Jeff Beck | ||
| Allmusic Biography : While he was as innovative as Jimmy Page, as tasteful as Eric Clapton, and nearly as visionary as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck never achieved the same commercial success as any of those contemporaries, primarily because of the haphazard way he approached his career. After Rod Stewart left the Jeff Beck Group in 1971, Beck never worked with a charismatic lead singer who could have helped sell his music to a wide audience. Furthermore, he was simply too idiosyncratic, moving from heavy metal to jazz fusion within a blink of an eye. As his career progressed, he became more fascinated by automobiles than guitars, releasing only one album during the course of the 90s. All the while, Beck retained the respect of fellow guitarists, who found his reclusiveness all the more alluring. Beck began his musical career following a short stint at Londons Wimbledon Art College. He earned a reputation by supporting Lord Sutch, which helped him land the job as the Yardbirds lead guitarist following the departure of Eric Clapton. Beck stayed with the Yardbirds for nearly two years, leaving in late 1966 with the pretense that he was retiring from music. He returned several months later with "Love Is Blue," a single he played poorly because he detested the song. Later in 1967, he formed the Jeff Beck Group with vocalist Rod Stewart, bassist Ron Wood, and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who was quickly replaced by Mickey Waller; keyboardist Nicky Hopkins joined in early 1968. With their crushingly loud reworkings of blues songs and vocal and guitar interplay, the Jeff Beck Group established the template for heavy metal. Neither of the bands records, Truth (1968) or Beck-Ola (a 1969 album that was recorded with new drummer Tony Newman), was particularly successful, and the bandmembers tended to fight regularly, especially on their frequent tours of the U.S. In 1970, Stewart and Wood left to join the Faces, and Beck broke up the group. Beck had intended to form a power trio with Vanilla Fudge members Carmine Appice (drums) and Tim Bogert (bass), but those plans were derailed when he suffered a serious car crash in 1970. By the time he recuperated in 1971, Bogart and Appice were playing in Cactus, so the guitarist formed a new version of the Jeff Beck Group. Featuring keyboardist Max Middleton, drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Clive Chaman, and vocalist Bobby Tench, the new band recorded Rough and Ready (1971) and Jeff Beck Group (1972). Neither album attracted much attention. Cactus dissolved in late 1972, and Beck, Bogert, and Appice formed a power trio the following year. The groups lone studio album -- a live record released in Japan but never in the U.K. or U.S. -- was widely panned due to its plodding arrangements and weak vocals, and the group disbanded the following year. For about 18 months, Beck remained quiet, re-emerging in 1975 with Blow by Blow. Produced by George Martin, Blow by Blow was an all-instrumental jazz fusion album that received strong reviews. Beck collaborated with Jan Hammer, a former keyboardist for Mahavishnu Orchestra, for 1976s Wired, and supported the album with a co-headlining tour with Hammers band. The tour was documented on the 1977 album Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group: Live. After the Hammer tour, Beck retired to his estate outside of London and remained quiet for three years. He returned in 1980 with There and Back, which featured contributions from Hammer. Following the tour for There and Back, Beck retired again, returning five years later with the slick, Nile Rodgers-produced Flash. A pop/rock album recorded with a variety of vocalists, Flash featured Becks only hit single, the Stewart-sung "People Get Ready," and also boasted "Escape," which won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental. During 1987, he played lead guitar on Mick Jaggers second solo album, Primitive Cool. There was another long wait between Flash and 1989s Jeff Becks Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas. Though the album sold only moderately well, Guitar Shop received uniformly strong reviews and won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental. Beck supported the album with a tour, this time co-headlining with guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Again, Beck entered semi-retirement upon the completion of the tour. In 1992, Beck played lead guitar on Roger Waters comeback album, Amused to Death. A year later, he released Crazy Legs, a tribute to Gene Vincent and his lead guitarist, Cliff Gallup, which was recorded with Big Town Playboys. Beck remained quiet after the albums release prior to resurfacing in 1999 with Who Else! You Had It Coming followed in 2001 and his 14th release, Jeff, was issued on Epic two years later. An excellent live set, Performing This Week: Live at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, was released in 2008 by Eagle Records. Emotion & Commotion, Becks first new studio album in seven years, appeared in the spring of 2010. It was greeted by considerable acclaim, including winning two Grammy Awards in 2011 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Appropriately, Beck released a live album called Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum in the fall of 2010, followed by Rock & Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul), a salute to Becks hero featuring vocals by Imelda May. Over the next few years, Beck gigged regularly, highlighted by a 2013 joint tour with Brian Wilson; the duo planned to record together but those plans fell apart. In April 2015, Beck released Live+, a record culled from concerts given in August 2014 augmented by two new studio cuts. The following summer brought the all-new Loud Hailer, an album recorded with vocalist Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 29 Title: The Best of Jeff Beck Released: Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hi-Ho Silver Lining (02:56) 2 Beck’s Bolero (02:54) 3 Greensleeves (01:49) 4 You Shook Me (02:32) 5 Tallyman (02:46) 6 Rock My Plimsoul (04:15) 7 Jailhouse Rock (03:14) 8 Shapes Of Things (03:20) 9 All Shook Up (04:52) 10 I Aint Superstitious (04:56) 11 Plynth (Water Down The Drain) (03:05) 12 Love Is Blue (02:57) 13 Morning Dew (04:42) 14 Spanish Boots (03:32) 15 Rice Pudding (07:25) 16 Ive Been Drinking (03:17) |
