"Original Album Classics" by JEFF BECK [feat Jan Hammer, Narada Michael Walden and Cozy Powell] (October 2008 UK Sony/Legacy 5CD Mini Box Set of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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CLASSIC ROCK & POP 1970 to 1974 - A to L - Exceptional CD Remasters  

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"…Got The Feeling…"

The first of two box sets in Sony’s on-going "Original Album Series" (the second deals with later releases) – this five album haul of Jeff Beck’s lengthy career contains what probably represent a favourite period for fans of the best guitar player in the UK (and some would say in the world).

Beginning in 1971 and ending in 1977 - the five albums presented here have our Beckster getting all Seventies Rock-Funky, Rock-Soulful, Rock-Fusion and even wild Instrumental Progressive with the help of band mates Bob Tench on Vocals, Max Middleton and Jan Hammer on Keyboards, Narada Michael Walden on Drums and Beatles Producer George Martin at the helm more than once. What a ride! There’s a whole wad of great sounding Seventies moods on here – so let’s get to the ice cream cakes, constipated ducks and the led boots…

UK released October 2008 – "Original Album Classics" by JEFF BECK on Sony/Legacy 88697302772 (Barcode 886973027721) is a 5-disc Mini Box Set of CD Remasters with Repro LP Card Sleeves and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 "Rough And Ready" (36:50 minutes):

1. Got The Feeling

2. Situation

3. Short Business

4. Max’s Tune

5. I’ve Been Used [Side 2]

6. New Ways Train Train

7. Jody

Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Rough And Ready" – released October 1971 in the UK on Epic Records S EPC 64619 and in the USA Epic PE 30973. It peaked at No. 46 in the USA charts.

Disc 2 "Jeff Beck Group" (40:27 minutes):

1. Ice Cream Cakes

2. Glad All Over

3. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You

4. Sugar Cane

5. I Can’t Give Back The Love I Feel For You

6. Going Down [Side 2]

7. I Got To Have A Song

8. Highways

9. Definitely Maybe

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Jeff Beck Group" – released May 1972 in the USA on Epic KE 31331 and July 1972 in the UK on Epic Records S EPC 64899

Disc 3 "Blow By Blow" (44: 37 minutes):

1. You Know What I Mean

2. She’s A Woman

3. Constipated Duck

4. AIR Blower

5. Scatterbrain

6. ‘Cause We Ended As Lovers [Side 2]

7. Thelonius

8. Freeway Jam

9. Diamond Dust

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Blow By Blow" – released March 1975 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 89117 and in the USA on Epic PE 33409. Note: the rear of the box lists tracks 10 and 11 as "You Know What I Mean" and "She's A Woman" – also claiming 10 is a bonus track – but neither are actually on the disc.

Disc 4 "Wired" (37:21 minutes):

1. Led Boots

2. Come Dancing

3. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

4. Head For Backstage Pass

5. Blue Wind  [Side 2]

6. Sophie

7. Play With Me

8. Love Is Green

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Wired" – released July 1976 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 86012 and in the USA on Epic PE 33849

Disc 5 "Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live" (44:31 minutes):

1. Freeway Jam

2. Earth (Still Our Only Home)

3. She's A Woman

4. Full Moon Boogie

5. Darkness/Earth In Search Of A Sun [Side 2]

6. Scatterbrain

7. Blue Wind

Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live" – released March 1977 in the UK on Epic EPC 86025

Albums 1 and 2 are credited to JEFF BECK GROUP, 3 and 4 to JEFF BECK and 5 to JEFF BECK with the JAN HAMMER GROUP - album credits are available online at the musicmadesimple.info website.

Across the seven tracks of 1971's "Rough And Ready" (his 3rd album) – Beck wrote the lot except "Max's Tune" which is an original by Drummer Max Middleton and "Jody" which is a co-write with Brian Short – a UK folky of Transatlantic Records fame. For both "Rough And Ready" and the self-titled follow-up "Jeff Beck Group" he enlisted the help of BOB TENCH on Soulful Lead Vocals, MAX MIDDLETON on Piano, CLIVE CHAMAN on Bass and COZY POWELL on Drums. Both records are more Soulful Rock than just Rock – feeling like Blood, Sweat & Tears meets Earth, Wind & Fire by way of England. "Got The Feeling" is great Soulful Rock with Tench giving it some Joe Cocker growls and feeling while the upbeat Side 2 opener "New Ways Train Train" sounds so American in a Delaney & Bonnie way. 

