There are some worthwhile exceptions, however. Although bassist Leo Lyons and drummer Ric Lee provide the band with a foundation that is both workable and firm, Ten Years After does not use this rhythmic support to the best possible advantage. Chick Churchill's potential as an additional soloist, for example, is stupidly wasted by having him play only rhythm accompaniment on piano and organ behind Lee's numerous leads. Vocal melodies and guitar lines are virtually indistinguishable from one song to the next and few arrangements highlight anything besides Alvin Lee and his two, three or four guitar parts. The original material and arrangments are terribly lame. The record is an improvement over the disastrous Watt, but hardly a sufficient one. There are a couple of Alvin Lee guitar specials, several low key attempts at relevant social commentary, and a lot of underdeveloped unsuccessful music. A Space in Time, the group's first album for Columbia, re-hashes most of the material on the last four Ten Years After releases. Fans of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, and even Eric Clapton will enjoy this, as it is a tremendous guitar record.Like a hamster running on a treadmill, Ten Years After is expending energy without moving. Overall, “A Space in Time” is a very underrated album by a very underrated band. But it’s a hard world with the junkie blues.” ‘Cause it’s a good life, too good to lose. “Got no monkey on my back, and I’m never gonna crack. Another underscore of the record is anti-drug song Hard Monkeys, in which argues that life is too good to risk using drugs. Let the Sky Fall is a standout track, in which includes psychedelic vocals not unlike Jimi Henrix's The Wind Cries Mary. “A Space in Time” proves to be a diverse album, ranging from the folky Here They Come, to the 50’s throwback Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock and Roll You. Lee’s best performance however, is in single I’d Love to Change the World, in which his leads are truly incendiary. Uncle Jam is another highlight of Lee’s play on this record, it is practically a two-minute jam in which trades off between solos from Lee and Churchill (on keyboards). Starting off with slower leads in the verses, the track builds to a faster, Stevie Ray Vaughn-esque solo. The opener One of These Days is a tremendous example of this. His blues style is somewhat of a hybrid of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton, and is successful at many speeds. While listening to this album it’s easy to come to the assumption that Alvin Lee is underrated and virtually unknown. The album itself however, is a well-developed and diverse blues record. “A Space in Time” was the band’s best seller, and the only album in which they had a successful single. In the late 60’s and early 70’s the band released several critically acclaimed records, including “Ssssh” and “A Space in Time.” Guitarist and vocalist Alvin Lee was the driving force behind the band, providing exceptional blues leads and the majority of the songwriting. Ten Years After was a blues rock band that was formed in Nottingham, England in 1967. This piano and acoustic guitar driven song flows beautifully, with the help of some tremendous blues guitar and a simple message “I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do, so I leave it up to you.” After hearing the song, I decided to check out the album, and what I discovered was an excellent blues rock record. He described I’d Love to Change the World as one of the greatest songs of his generation, and having listened to it, I have to agree. Review Summary: "A Space in Time" is an intricately developed and diverse blues rock record.Ībout a week ago, my father asked me to check out a song.
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