Correction

One of the reasons I bought this was after reading a review on Amazon, someone wrote that the live version of "I'm Going Home" was from Woodstock. It is not. Just like Big Brother's live version of "Ball and Chain" from Monterey, it is impossible to re-capture a signature live performance. The Woodstock version of "I'm, Going Home" is not matched here.

Not Perfect, But Definitive

This is the definitive anthology of Ten Years After. Granted, there are a few not-so-great songs on this one, but its great ones overpower them. What you thus have is a terrific slice of the late 60s/early 70s English sound. This is one of the roots of both metal AND fusion.

Sounds like guys pretending to be rock stars

My credentials: I bought Cricklewood Green when it was new, and listened to it until I wore it out. I still think it is a fine example of that 60s English bluesy sound. Alvin got more pretentious and smug later; but he had grown from guitar flailer to competent composer/arranger. This was the peak, and it remains a great distance from their nearest plateau.

When the best songs are extracted from a well listened to LP, the effect is somewhat jarring. And in this case, when the best songs left out are replaced by not-as-good songs in the name of completeness, it is especially unsatisfying. I think I'll continue listening to Cricklewood Green, and put this on the shelf. If you want to explore this band, try that. If you need an "essential" collection, I ask why? This is not bad, just not as satisfying as the source.