Ten Years After: Sssh - 1969
This was Ten Years After’s third album, from 1969, and it was far more rocking than the previous one, which had dabbled in jazz and psychedelia. This was far heavier fare. The transition had begun.
Bad Scene is an almost punky thrash to open with, featuring some caustic guitar, pounding piano, frantic drumming and a strange rock ‘n’ roll change of pace in the middle. It sort of defies description - it is not blues rock, or country rock or the psychedelic jazzy stuff from the previous album. Two Time Mama is a short bottleneck-ish blues with that high vocal that Canned Heat would use on Going Up The Country.
Stoned Woman is a fine, chunky, riffy example of how the band were turning from blues to harder rock and this is continued to even greater extent on the excellent cover of Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, which is no longer a blues but a heavy rock workout with "I wanna ball you all night long" lyrics to match.
Would you believe If You Should Love Me puts me in mind of Oasis. It is another track that is so difficult to pigeonhole. I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name is sort of Stonesy, sort of proggy, sort of soulful - all sorts of influences at play here.
The Stomp has a great big swampy blues riff, a magnificent bassline and solid drums. It is Ten Years After at their brooding, bluesy rocking best. Great track. As I said, for 1969, it is certainly proto-punk. I Woke Up This Morning is a robust, industrial strength serving of relentless mid-pace, guitar-powered blues rock that cooks on the highest setting all the way through. Proper, no-nonsense stuff. Play it loud.
