's not to say this set was any great creative success.  Exemplified by tracks such as 'A Sad Song' , 'No Title' and ''Hear Me Calling' blues remained the predominant sound, but this time around Lee and company took some stabs at writing rock and roll.  Their efforts were at best a mixed success.  Certainly more enthusiastic than the album's pedestrian blues numbers, 'Woman Trouble' and 'Speed Kills' were at least listenable - although the latter's train crash ending was kind of jarring.  Elsewhere (a la Beatles' "White Album") each member got a solo spot.  Keyboardist Chuck Churchill turned in a rather dull organ-propelled instrumental 'I Can't Live without Lydia'.  Ric Lee's supposed moment to shine was on the plodding instrumental 'Faro', while drummer Lee turned the traditional 'Three Blind Mice' into a seemingly endless solo (luckily it clocked in at under a minute.  Goofiest effort is Lee's skat instrumental Skoobly Oobly Doobob'.  Best of the lot was Lee's 'Woman Trouble" which was also released as a UK single.

"Stonedhenge" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Going To Try   (Alvin Lee) - 4:52

2,) I Can't Live without Lydia (instrumental)   (Chuck Churchill) - 1:23

3.) Woman Trouble   (Alvin Lee) - 4:37

4.) Skoobly Oobly Doobob (instrumental)   (Alvin Lee) - 1:47

5.) Hear Me Calling   (Alvin Lee) - 5:44

(side 2)
1.) A Sad Song   (Alvin Lee) - 3:23

2.) Three Blind Mice (instrumental)   (traditional) - 0:57

3.) No Title   (Alvin Lee) - 8:13

4.) Faro (instrumental)   (Alvin Lee) - 1:10

5.) Speed Kills   (Alvin Lee - Mike Vernon) - 3:42

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Ssssh

Company: Deram

Catalog: DES 18029

Year: 1969

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve

Available: 2

GEMM catalog ID: 4366

Price: $10.00

If you've read some of the earlier album comments, you'll know that I admire Alvin Lee, but wasn't overwhelmed by Ten Year After's first couple of albums.

Released as they were generating waves of publicity for their incendiary performance at Woodstock, 1969's "Ssssh" proved to be the album that broke the band commercially in the US.  Produced by Alvin Lee and company, it also happens to be the tightest and most interesting album they'd released.  The album certainly sold well, hitting # 20 in the States. Largely written by Lee, the set still found the band finally beginning to move away from their jazz roots, towards more of a conventional rock sound.  While blues remained the predominant genre and the focus remained on Alvin Lee's blazing guitar, this time around the band came together as a performing unit.  Tracks such as 'Bad Scene' and the blazing 'Stoned Woman' may not have been the most exciting thing you've ever heard, but the band's playing was red hot, injecting a surprising amount of heat and passion into the proceedings.  Best track was the lone cover - Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' with slightly revamped lyrics that ensured the song would never get US airplay. Simply because they're so different that the rest of the album, next best efforts are the flower-power ballads 'f You Should Love Me' and 'I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name'.   Finally, it's always hard to pick an album as being an act's creative zenith, but this may well be the one for Ten Years After ...

"Ssssh" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Bad Scene   (Alvin Lee) - 3:20

2.) Two Time Mama  (Alvin Lee) - 2:05

3.) Stoned Woman  (Alvin Lee) - 3:25

4.) Good Morning Little Schoolgirl   (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 6:34

(side 2)
1.) If You Should Love Me  (Alvin Lee) -5:25

2.) I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name  (Alvin Lee) -1:56

3.) The Stomp  (Alvin Lee) - 4:34

4.) I Woke Up This Morning  (Alvin Lee) - 5:25

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Cricklewood Green

Company: Deram

Catalog: DES 18038

Year: 1970

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve; includes original poster; original inner sleeve

Available: 2

GEMM catalog ID: 4634

Price: $20.00

Self-produced, 1970's "Cricklewood Green" is easily my favorite Ten Years After LP.  The reason I find this one so attractive has to do with the fact Lee and company finally broke away from their blues fixation.  Mind you, blues remained an important part of their musical recipe, but this time it was kept in the check with 'Me and My Baby' being the only true blues workout.  Exemplified by original material such as the lead off rocker 'Sugar the Road', 'Working On the Road' and 'As the Sun Still Burns Away' this set sported a much more conventional rock sound, giving rhythm section Ric Lee and Leo Lyon a chance to stretch out and show off their stuff.   Personal favorite - the psych-ish '50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain' (love Chuck Churchill's harpsichord fills).  To my ears Lee seldom sounded better singing and his trademarked lightening fast guitar runs (check out ''), didn't sound as calculated as on some of the earlier sets. They actually sounded like they were having fun ... even on the goofy 'Year 3,000 Blues').  Elsewhere 'Love Like a Man' b/w 'If You Should Love Me' (Deram catalog number 45-7529) provided the band with a hit UK single, though it didn't do anything in the States.

"Crickelwood Green" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Sugar the Road   (Alvin Lee) - 3:46

2.) Working On the Road   (Alvin Lee) - 4:15

3.) 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain   (Alvin Lee) - 7:37

4.) Year 3,000 Blues   (Alvin Lee) - 2:17

(side 2)
1.) Me and My Baby   (Alvin Lee) - 4:12

2.) Love Like a Man   (Alvin Lee) - 7:13

3.) Circles   (Alvin Lee) - 3:55

4.) As the Sun Still Burns Away   (Alvin Lee) - 4:42