Ten Years After ~ Undead (1968) {Original US}
Ten Years After ~ Undead
Vinyl rip in 24/96 & 16/44.1 | 1 LP | Artwork
Deram ~ DES 18016
Undead is the second album by Ten Years After, recorded live at the small jazz club, Klooks Kleek, in London, May 1968. This album set out to give listeners a real feel to what it was like to hear Ten Years After. Their eponymous first album was bluesy, but less emotional and passionate, and so the band decided to record the album live. The result was a combination of blues, boogie and jazz playing that merged more traditional rock and roll with 1950's-style jump blues. This album became the introduction that many aspiring musicians used as a learning tool to explore beyond rock and pop boundaries and into more improvised stylings.
REVIEW
Recorded live in a small London club, Undead contains the original "I'm Going Home," the song that brought Ten Years After its first blush of popularity following the Woodstock festival and film in which it was featured. However, the real strength of this album is side one, which contains two extended jazz jams, "I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always" and Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball," both of which spotlight guitarist Alvin Lee's amazing speed and technique. Side two is less interesting, with an extended slow blues typical of the time, a drum solo feature, and the rock & roll rave-up of "I'm Going Home." ~ Allmusic
REVIEW
When Alvin Lee & Ten Years After were first invited to play in America by legendary rock promoter Bill Graham in 1968, they wanted to release an album to coincide with the tour. Their 2nd studio effort (Stonedhenge) was not yet complete, so it was decided to release a live album. The result was one of the best live recordings of the period, and it arguably remains as one of the best "Live Rock & Blues" albums ever! When Alvin Lee first heard this album he thought "Well that's it, that is probably the best I'll ever play and there are going to be problems recording in the future because that encompasses just about everything the band can do". Fortunately things turned out much better for Ten Years After but, listening to UNDEAD, it quickly becomes evident that Alvin's initial concerns were not unfounded. This album absolutely "SMOKES" from the onset and the musicianship is remarkable throughout.
Ten Years After were quite different from the other "2nd British Invasion" blues bands of the late 60's because they effortlessly fused jazz and blues, and that characteristic is exemplified in this album. "Woodchoppers Ball" and "I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always" are absolutely stunning and every bit as impressive today as when they were originally recorded. A few critics later got some sort of perverse pleasure from claiming that Alvin Lee's guitar playing was "all haste and no taste", but none of that is remotely evident on UNDEAD. His highly accomplished and precise technique on the aforementioned two songs dances above, around, and under any solos recorded by the other so-called "guitar gods" of the time.... ~ Herb Staeher Author of 'Alvin Lee & Ten Years After - A Visual History'
TRACKS
Side One
01.I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always (Alvin Lee)
02.Woodchopper's Ball (Woody Herman/Joe Bishop)
Side Two
03.Spider in My Web (Alvin Lee)
04.Summertime (George Gershwin) / Shantung Cabbage (Ric Lee)
05.I'm Going Home (Alvin Lee)
PERSONNEL
Alvin Lee - guitar, vocals
Chick Churchill - organ
Ric Lee - drums
Leo Lyons - bass
EQUIPMENT
-VPI HW-16.5 RCM
-Clearaudio Concept w/ Verify magnetic-bearing tonearm
-Clearaudio Concept MC Cartidge
-Musical Suroundings The Phonomena II preamp
-Zoom H4n
-Audioquest interconnects