 | Album: 2 of 29 Title: Blow by Blow Released: 1975-03 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Know What I Mean (04:06) 2 She’s a Woman (04:31) 3 Constipated Duck (02:48) 4 Air Blower (05:09) 5 Scatterbrain (05:40) 6 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (05:42) 7 Thelonius (03:17) 8 Freeway Jam (04:58) 9 Diamond Dust (08:25) |
| Blow by Blow : Allmusic album Review : Blow by Blow typifies Jeff Becks wonderfully unpredictable career. Released in 1975, Becks fifth effort as a leader and first instrumental album was a marked departure from its more rock-based predecessors. Only composer/keyboardist Max Middleton returned from Becks previous lineups. To Becks credit, Blow by Blow features a tremendous supporting cast. Middletons tasteful use of the Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and analog synthesizers leaves a soulful imprint. Drummer Richard Bailey is in equal measure supportive and propulsive as he deftly combines elements of jazz and funk with contemporary mixed meters. Much of the albums success is also attributable to the excellent material, which includes Middletons two originals and two collaborations with Beck, a clever arrangement of Lennon and McCartneys "Shes a Woman," and two originals by Stevie Wonder. George Martins ingenious production and string arrangements rival his greatest work. Becks versatile soloing and diverse tones are clearly the albums focus, and he proves to be an adept rhythm player. Blow by Blow is balanced by open-ended jamming and crisp ensemble interaction as it sidesteps the bombast that sank much of the jazz-rock fusion of the period. One of the albums unique qualities is the sense of fun that permeates the performances. On the opening "You Know What I Mean," Becks stinging, blues-based soloing is full of imaginative shapes and daring leaps. On "Air Blower," elaborate layers of rhythm, duel lead, and solo guitars find their place in the mix. Propelled by the galvanic rhythm section, Beck slashes his way into "Scatterbrain," where a dizzying keyboard and guitar line leads to more energetic soloing from Beck and Middleton. In Stevie Wonders ballad "Cause Weve Ended as Lovers," Beck variously coaxes and unleashes sighs and screams from his guitar in an aching dedication to Roy Buchanan. Middletons aptly titled "Freeway Jam" best exemplifies the albums loose and fun-loving qualities, with Beck again riding high atop the rhythm sections wave. As with "Scatterbrain," Martins impeccable string arrangements enhance the subtle harmonic shades of the closing "Diamond Dust." Blow by Blow signaled a new creative peak for Beck, and it proved to be a difficult act to follow. It is a testament to the power of effective collaboration and, given the circumstances, Beck clearly rose to the occasion. In addition to being a personal milestone, Blow by Blow ranks as one of the premiere recordings in the canon of instrumental rock music. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 29 Title: Wired Released: 1976 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Led Boots (04:03) 2 Come Dancing (05:54) 3 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (05:30) 4 Head for Backstage Pass (02:44) 5 Blue Wind (05:54) 6 Sophie (06:31) 7 Play With Me (04:10) 8 Love Is Green (02:30) |
| Wired : Allmusic album Review : Released in 1976, Jeff Becks Wired contains some of the best jazz-rock fusion of the period. Wired is generally more muscular, albeit less-unique than its predecessor, Blow by Blow. Joining keyboardist Max Middleton, drummer Richard Bailey, and producer George Martin from the Blow by Blow sessions are drummer Narada Michael Walden, bassist Wilbur Bascomb, and keyboardist Jan Hammer. Beck contributed no original material to Wired, instead relying on the considerable talents of his supporting cast. Perhaps this explains why Wired is not as cohesive as Blow by Blow, seemingly more assembled from component parts. Waldens powerful drumming propels much of Wired, particularly Middletons explosive opener, "Led Boots," where Beck erupts into a stunning solo of volcanic intensity. Walden also contributes four compositions, including the funk-infused "Come Dancing," which adds an unnamed horn section. While Waldens "Sophie" is overly long and marred by Hammers arena rock clichés, his "Play With Me" is spirited and Hammers soloing more melodic. Acoustic guitar and piano predominate the closing ballad, "Love Is Green"; Becks electric solo gracefully massages the quiet timbres. Wired is well balanced by looser, riff-oriented material and Waldens more intricate compositions. Walden and Hammer give Wired a 70s-era jazz-rock flavor that is indicative of their work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Bascombs throw-down, "Head for Backstage Pass," finds Bailey skillfully navigating the mixed meters while Beck counters with a dazzling, gritty solo. Hammers "Blue Wind" features an infectious riff over which Beck and Hammer trade heated salvos. As good as "Blue Wind" is, it would have benefited from the Walden/Bascomb rhythm section and a horn arrangement by Martin. One of Wireds finest tracks is an arrangement of Charles Mingus "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." Becks playing is particularly alluring: cleanly ringing tones, weeping bends, and sculpted feedback form a resonant palette. Bailey and Middleton lend supple support. Within a two-year span, the twin towers Blow by Blow and Wired set a standard for instrumental rock that even Beck has found difficult to match. On Wired, with first-rate material and collaborators on hand, one of rocks most compelling guitarists is in top form. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 29 Title: Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Released: 1977-03 Tracks: 7 Duration: 44:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Freeway Jam (07:24) 2 Earth (Still Our Only Home) (04:36) 3 She’s a Woman (04:26) 4 Full Moon Boogie (06:08) 5 Darkness/Earth in Search of a Sun (07:53) 6 Scatterbrain (07:27) 7 Blue Wind (06:34) |
 | Album: 5 of 29 Title: There and Back Released: 1980-07 Tracks: 8 Duration: 35:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Star Cycle (04:59) 2 Too Much to Lose (02:59) 3 You Never Know (04:04) 4 The Pump (05:50) 5 El Becko (04:01) 6 The Golden Road (04:57) 7 Space Boogie (05:10) 8 The Final Peace (03:40) |
