Truth

While I’m always down for a good “Greensleeves” cover, I think what was fresh about this very straightforward rock take on the blues in 1968 feels pretty, pretty tired in 2021. And, yeah, I’m mainly looking at you Rod Stewart. For all of Beck’s guitar virtuoso, the lyrics by and large completely take me out of so many of these songs. I get it, Rod. You’re horny. So was Marvin Gaye but he turned it into art. There’s a way.

Shapes of Things - Solid track, love the bombastic bass and the lead guitar parts in the back, leaving more room for a solid bass. Let Me Love you - Proto-hard rock??? I hear some stuff I'd hear in later Zeppelin. HEAVY RIFF. I FUCK WITH IT. Music orgasm. Morning Dew - Is Jeff Beck Lou fucking Reed? This is a masterpiece. Scottish bagpipes for the win. You Shook Me - Amazing bassline, groovy, very B.B King-esque. The piano work is legendary, straight up as good as The Who's-- If not better. It works perfectly with the guitar. Oh my god, music orgasm. Ol' Man River - The bassline, the drums........ Music orgasm again. "I'm so sick of living but too afraid of dying..." I cried Greensleeves - Still emotional from Ol' Man River, a fully acoustic instrumental piece played in arpeggio. It's gorgeous. It's simplistic but beautiful and lets you ride the wave of your emotions. Rock my Plimsoul - OH THE BLUES. HIT ME WITH THE BLUES, YES SIR. MUDDY WATERS ON ME. B. B. KING IN MY SOUL. This is what rock 'n roll is meant to be! Beck's Bolero - The sound my dreams make when they clash against the backdrop of reality. A masterful instrumental that earns its name-- A true BOLERO, but rock 'n roll. The primal scream that kickstarts the drums is the noise of the universe's expansion as it explodes during the big bang. The keys is the sound of galaxies crashing into one another. Blues Deluxe - Back to the fifties? This belongs in a mafia movie. I feel like smoking a cuban, may be even having a cigar later. Is Jeff Beck secretly Buddy Guy? Cause he's bluesing like he's Buddy Guy. THIS IS JIMMY PAGE'S GUITAR, HAS TO BE. THOSE ACCENTS........ Seven minutes and a half of blues improvisation recorded live, it only adds to the legend. This was a showstopper, the album could've stopped there and it'd rank as legend. I Ain't Superstitious - The final track of the album. This sounds like Led Zeppelin a whole lot. Physical graffiti anyone? Who invited Thor to be the drummer for this album? Great finisher but not as strong as the song that came before. If you've ever wondered why there are "squier" guitars or why we say they weep, listen to this album-- they weep with joy. B-Sides: I've been Drinking - Worth as much as any song on the album, very sentimental. The drumming works really well to give a smooth jazz blues feeling! Go Beck! Final Score: If you like ye old rock 'n roll, you'll love it. If you like blues, you'll love it. If you like MUSIC, YOU'LL LOVE IT. If you have a soul and aren't dead inside, you'll love it. I give it a 10 inch out of 10. Penises can only get so erect.

How much Rod Stewart is on this list, and why is every album with the guy from a different band? It took me a few moments to realize that the vocals are not this titular "Jeff Beck" character (rest in peace by the way) and that I was yet again tricked into listening to Rod Stewart. The world's most generic album. This man was cursed by an evil witch and now he has to say the phrase "rock me baby" every 5 minutes or else he'll turn into a frog. I didn't count how many times the word "baby" is said on this album, but it could probably fill an orphanage. One outta five, baby. Beck's guitar was fine though.

