Ten Years After

Ten Years After - Evolution - 2008 - Ten Years After

A great blues rock album from the "revamped" Ten Years After, although the present line up have been around for a few years now. TYA are one of the greatest blues rock bands to emerge from Britain. They were hugely popular in the late sixties, when they played Woodstock, but during the early seventies, they produced some of their finest work.The brilliant axeman Alvin Lee, co-founded TYA, and two of the bands early albums with Alvin Lee, "Stonehenge" and "Cricklewood Green" are classics. Many people thought that without the "Main Man", Alvin Lee, the band would never survive, but they have, and "Evolution" is a return to the glory days of TYA. Alvin Lee still appears at the occasional concert with the band, but Joe Gooch who joined the band in 2003, permanently replacing Alvin Lee has proved himself as a brilliant guitarist and great vocalist. Joe fits in with TYA, as if he was always part of the band, and alongside the founding member Leo Lyons, Chick Churchill and Ric Lee, they form a crack team of professional musicians that give a new lease of life to TYA. Even withour the great Alvin Lee, this album is a great example of powerful blues rock, and is a perfect example of Grade A contemporary rock quartet playing. "Evolution" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to two of the band's early classic albums, "Stonehenge" and "Cricklewood Green" featuring the brilliant axeman Alvin Lee, co-founder of the band. There is info on TYA's "Now" album @ NOW/TYA Check out the band's great "The Classic Performances" recording @ TYA/CLASSICP and Alvin Lee's "Live In Tennessee" album is @ ALVLEE/LITEN

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. I Think It's Gonna Rain All Night - 4:25 (Lyons / Gooch)
2. She Keeps Walking - 5:55 (Lyons / Koller)
3. Why'D They Call It Falling - 6:30 (Lyons / Gooch)
4. She Needed A Rock - 4:30 (Lyons / Gooch)
5. My Imagination - 5:15 (Lyons / Gooch / Lee)
6. I Never Saw It Coming - 6:10 ( Lyons / Gooch)
7. Slip Slide Away - 4:35 (Lyons / Gooch / Lee)
8. Tail Lights - 4:35 (Lyons Gooch)
9. Angry Words - 8:25 ( Lyons / Gooch / Churchill / Lee)
10. That's Alright - 5:05 (Lyons / Gooch)

BAND

Joe Gooch - Guitar, Vocals
Chick Churchill - Keyboards
Leo Lyons - Bass
Ric Lee - Drums

REVIEWS

After a two year delay from their last release, "Roadworks", "EVOLUTION" has finally arrived. A studio album, put together and recorded between and during a heavy touring schedule. With that being said, it's a miracle that the final results don't represent anything like the Hop-Scotch - Hodge -Podge - Fast Paced - life style - that the band members have been living, during this hectic period. What came out of this non stop road show with its temporary periods of mass confusion, is nothing less than a brilliant collection of new material, that's stronger, tighter and fuller sounding than ever before. High energy, passionate attitude, and innovative playing, that's Ten Years After at their very best, and that's their "EVOLUTION". A lot of credit has to go to Joe Gooch, and his desire for perfection. His vocals are intense, yet measured. He has much more control which adds another dimension to the overall sound. He uses his voice as a subtle instrument, and that provides the much needed links between emotions, instruments and message. Creating the perfect delivery on all fronts. The same is true of his guitar work. It flows more fluently than ever, fewer notes and more passion and sensitivity. Measured responses, pacing himself - no more racing towards the finish line. He has learned so much and matured in such a short amount of time. He has helped take Ten Years After a dozen steps further, over a hump of minor resistance and into a place where everyone can now thank goodness, for saving the band from what once seemed like inevitable extinction. That's what "EVOLUTION" is all about: metamorphosis. The same applies to Chick Churchill on this recording. His keyboard work is at times subtle and inspired. At other times it's frantic and driven, in order to complement Joe's frantic guitar work. Textures are created, moods are explored, and feelings are evoked. He weaves in and out between Joe's layers of guitar and vocals. It's like a hyper surgeon with two handfuls of cat-gut, stringing it all together, into stitches and then pulling it tighter and tighter. I always wondered why Chick isn't a leader or even a follower. The reason is because Chick is just Chick, it's as simple as that. His talent is immense, his knowledge boundless, and his biggest asset is as supporter. He is the consummate team player, scoring a goal doesn't much matter to him, his consuming joy and passion comes from watching his team-mates scoring the goal and then enjoying all the accolades that go with being on the winning team. If you listen to the entire Ten Years After catalogue, you'll see that this has always been the case. On this new release "EVOLUTION" Chick stepped forward to become a vital component. He is right on target and hitting bulls eyes faster than you can count them. Leo Lyons - Ric Lee: When I asked them their thoughts on this new release, and if they were happy with the final results? Their response was about the same. They're much too involved to be objective at this point, so they left it up to me to decide for myself. So here it is. Leo: Leo's song writing skills are all over this cd. Ten songs and it's Leo and a co-writer being listed as the author. His fantastic bass lines are holding up the bottom end with no problem. Leo takes no credit for the production duties on this outing, and the liner notes prove this out. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Mark Pullin - At Green Frog Studios. Cover Design and Artwork by Tony Crooks and Leo Lyons
Cover Concept by Tom Lyons. In Conclusion: - This recording is a brilliant masterpiece from a band that we would expect no less from, and yet continues to surprise everyone in everyway. Hats off to Joe and Chick for exemplary and outstanding performances. Also to Leo and Ric for song writing skills and great bass playing (Leo) - To (Ric) Drumming and for keeping the band on the road to success, fame and fortune. Review © Dave and Brigitte, © www.ten-years-after.com/_private/tyacdreviews/cdevolutionreview.htm

