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| Alvin Lee –
Detroit Diesel – 1986
Legendary Woodstock fast-hand
guitar hero in 1986 solo run-out with “heavy
friends” and other old blokes.
Alvin Lee weary from too much highway-hand-raising,
pulled into a truck stop for a cup of tea and a wad,
and who did he meet? A clue, “Her hair was long and
her dress was tight”.
According to the title track, the usual ensued. At
which the album settles into a timeless, if
unchallenging groove, with Lee Less Flash and
twiddle than in Ten Years After days. A cheerily
hobbyist outing with session pals including Jon
Lord, George Harrison and ex Ten Years After bassist
Leo Lyons, at its salty best (Too Late To Run For
Cover) it catches the touché lurch of a Keith
Richards riff, but the stolid rhythm-section work
nails it as stodgy British jam roly-poly.
By Phil Sutcliffe
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Detroit Diesel 1986
By the time of 1986’s Detroit Diesel,
Alvin Lee had settled down somewhat, no
longer were his songs just showcases for
his astonishing fast guitar technique
and he was finally able to open his
blues-jams into funky grooves. That
doesn’t mean that Detroit Diesel is a
particularly remarkable album, but it
does have more enjoyable moments on it.
Such as, the Rolling “Stonesy” sounding
“Too Late To Run For Cover” than the
average latter-day output of Alvin’s
work.
DC & MIC
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Detroit
Diesel
I saw
Alvin Lee with a power trio at the old Tree Café
in Portland, Maine, in the summer of 1987. It
was a small club with little space on the floor,
plus a balcony above. I ended up standing the
whole show, I was just to the left of the band
who were on a tiny stage.
The show was fantastic! Alvin was promoting his
new record release “Detroit Diesel” at the time
and I went out the next day and bought a copy.
He played several tracks from the album, plus
some Ten Years After stuff and I was hooked. The
title track has a nasty guitar solo, “Just
Another Night” and “Ordinary Man” are excellent
tracks.By a fan |
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Goldmine Magazine – October 24, 1986
Detroit Diesel – 21-Records
Alvin Lee’s churning guitar steers “Detroit
Diesel” in a familiar power rock direction.
The title track reunites Lee with former Ten
Years After mate, bassist Leo Lyons. The songs
basic chord progression, trite lyrics
and common-place arrangements set a
pattern that the remainder of the LP / CD
rarely breaks. A few numbers move, but none
burn.
Lee shifts gears a couple of times. A drum
program underpins “Shot In The Dark” with an
electronic dance-rock-beat. “Back In My Arms”
decelerates to an effective mid tempo shuffle.
George Harrison trades slide guitar licks with
Lee on “Talk Don’t Bother Me,” a subtle bluesy
ditty. The guitar breaks through occasionally
flashy, are confined. Lee never opens up with
an extended, freewheeling solo. This is
unfortunate as Lee’s instrumental jams rather
than his singing or song writing highlights
his career.
Joseph Tortelli
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