Alvin Lee & Co. In Flight (1974) [reissue 1998]

After the demise of the original Ten Years After in 1974, Alvin Lee was suffering from itchy fingers. The guitar legend wanted a break from his old band but soon needed to get back into action. Alvin decided to stage a special concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre backed by an all-star cast of musicians. They included Mel Collins (sax), Ian Wallace (drums), Tim Hinkley (keyboards), Alan Spenner (bass) and Neil Hubbard (guitar). The show was recorded and ‘In Flight’, reissued on this remastered double CD set, captures that event and it is packed with high energy performances. Alvin Lee recalls that historic night in an exclusive interview for liner notes. Among the 20 original LP tracks tracks is ‘Going Through The Door’ (“My attempt at writing a George Harrison-Dylan-esque type meaningful song!” says Alvin). Another highlight is a fine treatment of the old Elvis Presley hit ‘Mystery Train’…

After the demise of the original Ten Years After in 1974, Alvin Lee was suffering from itchy fingers. The guitar legend wanted a break from his old band but soon needed to get back into action. Alvin decided to stage a special concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre backed by an all-star cast of musicians. They included Mel Collins (sax), Ian Wallace (drums), Tim Hinkley (keyboards), Alan Spenner (bass) and Neil Hubbard (guitar). The show was recorded and ‘In Flight’, reissued on this remastered double CD set, captures that event and it is packed with high energy performances. Alvin Lee recalls that historic night in an exclusive interview for liner notes. Among the 20 original LP tracks tracks is ‘Going Through The Door’ (“My attempt at writing a George Harrison-Dylan-esque type meaningful song!” says Alvin). Another highlight is a fine treatment of the old Elvis Presley hit ‘Mystery Train’…

After the demise of the original Ten Years After in 1974, Alvin Lee was suffering from itchy fingers. The guitar legend wanted a break from his old band but soon needed to get back into action. Alvin decided to stage a special concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre backed by an all-star cast of musicians. They included Mel Collins (sax), Ian Wallace (drums), Tim Hinkley (keyboards), Alan Spenner (bass) and Neil Hubbard (guitar). The show was recorded and ‘In Flight’, reissued on this remastered double CD set, captures that event and it is packed with high energy performances. Alvin Lee recalls that historic night in an exclusive interview for liner notes. Among the 20 original LP tracks tracks is ‘Going Through The Door’ (“My attempt at writing a George Harrison-Dylan-esque type meaningful song!” says Alvin). Another highlight is a fine treatment of the old Elvis Presley hit ‘Mystery Train’…

This is one great live CD and it features songs from Alvin's "Nineteen Ninety Four" cd as well songs from his Ten Years After days such as "Love Like A Man", "I'm Going Home", etc. Songs such as "Keep On Rockin", "I Don't Give A Damn" and the Dave Edmunds 70's hit "I Hear You Knockin", and his version of "Johnny B. Goode" absoluetly smoke. You can hear the audience's approval after every song. The sound quality is superb and really brings out that "Live" audience feel. Great CD for those who appreciate a true showman and fantastic guitarist!
If you like Ten Years After you must have this CD. Alvin is in great form playing with intensity and clarity. The production sound is extremely good for a live album and the guitar is especially rich and crisp.

This is one great live CD and it features songs from Alvin's "Nineteen Ninety Four" cd as well songs from his Ten Years After days such as "Love Like A Man", "I'm Going Home", etc. Songs such as "Keep On Rockin", "I Don't Give A Damn" and the Dave Edmunds 70's hit "I Hear You Knockin", and his version of "Johnny B. Goode" absoluetly smoke. You can hear the audience's approval after every song. The sound quality is superb and really brings out that "Live" audience feel. Great CD for those who appreciate a true showman and fantastic guitarist!
If you like Ten Years After you must have this CD. Alvin is in great form playing with intensity and clarity. The production sound is extremely good for a live album and the guitar is especially rich and crisp.

From the first track "Keep On Rockin'" which sounds alot like Ten Years After's "Choo Choo Mama" you know this cd is gonna cook. You've got the hilarious song "Long Legs" which could have been sung by ZZ Top (Its that kind of song), "Boogie All Day" which is very swing oriented, and you even have Alvin doing some cover versions. One being the Dave Edmunds hit "I Hear You Knockin'" which is as good if not better than the original. And Alvin even does a superb job of covering The Beatles tune "I Want You (She's so Heavy)".

It seems that the ex-Ten Years After frontman considers this 2012 release a career recap of sorts, at least judging from its title, which references Lee's first solo album circa 1973. Although Mylon LeFevre, who was co-billed on that disc, is inexplicably M.I.A. (it would have been nice for Lee to mention him in his self-penned liner notes), the organic nature of this one does capture the nearly 40-year-old album's rather loose, homespun structure that was such a departure from Ten Years After's "I'm Going Home" boogie. Still, this is bookended by some of Lee's most overtly TYA-sounding material, with the lead-off title track and especially "Midnight Creeper" capturing his first band's psychedelic blues as effectively as anything he's recorded since…