Bringing in the New Year with a new release, this veteran four piece from Nottingham and Mansfield -- now minus their leader Alvin Lee -- are hoping to show their loyal fan base that they still have the power and the passion that they had during the 60s. Kicking off with the energetic rocker I Think Its Gonna Rain All Night, it's a solid start. With fantastic guitar work throughout Evolution sounds fresh and modern. The main drawback however is the sheer length of the album which at times means it begins to lapse in enthusiasm. For non fans this will most likely be of little interest, but for long time fans this will make for necessary listening. Verdict: *** ½ © Matthew Smith, © www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

SHORT BIO [ © William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide ]

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.

BIO (Wikipedia)

Ten Years After are an English blues rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After several years of local success in the Nottingham/Mansfield area as a band known since 1962 as The Jaybirds (its core was formed in late 1960 as Ivan Jay and the Jaycats), and later as Ivan Jay and the Jaymen, Ten Years After was founded by Alvin Lee and Leo Lyons. Ivan Jay sang lead vocals from late 1960 to 1962 and was joined by Ric Lee in August 1965, replacing original drummer Dave Quickmire, who had joined in 1962. In 1966 The Jaybirds moved to London, where Chick Churchill joined the group. That November the quartet signed a manager, Chris Wright, and decided to change their name to Blues Trip, Blues Yard (under which they played a show at the legendary Marquee Club supporting Bonzo Dog Band), and finally in November 1966, to Ten Years After ( in honour of Elvis Presley, an idol of Lee's whose momentous year in rock, 1956, helps to better explain the band's title). They became the first band of the soon-to-be Chrysalis Agency. They secured a residency at the Marquee, and received an invitation to play at the renowned Windsor Jazz Festival in 1967. That performance led to a contract with Deram, a subsidiary company of Decca – the first band so signed without a hit single. In October, their 1967 self-titled debut album was released. In 1968, after touring Scandinavia and the United States, Ten Years After released their second album, live Undead, which brought their first classic, "I'm Going Home." This was followed in February 1969 by studio issue, Stonedhenge, a British hit, that included another classic, "Hear Me Calling" (it was released also as a single, and covered in 1972 by British glam rock rising stars, Slade). In July 1969 they appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, in the first event to which rock bands were invited. In August, the band performed a breakthrough American appearance at Woodstock; their furious-to-soft-to-furious rendition of "I'm Going Home" was featured in both the subsequent film and soundtrack album and catapulted them to star status. During 1970, Ten Years After released "Love Like a Man," their only hit in the UK Singles Chart. This song was on their fifth album, Cricklewood Green. The name of the album comes from a friend of the group who lived in Cricklewood, London. He grew a sort of plant which was said to have hallucinogenic effects. The band did not know the name of this plant, so they called their album Cricklewood Green. It was the first record to be issued with a different playing speed on both sides – one a three-minute edit at 45rpm, the other, a nine-minute live version at 33rpm. In August, Ten Years After played the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 to an audience of 600,000. In 1971, the band released the album A Space in Time which marked a move toward more commercial material. It featured their biggest hit, "I'd Love To Change The World." But a few albums later, the band broke up after the 1974 album "Positive Vibrations." They re-united in 1983 to play the Reading Rock Festival and this performance was later released on CD as "The Friday Rock Show Sessions - Live At Reading '83' ". In 1988, they re-united for a few concerts and recorded the album About Time (1989). Alvin Lee has since then mostly played and recorded under his own name. In 2004, the other band members replaced him with Joe Gooch and recorded the album Now. Material from the following tour was used for the 2005 double album Roadworks. Ric Lee is currently in a band called The Breakers, along with Ian Ellis (Clouds).