Alvin Lee Pg. 2

  The 1970s

Ten Years After entered the new decade riding the enormous momentum generated by Woodstock. No longer simply a respected British blues band, they had become one of the world's premier live attractions. Extensive touring across Europe and North America kept Alvin Lee in constant demand, while his reputation as one of rock's fastest and most exciting guitarists continued to grow.

In 1970, Ten Years After released Cricklewood Green, a significant step forward that balanced the group's trademark blues-based improvisation with more concise songwriting. The album featured "Love Like a Man," which became a hit in several countries. Later that year, the band released Watt, recorded shortly after their appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival.

The following year brought Ten Years After's greatest commercial success with A Space in Time. Produced by Chris Kimsey, the album featured a more polished sound and included "I'd Love to Change the World," Alvin's thoughtful reflection on social and political unrest. The song became the band's biggest American hit and remains their best-known recording. It was Alvin's only #1 hit in the United States.

The band's demanding touring schedule continued throughout the early 1970s, with performances before massive audiences around the world. Although Alvin appreciated the excitement of live concerts, he became increasingly frustrated by expectations that every performance should revolve around lengthy guitar solos. He wanted to grow as a songwriter and explore new musical directions beyond the image of a high-speed blues-rock guitarist.

In 1972, Ten Years After released Rock & Roll Music to the World. A year later, they followed it with the live album Recorded Live. While both albums demonstrated the band's continuing strength, Alvin had begun feeling creatively confined. After nearly a decade with the group, he decided to leave Ten Years After in 1973 to pursue a broader range of musical interests.

Soon afterward, Alvin teamed with American gospel-rock singer Mylon LeFevre for On the Road to Freedom, released in 1973. The album featured an impressive lineup of guest musicians, including George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, Mick Fleetwood, Jim Capaldi, and Mick Jagger, allowing Alvin to explore styles that reached well beyond the boundaries of blues-rock.

Alvin continued building his solo career with Alvin Lee & Company in 1974, followed later that year by the live album In Flight. Both releases demonstrated that he could thrive outside Ten Years After while remaining true to the blues and rock influences that had shaped his career.

In 1975, he released Pump Iron!, another energetic collection that blended blues, rock, and rockabilly. Four years later, Alvin teamed with American band Ten Years Later to record Ride On. Released in 1979, the album reflected his continuing desire to experiment while remaining firmly rooted in straightforward guitar-driven rock.

Although his career remained centered on music, Alvin also found greater stability in his personal life during the decade. He married Evi Lee, who would remain his wife for the rest of his life, and they later welcomed a daughter, Jasmin. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Alvin generally kept his family life private, preferring to let his music remain the focus of public attention.

By the close of the 1970s, Alvin had successfully established himself as more than the guitarist who electrified Woodstock. While Ten Years After remained an important part of his legacy, he had proven that he could continue evolving as a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist while pursuing a career on his own terms.

The 1980s

The 1980s found Alvin Lee settling into a career on his own terms. Free from the commercial expectations that had followed Ten Years After's success, he concentrated on recording and touring with musicians who shared his love of blues, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues. Rather than chase changing musical trends, he remained committed to the guitar-driven sound that had defined his career from the beginning.

In 1980, Alvin released Free Fall with the Alvin Lee Band. The album paired him with guitarist and vocalist Steve Gould, bassist Mick Feat, and drummer Tom Compton, creating a more collaborative group than his previous projects. Although the record did not become a major commercial success, it reflected the musical direction Alvin wanted to pursue.

The following year brought RX5, another album by the Alvin Lee Band that continued the partnership with Gould, Feat, and Compton. The record emphasized strong songs as much as fast guitar playing, demonstrating that Alvin had grown well beyond the "fastest guitarist in the West" reputation that had followed him since Woodstock.

After RX5, Alvin stepped away from the recording studio for several years but continued touring extensively throughout Europe and North America. He later explained that record company pressure had pushed him into releasing albums before he felt they were ready. Determined not to repeat that mistake, he stepped back from recording until he had material he genuinely believed in.

He returned in 1986 with Detroit Diesel, his first studio album in five years. The record featured an impressive collection of guest musicians, including George Harrison, Jon Lord, Leo Lyons, and Boz Burrell. Although released during an era dominated by synthesizers and glam metal, the album remained firmly rooted in blues-rock and showcased Alvin's continued growth as both a guitarist and songwriter.

In 1988, Alvin reunited with Leo Lyons, Chick Churchill, and Ric Lee for a series of Ten Years After performances. The chemistry between the four musicians remained strong, leading them back into the studio to record About Time, released in 1989. It marked the first new Ten Years After studio album by the classic lineup in more than fifteen years and demonstrated that the band still had creative life beyond its celebrated early years.

By the end of the decade, Alvin had successfully balanced his solo career with a renewed partnership in Ten Years After. He had resisted musical fashions, remained true to his blues roots, and proven that longevity could be built on authenticity rather than commercial trends.

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