Ten Years After Discography (1967-2008) [Studio Albums]

Ten Years After was a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944, died March 6, 2013), 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 re-release when he discovered 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 its 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. Alvin Lee died on March 6, 2013 at the age of 68 due to complications from a routine surgery.

by William Ruhlmann

Ten years after is one of the most underated bands around. Mostly known for there performance at woodstock or there FM hit "i'd like to change the world". This there first album is pure blues and jazz unlike there later rock and psychedelia. I've played this cd at work and around family and friends and everyone likes it. They're like who are these guys? Great cd from a great band.

By bigchet, amazon

Tracklist:

01. I Want To Know - 2:12
02. I Can't Keep From Crying, Sometimes - 5:24
03. Adventures of A Young Organ - 2:35
04. Spoonful - 6:05
05. Losing The Dogs - 3:04
06. Feel It For Me - 2:41
07. Love Until I Die - 2:07
08. Don't Want You Woman - 2:37
09. Help Me - 9:51
Bonus Tracks:
10. Portable People - 2:17
11. The Sounds - 4:29
12. Rock Your Mama - 3:01
13. Spider In My Web - 7:14
14. Hold Me Tight - 2:19
15. Woodchoppers Ball - 7:45

"I'm Going Home" from Ten Years After's previous release put them on the charts, at least in the U.K. (the band's U.S. breakthrough was at Woodstock a year after its release), but the four-piece was already experimenting with ways to expand their basic boogie rock template. Stonedhenge was the result, as producer Mike Vernon helped steer the band into a more jazz- and blues-oriented direction. That's especially evident in the swinging "Woman Trouble," but this set is generally more prone to broadening the sound without losing TYA's basic concept. It doesn't always gel – the four short pieces that feature each musician alone on their instrument is an interesting idea that ends up as a distraction – yet the album boasts some terrific performances by a group that was hitting its peak. Canned Heat, who TYA supported in America and who were also trying to push their own boogie envelope, were a big influence, born out by the very Heat-sounding "Hear Me Calling." Alvin Lee keeps his fleet fingers in check, preferring to work his style into a more organic fusion. Tracks such as the creeping "A Sad Song" successfully build tension without the need for speedy guitar solos. The eight-minute "No Title" takes the basic TYA blueprint but slowly creates a moody atmosphere for three minutes until Lee cranks out a terse, loud extension on its main riff that sets the stage for Chick Churchill's eerie organ solo. The quartet and their producer also experimented with primitive panning and tape manipulation to impressive results. The closing "Speed Kills" returns TYA to its basics, perhaps as a way to let its existing fans know they can still churn out the rocking when needed. The album was remastered and expanded in 2002 by adding informative liner notes from drummer Ric Lee, four extra tracks including the tiresome, 15-minute "Boogie On," and an edited single version of "I'm Going Home," U,K, artwork (the initial U.S. edition was an embarrassing botch job) and pristine sound from the original tapes.

by Hal Horowitz

Tracklist:

01. Going To Try - 4:52
02. I Can't Live Without Lydia - 1:24
03. Woman Trouble - 4:37
04. Skoobly-Oobly-Doobob - 1:42
05. Hear Me Calling - 5:44
06. A Sad Song - 3:23
07. Three Blind Mice - 0:59
08. No Title - 8:13
09. Faro - 1:11
10. Speed Kills - 3:41
Bonus Tracks:
11. Hear Me Calling (Single Version) (Bonus) - 3:46
12. Women Trouble (US Version) (Bonus) - 4:51
13. I'm Going Home (Single Version) (Bonus) - 3:39
14. Boogie On (Bonus) - 14:26

Ssssh was Ten Years After's new release at the time of their incendiary performance at the Woodstock Festival in August, 1969. As a result, it was their first hit album in the U.S., peaking at number 20 in September of that year. This recording is a primer of British blues-rock of the era, showcasing Alvin Lee's guitar pyrotechnics and the band's propulsive rhythm section. As with most of TYA's work, the lyrics were throwaways, but the music was hot. Featured is a lengthy cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," with reworked lyrics leaving little doubt as to what the singer had in mind for the title character. Also included was a 12-bar blues song with the ultimate generic blues title "I Woke Up This Morning." Ssssh marked the beginning of the band's two-year run of popularity on the U.S. album charts and in the underground FM-radio scene.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

01. Bad Scene - 3:30
02. Two Time Mama - 2:03
03. Stoned Woman - 3:21
04. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl - 7:10
05. If You Should Love Me - 5:24
06. I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name - 2:06
07. The Stomp - 4:30
08. I Woke This Morning - 5:31

