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LINER NOTES for “ONE NIGHT JAMMED”
by Leo Lyons
Ten Years After Line-Up is Now (since September 2002):
Joe Gooch, guitars, vocals and the three original band
members:
Chick Churchill, Keyboards – Leo Lyons, Bass – Ric Lee
Drums.
The recording was taken from the front of house mix
at The Heimathaus Twist, Germany on the 17th February
2003 except for “Big Black 45” which was recorded in
Naima Forli, Italy on the 7th March 2003.
“Ten Years After thrives on the feedback and energy
of an audience. The musical challenge is trying for that
elusive lick hoping to pull something new out of the air.
There are moments throughout this, straight to disc,
recording where I felt it happened. “Fixing it in the
mix´ was never an option and what you hear is exactly as
it was on the night. There are some scary moments but in
music as in life nothing’s ever learned by playing it
too safe. We hope you enjoy this “One Night Jammed.”
Leo Lyons April 2003
Front of house engineers:
Hans Bäumer (Heimathaus Twist recordings) and Renato
Lombardi (Naima Forli)
Post production, mastering – Leo Lyons
Review by Dave
Introduction:
I find it more than a little strange to be writing a
review on a “Live Ten Years After Concert” that has
since been deleted from the Ten Years After catalogue.
It served its purpose by offering the fans a first
glimpse of what the band was about now, as it introduces
Joe Gooch as their new guitarist, front man and
songwriter.
The band played twice at BLUES NIGHTS at the
"Heimathaus" in Twist, Germany. The first gig
being in August of 2002 was only their second gig
playing together ever. Our coverage of this event has
been well documented in our concert review.
In the spring of 2003 the band returned, this time well
prepared to be recorded in order to capture their live
performance.
We were the first ones in, hours before the venue doors
officially opened to the public. We watched as the
recording equipment was being set up, installed and
adjusted. We talked with the sound man / recording
engineer but didn’t have many questions to ask. In
fact, we didn’t really put a lot of emphasis on the
recording aspect of the event, it was just there. Our
main interest was with the band members themselves.
Backstage:
Everything was normal, relaxed comfortable. For the
veterans of TYA this was nothing new, just another gig.
For Joe the situation was a little more pressurized, as
so much rested on him to remember everything he was
suppose to do, on time and hopefully without any major
mistakes. Under pressure I watched as Joe becomes a
focused professional musician and secondary entertainer.
He handles the stress by getting into his guitar, which
acts as a handy and friendly safety valve. If he’s
nervous he hides it very well, but I also assume he has
to be a little anxious about what’s coming.
On Stage:
The band always hits the stage on time and ready to
rock. I imagine Joe is happy to be getting on with it,
as he’s now in his element, just him, his guitar and
talent.
I also notice that Leo, Ric and Chick are more aware and
alert to Joe’s actions and playing, with Joe
everything is unpredictable, and in constant flux. In
short, the veterans have to be ready to jump in at a
moments notice and support Joe with whatever is called
for, they are his only life line and safety net.
The Performance / Recording:
As I just set up the background of the event for you, it
all become a moot point, as the cd starts with three
seconds of audience applause, the forth second Joe says
Danke Schön and on the fifth second the wailing guitar of
the first notes of I Woke Up This Morning come screaming
out of the speakers.
1. I Woke Up This Morning, is a great way to kick off
this concert and cd. A familiar song, strong vocals and
a guitar that is like a shot of adrenaline into a now
older band. The members may be clinically older but
you’d never know it, not by watching or in this case
listening. 4:18
2. Hear Me Calling, is another Ten Years After standard
and the band jumps right into it only two seconds after
I Woke Up This Morning has ended. Once again Joe’s
vocals are as strong as his guitar playing, you soon
learn that you’d better hang on because this band isn’t
about to cut you any slack. At 2:25 Chick attacks his
keyboard with a flurry of vengeance and grace as only he
can do. His statement is, here I am remember the
original Ten Year After sound…well that’s me friends.
The whole song ends on a powerful high note. 5:58
On stage: Ric Lee comes out from behind his drum
kit to centre stage to say hello to the audience and
thank everyone for coming out. He then introduces a song
from their “Undead” album “I May Be Wrong But I Won’t Be
Wrong Always” an old Count Basie number. The song sounds
fresh and vibrant, Joe’s guitar work is fluid and strong
as his vocals also stay vibrant. At 1:50 into the song,
Chick slides prominently into the mix with a solo that
swings, followed by Leo Lyons bass solo which the
audience not only recognizes but outwardly shows their
apperception. At the end of the song Leo, with a little
note of surprise announces that, “that was Chick
Churchill on keyboards”. The visual was Chick was going
ballistic all over his keyboard during his solo and
throughout the entire song. As I was sitting only a foot
and a half away from Chick, at his feet and close to
being in a position under his keyboard, I can tell you
this was the case indeed. 5:28
3. Bad Blood, although the original version of this song
ran 7:09 on the “About Time” album this version clocks
in at only 3:51 and to be honest, that’s the perfect
timing for a live version of this song. It starts off
strong, gets right into the groove and flows right into
the chorus and rocks right along to the end. Joe again
causes the song to thrive and become an urgent appeal to
roll on river roll on…while Chick does what he does
best, supports the melody with vibrant fills and adds
life to the mix, thus keeping everything in perfect
balance.