| There and Back : Allmusic album Review : There and Back, Jeff Becks first new studio album in four years, found him moving from old keyboard partner Jan Hammer (three tracks) to new one Tony Hymas (five), which turned out to be the difference between competition and support. Hence, the second side of this instrumental album is more engaging and less of a funk-fusion extravaganza than most of the first. If it were anybody else, youd say that this was a transitional album, but this was the only studio album Beck released between 1976 and 1985, which makes it more like an unexpected Christmas letter from an old friend: "Everythings fine, still playing guitar." | ||
 | Album: 6 of 29 Title: Flash Released: 1985 Tracks: 9 Duration: 39:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ambitious (04:28) 2 Gets Us All in the End (05:54) 3 Escape (04:31) 4 People Get Ready (04:46) 5 Stop, Look and Listen (04:16) 6 Get Workin’ (03:27) 7 Ecstasy (03:38) 8 Night After Night (03:32) 9 You Know, We Know (05:25) |
| Flash : Allmusic album Review : Produced by Nile Rodgers and Arthur Baker, Flash is Jeff Becks surprisingly successful stab at a pop album, featuring a fine performance with Rod Stewart on "People Get Ready." | ||
 | Album: 7 of 29 Title: Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop Released: 1989-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 39:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Guitar Shop (05:03) 2 Savoy (03:52) 3 Behind the Veil (04:55) 4 Big Block (04:09) 5 Where Were You (03:17) 6 Stand on It (04:59) 7 Day in the House (05:04) 8 Two Rivers (05:25) 9 Sling Shot (03:07) |
| Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop : Allmusic album Review : Guitar Shop represents guitar hero Jeff Becks return to the scene following his 1985 pop/rock-based recording, Flash; an outing that featured his one time lead vocalist, Rod Stewart. Essentially, this 1989 release provides Becks ardent admirers with a power-packed outing, brimming with memorable melodies, drummer Terry Bozzios often blistering rock drumming, and keyboardist Tony Hymas effective synth textures. Here, Beck surges onward in altogether stunning fashion via his quirky lead lines, sweet-tempered slide guitar work, disfigured extended notes and deterministic mode of execution. With "Behind the Veil," the band delves into a reggae groove, featuring Becks lower register thematic statements and well-placed notes. Otherwise, the ensemble tackles the blues and hard rock motifs amid Becks crunching chord clusters, animated lines, and soaring heavenward soloing on the lovely and somewhat ethereal ballad titled "Two Rivers." Simply put, this is a wonderfully produced effort and a significant entry into the artists extensive recorded legacy. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 29 Title: Shapes of Things Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shapes of Things (02:23) 2 New York City Blues (04:19) 3 Someone to Love (Part One) (02:25) 4 I Ain’t Done Wrong (03:18) 5 Mister You’re a Better Man Than I (03:16) 6 Jeff’s Blues (03:03) 7 Someone to Love (Part Two) (04:16) 8 For R.S.G. (04:06) 9 I Ain’t Got You (01:58) 10 What Do You Want (03:10) |
 | Album: 9 of 29 Title: Beckology Released: 1991-11-19 Tracks: 55 Duration: 3:46:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Trouble in Mind (02:18) 2 Nursery Rhyme (live) (05:50) 3 Wandering Man Blues (03:28) 4 Steeled Blues (02:39) 5 Heart Full of Soul (02:29) 6 I’m Not Talking (02:32) 7 I Ain’t Done Wrong (03:39) 8 The Train Kept A-Rollin (03:25) 9 I’m a Man (02:38) 10 Shapes of Things (02:26) 11 Over Under Sideways Down (02:23) 12 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (02:55) 13 Hot House of Omagarashid (02:40) 14 Lost Woman (03:08) 15 Rack My Mind (03:14) 16 The Nazz Are Blue (03:02) 17 Psycho Daisies (01:48) 18 Jeffs Boogie (02:24) 19 Too Much Monkey Business (live) (02:30) 20 The Sun Is Shining (live) (02:43) 21 Youre a Better Man Than I (live) (03:57) 22 Love Me Like I Love You (live) (02:51) 23 Hi Ho Silver Lining (02:53) 24 Tallyman (02:46) 25 Becks Bolero (02:51) 1 Shapes of Things (03:19) 2 I Ain’t Superstitious (04:53) 3 Rock My Plimsoul (03:40) 4 Jailhouse Rock (03:14) 5 Plynth (Water Down the Drain) (03:05) 6 Ive Been Drinking (03:19) 7 Definitely Maybe (05:02) 8 New Ways Train Train (05:51) 9 Going Down (06:51) 10 I Cant Give Back the Love I Feel for You (02:42) 11 Superstition (04:19) 12 Black Cat Moan (live) (09:17) 13 Blues Deluxe / BBA Boogie (live) (16:42) 14 Jizz Whizz (04:24) 1 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (05:42) 2 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (05:30) 3 Love Is Green (02:30) 4 Diamond Dust (08:22) 5 Freeway Jam (Live) (07:24) 6 The Pump (05:50) 7 People Get Ready (04:56) 8 Escape (04:39) 9 Gets Us All in the End (06:05) 10 Back on the Street (03:42) 11 Wild Thing (04:13) 12 The Train Kept A-Rollin (03:59) 13 Sleep Walk (02:18) 14 The Stumble (03:02) 15 Big Block (04:09) 16 Where Were You (03:16) |
| Beckology : Allmusic album Review : This triple-CD set -- obviously modeled after the four-CD Eric Clapton Crossroads box -- was the first attempt to survey Jeff Becks entire career. In actual fact, that would be a hopeless task, given the amount of anonymous session work that the guitarist did circa 1964-1966, but Beckology still manages to touch a few unexpected bases, even as it strings together all of the obvious and most of the important sides in Becks output. Disc one opens with the most alluring part of the entire set, three demo tracks left behind by Becks 1963-1965 group, the Tridents; the first official releases by this band are of far more than academic interest, presenting a first-rate blues/R&B; outfit supercharged by Becks guitar and Ray Cooks drumming, doing killer Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley material, and even showing off Becks prowess as a singer. The next 15 tracks represent the core of the Yardbirds output during Becks tenure, which lasted from March of 1965 through the summer of 1966 -- anything here could justify a place on a Yardbirds best-of set; the makers have rounded this disc out with four live cuts by the band from the BBC archives, including Becks extraordinary homage to Elmore James guitar playing on "The Sun Is Shining" and the unheralded group original "Love Me Like I Love You", and finish the platter with Becks first three solo single sides, two of which, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tally Man," comprise the guitarists brief, achingly beautiful virtuoso digression into trippy psychedelic pop, before he broke through to the more fertile field of what came to be known as heavy metal. Disc two is all of that, made up of the core of