Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Jeff Beck Group-Rough And Ready



Info By Wiki:
Rough and Ready is the third album by The Jeff Beck Group and the first of two by the second incarnation (the first-period group, featuring Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood having disbanded in mid-1969). Released in 1971, it featured more of a Jazz, Soul and R&B edge to counter Beck's always admirable lead guitar.
Of note is the fact that Beck contributed more tracks here than he had ever before, or ever would again. This album is also the first time keyboardist Max Middleton, who would be featured on Beck's jazz-rock outings of the mid-'70s, is heard

And Stephen Davis:
In 1968 ex-Yardbird Jeff Beck combined the hitherto unmined talents of vocalist-extraordinaire Rod Stewart with the powerful rhythm section of Ron Wood and Mick Waller and came up with what was, quite simply, in its time, one of the best rock bands in the world. That year they released an astounding first album. Truth. which featured Beck's flash pyrotechnics on guitar and Stewart's bluesy abrasives. and made two ovation-filled tours of this country, adding British session pianist Nicky Hopkins to the band for the second.

In 1969. all that went to pieces, a function of the old bugaboo, "conflicting musical values." and Beck's most reputed vice egomania. First Hopkins left, then Waller was fired and later Wood, and Stewart split soon after. A second album Beck-ola was issued in the summer, an uneven, frustrating record lit by furious bursts of crude energy and occasional brilliance from Beck and Hopkins. Parenthetically, it might be noted that both the best and the worst of Beck's music wasn't released in the States; the best being a terrific tune, "I've Been Drinking," that I also think is the best vocal Rod Stewart has done so far, the worst being a banal piece of puke, "Love Is Blue" (yes, the same one), recorded after the band broke up. Both are available on a British EMI Columbia LP, The Best of Jeff Beck.

In 1970 Beck was badly hurt in a car crash, and had a long time in which to cool himself out.

Which brings us up to this newest incarnation of the Jeff Beck Group, and its new record. Rough and Ready, a surprising, fine piece of work from a man who wasn't really expected to come back.


Personnel
Bob Tench: vocals and guitar
Jeff Beck: guitars, bass and production
Max Middleton: piano and keyboards
Clive Chaman: bass
Cozy Powell: drums

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