The truth hurts

Brand new to me. I'm not much of a guitar buff, but yeah Jeff Beck's guitar is crisp, expressive and forceful. Rhythm section is really punchy and robust on this. Apparently this was a major influence on heavy metal, which I guess I can hear. If I had to criticise the music, I would maybe like it to commit to being either bluesy or proggy or full-on rocking. It's in this sort of middle ground (but this is barely a real criticism). The real problem is in the vocals. Lyrics are pretty generic with some blues covers and some tracks that go "baby baby baby my little woman". The singer is Rod Stewart. He's technically really strong, but I just feel pure annoyance every time I hear him. I'm sure I can hear his hideous feathered mullet. I wish this was instrumental, or that Jeff Beck had found any other vocalist in the world. 3.5/5 for solid musicianship, but I will not be coming back.

A star-studded album that is one of the early greats of modern blues rock. While it's half-loaded with covers, you just can't deny the spin Jeff Beck and his legendary band put on them. These are some of the most talented players in the game, and to create a record like this in 4 days is insanity even if half of them aren't originals. And an instrumental jam with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones AND Keith Moon?! I mean, come on. Listen to this record, and enjoy the ride. Favorite Song: Blues Deluxe Least Favorite: Let Me Love You

So good! The mellow and depth of the blues harmonized with the vigor of the rock by the virtuosity of Beck shine so well. Classic blues and rock themes come to live on this first class album.

Perhaps a little generous, but this is getting a 3.5 rounded up. No massive stand out hits but the overall sound is fantastic classic rock without the cheesiness or overplayed aspect of some of the other bands of the time.

Guitarist Jeff Beck's debut album, "Truth" released in 1968 and features Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood in his ensemble. This album has been regarded as "the first metal album," with heavy blue-inspired sounds and rock influences. Quite a legacy! This album opens with "Shapes of Things" and it is clear from the get-go that this album helped lay the foundation for hard rock and metal. This track features heavy drums and fun guitar riffs mixed with Rod Stewart's strong vocals. "Let Me Love You" is track number 2, opening with a wicked lead guitar. Stewart sings "When I'm with you woman, my whole life seems so hazy... don't you know that?" a classic sentiment of any good rock song. Beck's electric guitar work is simply mesmerizing. The third track, "Morning Dew," features bagpipes, strong bass plucks, and funky guitar riffs. It's a cover song, but the band makes it their own, with Beck's hypnotic guitar work stealing the spotlight from Stewart's passionate vocals. "You Shook Me" comes next, a classic Muddy Waters track, reworked by Beck's group. Stewart covers vocals while a frantic piano, drum beat, and guitar do the rest. This track is full of energy and soul! Track 5 is "Ol' Man River," a well-known show tune. Stewart's vocals are fine for the song, thought the instrumentation does most of the heavy lifting, with hectic drums, organ chords, and Beck's crazy guitar work. Up next is a cover of "Greensleeves," a folk song that has been around since the 16th century. It runs a bit shy of 2 minutes, but with beautiful acoustic guitar plucks, Beck makes it his own. It is quite wonderful. "Rock My Plimsoul" comes next and is a return to the bluesy, rockin' guitar work that I've come to adore on this album. Stewart's vocals are strong and classic, and this track sounds reminiscent to something you would hear on any great classic rock station. Stewart adlibs "rock me, baby" repeatedly to close out the song, and it's quite fun! "Beck's Bolero" comes next, opening with a build up of guitar and drums that lead to classic rock chaos. This track is instrumental and features effects of crazy energy and good old rockin' instrumentation. The second-to-last track, "Blues Deluxe," clocks in at 7 and a half minutes. This track is blues at its finest and is said to have drawn inspiration from BB King. This track features an audience (it must have been recorded live) whose enthusiasm grows throughout the song, coming to an overwhelming roar at the end of the track. The final track, "I Ain't Superstitious," once more features Stewart on vocals with Beck's funky, "wah" guitar magic. There is some great guitar work on the latter half of the track, and it's a fantastic way to close out this debut album. Favorite track: Let Me Love You Honorable mention: Beck's Bolero

Hot ass garbage. Who listens to this stuff?