Cricklewood Green provides the best example of Ten Years After's recorded sound. On this album, the band and engineer Andy Johns mix studio tricks and sound effects, blues-based song structures, a driving rhythm section, and Alvin Lee's signature lightning-fast guitar licks into a unified album that flows nicely from start to finish. Cricklewood Green opens with a pair of bluesy rockers, with "Working on the Road" propelled by a guitar and organ riff that holds the listener's attention through the use of tape manipulation as the song develops. "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain" and "Love Like a Man" are classics of TYA's jam genre, with lyrically meaningless verses setting up extended guitar workouts that build in intensity, rhythmically and sonically. The latter was an FM-radio staple in the early '70s. "Year 3000 Blues" is a country romp sprinkled with Lee's silly sci-fi lyrics, while "Me and My Baby" concisely showcases the band's jazz licks better than any other TYA studio track, and features a tasty piano solo by Chick Churchill. It has a feel similar to the extended pieces on side one of the live album Undead. "Circles" is a hippie-ish acoustic guitar piece, while "As the Sun Still Burns Away" closes the album by building on another classic guitar-organ riff and more sci-fi sound effects.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

01. Sugar The Road - 4:08
02. Working On The Road - 4:18
03. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain - 7:38
04. Year 3000 Blues - 2:25
05. Me And My Baby - 4:11
06. Love Like A Man - 7:38
07. Circles - 3:59
08. As The Sun Still Burns Away - 4:53
Bonus Tracks:
09. Warm Sun [bonus track] - 3:08
10. To No One [bonus track] - 3:49

Watt had many of the same ingredients as its predecessor, Cricklewood Green, but wasn't nearly as well thought out. The band had obviously spent much time on the road, leaving little time for developing new material. Consequently, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," recorded live at the Isle of Wight Festival, is included here, as is a short instrumental with the uninspired title "The Band With No Name." Other song titles like "I Say Yeah" and "My Baby Left Me" betray the lack of spark in Alvin Lee's songwriting. Nonetheless, his guitar work is fast and clean (though the licks are beginning to sound repetitive from album to album), and the band continues to cook in the manner exemplified best on Cricklewood Green.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

01. I'm Coming On - 3:49
02. My Baby Left Me - 5:23
03. Think About The Times - 4:44
04. I Say Yeah - 5:17
05. The Band With No Name - 1:38
06. Gonna Run - 6:03
07. She Lies In The Morning - 7:25
08. Sweet Little Sixteen - 4:09

A Space in Time was Ten Years After's best-selling album. This was due primarily to the strength of "I'd Love to Change the World," the band's only hit single, and one of the most ubiquitous AM and FM radio cuts of the summer of 1971. TYA's first album for Columbia, A Space in Time has more of a pop-oriented feel than any of their previous releases had. The individual cuts are shorter, and Alvin Lee displays a broader instrumental palette than before. In fact, six of the disc's ten songs are built around acoustic guitar riffs. However, there are still a couple of barn-burning jams. The leadoff track, "One of These Days," is a particularly scorching workout, featuring extended harmonica and guitar solos. After the opener, however, the album settles back into a more relaxed mood than one would have expected from Ten Years After. Many of the cuts make effective use of dynamic shifts, and the guitar solos are generally more understated than on previous outings. The production on A Space in Time is crisp and clean, a sound quite different from the denseness of its predecessors. Though not as consistent as Cricklewood Green, A Space in Time has its share of sparkling moments.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

Original 1971 Mix
01. One of these Days - 5:58
02. Here They Come - 4:36
03. I'd Love To Change The World - 3:45
04. Over The Hill - 2:29
05. Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N Roll You - 2:15
06. Once There Was A Time - 3:23
07. Let The Sky Fall - 4:20
08. Hard Monkeys - 3:11
09. I've Been There Too - 5:46
10. Uncle Jam - 2:00

1973 Quad Mix to Stereo
11. One of these Days - 5:57
12. Here They Come - 4:37
13. I'd Love To Change The World - 3:44
14. Over The Hill - 2:29
15. Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N Roll You - 2:19
16. Once There Was A Time - 3:27
17. Let The Sky Fall - 4:19
18. Hard Monkeys - 3:13
19. I've Been There Too - 5:49
20. Uncle Jam - 1:56

Here, Ten Years After expanded on their boogie base and continued the hits. The title cut was the hit, and while they continued to groove along in the boogie atmosphere, things on Rock & Roll Music to the World sounded a bit too tame for the thundering hordes to chant along to at the time. "Turned Off T.V. Blues" showed just how tiring touring was getting for the band, and there wasn't much else here to bring out the beast to party with. A little too much of the same thing was starting to stunt this band's growth, except in their wallets.

by James Chrispell

Tracklist:

