Those were the days …. A 3 minute song turns into a 20 minute masterpiece. I really miss the days of the great guitarist. Alvin was one of the very best.
Among the many things I LOVE about Alvin Lee, even beyond his amazing artistry, was his integrity, and the fact that he shunned the fame and the big money, and walked away from TYA when the record labels started to demand more "commercially" acceptable material from him. So, he said later days, if I can't make the music I want to make with the big record labels, I'll just do my own thing without them...and started his own record label and recording studio. My favorite song in the entire world, ever since I first heard it in 1972 when I was 13 year old boy, , was and is and always will be: "Convention Prevention"!!! I have always tried to be true, authentic and true, and still strive to be that today, all these years later... I was devoted to that idea prior to hearing this amazing song, but the fact the Alvin wrote this, after his own heart's desire to be authentic and true, made me love this guy so much! I wept when he died...and still can't believe he is gone! Godspeed, Alvin!
I was 13 year old in 1972 also...The man was a Guitar God!...Acknowledging his contemporary's of that time is inspiring...Who listens to 20 minute songs these days?...Feel bad for today's generation they will never understand true guitar wizardry...Boy, were we lucky!
I'm 68 and from a piece of dirt in the Midwest and the very best band this boy ever saw (at least four times) was this group of guys that never stopped entertaining for 3 hours at show. Those were fun shows!!!!!!!
One of the Greatest Blues Rock bands ever constructed. Alvin Lee was a True master of his form. We met one rainy night in Chicago at my home club. The Checkerboard Lounge. He just walked into the club. He called no attention to himself. I was on the bandstand. With Magic Slim. Alvin came up and sat in with us. A real gentleman. We made him feel so welcome he said. The great pleasure of my life to meet and jam with my hero. God bless his eternal soul....
I thought Alvin Lee's performance at Woodstock 1969 was great they were only able to record one song because they were having problems with their equipment because of the rain but who ever filmed it did a damn good job of it
Ok i am 65 years old now, never heard of this band. I am very proud to have heard him tonight and am gona finish listening to this. He is really on top of his game!
@@georgeboise5311 no , I am from south east Alabama. Never heard it played on any of our radio stations. thanks for the reply. Hope all is well with you and your friends and family. ☮️❤️
I'm 70 and was so spoiled. Saw tya about 6 or 7 times. Never boring brother. Alvin and Leo!!! Always made my way to the front of the stage to watch the fastest hands in the business
Everything about this is class, the soul and musicality, it’s so grounded in knowledge and experience of blues and jazz... flamboyant yet tasteful. Beautiful guitar tone, great vocals. This was the product of immense personal talent and a totally unique era, the like of which never to be seen again.
I think no one really can match thus virtuoso I seen him once in 79 April in a collage autatoriu. Was seed first on lime se never got a chance go use our tickets wad got pusded threw the old wooden French food antiques by the roady cross that's whoa excited kids weird for this legend his music wAd unco.parrble and he could lie anyo Dunaway oroblelt eve only nlackmird and Hendricks maybe lsdlue on a good day depending how many knidhd and burgers he ate at coney isle it Rees he park be h o l y kidding I love mountain too as my h as Alvin and ten jommmt winter could ho all nite too
That's Alvin Lee and I was blessed to have seen Alvin Lee and Ten Years After June 16, 1974. I've seen a LOT of great bands, the management announced it was going to be too late for the headliner Ten Years After to play. Blue Oyster Cult was tearing it up with Don't Fear The Reaper. Everyone booed them off the stage and I have always felt kinda bad about it. We would have LOVED to have seen them too but it was Alvin Lee we bought tickets to see. He was rated the fastest guitar player on the planet. I don't know why I remember the date, maybe because we were mean to BCO.
The only guitarist that could talk to and with his guitar. What a fantastic musician. What a magical set of fingers. He made love to his guitar. REST IN PEACE.
Just listen to this guy he is remarkable he is one of the best guitarist I ever heard there will never be another Alvin why don’t we hear more of him now so sad this genius is no longer with us😥❤️✌🏼
@@Lynjupiter1 usually the case with mainstream publications, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher, Mike Bloomfield, Alan Wilson, I'm sure there's many more, players players I'd personally have Rory Gallagher Infront of Jimmy page as an all round musician. Alvin is an aquared taste, I guess he was one the first shredders before anyone knew what shredding was.
