"Cricklewood Green" is a studio album by the British blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1970. The album is named after a place in North West London, England, where band member Alvin Lee lived. It was Ten Years After's first album to enter the US Billboard 200 chart, eventually reaching the 14th position, showing a significant increase in the band's popularity in the U.S.
The album comprises nine tracks and includes several of the band's most acclaimed songs, including the opening track, "Sugar the Road," and their popular hit, "Love Like a Man." The latter was released as a single and reached number ten in the UK Singles Chart. The music from Cricklewood Green is often described as a balance between hard rock, blues, and jazz, showcasing the band's musical versatility.
"Cricklewood Green" also marks a change in the band's approach towards album composition. Instead of recording some of their well-polished live performances, they shifted towards creating songs in the studio. This resulted in a more refined, high-quality studio sound and allowed the band to experiment more with their music style, ultimately leading to a more rounded and complete album. The album's cover art, a semi-abstract rural scene, was also appreciated by fans and critics alike.
Overall, "Cricklewood Green" solidified Ten Years After's position as a prominent band in the blues-rock genre and helped further establish them in the U.S. market. Today, it's still considered one of the classic albums from the band's career.
