In the hands of Beck’s then-manager, Mickie Most, the grandly-titled Truth had the potential to be a glorious train wreck. Having produced singles for the likes of Herman’s Hermits and Suzi Quatro, the pop savant’s studio credentials were nonetheless suspect in this context and the collaboration looks and sounds all the more absurd as the album reaches its 55th anniversary.
Yet it’s a testament to the continuing influence of the ex-Yardbird’s initial solo effort (on Led Zeppelin and hard rock/heavy metal in general) that the execrable production afforded the original recordings has become a moot point. Notwithstanding Most’s initial forays with El Becko, consisting, respectively, of “Hi Ho Silver Lining, “Love Is Blue,” and “Tallyman.” Most’s lack of technical knowledge, even with (or because of) his pedigree begs the question of what this album might sound like had its depth matched its color.
Certainly, those lapses in judgment that had the woefully inadequate vocalist in Jeff singing on those first and last aforementioned cuts are dubious enough in themselves to validate their exclusion from the album as officially issued. The innate peculiarities of Beck’s guitar playing abound on the LP as we now know it, even more so than when he nurtured the adventurous spirit of the aforementioned band in which he replaced Eric Clapton.
Listening to Truth with over a half-century hindsight, the distinctions of man’s fretboard work are all too obvious, especially beyond the most literal touchpoints of the time, in the form of “You Shook Me” and “Blues Deluxe.” The canned applause on the latter imparts a tongue-in-cheek air to the proceedings far removed from the studied solemnity of so many pretenders working in the genre at the time.
Still, it’s hardly worth belaboring the similarities between the JBG and Zeppelin, except perhaps to note that Page, the slightly older of the two old friends, was borrowing from the very inception of his group by anointing his hand-picked lineup ‘the New Yardbirds’ for its earliest live appearances. More egregious instances of artistic burglary by he and his hirelings followed in subsequent early years, but in terms of appropriations from other sources, Jeff Beck opens his first solo album as audaciously as he titled it.
This reimagining of the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things” fittingly commences the proceedings in such a broadminded way it transcends the mere appellation of it as a cover. As much as his vast imagination lured that band to hire him in place of Slowhand three years prior, the scope of his playing had grown exponentially, a progression reaffirmed with this (re-)arrangement of “Morning Dew:” a far cry from the quiet, mournful likes of the Grateful Dead’s, the noise surrounding Rod Stewart’s purposefully distanced vocal makes for a nightmarish air intrinsic to the song itself.
Along with an ever-so-tranquil acoustic reading of “Greensleeves”–foreshadowing Jeff’s later fondness for ballads like “Nadia” from 2000’s You Had It Coming--those two numbers combine their rip-roaring atmospherics with that of “Beck’s Bolero” placed near the homestretch of Truth. Sequenced as such, the ten cuts comprise something akin to an aural version of time-elapsed photography capturing the increasing sophistication, not to mention the visceral power, of Jeff Beck’s guitaring.
His band took a similarly impulsive approach in their accompaniment. The insistent, often frenetic bass playing of Ronnie Wood found an anchor in Micky Waller’s drumming on numbers like “Let Me Love You,” where their own impulsive interactions, comparing favorably to those of the bandleader, complemented the hoarse caterwauling and crooning of a young Rod Stewart (with whom Wood collaborated later in the decade and into the Seventies, before becoming guitarist in the Rolling Stones).
Braggadocio was in no shortage within this four-piece and it dissipated hardly an iota with the formal enlistment of session man extraordinaire pianist Nicky Hopkins for the follow-up album Beck-Ola out the next year (including not one but two Elvis covers!). Yet while The Jeff Beck Group was originally billed to appear at Woodstock in 1969, the leader abruptly broke up the group, stating outright he didn’t consider them ready for such a high-profile gig (see his off-the-cuff comments in the exceptional documentary Still On The Run).
Remastered and expanded editions of the Beck Group’s two albums in 2006. Including extra tracks as enlightening in their own way as the extensive liner notes, the packages give further credence to Jeff’s visionary status, and they now also stand as early hints of his prescience in the jazz-rock fusion field.
Admitting inspiration derived at least in part from John McLaughlin and his Mahavishnu Orchestra, the genius guitarist embarked upon numerous explorations in the hybrid idiom. While he took the same fitful, decidedly non-careerist approach to recording and touring after 1975’s Blow By Blow, some three decades later he began to concentrate on elevating his profile and did so with admirable purpose.
Still, even in this larger sense, Jeff Beck retained the uncommon restraint he had honed in his guitar playing over the years. As a result, his ascension toward the icon status afforded his two most prominent contemporaries, the aforementioned Clapton and Page, continued unabated past the celebration of his fiftieth anniversary ten years later, as captured on Live at the Hollywood Bowl. The man was garnering plaudits right up until his untimely passing early in 2023, this right after touring in support of the unjustly-maligned 18, his collaboration with Johnny Depp. Assigning the adjective ‘tragic’ to El Becko’s sudden death understates the cosmic ignominy of his fate.
20 Responses
Stop mentioning Jimmy Page in the same breath as Jeff. It’s unfair to both as these two groups could not be more different, despite their friendship and common ground as individual players. And BTW, Jimmy played on this album, and Jeff was always open about writing Beck’s Bolero with Jimmy. But if you listen to this album and hear anything else related to the New Yardbirds or LZ then you have absolutely no ear for music.