his output with the Jeff Beck Group and Beck Bogert & Appice, the latter filled out with a pair of previously unissued tracks: a live version of "Blues Deluxe/BBA Boogie" and "Jizz Whizz." Disc three skips across Becks instrumental sides off of Blow by Blow, Wired, and There and Back and his tour with the Jan Hammer Group from the later 1970s, and wraps up with ten songs from Flash and Jeff Becks Guitar Shop, sandwiching some key odd singles and Becks contributions to the soundtracks of the movies Twins and Porkys Revenge. There are flaws in this set, to be sure; originally conceived as a four-disc retrospective, it was reduced to three, over Becks wishes that some proposed cuts be omitted and Sony Musics timidity over the sales prospect of the four-CD set. But it is a good package within those boundaries, with fairly thorough annotation accompanied by great photos and a Pete Frame family tree, and, above all, excellent tape research -- not only were the right masters (i.e., the mono masters) used on "Hot House of Omagarashid" and "Lost Woman," but this is also the only CD package to combine the Yardbirds 1965 catalog material with their 1966 tracks (owned by separate parties who will not get together). The mastering of it all is so clean that it put most of the older versions of this material to shame at the time. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 29 Title: Crazy Legs Released: 1993-06-08 Tracks: 18 Duration: 41:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Race With the Devil (02:00) 2 Cruisin’ (02:22) 3 Crazy Legs (02:03) 4 Double Talkin’ Baby (02:15) 5 Woman Love (02:35) 6 Lotta Lovin’ (02:04) 7 Catman (02:24) 8 Pink Thunderbird (02:30) 9 Baby Blue (02:36) 10 You Better Believe (02:09) 11 Who Slapped John? (01:55) 12 Say Mama (02:13) 13 Red Blue Jeans and a Pony Tail (02:18) 14 Five Feet of Lovin’ (02:11) 15 B-I-Bickey-Bi-Bo-Bo-Go (02:12) 16 Blues Stay Away From Me (02:24) 17 Pretty Pretty Baby (02:26) 18 Hold Me, Hug Me, Rock Me (02:15) |
| Crazy Legs : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Beck has made many strange albums, but none were ever quite as strange as this. With the Big Town Playboys offering support, Beck rips through 18 Gene Vincent numbers (not "Be-Bop-a-Lula," however), paying tribute to Vincents guitarist, Cliff Gallup. Beck sounds terrific as he reconstructs Gallups parts, but he doesnt add anything to the originals. Still, Crazy Legs is a fun listen and offers many insights into Becks playing, if not Gallups. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 29 Title: Best of Beck Released: 1995-08-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:05:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Pump (05:47) 2 People Get Ready (04:54) 3 Freeway Jam (04:58) 4 Shapes of Things (03:20) 5 Where Were You (03:16) 6 Becks Bolero (02:51) 7 Going Down (06:51) 8 Jailhouse Rock (03:14) 9 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (05:30) 10 Blue Wind (06:11) 11 Plynth (Water Down the Drain) (03:07) 12 Two Rivers (05:21) 13 Scatterbrain (05:40) 14 She’s a Woman (04:31) |
 | Album: 12 of 29 Title: Who Else! Released: 1999-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 54:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What Mama Said (03:24) 2 Psycho Sam (04:57) 3 Brush With the Blues (06:26) 4 Blast From the East (04:48) 5 Space for the Papa (07:43) 6 Angel (Footsteps) (06:33) 7 THX138 (06:17) 8 Hip-Notica (04:42) 9 Even Odds (03:31) 10 Declan (04:04) 11 Another Place (01:48) |
| Who Else! : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Beck has never shied away from following trends, at least as far as the musical styles he uses to back up his signature guitar sound. Back in 1969, in a sleeve note on Beck-Ola, he noted that he hadnt come up with "anything totally original," and instead made an album "with the accent on heavy music" at a time when the "heavy music" of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin was all the rage. In 1975, at the height of the jazz fusion movement, he made a jazz fusion album, and a good one, too. In both cases, however, the fashionable genres only provided a contemporary-sounding context in which his playing could flourish. If anyone has ever needed to be inspired to work, its this recluse. So on his first regular studio album of new material in ten years, Who Else!, Beck, on at least a few tracks, solos over heavily percussive techno tracks reminiscent of Prodigy. But whether hes piercing such a rhythmic wall, rearranging the blues on the live "Blast From the East," or floating over an ambient soundscape on "Angel (Footsteps)," its the same old Beck, with his stinging and sustained single-note melodies, his harmonics, his contrasting tones, his drive. And the man who played "Greensleeves" straight on Truth in 1968 is the same one who is faithful to the Irish air "Declan" here. Older fans who havent been spending time at raves in recent years may want to program their CDs to avoid the electronica, but they should at least give those tunes a listen -- are they any heavier than the "heavy music" of 1969? | ||
 | Album: 13 of 29 Title: Guitar Legends Released: 2000 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:05:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Shook Up (04:53) 2 I Ain’t Superstitious (04:54) 3 Rice Pudding (07:22) 4 Shapes of Things (03:19) 5 You Shook Me (02:31) 6 Chuckles (02:22) 7 Steelin’ (02:39) 8 Beck’s Bolero (02:54) 9 Hi‐Ho Silver Lining (02:53) 10 Morning Dew (04:42) 11 Ol’ Man River (04:00) 12 Rock My Plimsoul (04:14) 13 Blues De Luxe (07:32) 14 Spanish Boots (03:37) 15 Plynth (Water Down the Drain) (03:09) 16 The Hangman’s Knee (04:49) |