4. Love Like A Man, the famous Leo Lyons riff that came
about during a Ten Years After jam session sometime
around 1969-1970 and became a world wide hit for the
band. Here it is again given the chance to showcase not
only the guitar players skill and dexterity but also to
provide a vehicle for the rest of the band too.
Ironically it runs the same 7:09 that Bad Blood ran on
“About Time”.
5. Big Black 45, another Leo Lyons composition and runs
3:22 - A nice little rocker, done to perfection and
could have been longer but more in this case would only
be less. Better to end the set on a high note.
The visual: This is the end of the first set, Leo
announces they need to towel off and get ready for the
second set, get yourself a drink and relax a little.
Funny how we were the first ones there in the afternoon
and we got out the back door to go an put some of our
things into the car, but now the second set is starting
and the crowd is flowing out into the parking lot, just
trying to get back inside.
6. Red House, starts as we’re outside. The whole song is
captured here on this cd and can be found nowhere else.
The band is tight, Joe’s vocals and guitar are
prominent, but then so is everyone else. Chick adds the
texture and flavour, Leo adds the bottom and soul, while
Ric’s drumming provides the urgency to the proceedings.
While the song is 10:13 in duration, never is there a
weak point to be found. It’s the type of song and
performance where you could listen to a whole half hour
or more of it, when it’s performed in this way.
7. I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes, another Ten Years
After standard, which the band jumps right into after
Red House, without a break in between. The interaction
between Chick and Joe is tremendous, while Leo and Ric
provide and control the rhythm section. This sets Joe
and Chick up to proceed as they please within the basic
structure of the song. This is the freedom that was
missing before and has since been found, corrected
and projected in the interest of the band as a working
whole. This middle section of the song has been replaced by pleasant keyboard
and guitar interaction in an artistic and tasteful
manner. 11:30
8. I’m Going Home 8:53
No one needs a long discourse on this song, it’s the
raving Ten Years After theme song and encore super
deluxe, performed at supersonic speed. The difference
here is that Joe kicks new life into this classic, while
sticking to the basic roots of the melody. It becomes
variations on a theme. A new passion and energy that the
audience can see and appreciate. Not since the Ten Years After
performance at Woodstock has the band sounded this good.
Having heard close to one hundred different recordings
of this one song, I’d say I'm in a better position
than most to state that as a point of fact.
9. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain 7:00 Once again, and
the same as above, the band is “NOW” Joe kicks new life
into an old Ten Years After “Classic”. Although the
lyrics don’t stay true to the original, it makes no
never-mind as the real message is in the music itself. Joe
does this number a real service, as nothing is missing
from the original version.
10. Roll Over Beethoven 4:36
The Visual: Joe was exhausted by the time this number
came around, his vocals sound a little strained but he
still found it in him to pull it all off to perfection.
The guitar work never fails, Chick’s contribution is
right on the money, Leo never misses a beat and as for
Ric, I have some special notes on his performance at the
end of this review.
In Conclusion:
This is the “Official Ten Years After Bootleg” for the
band it more than served its purpose. It’s not perfect,
and the band wants perfection so this release has become
obsolete on that level and has untimely been superseded
by “Roadworks”.
For me as a real fan, it will always have a place in my
heart as it will for Brigitte too. We were there in
every aspect of the event, from start to finish and all
points in between.
Sometimes I don’t like the flaws, or the imperfect sound
quality, or the audience talking in the background….but
don’t try to take this recording away from me….it’s
perfect on a different level….we were there!!!!
About Ric Lee:
Ric is, and will always be a jazz, big band swing
drummer at heart. His precision and soul run in that
direction.
On “One Night Jammed” Ric Lee covers all the bases
without exception, but more than that he proves to be
not only a great jazz influenced drummer, but also one
of the best rock and roll drummers, past or present. His
drumming on this recording is inspired, driven, and
passionate. Like two sleeping giants, Ric Lee and Chick
Churchill have come of age together and stand out on
this release like the two titans that they are.