01. You Give Me Loving - 6:34
02. Convention Prevention - 4:23
03. Turned Off T.V. Blues - 5:13
04. Standing At The Station - 7:11
05. You Can't Win Them All - 4:06
06. Religion - 5:49
07. Choo Choo Mama - 4:02
08. Tomorrow I'll Be Out Of Town - 4:29
09. Rock & Roll Music To The World - 3:47

There's not much happening here. By the time Positive Vibrations was released, Ten Years After had run out of gas. Leader Alvin Lee had already released two solo albums, "On the Road to Freedom" and "In Flight," and the band was simply going through the motions on this album. The band broke up following its release.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

01. Nowhere to Run - 4:03
02. Positive Vibrations - 4:20
03. Stone Me - 4:57
04. Without You - 4:00
05. Going Back to Birmingham - 2:40
06. Its Getting Harder - 4:25
07. You're Driving Me Crazy - 2:26
08. Look into My Life - 4:18
09. Look Me Straight into the Eyes - 6:20
10. I Wanted to Boogie - 3:36

A Space in Time was Ten Years After's best-selling album. This was due primarily to the strength of "I'd Love to Change the World," the band's only hit single, and one of the most ubiquitous AM and FM radio cuts of the summer of 1971. TYA's first album for Columbia, A Space in Time has more of a pop-oriented feel than any of their previous releases had. The individual cuts are shorter, and Alvin Lee displays a broader instrumental palette than before. In fact, six of the disc's ten songs are built around acoustic guitar riffs. However, there are still a couple of barn-burning jams. The leadoff track, "One of These Days," is a particularly scorching workout, featuring extended harmonica and guitar solos. After the opener, however, the album settles back into a more relaxed mood than one would have expected from Ten Years After. Many of the cuts make effective use of dynamic shifts, and the guitar solos are generally more understated than on previous outings. The production on A Space in Time is crisp and clean, a sound quite different from the denseness of its predecessors. Though not as consistent as Cricklewood Green, A Space in Time has its share of sparkling moments.

by Jim Newsom

Tracklist:

01. Highway of Love - 5:13
02. Let's Shake It Up - 5:22
03. I Get All Shook Up - 4:42
04. Victim of Circumstance - 4:32
05. Going to Chicago - 4:30
06. Saturday Night - 4:09
07. Bad Blood - 7:13
08. Working in a Parking Lot - 4:57
09. Wild is the River - 3:56
10. Outside My Window - 5:49
11. Waiting For The Judgement Day - 4:32

Ten Years After without Alvin Lee is utter blasphemy in some longtime fans' eyes, but that's exactly what occurred on the 2004 release by this veteran blues-rock outfit, Now. Out went Lee, and in came replacement singer/guitarist Joe Gooch, who joins longtime members Chick Churchill (keys), Leo Lyons (bass), and Ric Lee (drums). Any fans having reservations about how well Gooch fits in will quickly have their worries erased – the group's newest member possesses a fine voice (check the laid-back closing track, "Changes"), and can throw down boogie riffs with the best of them ("When It All Falls Down," "Time to Kill," etc.). It may even appear as though the presence of Gooch has breathed new life into the band, as Now is Ten Years After's most focused and strongest studio album in quite some time. As evidenced by Now, the classic Ten Years After sound and approach remain the same, although now a bit more refined and mature than the wilder early records.

by Greg Prato

Tracklist:

01. When It All Falls Down - 3:28
02. A Hundred Miles High - 7:05
03. Time To Kill - 4:32
04. Make It Easy For You - 5:32
05. Voice Inside Your Head - 4:34
06. King Of The Blues - 3:36
07. Long Time Running - 6:11
08. Reasons Why - 4:40
09. Changes - 5:14
Bonus Tracks:
10. I Love To Change The World (live) - 6:00
11. Going Home (live) - 10:46

I'll refrain from going through the playlist track by track. The unfortunate truth is that some Alvin Lee disciples will never accept anything called TYA that doesn't include Lee. Alvin Lee is great. I own all the old TYA. Lee's album ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM is one of my all-time faves. However, only a prejudiced music nazi would dismiss this album. The songs, playing, and singing are all primo. If you are in any way a fan of guitar-based blues rock, pick up a copy of this or download it ASAP. If you listen with open ears and an open mind you will not be disappointed.

By Geezerguy, amazon

Tracklist:

01. Think Its Gonna Rain - 4:28
02. She Keeps Walking - 5:54
03. Falling - 6:30
04. Needed A Rock - 4:32
05. Imagination - 5:14
06. Never Saw It Coming - 6:09
07. Slip Slide - 4:36
08. Tail Lights - 4:35
09. Angry Words - 8:25
10. That's Alright - 5:03



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