Most casual fans know the Climax Blues Band through "Couldn't Get It Right" and "I Love You," a pair of slick pop and soft-rock hits from the late '70s and early '80s. Those two songs are a little misleading, in a way, since they arrived halfway through a career that spanned over 25 years. Anyone who heard those two hits probably were puzzled by the "Blues" in the group's name, since they were in no way bluesy. As the double-disc, 32-track set 25 Years proves, they started out as a British blues band in the late '60s. Unfortunately, they just weren't very good, slogging through the same three chords without much inspiration for nearly ten years. That decade is represented on the first disc, and while the group does show signs of improvement over those 16 songs, the music is a bit generic, despite titles like "Mole on the Dole," "Losing the Humbles" and "Shopping Bag People." By the late '70s, the band was in desperate need of a hit in order to survive, so they changed their tune, incorporating pop, disco and soft-rock into their sound. "Couldn't Get It Right" was an excellent song, far catchier than any of their early blues tunes, and it deservedly became a Top Ten hit. Following that success, the group turned out a number of songs that tried to replicate the hit, but they couldn't get it right until 1981, when the appealingly schmaltzy "I Love You" almost went Top Ten. Afterward, they played soft-rock until they broke down and decided to return to the blues. 25 Years covers all of these ups and downs, and while that may be a little much for casual fans, it will suite the purpose of anyone who really wants to dig into the Climax Blues Band's career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Credits
Richard Jones Keyboards
Peter Haycock Guitar
Colin Cooper Saxophone, Vocals
John Cuffley Drums
Derek Holt Bass