On the second album we open with the uber-cool funk of "Ice Cream Cakes" with the band sounding not unlike Atlantic's COLD BLOOD but with a male singer instead of Lydia Pense. He does a cover of Carl Perkins' "Glad All Over" that is almost unrecognisable (hence the arranged by Jeff Beck credit) and a wickedly soulful take on Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You". "Sugar Cane" is a co-write with Booker T & The MG's guitarist – Stax genius STEVE CROPPER. And not for the first time – he visits obscure soul by doing a cover of Rosetta Hightower's "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" – a 1968 7" single on Toast in the UK that highlighted the writing of Ashford & Simpson along with HDH's Brian Holland. But my heart belongs to the fabulous instrumental finisher "Definitely Maybe" – so good and so typically Soulful in a way that seems natural to Jeff Beck. [Note: Fans will know that both of these albums have only been available on CD on expensive Japanese imports for years – here the remaster sound is great (doesn't say who did it or what source they're using) but they both sound great – full and clear]

Things go into another league both musically and aurally on his hugely popular "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" albums from 1975 and 1976. Apart from the dense layers of guitar-funk and the utterly hair-raising licks - the first thing that hits you about "Blow By Blow" with a full-on wallop is GEORGE MARTIN's genius production. It sounds amazing and has always been an audiophile release for that reason. His slowed down and funkified cover of The Beatles' "She's A Woman" with a voice-box vocal is so damn clever too – the keyboards flitting from speaker-to-speaker like a dance. But the giant on here for me is his instrumental version of Stevie Wonder's "'Cause We Ended As Lovers" which Beck dedicates to guitar hero ROY BUCHANAN (on Polydor Records) – even aping Buchanan’s famous bending-notes style. The vocal version of this gorgeous song is on Syreeta's album "Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta" from 1974 on Tamla Motown. Beck's searing solo on it is surely a career highlight and was used in one episode of "Californication".

The album "Wired" simply made good on the brilliance of "Blow By Blow" but brought on board Keyboard wizard JAN HAMMER and ex Mahavishnu Orchestra Drummer and songwriter NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN. I've lost count of the number times I placed "Come Dancing" on a 'Funky Funky' type CD-R compilation (a NMW original) while his cover of the Charles Mingus perennial "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" sees him wisely go all vibes Soulful. Another highlight "Blue Wind" is returned to for the 'live' set a year later – and easy to see why – it boogies. We get all clavinet funky on "Play With Me" and it ends on the lovely and mellow "Sophie". Of the live stuff I remember the three Jan Hammer originals "Earth (Still Our Only Home)", "Full Moon Boogie" and "Darkness/Earth In Search Of A Sun" as all being new. The playing is extraordinary and production values much the same.

So there you have it – a shed load of good stuff to discover (or rediscover) from an axeman who never ceases to amaze. In the vast canon of Sony releases for this 5CD and 3CD Box Set Series - this is one of those "Original Album..." Box Sets that's stacked and racked and cries out to be popped into your buy basket...

PS: check out his 2008 BLU RAY "Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie Scott’s" with the Lady Bass Player Tal Wilkenfield – wow!

"Reggatta de Blanc" by THE POLICE [feat Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland] (2003 A&M Records 'Enhanced CD' Bob Ludwig Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…White Reggae…"

November 1978's "Outlandos d'Amour" was a blistering debut album for THE POLICE – but their second platter really threw petrol on the threesome's chart-assaulting bonfire. Never had 'White Reggae" (a rough translation of the album title) sounded so enticing – a bit Punk – a bit New wave – a bit Rock and Pop – a bit bloody-good frankly. And dare we say it but A&M Records probably enjoyed all those hit singles and record sales lining their corporate coffers.

