Atco (label)
21 February 2011 (released)
05 February 2011
Since the mid-sixties Jeff Beck has been the guitarist that most guitarists look up to. He rarely does things for purely commercial reasons and while he hasn’t sold albums in the quantity of Clapton or the rest he has retained a reputation as a huge talent.
Similarly, Les Paul was the granddaddy of guitarists, virtually inventing the solid-body electric guitar – as well as the neck-worn harmonica holder – and being the first guitarist to regularly use overdubbing and most of the techniques that are common for guitarists today. He also mentored many of the greats including Jeff Beck and Steve Miller and was still playing regularly until he died in 2009.
The album is a delight.
Beck has guest spots from some terrific names – Imelda May, Brian Seltzer, Gary US Bonds & Trombone Shorty – and some real rock ‘n’ roll standards as well as some wonderfully cheesy country and hillbilly and Jeff Beck playing the music he enjoys the most.
The opening numbers have some real punch and when he wants to let rip on numbers like ‘The Train Kept A Rollin’ he really has got some huge power while ‘Cruisin’ twangs like a goodun. Imelda May adds her vocals to some of the more country numbers and she manages to deliver some sweet soul to ‘Cry Me A River’ .
There really is a delightful simplicity to the way that Beck plays on many of the numbers here – ‘Vaya Con Dios’ is a perfect example – and his playing on ‘Tiger Rag’ really shows the sort of technique that Les Paul himself made his name on.
The numbers all hark back to a golden age and you have heard these time and again on oldies stations and as the mainstay of some very second-rate bands but in the hamds of the masters they really come alive again and numbers like ‘New Orleans’ with Gary US Bonds leading the line really have all the oomph of the originals.
Les Paul made numbers like ‘Peter Gunn’ possible although it was Duane Eddy who had the big hit with the number but I’m not sure why ‘Apache’ is here as it was originally a Shadows number played on a Fender Strat but I have to say that hearing on – I presume – a Gibson Les Paul gives it a totally different tone.
Jeff Beck has really done his old friend and mentor proud with this set and in the main it is a plumb joy – the movie should be a blast.
