Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

The First 10 Explosive Years

The First 10 Explosive Years is a 1999 compilation album by British rock band Atomic Rooster. It is on the Angel Air record label and, like all their Atomic Rooster and related-artists releases, is derived from original tapes owned and remastered by John Du Cann.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
307 w
Citations
3
Source
The First 10 Explosive Years
Compilation album by
Released1999
GenreRock
LabelAngel Air
Atomic Rooster chronology
In Satan's Name: The Definitive Collection
(1997)
The First 10 Explosive Years
(1999)
Rarities
(2000)

The First 10 Explosive Years is a 1999 compilation album by British rock band Atomic Rooster.1 It is on the Angel Air record label and, like all their Atomic Rooster and related-artists releases, is derived from original tapes owned and remastered by John Du Cann.

Whilst prog-reviewers cite it as a good compilation that captures some highlights of the band's career,2 it consists entirely of unlicensed tracks, whose copyright is owned by Sanctuary (who purchased the B&C and Dawn catalogues), EMI and Polydor Records.

It has been reissued and repackaged at least twice: In 2004, it was teamed with The First Ten Explosive Years Volume 2 and released on the Recall Records label (a subsidiary of Snapper Music) as a double CD titled Tomorrow Night.

In 2005, it was reissued on the German Ambitions/Membran International label as disc one in a two-disc set entitled Rebel with a Clause. The second disc was the 11 track reissue of Headline News.

The album features live versions of two of the band's most successful singles, "Devil's Answer" and "Tomorrow Night."3

Track listing

The First 10 Explosive Years track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Sleeping for Years"5:26
2."Seven Streets"6:41
3."I Can't Take No More"3:31
4."Taken You Over" (also known as "They Took Control of You")4:48
5."Lost in Space"5:51
6."Play It Again"3:10
7."Devil’s Answer" (live in Milan 1981)4:09
8."Rebel with a Clause" (also known as "Start to Live")2:56
9."Night Living" (also known as "Living Underground")3:36
10."Death Walks Behind You"7:18
11."It's So Unkind"4:05
12."When You Go to Bed"3:42
13."Head in the Sky"5:38
14."Break the Ice"4:57
15."Play the Game"4:45
16."Tomorrow Night" (live studio version 1981)4:50
Total length:81:53
References

References

  1. The First 10 Explosive Years - Atomic Rooster ... | AllMusic, retrieved 3 June 2025
  2. erik neutaboom; AtomicCrimsonRush. "THE FIRST 10 EXPLOSIVE YEARS, Atomic Rooster, Heavy Prog". ProgArchives.
  3. "Charts: Atomic Rooster". Official Charts.