Like its 1978 predecessor - October 1979's "Reggatta de Blanc" was an exciting, fresh and immediate LP and hardly surprising that it improved on the debut's UK peak of No. 6 by going all the way to No. 1. But also like the 2003 barebones CD Remaster of that debut - this woefully ordinary CD Reissue for album number 2 sounds brill for sure - but not much else. These 2003 reissues are hugely disappointing on the presentation front. Gatefold slips of paper for Gawd's sake - thankfully the Audio rocks. Here are the yeah-yo's and cha's and messages in a bottle...

UK released January 2003 (March 2003 in the USA) - "Reggatta de Blanc" by THE POLICE on A&M 493 653-2 (Barcode 606949365325) is an 'Enhanced CD' Remaster that plays out as follows (41:56 minutes):

1. Message In A Bottle

2. Reggatta de Blanc

3. It's Alright For You

4. Bring On The Night

5. Deathwish

6. Walking On The Moon [Side 2]

7. On Any Other Day

8. The Bed's Too Big Without You

9. Contact

10. Does Everyone Stare

11. No Time This Time

Tracks 1 to 11 are their second studio album "Reggatta de Blanc" - released October 1979 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 64792 and in the USA on A&M Records SP-4792. Produced by The Police and Nigel Gray - it peaked at No. 1 in the UK and No. 26 in the USA.

BONUS TRACK: Walking On The Moon 'Video'

The gatefold slip of paper that pretends to be an inlay tells us the basics - Remaster by BOB LUDWIG at Gateway Mastering (very good news) - but has nothing else for a so-called 'Enhanced' Edition. There's a ton of fan memorabilia from the period that could have been used - the British singles could have been pictured (where are those non-album B-sides as bonus tracks) - the impact of Sting and the band on the girlies of the world - but nothing is here except a Video "Walking On The Moon" that most won't look at. There's a Police Badge pictured beneath the see-through CD tray but bugger all else apart from the wickedly good audio (docked a star for the 'what we can get away with' approach). To the music and Remaster...

You’re immediately hit with a fabulous punch from the overall soundstage when "Message In A Bottle" launches into that Rock-Bop beat. But if I was to nail one track it's the stunning Side 1 ender "Deathwish" that kicks this Remaster out of the baby's water and then some. When you played the LP back in 1979 – this chugger (where Andy Summers plays an absolute guitar blinder) was always Audio-comprised because of its track position as the needle made its way towards the dead wax and the label. But here it's alive like never before – the Bass and Drums literally rattling your living room while Summers impresses every single second. I'd genuinely forgotten how amazing this album is.

The sonic punch from "Walking on The Moon" is the same – that huge Sting Bass and Stewart Copeland's razor-sharp drumming. The Police were so tight – so utterly in unison as they played. Other sonic whoppers include the manic "It's Alright For You" and the ridiculously catchy "Bring On The Night" – a seriously great single that's approaching 40 years of age in 2019 and still sounds as snotty as a Donald Trump office grope. But then you’re reminded of the album’s real greatness by those forgotten nuggets – like the 'yeah yo's' of "Reggatta de Blanc" and the stunning sexy swing of "The Bed's Too Big Without You" - a song I used to DJ in Dublin and like "Message" would always slaughter the dancing crowd leaving them cheering for more when it faded out.  

Despite my serious misgivings about the lazy-assed presentation - you can't but give this 2003 CD reissue five-stars if only for the brilliance of the musical content and its amazing transformation at the hands of an Ace Sound Engineer - Bob Ludwig. And it's way cheap too…

"...A hundred million bottles...washed up on the shore...seems I'm not alone in being alone...a hundred million castaways looking for a home..." - Sting sang on the wildly infectious "Message In A Bottle". Get this fabulous bottle-of audio bubbly in your home and on your reggatta de CD player right soon...

"Wired" by JEFF BECK - July 1976 Studio Album on Epic Records featuring Narada Michael Walden, Jan Hammer, Wilbur Bascomb and Producer George Martin (April 2001 UK Epic CD Reissue with Vic Anesini Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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MORE THAN A FEELING 

1976

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"...Come Dancing..."

