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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
737's Coming Out of the Sky, February 13, 2006
'Cricklewood Green' is, for the most part, a bombastic rockfest. In fact, the three tune, fifteen minute opening salvo stack up nicely against any other trio of songs from any rock and roll disc. But any album aspiring to greatness must demonstrate diversity, and 'Cricklewood Green' does that as well, although I could have lived with the rockfest through a double-album of this electrifying material! In my mind of minds I imagine Alvin Lee felt the same, and included songs such as 'Year 3000 Blues', the lone country-rock number in the set, and 'Me and My Baby' a Steve Miller sound-alike track and the lone jazz-rock number, simply to show everyone that Ten Years After was much more than a one-genre pony. As if that wasn't enough, one other genre is also explored with the acoustic folk-rock number titled 'Circles', which adds more than just diversity. The sweet chorus, "Doesn't/does it matter what I do..." mixes with the bittersweet sentiments and smooth-as-a-smoothie melody to produce what we in the music review business call 'a beaute'.
The remainder of the disc builds on the solid rock foundation established by the band in four previous albums. The two longest tracks on the disc are epics in composition and performance. Both '50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain' and 'Love Like a Man' time out at 7:37. I would believe that was an uncanny coincidence were it not for the curious fade out-fade in-fade out conclusion to '50,000 Miles...'. I submit that Alvin and Co. had more than artistic concerns in adding this audio addendum, although I have no answer to the question, "why did they do it?". Heck, why does Radio Shack ask for your address when you buy batteries, and why did The Beatles hoax Paul's death?
'Sugar the Road' opens the disc, and it is the prototypical opening number for an album or a concert, featuring great basic and lead guitar riffs, fun lyrics, cowbells, etc. 'Working On the Road', another gritty rocker, follows, with the sweet chorus, "I've got a feeling for home...". '50,000 Miles...' opens with a restrained acoustic intro which builds in nicely structured gradients into an anthemic rocker, very reminicent of Tom Petty's best work, and ending with a fine, distorted, fuzzy guitar lead. 'Love Like a Man' returns to the melodic guitar hooks and fleshy fretwork from maestro Alvin, in addition to a great sounding bass bridge. The original vinyl finished with the lumbering rocker 'As the Sun Still Burns Away', which builds steam like a locomotive, and winds up in a fog of psychedelic sound effects.
It is well worth the extra expense to obtain the 2002 UK remaster being reviewed here, primarily for the two unreleased tracks from the 'Cricklewood' sessions. 'Warm Sun', with its simplistic and catchy guitar hook, and 'To No One', a bombastic blues-rock track featuring a sweet organ-guitar bridge, are both good fits with the balance of 'Cricklewood Green'. Although lyrics are not included, the liner notes are adequately supplied with background on the band, the recording sessions, and the individual tracks. Beyond impressive, this set of Green tracks will grow on you. Like most truly classic albums, its sound is timeless. This is essential listening, folks, no two ways about it.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 EXTRA TRACKS!, July 8, 2002
I can't tell you how many times we sat around listening to this classic.Remastered with a nice booklet and 2 extra tracks from the original LP sessions.This version sounds great.I'm elated!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still Great 30 Years After, May 16, 2004
Ten Years After with front-man Alvin Lee made a good handful of solid blues/rock albums in the late sixties and early seventies. Alvin Lee is a terrific guitarist, and he had the reputation of being the fastest in the world at the time, when Ten Years After was at the height of their populairiy.Lee wrote almost all of their music, and he had a skill of writing catchy blues-based guitar riffs. One of their best known songs of that type "Love Like a Man" is the key track on this 1970 album. Though his songwriting is somewhat uneven, probably because of pressure to constantly to come up with material for new albums and singles, their best songs still sound great today. On Cricklewood Green the highlights, besides "Love Like a Man", are "Working on the Road", "50.000 Miles Beneath my Brain", "As the Sun Still Burns Away" and the great acoustic ballad "Circles". The two out-take bonus-tracks are okay; best is "Warm Sun".
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