Case in point, listen to “Roll Over Beethoven”. While
Leo is running the bass lines all over the composition,
Joe is keeping the rhythm and lead guitar rocking right
along, Chick is sweating all over the place, working his
ass off, and behind it all, under sideways and down is
Ric Lee.
Amazon Reviews:
1.
 Review
from Bulock “Bullock Honey” in Germany
From Amazon.com Reviews August 29, 2005
“This album is a great live CD with the power of a
hurricane.
All songs of the legendary TYA set list are here and it
is a great joy, to hear this super musicians play again.
Alvin Lee is not there, but the new front man Joe Gooch
is the better axe-man, no question!”
2.
Review from Schrempf “Alvin” from Linz/Austria from July
22, 2004
“A phantastic new live album from Ten Years After now,
and without Alvin Lee. The new guitar man Joe Gooch (27
year old) is SUUUUUUUPER, absolutely first class, a
guitar master, no question. So it’s not a shame that the
band is working again with a new front man,
it is a big surprise how good and top they start in the
21st Century. Don’t forget to listen to the new album
“NOW” because this is a five star album, unbelievable /
incredible!!
Their live shows in Germany June 2004 was more than
amazing, it was world class and sold out!!!
3.
Review from “Clap Your Hands” from August 30, 2005
From MV20 “Cornel” Croatia
…and stamp your feets, here’s some splendid music, you
can’t beat. Ten Years After are back, with a
unbelievable Live session, like in a fairytale. Joe
Gooch / Leo Lyons / Ric Lee and Chick Churchill – We
Love You All!
4.
Review, from Knudhelm in Luxemburg, August 23, 2005
TYA are back without Alvin Lee, but what a performance!
The new front man Joe Gooch plays Alvin Lee on the wall,
believe it, because that’s the true.
All great songs from the TYA history are there, in a
hell of live adrenalin. SUPER!
TEN YEARS AFTER - One Night Jammed Gets Jammed!
By Martin Popoff
Hard rockin' and bluesy '60s act TEN YEARS AFTER (see
www.tenyearsafternow.com) have been reformed and playing
to sell-out crowds all over Europe (and Canada!) in
support of their studio album Now and their live album -
designed to introduce fans to Alvin Lee's replacement
27-year-old Welshman Joe Gooch - One Night Jammed. But
that live album is soon to be unavailable, replaced by a
new live album in the spring.
"We've got a bit of time off," explains
bassist Leo Lyons. "We just got off the road. We had
been on the road in Europe and we'd been promoting the new
Now CD, which is going very well. And I'm pleased to say,
aside from one show in the entire 26 or 28 dates, we sold
out. So we're pleased about that. Now, of course, we've
got some time off, but I'm a workaholic (laughs), so I
like to work at one thing or another. We've been recording
a new live CD, so that's got to be ready. It's got to be
out in April, but it's gotta be ready in January."
On whether the band plans to record a single or a
double (naturally, with these jam pros, one demands a
double!), Leo says that "well, I think we recorded
three nights. Let's see what we've got; it may be a single
(laughs). When Joe joined the band, we recorded one show
and put that out - very quick recording, no retakes, no
extra nights, no messing around. That was basically to
introduce Joe to the band and to all the people who say 'Yes,
but what do they sound like without Alvin Lee?' And we
just deleted that record so we're going to replace it with
a new live CD."
Commenting on the Now album, Leo says that "it's
Ten Years After where it would be now, if it had continued
going with the same fire (laughs). In other words, I think
we've regained the fire we had in the '60s - '68, '69.
It's very difficult to give you favourites on the album.
I've gotten so close to it. I can tell you a few tracks
that are popular with the fans. You know, I never play
anything I've been involved with for years after (laughs).
Popular tracks are 'Time To Kill', 'King Of The Blues'.
That one is a rock blues shuffle, which is quite a popular
style with most of our fans. 'Time To Kill' is slightly
different. 'Hundred Miles High' is kind of a psychedelic
retro song. 'I'll Make It Easy For You', popular with the
ladies. It's a slow song; you know, if you want to get the
ladies, play a ballad (laughs). 'Reasons Why', another
rocker. Some heavier riffing stuff. 'When It All Falls
Down', or 'The Voice Inside Your Head'. It's quite a
varied thing, but then again, Ten Years After did always
go off on tangents here, there and everywhere."
In closing, I asked Leo if anything stood out with
respect to the recent touring. "The interesting thing
is the amazing number of young fans that come and say,
'Oh, my father told me about the band' or 'We saw you on
television so we had to come to the gig and I brought my
friends.' So that's the most positive thing that is
happening for us, because we're not really a retro band
that is going around playing their old hits and having a
declining circle. I mean, we're trying to move forward now.
A lot of people might say, 'Oh, that's impossible to do,'
but of course it's not. You're only limited by your own
vision."
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