A long way from 1968's "Truth" and 1969's "Beck-Ola" with Rod Stewart on gruff vocals and guests like Zeppelin’s axeman Jimmy Page (albums steeped in hard-hitting Rock and Blues) – both 1976's "Wired" and its famous George Martin-Produced predecessor "Blow By Blow" in 1975 were deeply Funky records. They were also seen as a pair – a sort of Part 1 - with "Wired" being viewed an equal Part 2.

Although it didn’t chart in the UK – "Blow By Blow" had been a big deal in the USA - garnishing a chart position of No. 4 – a real feat for an Instrumental Jazz Rock/Fusion album in those days. However Blighty got round to its Funky charms over the remaining year. Those great reviews and steady sales led to Phase 2 being hotly anticipated - giving "Wired" a respectable No. 36 placing on the British LP charts in July 1976. Since then its beautifully recorded panorama of sound has been acknowledged as a masterpiece of the Jazz-Fusion-Rock genre (a noted Audiophile wet dream - it was also one of the first Jeff Beck albums to receive the accolade of a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Gold CD as early as 1990).

Recorded in three places – Air and Trident Studios in London and Cherokee Studios in California – Beatles Producer GEORGE MARTIN once again took the reins alongside his Assistant CHRIS BOND – and with Engineers Geoff Emerick and John Mills doing the Mixing - the Audio results simply sparkled. Here are the details...

UK released April 2001 – "Wired" by JEFF BECK on Epic EPC 502182 2 (Barcode 5099750218228) is a straightforward CD Remaster and plays out as follows (37:21 minutes):

1. Led Boots [Side 1]

2. Come Dancing

3. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

4. Head For Backstage Pass

5. Blue Wind [Side 2]

6. Sophie

7. Play With Me

8. Love Is Green

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Wired" – released July 1976 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 86012 and in the USA on Epic PE 33849. Produced by GEORGE MARTIN except "Blue Wind" produced by JAM HAMMER.

It helped too that Beck's band featured session superstars – Drummer and Percussionist Narada Michael Walden would have stints with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra and embark on a successful Soul-Funk career with Atlantic Records in the late Seventies and early Eighties – his "Blow By Blow" companion Max Middleton once again stumped up a huge array of Funky clavinets, slinky Fender Rhodes and anything else with a keyboard on it – whilst American Bass genius Wilbur Bascomb had done stints with demanding superstars like James Brown and B.B. King. But the newest element to Beck's sound elevated everything to another level – Keyboardist Jan Hammer who later formed bands with Santana’s second guitarist Neil Schon and was soon fronting his own Jan Hammer Trio.

"Wired" opens with a mission statement – Max Middleton's "Led Boots" – we're gonna Jazz-Rock – but we're gonna be as Funky as Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley's sock drawer as we do it. A fantastic Drum and Bass combo introduces many fan's LP fave "Come Dancing" – a stunning piece of instrumental Funky Rock written by Narada Michael Walden – ably pumped up by tasty Beck licks and Brass backing. A cover of the Charles Mingus classic "Pork Pie Hat" mellows thing down – all shimmering high hats and floating Fender Rhodes notes as Beck caresses notes like he’s in a nightclub at three a.m.

Jan Hammer provided the decidedly poppy (nay even commercial) "Blue Wind" which feels at time like the theme to a late Seventies cop show from the mean streets of Chicago or New York (blow chill wind blow).

Narada Michael Walden then dominates the last half of the LP with three different self-penned soundscapes – the gorgeous acoustic beauty of "Love Is Green" (check out Beck's electric guitar note bending - making that axe sing) – the Stevie Wonder Clavinet-Funky "Play With Me" with amazing keyboard soloing – and finally "Sophie" – clearly a love song on guitar to begin with (impossibly pretty acoustic flourishes) that then goes into some serious Todd Rundgren's Utopia Prog Fusion towards its frantic finish...

Jeff Beck was always the most sensational player of a plank and every major guitarist in the world dons a tail-feather to the man.