| Guitar Legends : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Becks career has had many twists and turns over the years, with a variety of different musical styles touched upon (psychedelia, heavy metal, blues, fusion, funk, pop, rockabilly, etc.). While 1995s Best of Beck does a dandy job of touching upon most of his stylistic detours, 2002s Guitar Legends focuses solely on his early years (more precisely, his psychedelia/heavy metal/blues period). Including most of the highlights from the original Jeff Beck Groups classic first two releases, 1968s Truth and 1969s Beck-Ola, highlights include a pre-household word Rod Stewart vocalizing on such tracks as "All Shook Up," "I Aint Superstitious," "Rock My Plimsoul," and "Spanish Boots." Also included is the instrumental "Becks Bolero," the only track that has surfaced from a projected supergroup circa 1966, which was to have included Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, and John Paul Jones (!), in addition to Becks biggest hit single back home in the U.K., a rocked-up reading of the standard "Hi-Ho Silver Lining." There are 16 tracks in all, and if youre interested in sampling Becks early years, Guitar Legends is recommended. But if its a thorough Jeff Beck career overview youre looking for, the aforementioned Best of Beck is your best bet. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 29 Title: You Had It Coming Released: 2000-11-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Earthquake (03:18) 2 Roy’s Toy (03:35) 3 Dirty Mind (03:51) 4 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (03:12) 5 Nadia (03:51) 6 Loose Cannon (05:17) 7 Rosebud (03:44) 8 Left Hook (04:22) 9 Blackbird (01:27) 10 Suspension (03:21) |
| You Had It Coming : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Beck returns two years after the ten-years-in-the-making Who Else?, and You Had It Coming isnt surprising just for its rapidity, but for its music. From the moment the electronicized, post-rave beats of "Earthquake" kick off the record, its clear that Beck isnt content to stay in place -- hes trying to adapt to the modern world. To a certain extent, this isnt an entirely new phenomenon, since each of his records is clearly, inextricably of its time, from the crunching metal of Truth through the breezy jazz fusion of Blow By Blow to the modernized album rock of Guitar Shop. This is just another side of that, as Beck works with electronic music, both noisy and new age introspective. Its a bit clever, actually, since Becks playing has always been otherworldly, dipping, bending, and sounding like anything other than a normal guitar. The problem is, when hes surrounded by lockstep, processed beats and gurgling synths, his guitar doesnt leap to the forefront and capture attention the way it does on his best recordings. Still, theres something to be said for the effort, because even if it doesnt sound like a Beck record, it isnt a bad record, and its certainly a helluva lot more successful than Claptons similar forays into these waters. Besides, knowing that he knocked this out so quickly makes it a little endearing. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 29 Title: L.A. Breakdown Released: 2001 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Heart Full of Soul (02:31) 2 Steeled Blues (02:37) 3 Im Not Talking (02:35) 4 I Aint Done Wrong (03:38) 5 Mister Youre a Better Man Than I (03:20) 6 Im A Man (02:38) 7 Jeffs Blues (03:07) 8 Like Jimmy Reed Again (03:08) 9 What Do You Want (03:13) 10 Stroll On (02:44) 11 Steelin (02:40) 12 Chuckles (02:21) 13 L.A. Breakdown (02:04) 14 Down in the Boots (03:33) |
 | Album: 16 of 29 Title: Shapes of Things: 60s Groups and Sessions Released: 2003 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:12:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Draculas Daughter (03:42) 2 Come Back Baby (02:24) 3 Im Not Runnning Away (02:37) 4 So Sweet (02:14) 5 Thats My Story (02:14) 6 Stormy Monday Blues (03:37) 7 Heart Full of Soul (02:29) 8 Evil Hearted You (02:26) 9 Still Im Sad (02:59) 10 Shapes of Things (02:27) 11 Train Kept A-Rollin’ (03:26) 12 Jeffs Blues (03:06) 13 Steelin (02:39) 14 Chuckles (02:22) 15 But Shes Mine (02:02) 16 And the Sun Will Shine (03:06) 17 The Dog Presides (02:47) 18 Hi Ho Silver Lining (02:53) 19 Becks Bolero (02:54) 20 Rock My Plimsoul (04:14) 21 Utterly Simple (02:37) 22 Barabajagal (Love is Hot) (03:21) 23 Bed With Me (Thudi) (02:24) 24 The Eureka Springs Garbage Lady (03:47) 25 The Captains Fat Theresa Shoes (01:59) 26 The Ghost Chained to the Past, Present, and Future (01:45) |
 | Album: 17 of 29 Title: Jeff Released: 2003-08-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 So What (04:19) 2 Plan B (04:49) 3 Pork‐U‐Pine (04:06) 4 Seasons (03:48) 5 Trouble Man (03:34) 6 Grease Monkey (03:34) 7 Hot Rod Honeymoon (03:33) 8 Line Dancing With Monkeys (05:18) 9 JB’s Blues (04:20) 10 Pay Me No Mind (Jeff Beck remix) (03:18) 11 My Thing (04:10) 12 Bulgaria (02:00) 13 Why Lord Oh Why? (04:41) |
| Jeff : Allmusic album Review : "If the voice dont say it, the guitar will play it," raps Saffron on "Pork-U-Pine," the third track on Jeff Becks minimally titled Jeff. And he does. Beck teams with producer Andy Wright, the man responsible for his more complete immersion into electronic backdrops on his last outing, You Had It Coming. This time the transition is complete. Beck used electronica first on Who Else!, moved a little more into the fire on You Had It Coming, and here merges his full-on Beck-Ola guitar heaviness with the sounds of contemporary spazz-out big beats and noise. Beck and Wright employ Apollo 440 on "Grease Monkey" and "Hot Rod Honeymoon," and use a number of vocalists, including the wondrously gifted Nancy Sorrell, on a host of tracks, as well as the London Session Orchestra on others (such as "Seasons," where hip-hop, breakbeats, and old-school Tangerine Dream sequencing meet the guitarists deep blues and funk-drenched guitar stylings). As for atmospherics, David Torn (aka producer Splattercell) offers a shape-shifting mix of glitch tracks on "Plan B" for Beck to wax on both acoustically and electrically, and make them weigh a ton. But its on cuts like "Trouble Man," a purely instrumental big drum and guitar skronk workout, where Beck truly shines here. With a rhythm section of Dean Garcia and Steve Barney -- and Tony Hymas appears as well -- Beck goes completely overboard: the volume screams and the sheer crunch of his riffs and solos split the rhythm tracks in two, then four, and finally eight, as he turns single-string runs into commentaries on everything from heavy metal to East Indian classical music. The industrial crank and burn of "Grease Monkey" is an outing fraught with danger for the guitarist, who has to whirl away inside a maelstrom of deeply funky noise -- and Beck rides the top of the wave into dirty drum hell and comes out wailing. For those who feel they need a dose of Becks rootsier and bluesier playing, there is one, but the context is mentally unglued. "Hot Rod Honeymoon" is a drum and bass sprint with Beck playing both slide and Texas-style blues à la Albert Collins, letting the strings bite into the beats. The vocals are a bit cheesy, but the entire track is so huge its easy to overlook them. "Line Dancing With Monkeys" has a splintered Delta riff at its core, but it mutates, shifts, changes shape, and becomes the kind of spooky blues that cannot be made with conventional instruments. His turnarounds into the myopic rhythms provide a kind of menacing foil to their increasing insistence in the mix. Before gabber-style drum and bass threaten to break out of the box, Becks elongated bent-note solos tame them. "JBs Blues" is the oddest thing here because its so ordinary; it feels like it belongs on an updated Blow By Blow. In all this is some of the most emotionally charged and ferocious playing of Becks career. Within the context of contemporary beatronica, Beck flourishes. He find a worthy opponent to tame in the machines, and his ever-present funkiness is allowed to express far more excess than restraint. This is as fine a modern guitar record as you are ever going to hear. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 29 Title: Live at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill September 10, 2003 Released: 2005-06-29 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:04:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Roy’s Toy (02:59) 2 Psycho Sam (04:18) 3 Big Block (04:27) 4 Freeway Jam (04:46) 5 Brush With the Blues (04:33) 6 Scatterbrain (03:41) 7 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (04:07) 8 Nadia (03:39) 9 Savoy (03:37) 10 Angel (Footsteps) (04:09) 11 Seasons (03:08) 12 Where Were You (02:25) 13 You Never Know (03:46) 14 A Day in the Life (05:08) 15 People Get Ready (04:28) 16 My Thing (04:56) |
 | Album: 19 of 29 Title: Official Bootleg USA 06 Released: 2007-05-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:05:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bolero (03:34) 2 Stratus (04:33) 3 You Never Know (03:02) 4 Cause Weve Ended (03:58) 5 Behind the Veil (04:33) 6 Two Rivers (04:35) 7 Star Cycle (05:15) 8 Big Block (05:53) 9 Nadia (03:24) 10 Angels (05:28) 11 Scatterbrain (03:50) 12 Led Boots (04:25) 13 Pork Pie (06:20) 14 Brush (04:05) 15 Rainbow (02:47) |
| Official Bootleg USA '06 : Allmusic album Review : A release originally only sold at shows and on his web site, 2007s Official Bootleg USA 06, documents most (but not all) of a Jeff Beck performance at the Greek Theater in California. Joining Beck were keyboardist Jason Rebello, bassist Pino Palladino, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, as well as a string section for a portion of the set. Compared to a live Beck release that would appear a year later, 2008s Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scotts, Official Bootleg features much looser playing from the guitarist. Case in point, on renditions of such mid-70s classics as "Blue Wind" and "Led Boots," and a cover of Billy Cobhams "Stratus" (a nod to one of Becks favorite players -- the late great Tommy Bolin -- who played on Cobhams Spectrum album). But when Becks playing catches fire, look out, as evidenced by a simply rip-roaring rendition of "Scatterbrain." And the string section makes an otherwise guitar a cappella rendition of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" simply chilling. While the aforementioned Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scotts is probably better due to the strength of Becks playing that night, Official Bootleg USA 06 still includes many highlights for many a Beck-head. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 29 Title: Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott’s Released: 2008 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:54:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Beck’s Bolero (03:29) 2 Eternity’s Breath (01:14) 3 Stratus (04:47) 4 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (05:17) 5 Behind the Veil (05:09) 6 You Never Know (03:20) 7 Nadia (03:41) 8 Blast From the East (04:40) 9 Led Boots (04:23) 10 Angel (Footsteps) (05:41) 11 Scatterbrain (04:32) 12 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With the Blues (06:14) 13 Space Boogie (04:20) 14 Big Block (05:49) 15 A Day in the Life (04:46) 16 Where Were You (02:51) 1 People Get Ready (05:07) 2 Blanket (06:28) 3 Little Brown Bird (04:26) 4 You Need Love (04:21) 5 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (04:39) 6 Race With the Devil (02:19) 7 Crazy Legs (02:02) 8 Train Kept a Rollin’ (02:10) 9 My Baby Left Me (02:34) 10 Matchbox (02:25) 11 Baby Blue (02:30) 12 Honky Tonk (05:08) |
| Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott’s : Allmusic album Review : Anyone who caught Jeff Becks set at Eric Claptons 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival (or even the two-song DVD excerpt) was probably salivating at the hope that an entire performance with the same band would appear on CD and DVD. This is it, 72 minutes and 16 tracks compiled from a week of shows at the U.K.s famed Ronnie Scotts, and its as impressive as any Beck fan would expect. The guitarists last official U.S.-released live disc was from his 1976 Wired tour (an authorized "bootleg" of his 2006 tour with bassist Pino Palladino is available at gigs and online; others pop up as expensive imports), making the appearance of this music from just over three decades later a long-awaited, much-anticipated event. Only one track, the frenzied "Scatterbrain," is repeated here from the 1976 album, but with an entirely different, and arguably more sympathetic, band backing him along with a far longer playing time, this disc is the stronger of the two. Veteran drummer Vinnie Colaiuta nimbly keeps the beat, Jason Rebellos keyboards arent nearly as intrusive as Jan Hammers, and young bassist Tal Wilkenfelds rubbery lines both underpin and, in the case of "Cause Weve Ended as Lovers," take the lead when called on with vibrant proficiency and a sure sense of the bottom end needed for Becks excursions into funk, fusion, reggae, jazz, and rock. The entirely instrumental concert focuses predominantly where youd expect it to -- on Becks innovative leads as he tears into his catalog of fusion fare, going back to Blow by Blow, with a surprise opening of "Becks Bolero" from his Jeff Beck Group rock years. A short rendition of Charles Mingus "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" that segues into a tense "Brush with the Blues" is a disc highlight, as it shows Beck pulling out many of his six-string tricks and taps into his blues background. "Space Boogie" gives drummer Colaiuta a chance to shine with double-speed licks, and affords keyboardist Rebello a spotlight for his jazz piano skills. But its Beck who slams into the track with aggressive fluidity, shooting out sizzling solos as the band pushes him along. His sensitive cover of the Beatles "A Day in the Life," a longtime live staple, is a showstopper bringing Becks intensity to an arrangement that has stops, starts, and unexpected turns and is, like the guitarist, never predictable. Through it all, Becks guitar sings, cries, moans, and shouts with as much emotion as a vocalist, showing that an instrument can sing as effectively as a human being, but only in the right hands. