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Alvin Lee RIP


zombywoof

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How sad! A great player and performer.

 

I tell ya what, this gives me the heebie jeebies. Just today, I had a two hour drive to meet my producer for an upcoming album. I have over 1,000 CD's. What did I grab on the way out the door? That very CD! And I marveled at this very song, that if I did a cover at all, it would be this one (for this particular album)! Love the song. Wow.

 

I noted that this album has a LOT of acoustic guitar on it. Sounds like a Martin.

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I saw him live before Woodstock, didn't even know who they were & as a guy who wanted to play guitar but owned only a $5.00 unplayable flattop I was basically stunned. I've seen quite a few guitar players: he was exceptional. I'll never forget him blistering thru a tune, wiping his guitar down with a white towel then ripping into another one. This was at the Grande Ballroom. I went with friends to see a local mid-Michigan band & none of us kids had heard of the headliner, TYA.

 

Makes me feel old. RIP to a great one.

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Such a shame to lose him. I listened to Ten Years After a LOT in the early 70's, got

me through the high school years. I have all TYA LP's that were recorded in the 70's

and still listen to them. He was a great guitar player and put on a great show.

I'll have to spin a few TYA tunes today in his honor.

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I saw him live before Woodstock, didn't even know who they were & as a guy who wanted to play guitar but owned only a $5.00 unplayable flattop I was basically stunned. I've seen quite a few guitar players: he was exceptional. I'll never forget him blistering thru a tune, wiping his guitar down with a white towel then ripping into another one. This was at the Grande Ballroom. I went with friends to see a local mid-Michigan band & none of us kids had heard of the headliner, TYA.

 

Makes me feel old. RIP to a great one.

 

 

I first saw Ten Years After at the Fillmore East in 1968. I knew who they were though as I had already worn out a copy of their first LP. It was their second LP "Undead" though that really floored me, especially their run through of Woodchopper's Ball. I played it so often I kept wearing out copies. I still have poster that came inside the "Cricklewood Green" album.

 

Great memories.

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I am a big fan of Ten Years After. The album A Space In Time has stood the test of time as far as I'm concerned and I've always loved the acoustic work in it, especially Once There Was A Time's startup acoustically trending into that classic 335 rock and roll finish. Check out the words in light of his passing! And, Here They Come is one of my favorite spaceman/alien arrival songs. RIP Alvin, I hope you're pickin with them that went before you.

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Absolutely SAD news after having a great, and rare Friday nite out with the wife and friends......

There is 'totally' too much loss lately with awesome and iconic talent...

One of my 'early' influences on guitar....[mellow] ...RIP

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Oh yeah! For the 'un-iniitiated'.......here is a link to an early 'tutorial' on (Power House Rock)....Absolute monstrous Bass-player

I know...not ....for the acoustic -minded.....but awesome at any rate!

Skip the first 40 seconds of French 'gibberish'..!

 

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He was a guitar player's guitar player for sure. I always especially liked the way guitar magazines still regularly featured articles about him, interviewing him, etc. etc...long after the fickle finger of the mainstream fame spotlight's focus had moved elsewhere...Alvin Lee had still remained in the focus spot light of guitar enthusiasts. Yet, Alvin Lee still on a different level remained in the mainstream's consciousness on its fringes. His music was solid good and in a legendary way his set in the Woodstock movie outshined in a non-forgetable way such legendary artists as Hendrix, Santana, CSNY, Richie Havens, Baez, etc. To me, when the movie documentary first came out it was clearly Ten Years After's song in the movie that was the movie's most moving highlight and guitar/song experience that merged the old and new rock movements at the time. Over time, as the distinction of the early rock and roll and classic rock and roll movements and other musical distinctions further blurred, it seemed like Ten Years After's potentially defining moment performance at Woodstock blurred into the background to many...as the likes of Hendrix, Santana, etc etc. legends (definitely well deserved) grew and grew. But, Alvin Lee's contribution to the world of guitar was/is/remains/should be much more recognized as something really special.

 

Gonna go listen to Ten Years After in Woodstock right now...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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One of the best lead guitar shoot outs was with E.Clapton on the Just One Night CD. I thought Alvin played so tastefully, he showed up Clapton on that. I forget the song it was, but that jam was great. Check it out, because that 3 minute jam is really something.

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