10cc

A fascinating collection, Best of the Early Years essentially takes the first two 10cc albums in their entirety, replaces four Sheet Music cuts with as many period B-sides, and then jumbles everything up into a running order that works almost as well as the original LPs. It is unlikely whether any true fan would ever consider the instrumental "Hot Sun Rock," or the workaday "4% of Something" and "Bee in My Bonnet" as fitting replacements for the likes of "Hotel," "Baron Samedi," "The Sacro-Iliac" or "Oh! Effendi" (the absent songs). But the presence of "Waterfall" reminds us that not all of the band's best ideas made it onto LP and, while it's difficult to understand why anybody would prefer a collection like this to, say, the Complete UK Recordings package, which takes a fully comprehensive look at the same period, still the budget price is difficult to argue with.

2017 four CD set. Before During After - The Story of 10cc is a special box set, curated with input from the band to detail each and every chapter of their musical story. It Is the first complete, career-encompassing collection of the work of 10cc - Eric Stewart, Lol Crème, Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman, together and apart…

In the fall of 1991, it was announced that 10cc's original quartet of members had reconvened in Woodstock, to begin work on their first album together in 16 years. Of course it didn't happen like that; Kevin Godley and Lol Creme both had other careers to consider at that time, and the bulk of the new record was left to Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman – whose own tenure at the helm ended when they split the band in 1983. And it shows. Although the prodigals did contribute to the album by way of backing vocals, their presence was scarcely felt. Neither did producer Gary Katz add anything to the brew, as songs that sounded terrific as demos ("Welcome to Paradise" in particular) were simply plastered over with studio lushness by session men that the 10cc-ers themselves did not even know.

After proving they could keep 10cc alive as a duo act with 1977's successful Deceptive Bends, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman pressed on in 1978 with Bloody Tourists. Although it scored some notable hits, it was a less consistent and less memorable affair than its predecessor. The problem with Bloody Tourists is that it feels like a group of session musicians trying to come up with songs in the 10cc style instead of a proper 10cc album. The eccentric humor that once flowed freely feels forced on this album: "Reds In My Bed" is a lame stab at Cold War satire that never really succeeds in saying anything while "Shock On The Tube (Don't Want Love)" tries to be daring with its tale of a subway sex fantasy and instead comes off as smutty and dull…

Deriving their name from the metric total of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck; singer/guitarist Eric Stewart was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were both highly regarded studio players…

For a band whose useful lifespan ran to nine albums, 10cc have been oddly represented by the compilations market. Their first two albums, of course, have been reissued and rejigged in virtually every conceivable permutation; the next four have at least been bled for the hits on a near-annual basis. But a super-rare Japanese four-CD box set notwithstanding, no attempt has ever been made to truly illustrate the band's entire career, from "Donna" to demise. Welcome, then, The Ultimate Collection, which not only does a fine job in unearthing all you need to know about those nine original albums, it also splits the discs in such a way that the first one gives you all the hits you remember, while the second serves up the songs that you very likely missed altogether.

10cc's second album was the next phase in what guitarist Eric Stewart called the band's "masterplan to control the universe. The Sweet, Slade, and Gary Glitter are all very valuable pop," he proclaimed, "but it's fragile because it's so dependent on a vogue. We don't try to appeal to one audience, or aspire to instant stardom, we're satisfied to move ahead a little at a time as long as we're always moving forward." Sheet Music, perhaps the most widely adventurous album of what would become a wildly adventurous year, would more than justify that claim.

When Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left 10cc in 1976 to pursue a solo career, many thought it was the death knell for the group. However, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman kept the group alive as a duo (with the assistance of percussionist Paul Burgess) and turned in a surprisingly solid album with 1977's Deceptive Bends. It may lack the devil-may-care wackiness that popped up on previous 10cc albums, but it makes up for it by crafting a series of lush, catchy pop songs that are witty in their own right. Deceptive Bends also produced a pair of notable hits for the group: "Good Morning Judge" told the comical tale of a career criminal over a hook-laden, surprisingly funky pop backing while "The Things We Do for Love" was an irresistible Beatles pastiche that showcased 10cc's mastery of pop vocal harmonies.

Released as part of the ongoing 7T's series on RPM, 10cc's The UK Records Singles Collection is a tight, 14-track collection of the band's earliest recordings – those for UK Recordings, naturally. This was before the big crossover hits started coming – in other words, don't look for "The Things We Do for Love" or "I'm Not in Love" here – and it's a document of when they were the weirdest band in the world…or, "The Worst Band in the World," to use their own words. That tongue-in-cheek classic is here, along with "Johnny Don't Do It," "Wall Street Shuffle," and "Donna," among other highlights that showcase 10cc at their oddest and fizziest and poppiest, if not quite always their strangest. For that, turn to more complete anthologies of UK Records, but this hits a sweet spot for those that want a sampler or those non-10cc listeners looking for some glammy (but not strictly glam) '70s nuggets.

Alive (Live In Japan) is a live album by 10cc released in 1993. It was recorded in Japan during the opening nights of the band's comeback tour following the release of the album …Meanwhile. The line-up of 10cc for the tour consisted of core members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, longtime 10cc members Rick Fenn and Stuart Tosh and newcomers Stephen Pigott on keyboards and Gary Wallis on drums. The album is notable to feature several cover versions, which is not typical for 10cc shows. The album was reissued several times with titles Alive: The Classic Hits Tour, Alive in Japan and Live in Japan. Separate releases of two discs were also available.