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 29 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2008-10-13 Tracks: 40 Duration: 3:23:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Got the Feeling (04:46) 2 Situation (05:27) 3 Short Business (02:34) 4 Max’s Tune (08:24) 5 I’ve Been Used (03:40) 6 New Ways Train Train (05:52) 7 Jody (06:06) 1 Ice Cream Cakes (05:40) 2 Glad All Over (02:58) 3 Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (04:59) 4 Sugar Cane (04:07) 5 I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You (02:42) 6 Going Down (06:51) 7 I Got to Have a Song (03:26) 8 Highways (04:41) 9 Definitely Maybe (05:02) 1 You Know What I Mean (04:06) 2 She’s a Woman (04:31) 3 Constipated Duck (02:48) 4 Air Blower (05:09) 5 Scatterbrain (05:40) 6 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (05:42) 7 Thelonius (03:17) 8 Freeway Jam (04:58) 9 Diamond Dust (08:25) 1 Led Boots (04:03) 2 Come Dancing (05:54) 3 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (05:30) 4 Head for Backstage Pass (02:44) 5 Blue Wind (05:54) 6 Sophie (06:31) 7 Play With Me (04:10) 8 Love Is Green (02:30) 1 Freeway Jam (07:24) 2 Earth (Still Our Only Home) (04:36) 3 She’s a Woman (04:26) 4 Full Moon Boogie (06:08) 5 Darkness/Earth in Search of a Sun (07:53) 6 Scatterbrain (07:27) 7 Blue Wind (06:34) |
| Original Album Classics : Allmusic album Review : The 2008 box set Original Album Classics rounds up Jeff Becks first five albums after the departure of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood: Rough & Ready, Blow by Blow, Jeff Beck Group, Wired, Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live. Each album is presented as a paper-sleeve mini-LP, making this a handsome, affordable way to get the bulk of Becks 70s catalog. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 29 Title: Jeff Beck - The Collection Released: 2009 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:15:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Got the Feeling (04:46) 2 Short Business (02:33) 3 Maxs Tune (08:24) 4 Ive Been Used (03:39) 5 Situation (05:26) 6 Definitely Maybe (05:02) 7 You Know What I Mean (04:08) 8 Cause Were Ended as Lovers (05:43) 9 Freeway Jam (04:55) 10 Diamond Dust (08:26) 11 Led Boots (04:01) 12 Ice Cream Cakes (05:38) 13 Tonight Ill Be Staying Here With You (04:58) 14 Shes a Woman (04:31) 15 I Cant Give Back the Love I Feel for You (02:44) |
 | Album: 23 of 29 Title: Emotion & Commotion Released: 2010-03-24 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Corpus Christi Carol (02:40) 2 Hammerhead (04:15) 3 Never Alone (04:22) 4 Over the Rainbow (03:10) 5 I Put a Spell on You (02:59) 6 Serene (06:05) 7 Lilac Wine (04:44) 8 Nessun Dorma (02:56) 9 Theres No Other Me (04:05) 10 Elegy for Dunkirk (05:03) 11 Poor Boy (04:43) 12 Cry Me a River (04:31) |
| Emotion & Commotion : Allmusic album Review : When Jeff Beck last ventured into the studio it was to cut 2003’s Jeff, a deliberately modernist album steeped in electronica, to which 2010’s Emotion & Commotion almost feels like a refutation. Working with producers Steve Lipson and Trevor Horn, Beck has created an old-fashioned blues-rock-cum-prog record, balancing the sweeping vistas of a 64-piece orchestra with cool jazz-funk grooves, tarted-up Screamin Jay Hawkins covers with a pair of Jeff Buckley tunes and a gentle reading of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Joss Stone sits in for two songs, including “I Put a Spell on You,” with jazz vocalist Imelda May and opera singer Olivia Safe taking lead on two others, but the focus remains on Beck, who is in a reserved, lyrical mood. Occasionally, the tempo ratchets up -- “Hammerhead,” which begins as a ‘60s riff rocker before quickly heading to Blow by Blow territory; “There’s No Other Me,” the other Stone showcase -- but Emotion & Commotion remains languid and even dreamy despite the crisp, cavernous Horn production that gives it a feeling of being trapped in 1990. All this is due to Beck, who has chosen to forgo his signature frenzied fretboard blitzkriegs and weave long phrases, his guitar rich, thick, and warm, sounding familiar yet different: he’s never sustained this level of grace for a full record, and his soulful playing cuts through the clean sheen of the production, always commanding attention even when he’s not demanding it. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 29 Title: Rock ’n’ Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul Released: 2011-02-22 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:01:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Double Talking Baby (02:07) 2 Crusin’ (02:13) 3 The Train It Kept a Rollin’ (02:36) 4 Cry Me a River (02:46) 5 How High the Moon (02:10) 6 Sitting on Top of the World (02:23) 7 Bye Bye Blues (02:12) 8 The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise (02:21) 9 Vaya con dios (02:57) 10 Mockin’ Bird Hill (02:23) 11 I’m a Fool to Care (02:59) 12 Tiger Rag (02:22) 13 Peter Gunn (04:49) 14 Rocking Is Our Business (03:38) 15 Apache (03:07) 16 Sleep Walk (02:50) 17 New Orleans (04:34) 18 Walking in the Sand (04:39) 19 Please Mr. Jailor (04:54) 20 Twenty Flight Rock (03:44) |
| Rock ’n’ Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul : Allmusic album Review : A year after Les Pauls death, Jeff Beck saluted the guitar pioneer by staging a rousing tribute show to the great man at Paul’s regular stomping ground, the Iridium Jazz Club. Backed by his current running mates the Imelda May Band, Beck enlisted some heavy-hitters for help -- Brian Setzer comes in for the rock & roll, Trombone Shorty for the jazz, Gary U.S. Bonds sings some oldies -- all the better to get the party started. Despite its title, Rock N Roll Party skews ever so slightly to the old-fashioned swing and standards that were Pauls specialty and with the notable exception of tightly wound versions of “The Train Kept A Rollin’” and “Twenty Flight Rock,” even the rockers feel closer to jump blues than rockabilly. And that’s fine: a tribute to Les Pauls music shouldn’t be greasy, it should be a jumping, joyous blast of nostalgia, which is precisely what this party is. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 29 Title: Live in Japan 2006 Released: 2013 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:02:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Beck’s Bolero (03:44) 2 Stratus (04:56) 3 You Never Know (03:10) 4 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (03:47) 5 Behind the Veil (04:59) 6 Nadia (03:34) 7 Angel (Footsteps) (05:09) 8 Scatterbrain (04:15) 9 Big Block (06:00) 10 Star Cycle (05:36) 11 People Get Ready (03:05) 12 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With the Blues (06:14) 13 Blue Wind (05:09) 14 Over the Rainbow (02:55) |