Alvin Lee was, without a doubt, one of the most sophisticated guitarists to ever step on a stage! Just witness his playing in this video...incredible! Oh yeah, his singing wasn’t too bad, either.
I'm always completely blown away how truly great musicians make it look easy! Alvin Lee was a true master! Watch carefully people this man was truly gifted! R.I.P. MR LEE!
i saw him in the early 80's i didnt know he died in 1985 , i saw him in Louisiana in the early 80's ,that must have been his last tour? do you know what happened to him ..any one ? ...
I'm 64 and saw him in 72 in Dayton Ohio. Being a guitarist he blew my young mind and to this day have never been more entertained, excited , and lucky to witness that level of talent. What a beautiful day.
I have read many of the comments and tributes to TYA the only thing there is for me to say is Thank you to TYA for such amazing tracks, my youngling is now the new generation of TYA fans. This is one of the greatest bands that is largely forgotten sadly.
in these days of isolation I listen to ten jears after that keep me in high spirits especially alvin lee i saw him many years ago in milan where they represented WATT they were veterans of woodstock nice themes with the course students i said that alvi was the best rock blues guitarist better by clapton jymmy page i still support it viva italia battered by covid 19
Lo vidi a Bolzano nel ...lontano 73 o 74 ,per l'occasione mi ero stinto i jeans con la candeggina (così si usava...) ma si aprirono letteralmente in un punto,,,,strategico: così passai il concerto con le mani giunte! Comunque incredibile prestazione.Ero a 5 6 metri dal palco a fotografare ma poi rimasi parecchi giorni con un fischio terribile alle orecchie...Peccato che in questa performance gli cali sempre il mi cantino.Comunque un ricordo indelebile.
Just an awesome display of techniques including octaves, atonal tapping, sweep picking, violin style lines, use of dynamics, otherworldly speed, double stops, vicious slides and pulls again at break neck speed, string lowering and all done with a great deal of showmanship not to mention soulful vocals. Folks this is 1975. Hard to believe as it foreshadows a lot of what became modern guitar technique and shredding. The tempi of tunes like Woodchopper's Ball and Going Home played live predates much of the technically driven stuff we today hear people playing against backing tracks here on RU-vid. And not even included in Rollingstone ragazine top 100 guitar players. Great post. Rest my case. R.I.P. Alvin.
played guitar myself 40years never quite knew why my dad who played himself and was a contender when i was in nappies,said alvin lee was the best guitarist he ever saw,or was it from any,,,,this video shows what a performance alvin puts in,and like a comment below says, without effects,just raw talent and that old saying"making the guitar talk" so yer RIP alvin your made your mark
I saw this man LIVE, back in 1968-ish? Houston. What a blast. Too bad kids today can't take a trip back in time. I know, I would do it again. In a heartbeat.
I was 14 years old and was really just getting into knowing and following rock bands black sabboth,alice cooper,deep purple and Neil young were my first that I liked then I heard ten years after their music to me seems to be unique and listening to it was like a person finding an oasis in the desert that you could always find again once you experienced the feeling inside like a great Spirit has desended down from the heavens and has marked you as one of the chosen ones who has the right chemistry to appreciate life and have the finest attribute one can have and that is loyalty.When I listen to ten years after I feel so undescribably stimulated that it's not possible that it's just music but is a gift from the heavens that not everybody shall receive who listens to it but I was one of the lucky people who won the greatest lottery ever and that is I know my spirit will always love on because I got Alvin Lee and ten years after in my blood and nothing can kill me
Whoever the camera man is on this concert should be given an award, finally we can see what the artist is doing on the frets of the guitar instead of just seeing their face - those who work the cameras at concert should take lessons from this person!
My only Gods are Alvin Lee and Jimi Hendrix. I'm a flamenco and latino guitar player woman,I wish this time was my generation. Every body can learn to play the guitar technical,but no body can learn to play with the soul,you are born whit it.Hi from Sweden! Reyna Carmen Lindström. Satans Jävlar otrolig brå! Increíblemente fantástico!
If I'd ever had the chance to see'm live, I'd have paid just to watch leo. Guy's gotta be one of the most entertaining musicians to ever hit the stage.
