Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck Group (1972)

1. Ice Cream Cakes (Album Version)
2. Glad All Over (Album Version)
3. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (Album Version)
4. Sugar Cane (Album Version)
5. I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You (Album Version)
6. Going Down (Album Version)
7. I Gotta Have A Song (Album Version)
8. Highways (Album Version)
9. Definitely Maybe (Album Version).

Max Middleton:Keyboards
Cozy Powell:Drums
Clive Chaman:Bass
Bobby Tench:Vocals
Jeff Beck:Guitars.

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!(M. White)