A Space in Time: Ten Years After Chrysalis SCYL 934620.

Reviewed by J. Olsen

Ten Years After have been around for just about ten years, a commendable feat in itself, and their music has benefitted from the experience. The group are all competent rock musicians and play as a well balanced whole, the obvious leading spirit of Alvin Lee (lead guitar, vocals and song-writer) not totally over-riding the others.

Their first album (about 1965) was good traditional blues, which they developed to almost Black Sabbath intensity in Cricklewood Green, The signs of change first noticeable in Shhhh are most obvious in Stonehenge, and are continued in their most recent released Space in Time. However, the human and instrumental variations of Stonehenge have given way to more studiobred sound variations which at times unfortunately do not blend with the actual songs themselves. And while these individual songs are good in themselves there is some mixing of styles which, with the introduction pieces mentioned, breaks up both the flow and over-all unity of the album.

A Space in Time is excellently produced, the quality of the sound and the separation match the tightness of the group to give a very clean and strong sound. Not only has the reliable moog synthesiser been used but one track even has an introduction of falling waves. Unfortunately these touches appear as superficial dress-ups to what is basically a good blues/rock group who lack that extra bit of originality and inspiration which would make them a big-time group, without the frills. While Ten Years After have traded in intensity and power for a progressive note they can not get away from what they are' best at — straight forward, unpretentious rock.

The only song from the group as a whole is Uncle Jam and this perhaps is a pointer where the group could eventually go in that this track echoes the fine jazz pieces in Stonehenge. Jazz however is not as open a field as rock and popular tastes must be appeased to some degree.

The change in appeal from the straight rock to the head market is no doubt sincere, but Ten Years After have not yet quite mastered the new style — maybe their next album will.