Record Reviews

BECK, BOGERT & APPICE ~ BECK, BOGERT & APPICE REPERTOIRE 2330 (Barcode: 4009910233023) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 2005 1st and only album by the Anglo-American super-group Beck, Bogert & AppiceFind albums by this artist, comprising of British guitar hero Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist and American rhythm section giants, bassist Tim BogertFind albums by this artist and drummer Carmine AppiceFind albums by this artist. This threesome suffered from bad karma even before it was actually formed: following the demise of the great American group Vanilla FudgeFind albums by this artist, founding members Bogart and Appice suggested to Beck, who just disbanded his own British band at the time, to join them in forming a next band together. Although Beck agreed, a nasty car crash took him out of circulation for a while and Bogart and Appice formed the splendid CactusFind albums by this artist instead. In 1972, when Cactus broke up as did The Jeff Beck Group, finally the missed earlier opportunity arose again, this time to be consummated. Potentially the trio had everything one might hope for: a virtuoso guitar genius, superb bass player and one of the best Rock drummers, but all the talent didn´t prevent the band from falling victim to personality clashes between the trio members, leading to a breakdown before the band reached its second anniversary. They did manage however to record one album, which shows their potential in full (a second album was attempted, but never finalized). Great guitar licks, tasty bass and driving drumming are the basic elements behind this recording, which also includes support from a bunch of musician friends. The music is mostly written by the trio, with some adaptations of tunes from other sources. The only drawback of the album is the absence of a strong lead vocalist, but it is nevertheless a true Classic Rock memento. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 11/11/2023Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

BECK, BOGERT & APPICE ~ LIVE IN JAPAN 1973 / LIVE IN LONDON 1974 RHINO 603497833252 (Barcode: 603497833252) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1973 - 1974 Released: 2023 This Box Set presents two live concerts by the British / American Rock supergroup / power trio Beck, Bogert & AppiceFind albums by this artist, comprising of British guitarist Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist and American rhythm section comprising of bassist Tim BogertFind albums by this artist and drummer Carmine AppiceFind albums by this artist, both members of the legendary groups Vanilla FudgeFind albums by this artist and CactusFind albums by this artist. The Box Set includes two 2CD sets, the first with the previously Japan only release of a live recording in Japan in 1973, and the second with the previously unreleased live concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London in 1974. The Box set is lavishly packaged and includes a hardcover book, tour book and a poster. The sound quality is absolutely sensational. The short-lived trio recorded only one eponymous studio album and disbanded before the second album was completed. The material recorded for the second album remains unreleased. The trio was a classic example of the Rock supergroup phenomenon, which started with CreamFind albums by this artist and dominated the scene in the early 1970s. All three musicians where absolute masters of their trade and superb virtuosi, who continued to develop the Rock Improvisation idiom started by Cream. They co-wrote most of their original material, but included also new interpretations of songs originating from the outside of the group. Despite their immense talents as instrumentalists, they lacked a lead singer of the scale of their instrumental powers and a composer, who would provide them with material, which would reflect their class, like Jack BruceFind albums by this artist, who filled both these functions in Cream. Nevertheless, they still remain as one of the most magnificent examples of Rock’s power trios and the material here is absolutely worth being revisited. Overall, this is an essential piece of the Classic Rock puzzle, a sublime document of the Rock Improvisation idiom and obviously a great tribute to the legacy of these sublime musicians, two of which are sadly no longer with us. An absolutely essential part of any serious Classic Rock collection!

Updated: 11/11/2023Posted: 11/11/2023

CD 4 Digibook Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JEFF BECK ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS SONY 888751056329 (Barcode: 888751056329) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1971 - 1977 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects reissues of five albums by the legendary British guitarist / composer / bandleader Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, originally released on the EpicFind albums on this label label between 1971 and 1977. They are: “Rough And ReadyFind albums with this title” (1971), “Jeff Beck GroupFind albums with this title” (1972), “Blow By BlowFind albums with this title” (1975), “WiredFind albums with this title” (1976) and “Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group LiveFind albums with this title” (1977). Those are the third to seventh albums recorded by Jeff Beck, except the two albums (one studio and one live) recorded by him as part of the short lived Beck, Bogert & AppiceFind albums by this artist trio. The first two albums included here were recorded by the second incarnation of the Jeff Back GroupFind albums by this artist (the first incarnation recorded the first two Back’s albums “TruthFind albums with this title” and “Beck-OlaFind albums with this title”), which included vocalist Bobby TrenchFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Max MiddletonFind albums by this artist, bassist Clive ChamanFind albums by this artist and drummer Cozy PowellFind albums by this artist. Stylistically these were transitional albums between Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was Beck’s main interest in the years that followed. The next two albums present some of Beck’s most admired work as a guitarist, both being purely instrumental and clearly moving deeply into Jazz-Rock Fusion, but with the unique characteristics of his superb sense of melody and fabulous improvisational abilities, which have but a few equals among the world’s guitar heroes. Beck is accompanied by Middleton, bassist Phil ChenFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard BaileyFind albums by this artist on “Blow By Blow” and Middleton and Czech keyboardist Jan HammerFind albums by this artist, American bassist Wilbur BascombFind albums by this artist and drummer Narada Michael WaldenFind albums by this artist on “Wired”. The live album is a full-blown Fusion affair on which Back is supported by Hammer and an all American team of violinist Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist, bassist Fernando SaundersFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony SmithFind albums by this artist. Not surprisingly the music sounds not far from Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Overall this is a real treat to all guitar fans and undeniably some of the most exciting music recorded in the 1970s. Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 31/07/2021Posted: 31/07/2021

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

LESLIE WEST ~ GOT BLOOZE PROVOGUE 7155 (Barcode: 8712725715528) ~ USA ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 Legendary guitarist Leslie WestFind albums by this artist is best known as the leader of MountainFind albums by this artist, America’s answer to the UK power trio CreamFind albums by this artist. Mountain recorded a series of excellent albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which were loud and powerful (often being quoted as one of the forefathers of Heavy Rock), but also quite sophisticated. West’s unique tone and approach to the guitar, heavily based in the blues tradition, stays to this very day as one of the icons of the formative years of electric guitar. A famous anecdote tells that if one places West in a room with another 99 guitar players, just one note played by him will be immediately recognizable. Since the mid-1970s West recorded sporadically, with none of the albums leaving any significant impact on the scene, but his 2000s output marks a revival of his powers. West returned to what he does best – playing the blues in his unique manner, which has but a few competitors. West formed an excellent group with two formidable blues / rock veterans: Tim BogertFind albums by this artist (Vanilla FudgeFind albums by this artist, CactusFind albums by this artist, Beck, Bogert & AppiceFind albums by this artist) – one of rock’s most respected bass players and Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist (John MayallFind albums by this artist, Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist) – one of blues-rock most respected drummers. Together they storm through a program, which includes many blues standards, but sounds fresh and vital like never before. West also pays tribute to his ex-partner Jack BruceFind albums by this artist by including his superb composition “Politician” on this album. For blues-rock fans this is an absolute must!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend