Best Of The Early Years (Uk)

From Nottingham in the English North Midlands, Blues/ hard rock quartet Ten Years After became one of the most successful of British musical exports of the late 1960s and 70s. One of the star bands of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and the subsequent film/ soundtrack of same, TYA became a touring favourite in the USA, enjoying a diehard fanbase and shifting considerable quantities of albums. Based on the lightning-fingered guitar skills of Alvin Lee, alongside Ric Lee (drums), Leo Lyons (bass, vocals) and Chick Churchill (keyboards, vocals), the core quartet remained remarkably solid throughout their existence, until the departure of Alvin Lee in 2003. The tracks on this collection are taken from the band's first few albums with some additional live recordings, as well as both sides of the band's debut single, 'Portable People'/ 'The Sounds'. Ten Years After continue to tour, especially in Europe, and record sporadically, with only drummer Ric Lee from the original line-up. Alvin Lee died in 2013 from complications following routine heart surgery. This set captures TYA at an exciting, emergent stage of their career, a launch pad for a band who would go on to thrill huge audiences worldwide and who carved their own distinctive niche in rock and roll history.