Their blues rock always delivers...

Ten Years After are a band that I return to time and again with their blend of blues, jazz and rock. I have all their albums, my favourite is a later release recorded live at the Fillmore East, previously it had been Recorded Live. 
They seem to have played broadly the same set for about 6 years and famously they toured and toured, playing 28 tours of America in under 7 years. They picked up where Cream left off but had a fuller sound with keyboards and initially more of a jazzy sound.
Alvin Lee was acclaimed as a speedy creative guitarist, even though other critics said he played the same solo on every song. When they started with their debut album they were more pure blues and on Undead, their second album, a live affair, they pulled out more jazz chops on Woody Herman’s Woodchoppers Ball, which features some astonishing guitar playing.
They settled into a more blues based rock on the Cricklewood Green album and live they developed songs like I Can’t Keep From Crying, Sometimes, the Dylan song into 20 minute extemporisation which saw Lee down tuning the guitar mid-song.
They always kept a slightly psychedelic edge to their albums which kept them interesting even by the mid-70s. They were a classic case of a band being worked too hard. Even so a black and white film of a gig at the Fillmore in 1975, just before they split up, is superb.
Chartwise, they had a run of top five albums and four made 20 to 30-something. My first of their records was a compilation called Goin’ Home in 1975 which got to #174 in America. There’s loads of compilations which plunder the same songs, It’s worth getting one Hear Me Calling on Decca in 181 it's a double one that covers most of the bases.
I’ve been collecting their singles. The early ones are on Deram and cost quite a bit. They had a hit in ‘I’d Love To Change The World’ so that’s easy to get. There are rumours that their set at Woodstock is going to be released, Goin’ Home was on the soundtrack album, of course and made their name. To be honest, it’s great in the film, less so on record.
Alvin’s solo stuff is worth your time and the 1987 reunion album is better than you might expect. There is something timeless about their blues rock and it always delivers.

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