"Essential" by "Ten Years After" is something of a rarity as I find it faultless in collecting together on one C.D what is the "Essential" recordings. In other words, a true "Bests Of" Ten Years After.
"Ten Years After" were the classic case of a band with limited talent, but they aimed all their time and effort at what they'd got, and worked their fingers to the bone. They must still hold the record for a major band touring the states completing a total of 28 coast to coast tours. The main object of their talent was fastest guitarist in the west Alvin Lee, who also handled all the vocals, wrote all the songs, and stood center stage leaving the others very much in subordinate roles.