"...Rock My Plimsoul..."
Jeff Beck's debut solo LP
was always going to be a barnstormer - and with a band featuring talent like
Rod Stewart on the microphone and Ronnie Wood on second guitar - plus
contributions from friends like Jimmy Page, Nicky Hopkins, Aynsley Dunbar and
Keith Moon - that's what 1968's "Truth" gives you – a staggering
start. Never mind that some claim it even kick-started a subtle but definite
move away from Blues-Rock to Hard Rock into the bargain. There's a lot to
assess...so once unto the riffage...guvnor...
UK released May 2005 -
"Truth" by JEFF BECK on EMI 873 7492 (Barcode 724387374928) is an
'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Eight Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows
(70:37 minutes):
1. Shapes Of Things [Side 1]
2. Let Me Love You
3. Morning Dew
4. You Shook Me
5. Ol' Man River
6. Greensleeves [Side 2]
7. Rock My Plimsoul
8. Beck's Bolero
9. Blues De Luxe
10. I Ain't Suspicious
Tracks 1 to 10 are his debut
LP "Truth" - released July 1968 in the UK on Columbia SX 6293 (Mono)
and Columbia SCX 6293 (Stereo) and in the USA on Epic BN 26413. Produced by
MICKIE MOST - it peaked at No. 15 in the US LP charts (no UK chart placing).
BONUS TRACKS:
11. I've Been Drinking
(Stereo Mix) - originally the Mono UK B-side to "Love Is Blue"
released as a 7" single on Columbia DB 8359 in February 1968
12. You Shook Me (Take 1) -
First take without piano that was overdubbed on the Final Version - Take 7
13. Rock My Plimsoul (Stereo
Mix) - originally the Mono UK B-side to "Tallyman" released as a
7" single on Columbia DB 8227 in July 1967
14. (Beck's) Bolero (Mono
Single Version with Backwards Guitar) - originally the Mono UK B-side of
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" released as a 7" single on Columbia DB
8151 in March 1967
15. Blues De Luxe (Take 1) -
Previously Unreleased (Take 7 is the Master)
16. Tallyman - originally
the Mono UK A-side - released as a 7" single on Columbia DB 8227 in July
1967
17. Love Is Blue -
originally the Mono UK A-side - released as a 7" single on Columbia DB
8359 in February 1968
18. Hi Ho Silver Lining
(Stereo Mix) - originally the Mono UK A-side - released as a 7" single on
Columbia DB 8151 in March 1967
Musicians:
JEFF BECK - Electric
Guitars, Steel Guitar on 1, Acoustic Guitar on 6, Bass on 5 and Lead Vocals on
16 and 18
ROD STEWART - Lead Vocals
RON WOOD - Bass
MICKY WALLER - Drums and
Percussion
Guests:
KEITH MOON of THE WHO -
Drums on 8 and 14 - Tympani on 5
JIMMY PAGE of LED ZEPPELIN -
12-String Electric Guitar on 8 and 14
JOHN PAUL-JONES of LED
ZEPPELIN - Organ on 4, 5 and 12 - Bass on 8, 14 and 18 - String Arrangements on
18
NICKY HOPKINS - Piano on 3,
4, 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15
AYNSLEY DUNBAR - Drums on 13
and 16
CLEM CATTINI - Drums on 18
MADELINE BELL - Backing
Vocals on 11
JOHN CARTER & KEN LEWIS
- Backing Vocals on 16
The 16-page booklet is a
very tasty affair - new liner notes from noted writer and music historian
CHARLES SHAAR MURRAY with contributions from the Guitar Maestro himself - black
and white photos of the band (Rodders in full microphone manhandling pose) -
guests like Nicky Hopkins - and a wonderful Modtastic photo of the pre
"Truth" band with Aynsley Dunbar on Drums instead of Mick Waller (he
features on Page 8). CSM keeps it light and witty whilst pouring on the
factoids - guitar beginnings with The Yardbirds - the 'Jeff-Rod' writer's
credits Beck and Stewart used on the album sleeve - both Zeppelin's John Paul
Jones and The Who's Keith Moon contributing so much to that old Paul Robeson
chestnut "Ol' Man River" (Organ and Tympani) - an unlikely and very
unhip choice for a cover version - and yet one that 'so' works. Long-standing EMI/Abbey Road Audio Engineer
PETER MEW carried out the fantastic Remaster - all that latent power now
suddenly to the fore - threatening almost all of the time to get snotty, rowdy
and salacious with your amp and speakers. Great stuff...
It opens with an oldie done
in a new way - a cover of The Yardbirds 1966 hit "Shapes Of Things" -
Beck's witty liner notes advising that you crank the track - even if you have
the vicar over for afternoon tea. Immediately your struck by the updated
heavier guitar sound and Rod's ridiculously good voice – wow – what a combo
this band made. The original song "Let Me Love You" starts the first
of four 'Jeffrey Rod' writer credits - two more originals in the shape of
"Rock My Plimsoul" and "Blues De Luxe" with the last being
an 'Arrangement' credit on the old madrigal "Greensleeves". His
playing on "Let Me Love You" is fantastic - Stewart singing along
with Beck's playing and vice versa. They then take a stab at Tim Rose's
"Morning Dew" - a track on his explosive "Tim Rose" debut
album on Columbia Records. You can hear why Rod wanted the song - it has that
'soulful' rock thing at its core. The remaster brings up that great wah-wah playing
and Ron Wood's sweet bass playing. While you can just about catch Nicky Hopkins
Piano tinkles if you listen real close - we still don't seem to know who the
'mysterious Scottish bloke' is on the Bagpipes?
Their brilliant cover of
Howlin' Wolf's "You Shook Me" (penned by Willie Dixon) keeps in lean,
hard-hitting and dirty - 2:31 minutes of great Blues-Rock. The old nugget
"Ol' Man River" gets a kick in the privates too - Moonie's huge
tympani drums giving it an epic feel while Zeppelin's JPJ gives it tasteful
organ fills. I'm still not convinced if I admire the track more than I like it
- but Rod's vocals are truly awesome and Beck's speaker-to-speaker guitar
slides are worth the admission fee. Side 2 opens with a clever and beautiful
Acoustic Guitar interpretation of "Greensleeves" - Beck sounding like
he's Gordon Giltrap all mellowed on a pile of mushrooms. One of my raves is
"Rock My Plimsoul" - a Rodders/Beck boogie tune said to bare a close
resemblance to B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby". Beck's guitar fills are
superb - panning your speakers like Page gone Bonzo on his axe (I love those
"over here" calls from Rod). It ends on a one-two - the Slow Driving
Blues of "Blues De Luxe" and a fabulous guitared-up cover of Willie
Dixon's Wolf showcase "I Ain't Superstitious". It ends the album on a
high...
Excluding the awful pop of
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" (even if it is Stereo here) - the Bonus Tracks
offer up a very cool selection - most of which is killer. The Take 1 version of
"You Shook Me" contains Organ instead of Piano and wild guitar
playing - someone clearly devouring too much Hendrix for breakfast. "Blues
De Luxe" has Rodders laying into the vocals with a passion and at 7:31
minutes - Beck gets to stretch out while Hopkins lays down a Mississippi piano
background dripping with ache and feel. The rare single sides are good too and
make for quality fan-pleasing extras.
Jeff Beck would briefly dent the
LP charts with the even heavier "Beck-Ola" in July of 1969 - but my
heart has always been with this raucous, rough and ready starter album -
"Truth". And what it must have been like to see this line-up 'live' -
giving those tunes what for in some sweaty bar...lost in the music they
loved...