But he was so soulful or so Fusion-accessible as he was on the mighty audiophile-sounding "Wired" (and ditto for that matter to 1975's "Blow By Blow" - the album that preceded it and also a George Martin Production)...

PS: there is also a superb September 2010 LP Reissue on Music On Vinyl MOVLP 133 (Barcode 8713748980351) pressed up on 180 Grams Vinyl

"Third Annual Pipe Dream/A Rock And Roll Alternative" by ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (August 2009 Beat Goes On Reissue - 2LPs onto 1CD - Andrew Thompson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Georgia Rhythm…"

Arising out of the ashes of Roy Orbison's Candymen and Sixties hit makers The Classics IV (Keyboard player Dean Daughtry and Drummer Robert Nix) - Atlanta Rhythm Section hailed out of Doraville in Georgia. In the early days they were a Country Rock act with strains of Lynyrd Skynyrd moving quickly into more commercial Chicago Funky Rock territory in the mid to late Seventies. This superb-sounding CD gathers together two albums from 1974 and 1977 - with "A Rock And Roll Alternative" featuring the huge Radio smash "So In To You" - a number 7 in the USA and a regular on oldies playlists to this day. Here are the details...

UK released August 2009 - "Third Annual Pipe Dream/A Rock And Roll Alternative" by ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION on Beat Goes On BGOCD 877 (Barcode 5017261208774) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD and breaks down as follows (69:36 minutes):

1. Doraville

2. Jesus Hearted People

3. Close The Door

4. Blues In Maude's Flat

5. Join The Race (To Inner Space)

6. Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us) [Side 2]

7. Get Your Head Out Of Your Heart

8. The War is Over

9.  Help Yourself (You Gotta Help Yourself)

10. Who You Gonna Run To (When You're Thru Walkin' On Me)

Tracks 1 to 10 are their 3rd album "Third Annual Pipe Dream" - released September 1974 in the USA on Polydor PD-6027 and February 1975 in the UK on Polydor 2391 136

11. Sky High

12. Hitch-Hikers' Hero

13. Don't Miss The Message

14. Georgia Rhythm

15. So In To You [Side 2]

16. Outside Woman Blues

17. Everybody Gotta Go

18. Neon Nites

Tracks 11 to 18 are their sixth album "A Rock And Roll Alternative" - released January 1977 in the USA on Polydor PD-1-6080 and March 1977 in the UK on Polydor 2391 255

There's an outer card slipcase, an 8-page inlay with DARYL EASLEA liner notes and the remaster is by ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Performance. The sound is superb - well-recorded albums (Bobby Buie Productions) now given a chance to shine. The clarity is great.

The commercial Country Rock opener "Doraville" with "Who You Gonna Run To" on its flip was put out a US single in late 1974 on Polydor PD 14248 and January 1975 in the UK on Polydor 2066 488. It did no business in the UK but managed a chart placing of 35 in the States in November 1974. Polydor tried again with "Get Your Head Out Of Your Heart" and "Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us)" on both sides of the pond (Polydor PD 14273 in the USA, May 1975 in the UK on Polydor 2058 560) but neither side of the water took to it. A cool funky Rock tune is "Help Yourself (You Gotta Help Yourself") which I've put on many 70's FEST compilations.

1977's "A Rock And Roll Alternative" still sees Ronnie Hammond on Lead Vocals and their sound is Funky Boogie Rock exemplified by "Don't Miss The Message" and the rocking Skynyrd vibe of "Outside Woman Blues". But the album is dominated by the huge hit "So In To You" - the kind of Boz Scaggs commercial song that would make you double take if you heard it even now coming out of a radio  - asking - who's that? "Neon Nites" tries to get close to its sound and succeeds with its plucked guitars and slinky beat.

Atlanta Rhythm Section's brand of Country Rock won't be everyone's cup of Horlicks nowadays and a lot of it feels lightweight with the passing of time (they had neither the integrity of Skynyrd or the sheer balls-to-the-wall Blues Boogie of Foghat) - but those slinky moments in between are worth the purchase (and that top audio quality).

"...Captured by your style..." Hammond sings on "So In To You". You may feel the same...