Rainman
2002
The Anthology
About This Album
Because of his spotlight-hogging singer/songwriter/guitarist/frontman status in the popular Ten Years After, Alvin Lee seemed a natural for solo success. But, through a series of well meaning yet increasingly spotty albums released on a variety of labels -- none of which seemed to want to promote him -- Lee's career has been of interest to die-hard British boogie blues lovers only, which makes this 25-year double-disc summary of his dozen or so post-TYA albums so welcome. Typically, when artists choose selections for their own compilations, as is the case here, the tracks aren't those that fans might have picked. But Lee does an admirable job, not only in his mixture of undiscovered treats and some previously unreleased material, but in the non-chronological sequencing that helps this collection flow. Sure, the boogie quotient is evident, but after all, that is what Lee does best. So even when he's simply recycling a Chuck Berry riff on "Play It Like It Used to Be" or his own licks on some live Ten Years After material, he makes the best of a rather weak voice and the limitations that come with the genre. More problematic is the lack of specific track personnel, or even explicitly stating what album every tune is from, in the notes that Lee pens for each song.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,4,5 and 14)

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14.

Disc 2 (try tracks 1,2,4 and 8)

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10.