Classic Performances of Ten Years After

AMG Review of Classic Performances of Ten Years After

Victor W. Valdivia
All Music Guide

Often tagged as a second generation blues boogie band, Ten Years After actually showed somewhat more musical dexterity than their Fillmore-clogging peers. The atmospheric "I'd Love to Change the World", for instance, sounds like it came from a completely different band than the clavinet-driven funk of "It's Getting Harder". Neither of those cuts, of course, have much in common musically with what Ten Years After will most likely remain forever famous, their 10 minute version of "I'm Going Home" from Woodstock. It's included here, albeit edited down to a mere 3 minutes, which means it's only got the first and last verses and omits the incessant guitar and bass noodling. Purists may carp, but this album really isn't meant for them. Rather, it's meant to introduce newcomers unaware of much of Ten Years After's catalogue to their lesser known tunes that sound different from that. Besides, the inclusion of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", with its extended guitar solos, makes up for it in spades. It's true that Ten Years After never matched their musical prowess with lyrical depth, and that even at their best, they never showed the vision of a Led Zeppelin, but for above average early ‘70s blues-rock, this collection will fit the bill nicely.