Search - Jeff Beck :: Jeff Beck Group

One of Beck's Most Underrated Works.

M. White | Northeast - USA | 12/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As most everyone knows who lived through the wonderfully creative period of rock music that lasted from 1964 through, approximately, 1975, there were only about a handful of critics who had credibility in terms of being able to review and critique music, in any genre, adequately during said period. Most critics bashed this release as being "Over the top" and criticized Cropper for being out of his depth as a producer here. There was much made (Negatively) of Beck's choice of material and his guitar arrangements on this record. Personally, as a player for over 30 years myself, I think this CD offers some of his most inspired and lyrical playing, and I have listened to just about everything that Beck has released over the last 35 years. The tones he is getting out of his strat during numbers like "Going Down", "Ice Cream Cakes", "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You", "Highways" and "Definitely Maybe" are unlike anything he had ever done up to that point and, quite frankly, unlike anything he has done since. His sense of dynamics, harmonics and innovative phrasing are astonishing here for a record that was made in 1972. His command of both right and left-hand techniques is truly awesome as well. You hear Beck two-hand tapping here six years before Eddie Van Halen was doing it in clubs in Pasadena. You hear multi-layered electric guitars, electric sitars and acoustics (Although Sparingly) beautifully performed and mixed. Beck's slide playing is inspirational here as well, as is his wah-wah touch. Granted, the songs aren't singer/songwriter classics for the most part, but the reason you want to own this CD is for Beck's truly inspired and, at times, truly demented playing (Which is a good thing!).
I think Cropper's production is solid and Ron Capone engineered the tracks with a good understanding of what he was dealing with.
In Beck's Group, Max Middleton's keyboard playing is as good as it gets in this genre and Cozy Powell lays a decent groove and plays with authority when needed.
However, it is Beck who truly shines here.
Just like the critics who chastised Miles for his early to mid 70's forays into Acid Funk, all of a sudden there is a renewed interest by those same critics in that music today as being ahead of it's time and visionary. The same can be said for Beck's explosive and jaw dropping display here. When re-examined, I think many critics who blasted this release in '72 will now acknowledge that these guitar arrangements and performances by Beck are quite unlike anything from that era - controlled chaos and mayhem by a master reaching to push his own creative envelope beyond what anyone was doing at that time. For Beck fans or, more importantly, guitar fans in general, this CD is a must have. Enjoy!"

This makes me glad all over

Morton | Colorado | 12/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was The Jeff Beck Groups fourth album. Two were released by the original lineup of Beck, Ron Wood, Rod Stewart, and the drummer whose name I can never remember. the third album was released by this lineup which included Steve Cropper of the MG's and it was called Rough and Ready, this being the fourth called simply The Jeff Beck Group. This is a concederable step up from Rough and Ready, because while that album had a few decent tracks it was for the most part a weak, and porly recorded album. This album is no Truth or Beck-Ola but it is still good. Jeff Beck was critizied for the song selection he chose and for his chosen guitar arrangements, they were unline anything the guitar world had ever heard before. But if you ask any guitar player who knows any thing about guitar playing like my self they will tell you Beck is one of the top five guitar players the world has ever seen! Through his whole carear Beck used out of this world guitar tones sounds and riffs, sp why should this album be any different. This album features some of Becks most inspired lead playing of his carear, and Steve Cropper played some of the best rhythm of his.



On this album the vocalist is no Rod Stewart in fact he is several steps down the ladder from Mr. Stewart, but it's ok because he gets the job done. The album opens with the concert favorite 'Ice Cream Cakes' which is a mid tempo guitar driven blues songs about how good it is to be in love. Next is 'Glad All Over' which is classic Jeff Beck and concedered one of his all tiem best songs, with sharp leads and a great driven piano line. 'Tonight I'll Be Staying With You' is a slower drown out blues song, and in my openion it is the best song on the album, great guitar work by Beck and Cropper. Next is 'Sugar Cane' which is kinda funky and jazzy at the same time and it shows Becks amazing use of the Wah-Wah pedal. Its one of my favorite love songs of all time, I dont see how anyone could not like this song, truly a great song. 'I Cant Give Back The Love I Feel For You' has a killer slide guitar solo by Beck it is really really cool, this song has an electric sitar which adds a nice touch to the crazy feel of the song. Next is 'Goin Down' which also offers some really good slide and lead playing by Beck but it comes across as a bit contrived to me and tthe lyrics are really rpetitive, so its not a strong point on the album, well for me anyways. 'I got To Have A song' is a really nice almost pop song, which could have very well been a hit single if released, this is anoter one of those songs that I dont see how anyone could not like. Then we slide right into 'Highways' which is a slow but yet very powerful blues song driven by Becks amazing use of power chords and strange and sometimes wacky leads, I really enjoy this song becuase the guitar sounds like nothing else Beck has ever recorded. The Albums closes with 'Definatley Maybe' which aside from having a really cool title is one of Jeff Becks better known songs, and for good reason its one of the best songs he ever recorded, his use of the slide never sounded better then here. 'Deffinatley Maybe' was the song that got Joe Perry of Aerosmith interested in laying slide guitar.



This album is a showcase to what an amazing guitar player Jeff Beck was back then and still is today. Many people dont like this album because it didnt compare to Truth, and all i can say to that is what does? Nothing, Truth is one of those albums that will stand on its forever. But this, Jeff Beck Group is one of the finest pieces of blues/rock in the history of the genra, so do yourself a favor and pink up this amazing album."

Not his finest, but an excellent record, very much worth hav

Leon M. Chalnick | 01/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I do agree with some of the previous reviews that this is not one of Jeff Beck's very best recordings. It's not becuase his playing is off. It's not because the musicianship isn't there. It's not because the singer is "several steps down" from Rod Stewart (Bob Tench certainly is NOT in this reveiewer's opinino). IMO, it's not one of his greatest simply because the material is a bit weak and unfocused, though there are a few gems here.



Ice Cream Cakes is a tremendous rocker with one of JB's all-time coolest breaks, firmly establishing him as the man who took up where Les Paul left off. Whammy bar pyrotechnics, outrageous string bends, mashing strings into the pickups...Jeff pulls out the stops on this tune. Bob Tench's soulful vocals add a great touch and Max Middleton follows the fade out with a sort of trippy/jazzy Fender-Rhodes solo.



The band dusts off their cover of Glad All Over and Jeff adds some excellent funkity splunkity fills that are just right. Great work by drummer Cozy Powell as well.



Another cover, Don Nix's Going Down, is a classic. Middleton's intro, tinged with a gospel feel is absolutely perfect. Tench does a great job with the vocals here too. Jeff's solos on this song are fun but, IMHO, somewhat cliche and disjointed relative to much of his other guitar work.



Definitely Maybe is one of the best songs on the record, without a doubt. This instrumental features an incredibly beautiful and emmotional melody line, acompanied by an equally gorgeous harmony. I saw them perform this back in about 1973 and Bob Tench strapped on a Les Paul to accompy JB with the harmony. It was without a doubt the show-stopper and the best song in their performance. It's on this song, that JB really cemented his reputation as an innovative slide player.



Some of the other songs are quite good too, but these four make the albumn worth having. No "maybes" about it!"