Every album Jeff Beck released changed the nature of music, whether blues, rock, jazz, or blends of each & all. Blow by Blow will, despite Beck’s own misgivings, go down in music history as one of the three most important jazz/rock fusion recordings of all time (feel free to pick the other two). The respect in which he was held by everyone who knew or knew of him is/was earned by his talent, imagination, and skill.
Majestuosa obra maestra éste gran álbum lo compre en 1995 sin haber escuchado a beck y desde ese día no he dejado de escucharlo por lo menos una vez al mes
Despite being a massive Jeff fan starting with ‘Hear Full of Soul’, his first hit with the Yardbirds, I still find ‘Truth’ frustratingly disjointed. As suggested, having Mickie Most in the producer’s chair didn’t help (I believe he was absent much of the time). Imagine if Glyn Johns were engineering and producing, which is what he did with Led Zep’s debut (though Page later denied him the co-producer credit). Still, tunes including ‘Shapes of Things’, ‘Led Me Love You’, ‘You Shook Me’ and ‘Blues DeLuxe’ certainly made their mark, as did ‘Beck’s Bolero’ which was recorded in May 66 with Jimmy Page producing (and anyone who didn’t hear it as the B-side of ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ would have missed out on were it not include on this album.
Despite ‘Truth’ being an album of numerous highlights, ‘Beck-Ola’ probably best represents the spirit of the band, which hinted at on ‘Truth’ was much more fun and self-effacing – much more British – than its predecessor.
Phenomenal album, way ahead of its time.
The guy who wrote this article was trying to show his intellect and knowledge of fancy words. He should’ve taken a cue from the title of Jeff Beck’s first album, Truth, before doing so. Wasted ink.
I had difficulty reading and following the writers twists and turns. Ieventually stopped reading his psycho- babbling. In my opinion. I saw the Jeff Beck Group in the Fillmore East 1969. Without a doubt and still vivid in my mind ~ Jeff Beck , a Fender Stratocaster, 2 double stack probably 100 watt Marshall Plexi amplifiers. This means 16 greenback 12″ speakers blowing out the greatest guitar playing notes I ever heard in the Fillmore, and I saw a lot of late night shows that got out at 4am Sunday morning. ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS EVER. It’s so nice to be loved by somebody, SOMEBODY LIKE YOU!!!🎼🎶🎵🎼🎶🎵
All that schooling, slamming, praising, 50 years later to say what we knew back then. This was then and still is a great, great record. Probably couldda pared this article to 1/3rd and said the same thing.
To Davey Boy & Peter – I totally agree with
the criticism – I’m not a fan of ‘intellectualising’ Rock /R&R/R&B either.
D.C. – Is this what happens when someone doesn’t realise ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine is now far removed from its origin as to inspire such ‘rock-waffle’ ? Cut that wordy flab by 2/3rds, no problem
This is an AI hack piece. Despicable.
To Davey Boy & Peter – I totally agree with
the criticism – I’m not a fan of ‘intellectualising’ Rock /R&R/R&B either.
D.C. – Is this what happens when someone doesn’t realise ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine is now far removed from its origin as to inspire such ‘rock-waffle’ ? Cut that wordy flab by 2/3rds, no problem
We call that style of writing neither glib nor prolix nor even pretentious. It is pedantic. By the way, it should read by him, not by he. Remember, those prepositions are followed by object pronouns. Ha.
All I can say is this guy Jeff Beck rocked me for my whole life not much I don’t like from him seen him many times every time was a different experience and still with me l turn his music to anyone who wants to hear it and get great feedback never anyone else will do that to me ever again
Mickey Most screwed the career of Terry Reid.
All I can say is this guy Jeff Beck rocked me for my whole life not much I don’t like from him seen him many times every time was a different experience and still with me l turn his music to anyone who wants to hear it and get great feedback never anyone else will do that to me ever again
I have live concert recording of the Truth tour in 1968 at the Fillmore East and have still never heard anything like it in my life. His version of “Let me Love You” is the thickest, heaviest, most mutilated yet melodic music you can imagine. “I Ain’t Superstitious” is simply stunning in his use of dynamics- at one point he makes his guitar sound like a person being stabbed & then twisting the knife. The interplay between Jeff & Rod is remarkable. When he plays a 15 minute version of Becks Boogie is is show stopping- he plays rock, jazz, blues, county, and conveys humor, sadness, joy with incredible improvisation all while sampling songs from his and others career. His level of imagination was so far beyond anything anyone else was doing including Hendrix. Jeff was and remained in his own category. No musician in any genre was ever so continually creative and cutting edge in seven different decades.
Jimmy Esquivel San Antonio Texas I grew up with Jeff rock Stewart and all the greatest bands known to man oh how lucky we are to have you guys Still doing what you’re doing don’t stop doing what you’re doing may God bless each and every one of you love you guys
I own thousands of LPs, cassettes, and CDs, and have listened to thousands more and TRUTH is still in my top ten. Incredible album!
To say Mr.Beck was a “guitarists guitarist” is doing him a disservice even as his Strat goes quiet. Rock players , with a few notable exceptions, don’t “think” like Jeff. His motivation
seemed to always be “service to the six string” ,
that his instrumental approach , mostly unvarnished , made that thing cry and sing. Instead of trying to figure out how he did it he would ask you to play with everybody and sound like nobody else. RIP Mr Beck , we all love you!
A gem of an album. I’m 70 years old, and I can still play this album and it still sounds new, and real.
Thank you for all the live shows you’ve thrown at me Jeff, RIP.