Jeff Beck

Truth
Beck-ola
Blow By Blow


Truth (Epic ‘68) Rating: A-
Jeff Beck’s pioneering mid-60s accomplishments with The Yardbirds dwarfed those of Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and the best of those performances can still startle. Though now credited solely to Jeff Beck, way back when Truth was the debut album from the Jeff Beck Group. Which is fitting, for stellar contributors such as Rod Stewart (vocals), Ronnie Wood (bass), and Mick Waller (drums) were no more a mere backing band than the early ‘70s Alice Cooper group. Of course, Beck was the star, which he proves on the gorgeous acoustic instrumental “Greensleeves,” the majestic “Beck’s Bolero” (i.e. Beck's metallic take on Ravel's "Bolero"), and “I Ain’t Superstitious,” which Beck himself admits was “more or less an excuse for being a flash on guitar.” Elsewhere, a young and hungry Rod Stewart shines on a soulful, psychedelic take on Tim Hardin’s “Morning Dew,” while the whole band burns on “Blues Deluxe,” which lasts for over 7 long minutes and features a fabulous piano cameo from session ace Nicky Hopkins. Granted, the songwriting isn’t always up to snuff, and an abundance of cover songs and the fact that Beck felt the need to redo The Yardbirds’ classic “Shapes Of Things” demonstrates a lack of ideas (ironically, while the rest of the band shines, it is Beck himself who fails to match his incredible previous performance on this song). Still, the spontaneous excitement that went into these powerful performances is always apparent, and the band’s heavy take on the blues was an important precursor to what would soon become known as “heavy metal.” Note: Beck was allegedly miffed by the popularity of former bandmate Jimmy Page's new group, Led Zeppelin. After all, their styles (circa '68) were very similar, and Zeppelin even covered Willie Dixon's "You Shook Me," which resides here as well. I personally think that Zeppelin was far superior, but the comparison isn't without merit.

Beck-ola (Epic ‘69) Rating: B
With Mick Waller out and Nicky Hopkins in as a full time band member, Beck and company don't tinker with the formula of Truth too much. If anything, the album is more heavy and one-dimensional, and at a much-padded out 31 minutes the album doesn't give consumers much bang for their buck (be on the lookout for relatively rare 2-for-1 compilations with Truth). By "much-padded out" I'm referring to Hopkins' pretty but repetitive and out of place sounding piano interlude "Girl From Mill Valley," and "Rice Pudding," a directionless jam (time: 7:22) that's only salvaged by the band's superlative playing skills. It's still only mildly interesting, but the band-penned "Spanish Boots" and "The Hangman's Knee" are both better, and "Plynth (Water Down The Drain)," on which Beck is nothing short of spectacular, is probably the high point of this sophomore set. Again the album's primary weakness is in the songwriting (always Beck's Achilles heel, along with his inability to keep a band together due to his notoriously "difficult" personality), but their high-energy makeovers of Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" and (especially) "All Shook Up" are smoking examples of how to completely reconfigure someone else's song as your own. Still, covering Elvis instead of Willie Dixon is hardly my idea of creative growth, and though fans of Truth will likely also admire Beck-ola, few would argue that this was a less inspired effort overall. Note: Stewart then departed the band for a successful solo career, taking with him Waller and Wood. Wood also joined Stewart in his simultaneous "other" gig fronting The Faces.

Blow By Blow (Epic ‘75) Rating: A-
After Beck-ola, subsequent albums by Beck and various lineups brought diminishing returns, and a change in strategy was needed. Excited by the possibilities of mixing jazz and rock (i.e. fusion) and doing away with those pesky vocalists, Beck released Blow By Blow (and then Wired in 1976), his major contributions to ‘70s rock. Composed entirely of instrumentals, Blow By Blow was an influential album that surprised both listeners and critics alike, as Beck’s playing and song arrangements are almost always tasteful and melodic. Meanwhile, Beck’s backing band supplies Stevie Wonder-ish keyboards (supplied by Max Middleton) and funky rhythms (led by Richard Bailey’s deft drum work), laying the strong foundation for Beck’s outstanding guitar playing. This richly textured album also features big synthesizer swooshes and moody string arrangements by ex-Beatles producer George Martin, who in that same capacity here helps provide the album with a warmth and restraint that is often lacking in fusion. As for the songs themselves, “Freeway Jam” contains the album’s best uptempo melody, while the powerfully building “Scatterbrain” rocks convincingly and demonstrates the band’s virtuosity. But more often than not Beck opts for emotion over flash, and the album’s most enduring songs are actually both ballads. “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” (dedicated to Roy Buchanan) and “Diamond Dust” are both slow and long songs on which Beck’s understated playing is incredibly soulful and emotional; never again will I doubt the beauty capable of being produced by an electric guitar. In summary, despite some dated elements and an at times high "difficulty" quotient (this is a fusion album, after all, meaning that by all rights it must defy "easy listening"), Blow By Blow remains an eminently appealing album. Note: Wired, its fusion-based follow-up featuring Jan Hammer, is also recommended.

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