Proto Zeppelin John Paul Jones playing organ on You Shook Me Jimmy Page and JPJ playing with Keith Moon on Beck's Bolero And Robert Plant is clearly cut from the same cloth as Rod Stewart Excellent early hard rock from the virtuoso himself

Jeff Beck’s tone is so distinctive. And I will never listen to Rod Stewart the same way again. Absolutely incredible album. Low point was the strangely mixed applause on “Blues Deluxe”, which was distracting.

Well, I really like this sound and I’m not that familiar with Stewart’s work to be annoyed by him. This goes with 4 stars

I'm kinda torn on this one. Not every song is a banger, for sure, but none of them are snoozers either. The one thing they all seem to have is a strong sense of groove and I'm here for that. The cover of "Ol' Man River" is far from my favorite, though. Tympani were a poor instrumentation choice. There's also some really funky stereo panning going on that's just disconcerting. That cover alone almost earned this a 3-star rating. But, once you get past that (and the weirdly out of place "Greensleeves" instrumental), there's a bunch of really solid blues. Like, REALLY solid blues. Very tasty. It's a 4-star for me. But it's a soft 4.

Comes out swinging. Keeps hitting hard. Takes a break with Greensleeves, of all things...4/5

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES MADAFACAR

A blues master. Love Becks Bolero

Wonderful interpretations of great music.

Excellent blues rock album. You can clear hear how he influenced so many future bands. 4.5

Five stars for Beck's Bolero alone. This record is responsible for that 60's / 70's British Blues sound. Beck brings on Rod Stewart before he became the mega-star, and Ronny Wood before becoming a Stone.

Discovery of Led Zeppelin sound before they got into the game

Epic.

First time listen - really good! I never listened to his solo stuff until the 80's release, and he is a talent. A lot of covers, which he rocks. Never heard \"Old Man River\" with such power (even if you are not familiar with the song from the 1920s)/ Even his over of Led Zeppelins' You Shook Me (I know ... that version is cover as well) ... wait - actually, they may have covered Beck on that one.... Hmmm

I missed this album when it was released. Sometime in the early 70’s I grabbed the follow-up album, Beck-Ola(1969) , the first album credited to The Jeff Beck Group, however Truth has pretty much the same line-up, especially Rod Stewart & Ron Wood, who eventually left Beck later that year to keep The Small Faces (Faces) going. Prior to that I only knew Beck from his work with The Yardbirds & the single Hi Ho Silver Lining, more a pop effort (thanks to producer Mickie Most). I had been lucky enough to see Antonioni’s film Blow Up (1966) when it was released, so I’d seen that fantastic clip of The Yardbirds with Beck & Page in all their glory. Then in the early 80’s, when I had a record shop in Newtown, Andy Glitre, who had just moved to Sydney from the U.K., was a customer. He had a radio show on 2SER, & I used to loan him records for his show & he used to give me interesting cassettes. One of these, which I still play, is a tape of Bowie doing a radio show on the BBC (1979). I’ve never ever heard a better 60 minutes by a deejay & one of the jaw-dropping moments for me was when he played Beck’s Bolero, which I had somehow never heard before. For me, it is easily the highlight of Truth. The rest of the album is fascinating for hearing early Rod Stewart, but it’s Beck’s guitar that keeps it interesting. The cover of The Yardbirds’ Shapes Of Things is unnecessary (probably Most’s idea) &, as much as I love his voice here, I’m constantly irritated by Stewart’s sloppy attention to the lyrics of great songs, although even that cannot stop me loving the band’s treatment of Howlin Wolf’s I Ain’t Superstitious. Pity it was all recorded in 4 days. I love it, but it might have been so much better.

This was kind of a nice surprise. For Rod Stewart's performance actually stole the show though. Def a record I would listen to again. Jeff Beck is an incredible guitar player and his Clapton/Page/????? combo style shines the whole way through.

I found this more exciting blues than the earlier stones album. And great vocals from Rod.

