Eleanor Rigby 14

A Space In Time by Ten years After




TRACKLIST
1. One Of These Days
2. Here They Come
3. I'd Love To Change The World
4. Over The Hill
5. Baby Won't You Let Me Rock n' Roll You
6. Once There Was A Sky
7. Let The Sky Fall
8. Hard Monkeys
9. I've Been There Too
10. Uncle Jam

I confess that I’ve never loved Ten Years After, and there’s almost no way I’ll become a fan of their music. I know I’ve said this about millions of bands. But in this case it’s different, cause I can’t really see anything original with Ten Years After. It’s clear they (mainly Alvin Lee) had the same influences as Page, the Allman Bros, Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green or Rory Gallagher, but these artists had originality and creativity, things that Ten Years After lack of, in my opinion. It’s like when you compare the Carpenters with ABBA or the Bee Gees. What I mean is that they are hooked on a specific style, played in a “correct” way. Now, there’s actually nothing wrong or annoying with their music, but I miss some feeling, soul, emotion or whatever you may call it. Well, Alvin Lee, apart from being the guitar player, could sing, and he did it very well, that’s one of the few positive things I can think of. I can also remember I was once watching a movie, then a song came in and I recognised Alvin Lee’s playing (the song was “50,000 miles beneath my brain”), but still, I don’t think they had a distinctive sound. The album I’m going to review has only 10 tracks but it’s very “irregular” because it goes through many ups and downs, but after hearing the whole thing, it leaves you with a general positive opinion about it.
So “One Of These Days” (don’t confuse it with Pink Floyd’s instrumental track from another 1971 album) is our first track and is standard blues rock, basically like most of the whole album. Same thing can be said about “Here They Come”, the second one, although I think this one’s better. Things change with the following 2 tracks. “I’d Love To Change The World”, is in my sincere opinion, undeniably the best song Ten Years After ever recorded with a huge difference over the rest. They literally owe their whole fame to that song. Well, not really, but the fact that we, young people, know something about them, is because of that specific song. I wouldn’t go as far to consider them a one-hit wonder, because it’s not as if the rest of their songs are trash, but they never reached that level again. I think the lyrics are really important here, as it discusses social and political problems, holding strong positions against war, probably the Vietnam War, or at least that’s what I understood from the lyrics. The next one’s a bit like something you would find in “Houses Of The Holy” by Led Zeppelin, not only because the title is “Over The Hill”, but also because suddenly, after half a minute, a string orchestra comes in, which is quite surprising coming from the blues rock band Ten Years After are supposed to be. Actually, I think this album was really influenced by Led Zeppelin IV, it’s clear that the band is trying to drive towards a balance between acoustic and electric sounds. “Baby Let Me Rock N’ Roll You” (track no. 5) is the kind of song that makes you think that at any moment Alvin Lee’s gonna sing the following lines : “You broke my will, but what a thrill, goodness gracious great balls of fire!” About the next song, “Once There Was A Time”, it’s like a typical American song, like the typical ones that would appear in films about cowboys. “Let The Sky Fall” is better, the intro is pretty good. However it becomes a little repetitive until the solo begins. But everything gets even better with song number 8. “Hard monkeys” is my second favourite track here. That fuzz guitar solo is just great, and also the acoustic guitar intro is also OK. As I said this album is a bit irregular, so the ninth song, “I’ve Been There Too”, isn’t remotely as good as the previous one, although the chorus is a bit catchy. And we arrive at the end of the album. The last song, “Uncle Jam”, is the only one that wasn’t written by Alvin Lee, in fact it was written by his other 3 bandmates. It’s just an instrumental track, more like a kind of “jazzy” guitar solo. It’s nice to hear, so, as I mentioned, it leaves you with a positive opinion about the album in general.
Overall rating: 7.5/10, and I think I’m being generous.
Would it be successful today? Yes, because there aren’t really any successful bands playing this genre, but many people (both young and old) kind of enjoy this style, and although I’m not sure about the album in general, “I’d Love To Change The World” would be a massive hit, maybe even more successful than when it came out in 1971.

Eleanor Rigby 14

I thought he had been really famous, not at the same level as Neil Young, but maybe like Jim Croce

Well, I don't exactly love him, but all albums are really nice to hear, and not many artists are capable of doing that. And I think that obviously Carole King is a legend in popular music.
I had no idea people nowadays worship Nick Drake. But as I answered to the previous post, I think the guy was really able to do some nice stuff.
Yeah, that's on my list. Acquiring the taste and Meddle are other prog rock albums I had planned to review. The thing is I thought you had already reviewed all prog rock albums ever released, so I wasn't sure whether to review them or not.

Guybrush

Hey, Acquiring the Taste! It's not the first album I'd recommend to someone new to Gentle Giant (rather Free Hand), but it's still quite interesting

For prog, Caravan's In the Land of Grey and Pink also came out in 71. Yes' Fragile too, but I actually prefer the album that came before (The Yes Album) and after (1972's perfect Close to the Edge).

Edit:

Wow, The Yes Album also came out in 71.. So 71/72 was definitely the time to be a Yes fan

Also Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus is a 1971 classic, though I think that will sound very dated to most younger people today.

Also, one could of course choose to avoid some of these well-trodden paths and strike out into less charted territories.

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Eleanor Rigby 14

Oh God, I forgot to mention Fragile and The Yes Album...And also Aqualung by Jethro Tull
Oh, and Acquiring The Taste wasn't the first Gentle Giant album I've heard, but I was gonna review it cause it's from 1971
Haven't heard Caravan's "In The Land Of Grey", so perhaps after hearing I'll review it too

Guybrush

That album is a common pathway into what's known as the Canterbury Scene. It's also considered Caravan's greatest album alongside 73's For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (which I slightly prefer and which has a rather different sound).

The greatest offerings from the Canterbury scene, if you wanna explore it, are most often considered to be Hatfield and the North's two studio albums. I would also mention National Health's second album Of Queues and Cures..

But I'm sure your list is brimming already

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Eleanor Rigby 14

Well, thanks!! I'm always open to suggestions.
And, you're right, the list is brimming, but I prefer reviewing albums I've discovered recently, so I'll probably be reviewing your recommendations!
Edit: Although I think I've decided to open this thread too late. Tomorrow's first day of school and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to post reviews everyday

Ninetales

the greatest album ever made was released 50 years ago

Psy-Fi

Here's one of the best from 1971 (or any other year) and I know you're a fan...

At Fillmore East

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Trollheart

I only heard of him from this place, but I think he's one of those whose "music was only appreciated many years after his death" kind of thing. Almost every review you read mentions how he was an overlooked genius. Personally, I don't get it, but hell, I've been wrong so many times it's like they're considering putting a picture of me beside the word in the dictionary!
I have no monopoly nor copyright on prog album reviews. Better men and women before me have reviewed them better, and surely will do in the future. Perhaps you'll be one of them. You don't need my permission, but if you think somehow you do, you got it. I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts.

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DianneW

Chicargo Make me Smile



bad finger... released in the USA 1970 one year before in the UK though




imagine.....




Just three of many great songs....70's