 | Album: 26 of 29 Title: Live in Tokyo 1999 Released: 2014 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:27:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What Mama Said (03:44) 2 Pyscho Sam (04:44) 3 Brush With the Blues (06:31) 4 Star Cycle (04:06) 5 Savoy (04:15) 6 Blast From the East (04:47) 7 A Day in the Life (05:15) 8 Declan (03:47) 9 THX1138 (06:17) 1 The Pump (05:39) 2 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (04:31) 3 Space for the Papa (06:14) 4 Angel (Footsteps) (06:12) 5 Even Odds (02:49) 6 You Never Know (06:53) 7 Blue Wind (05:21) 8 Big Block (06:48) |
 | Album: 27 of 29 Title: Live+ Released: 2015-05-15 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:11:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Loaded (live) (02:56) 2 Morning Dew (live) (04:32) 3 You Know You Know (live) (06:31) 4 Why Give It Away (live) (03:40) 5 A Change Is Gonna Come (live) (07:20) 6 A Day in the Life (live) (05:01) 7 Superstition (live) (04:01) 8 Hammerhead (live) (03:46) 9 Little Wing (live) (03:51) 10 Big Block (live) (05:07) 11 Where Were You (live) (03:17) 12 Danny Boy (live) (01:34) 13 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (live) (06:13) 14 Going Down (live) (05:18) 15 Tribal (03:06) 16 My Tiled White Floor (05:17) |
| Live+ : Allmusic album Review : Jan Hammers uncanny ability to simulate the pitch-bending qualities of an electric guitar on his Minimoog synthesizer made him an explosive duet partner with rocks Jeff Beck on this live album -- the third of Becks successful flirtations with jazz-rock. While leaning toward the Mahavishnu Orchestra brand of jazz-rock, with the word "rock" heavily emphasized, this is a looser, less lockstepped variant. The song selection is split almost equally between Hammer and Becks repertoires, with Hammers remake of his techno/mechanized "Darkness/Earth In Search of a Sun" making the biggest splash. Beck is a marvel, his stinging guitar darting in and out from everywhere like a hit-and-run guerrilla fighter, and Hammer matches him blow by blow, so to speak, with his purer yet equally agile tone quality on shootouts like "Full Moon Boogie." Hammer is a terrible vocalist, but that indulgence fortunately is limited to one track; Beck himself only vocalizes through a gauzy electronic filter on a reggae-like treatment of the Beatles "Shes a Woman." Though the jazz-rock idiom seemed almost spent by the time this was released, Hammer and Beck happily pretended not to notice. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 29 Title: Loud Hailer Released: 2016-07-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Revolution Will Be Televised (03:52) 2 Live in the Dark (03:47) 3 Pull It (02:09) 4 Thugs Club (05:15) 5 Scared for the Children (06:07) 6 Right Now (03:57) 7 Shame (04:40) 8 Edna (01:03) 9 The Ballad of the Jersey Wives (03:50) 10 O.I.L. (04:41) 11 Shrine (05:47) |
| Loud Hailer : Allmusic album Review : Arriving six years after Emotion & Commotion, a largely instrumental album that found Jeff Beck pushing at his prog boundaries, Loud Hailer is a very different beast than its predecessor. Revived by the presence of two female collaborators -- vocalist Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, both proving to be worthy sparring partners -- Beck returns to gnarled, loud guitar rock on Loud Hailer, not so much reveling in the psychedelic skronk of the Yardbirds or the heavy stomp of the Jeff Beck Group but favoring an arena-ready rock that places an emphasis on such old-fashioned values as chops and social consciousness. The latter helps Loud Hailer feel tied to its time: Bones sings about reality television, loss of innocence, and any number of ills plaguing modern society. That Loud Hailer doesnt feel especially contemporary isnt much of a drawback: perhaps Beck doesnt truck with the sounds of the 2010s -- "Shame" quite clearly uses "A Change Is Gonna Come" as its template -- but hes not in revivalist mode, either, choosing to use his personal overblown traditions as a way to sound other. As always, his playing is startling: hes restless and exploratory, as susceptible to lyricism as he is to outright noise, and what makes his performance better is how he always cedes the spotlight to Rosie Bones. Letting his vocalist be the focal point winds up giving his guitar a boost, letting it command attention even in short bursts. Sometimes, the old-fashionedness can lead Beck and band toward embarrassing territory -- the funk workout of "O.I.L. (Cant Get Enough of That Sticky)" inspires cringes -- but usually it allows everybody space to stretch out, to let Beck turn out great squalls of feedback and sweet runs while still retaining the attention on the song. Compared to the floating ambition of Emotion & Commotion, this album feels invigorating and suggests that Beck doesnt want to rest on his laurels, even if hes not fully committed to embracing the turmoil of the present. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 29 Title: Live at the Hollywood Bowl Released: 2018 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:32:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Revolution Will Be Televised (03:31) 2 Over Under Sideways Down (02:29) 3 Heart Full of Soul (01:49) 4 For Your Love (02:36) 5 Beck’s Bolero (03:24) 6 Rice Pudding / Morning Dew (05:28) 7 Freeway Jam (05:01) 8 You Never Know (02:48) 9 Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (03:57) 10 Star Cycle (05:57) 11 Blue Wind (04:22) 12 Big Block (05:05) 1 I’d Rather Go Blind (07:06) 2 Let Me Love You (04:36) 3 Live in the Dark (04:22) 4 Scared for the Children (06:22) 5 Rough Boy (05:11) 6 Train Kept A‐Rollin’ (03:23) 7 Shapes of Things (03:05) 8 A Day in the Life (05:23) 9 Purple Rain (06:40) |