Ten Years After-Ssssh (1969)

Ten Years After's third album would be the work that paved their way to stardom, not only for its exciting collection of great songs, but also because it was released the same month the band performed at the legendary Woodstock festival, where they delivered one of the most memorable performances ever seen before thousands of people. On "Ssssh", the band, led by Alvin Lee, left behind their forays into psychedelia to fully embrace what they did best: the blues rock that would become Ten Years After's signature sound. The frenetic boogie-blues "Bad Scene" opens side one of the album, followed by brilliant and effective compositions such as the hypnotic country track "Two Time Mama", the powerful "Stoned Woman", and the sensual "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", an excellent cover of the well-known bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson, which closes out side one of the vinyl, brimming with intensity and energy. Side two, while not reaching the same level of enthusiasm, contains tracks like the folk song "I Don't Know That You Don't Know My Name", the hesitant bluesy "The Stomp", and the blues-rock "I Woke Up This Morning". Their acclaimed performance at Woodstock and the subsequent publicity earned them high positions on the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and the band's first gold record.