@@saltoncityhobo we listened to the recorded live album weeks, because we not buy too much records when we 14 or 15, so we listened one album intensively, like deep purple made in japan, frank zappa roxy and elsewhere, pink floyd ummagumma, yessongs, and black sabbath, james gang, king crimson, Hawkwind, and so on. The good old days, thx for uploading. I have all this records on Vinyl. And a few hundreds more....
I can listen to this song over and over and over again it’s one I never get sick of / just love it All of his songs When I rekindled 30 years Of not listening too his music I haven’t stopped listening to his music now lol
4 Months later. Watched again. I am 74 went to IOW in 1970 TYA top of the bill. Saw them at the Royal Albert Hall. I wish in my dreams he could come back. Today's music makes sick!
When Alvin Lee passed on the only mention that I heard or read on any news source was a brief clip on the BBC. That made me a little sad that one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time did not seem to rate being recognized by the news.
I saw Alvin in the 60's. at Eel pie island Twickenham with many of the best bands of the time and he was a knockout player, he greatly impressed me and many others, an all time great musician. A. Cotterell
Saw TYA 1973/4 ish, Alexander Palace London. Unbelivable guitarplayer and band. love the way the band fills in while Alvin tunes the guitar up. Been a massive fan since them days. Alvin and Jimi were way the best guitarists at woodstock. They will both be rocking their socks off in heaven now. Long live proper music
WOW!!!! Who is the bass player??? He sure can rock that bass!!! Alvin Lee was just the BEST!!!! This video is just fantastic!!!!! Don't know why he isn't acknowledged for his Great playing... He was THAT GOOD!!!!!
+William “WECO” Cost Hard to deny the influence he had on the late 70s, early 80s Hard Rock and Hair Bands. All the tapping/harmonics, detuning on the fly, in a single 20 minute song. And unless I missed it, didn't swap out guitars.
He is what he is and never gave a damn i don't think, just like that song he does about it. Would I have liked him to be "bigger" in the media world, yes. Because I would like everyone to know how great Alvin was. A lot of people know though. He was just as great as any of them who were heavily promoted by the industry for decades even still being promoted right now.
I was 5-10 ft from him in 1984 in a German bar. I have never been so blown away. For 2 1/2 hrs my mouth was on the floor. Not only was he a master, but he surrounded himself with other great musicians. Glad I was so close for an entire show, dude even drank Ouzo from my wine skin. I've been a TYA and Alvin Lee junkie since that evening
I love Beatles. I love Led Zeppelin. I love Pink Floyd. But this sound I have missing. I love Ten Years After now too. The band as good as Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Why they aren´t so popular like the other? I don´t understand. I have listened to all discography and they have all songs great, wonderful, genius, great....the words are so weak to discribe that great band, obviously and especially Alvin Lee. Love Love Love.
8:29 about 30 years ahead of his time. I first heard TYA and Alvin on the Woodstock album back in the early 70's as my older brother had bought it. I eventually bought "Absolutely Live" and first heard this song on that album. It's so amazing to see Alvin doing all these incredible things on video after all these years. He was absolutely groundbreaking and never got the credit he deserved. RIP the great Alvin Lee.
Alvin Lee : the fastest hand in the west. This was his nickname in the 70's created by the musical critics who didn't love him ever. "All things must pass"...the critics even.
Got to see TYA several times in early 1970's this was always a great highlight they were such an awesome band...1971: Page, Clapton, Beck and Lee was pinnacle of the guitar hero period of rock, the best period it ever had.
I was at this concert and one other one at Winterland , SF. I saw him twice in San Jose, CA., too. Alvin always gave the fans about a 2 1/2 hr. show. Alvin and TYA...one of my favorite bands.
I saw him at a concert in my hometown in Germany in the Mid-80s. The Concert was : " Not Bad". He was propably my first really guitar hero, when I was 14 and started playing guitar. Me and my friend we wanted to be "Bluesmen" .....:-D. And Alvin Lee, Jimi Hendrix Clapton, Rory Gallagher and Billy Gibbons were our idols. I can`t ceep from crying was one of our favourite numbers. And I still like to play it. Even Hendrix was impressed about this solo and his classical introduction of the tune at Live concerts. One of his greatest influences was Andres Segovia. And then of course Scotty Moore! I still listen to "I`m going home" after work and "Help Me" from his live album, when I drive home. But this is actually my favourite blues number of them all.
I saw them several times in the 60’s and early 70’s in NYC. Alvin Lee always amazed me. I don’t think there was any better place back then for music than in NYC.