This is a fantastic album. I especially loved the opening track, which is a cover a song Beck previously did with the Yardbirds. This version is much better in my opinion. But yeah, Jeff Beck absolutely shreds every track on this, and Rod Stewart's vocals are *chef's kiss*. The only reason this isn't 5 stars instead of 4 is because a) almost half of it is covers (which is fine, but I'm picking about wanting artists' original work) and b) the covers, which sound good, are in many cases just standard blues riff that are just enhanced by Beck's guitar and Stewart's vocals. Regardless, I'll be returning to this one again in the future.

Cool blues album! Though I can't help but think that Jeff Beck sounds a bit like Rod Stewart...

yeah good. rock my plimsoul was cooool 7/10

A bluesrock gem

Great British Blues album. A few covers on the album but I don’t think it should be marked down for that.

Gotta be able to listen to Rod Stewart but this record jams. Lots of good guitar work, but what do you expect from Jeff Beck?

Never listened to much Jeff Beck. Might have to change that after this listen.

More white, British guys acting like they discovered the Blues. Fine for the lost part, but feel like there's a lot of it on this list.

Very middle of the road. It might have been influential, but the vocals and lyrics of rod Steward sounds dated and written without much thought. Were they written at all. Becks bolero is the highlight, it's all instrumental

Not bad. Bluesy old school rock. Sounds like Faces; no real surprise there. Only problem for me is after two full listens only a couple tracks stand out; all the rest just melded together.

It is very 1960s guitar but in the best way - do not know what green sleeves gives us though

I like the music more than his voice

Truth Had no idea what to expect from this, and had no idea Rod was the vocalist when his voice kicked in on Shapes of Things. Rod’s voice is great on that track, not just the rasp but the tenderness and delicateness he peppers in, particularly in the falsetto parts. The guitar tone is pretty interesting on it too, it sounds much more 70s/80s than late 60s. I can see why a lot of the 80s rock and metal bands idolise Beck, based on this track alone. Let Me Love You is not great in comparison to Shapes of Things, a plodding, pedestrian, uninspired and rather woeful slice of late 60s blues rock. Morning Dew is more interesting, it’s folk origin giving it a different slant, and with the wah wah, droning Indian influences and that nice galloping bassline it adds up to a little bit of a gem, pointing to where Rod and Ronnie would head with the Faces and Rod’s early country and folk flecked solo albums. Why did every blues band in the UK in the 60s and 70s cover You Shook Me? I know it’s cast in iron as a cornerstone of the blues, but I’ve never quite understood why everyone just kept doing it, despite everyone else doing it. This is a particularly bad version, Beck's guitar is egregiously showy and the whole thing just feels like a pointless addition to the wheelie bin full of covers of this song. Ol’ Man River is a bit of a curio, the orchestral timpani and kettle drum al teals give it a different flavour, and I get that they were going for a big echoey feel, but it feels a bit half baked (if you can bake an echo?). Nice vocal though, the style of this does suit Rod well. Greensleeves is actually very pleasant, but you can understand why Beck was such a big influence for the character of Nigel Tufnell just from this. Rock my Plimsoul returns to the staid and lumpen blues rock well, and pulls up another bucket of plod. Beck’s Bolero at least tries for something different with it’s rhythmic foundation, but is largely unexciting. While he is obviously a very good guitarist, and despite the technical proficiency I find his playing particularly unmoving, lacking a visceral sense of excitement I get from other guitarists in this period. Blues Deluxe disappears into the morass of blues rock, despite listening to it 3 times today I don’t think I’d recognise it if I heard it on the radio again. Finally a more dynamic and enjoyable heavy blues track shakes off the treacle and emerges in, I Ain’t Superstitious. Nice rhythmic propulsion, good licks and a nice vocal make this one good. Shapes of Things and Morning Dew gave me hope this might be a charming if uneven ragtag bag of late 60s blue rock, but unfortunately the moments that do work, like the above, are undermined somewhat by most of the remaining songs, rather dull exercises in showcasing Beck’s cold virtuosity and him and Rod’s ability to cover/nick/rip off blues classics. Not even Rod’s voice, which is approaching his peak, can make up for the lead booted nature of most of the songs. I guess it was influential on the nascent Cream and Led Zep (I know Page et al feature on here), but they produced more interesting versions of this type of thing. Kind of stuck between 2 and 3 with this, it has its moments, Rod’s voice is strong throughout, but I’m unlikely to really come back to it. Hmm, I’ll go against type and settle on the lower score. 🎸🎸 Playlist submission: Morning Dew

Grandad-rock zzz.

Sounds like a bunch of classic rock bullshit, because it is. Trying to imagine a scenario where I’d want to hear some completely nondescript rock from this era in favor of tried-and-true favorites and am coming up empty. This has its moments, but I’m not about to dive in to dig up more. I’d rather hear Led Zepp for the millionth time. Also, fuck Rod Stewart. 1.5

This is brilliant. Transcendent talents teaming up on vocals and guitars here, and it shows

que hombre

I always associate Jeff Beck with instrumental music. “Shape of things” is a great opening track. If the rest of the album is this good, I’m a fan. Second track “let me love you”. What a sick groove. I wasn’t sure about the song at first and the. It hooks you. Morning dew, what a track. Geez this album is amazing. How have I never heard this before. Ol’ man river was a great track. Green sleeves is the most boring thing on here so far. And it’s a good track, I’m just tired of here that song. Rock my plum soul. What a track. Each track just gets better. This album is amazing. Now I appreciate “Bolero” more hearing the rest of this album. Listening to “I ain’t superstitious” I now understand the Megadeth version. I don’t realize they cover this version. Love this album.

Excellent!

Is better than a falsehood.

Amazing musician with a mix of rock, blues and jazz.

Classic album, don't even need to listen to it. Definitely see where zeppelin got some early influences. Plus page and beck were friends

Rod loves to say ‘oh baby’

I mean what can I honestly say.. The guitar. The SOUL. I can’t believe I have never listened to this before (also can’t believe I didn’t know Rod Stewart was part of this band for a little bit). Stewart’s voice on a majority of there covers fit so well with the rhythm and blues and blended so nicely with Beck’s guitar. I found myself getting lost in every single guitar solo and I never wanted them to end. I had never heard any of the songs on here, but I loved everything about this album. I think I might just keep listening to “Blues Deluxe” into I gaslight myself into thinking I’m in some random blues club listening to them perform. Also the piano on that song is amazing and I think needs to be talked about more. Thank you Jeff Beck for this masterclass debut album.

Iconic!

Fantastic. Great early 70s rock. Stewart's vocals are great. (5 known / 8 new)

If this isn’t excellent, it’s close to it. If it’s the beginnings of heavy metal, it’s early enuf not to be overwrought or to neglect its origins. Unsung heroics: Micky Waller, a put-together of Mitch and Ginger (got the fluidity of the former, uses the toms like the latter). The rendition of Ol’ Man River is more than up to snuff: it’s sincere. And I don’t know much about guitar chops, but Beck sure does seem to live up to the hype. I'll go w/ excellent.

𝘐 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘈 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Stand Out Songs: 3. Morning Dew, 𝟖. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐨, 10. I Ain't Superstitious This is quite literally the first time I've had an out of body experience upon hearing someone playing the guitar, genuinely listening to this album feels like being on the highest peak of a rollercoaster that's about to go down. Good God Almighty this album is so excellent in such a full bodied and high spirited way, Jeff Beck you single handedly have given early British Rock a semblance of credibility.

How have I not heard this one before? Why is Rod Stewart singing? So many questions. Whatever, it all came together great. Such a groovy, bluesy album. Cream would probably be the closest comparison I can think of. Wikipedia says early heavy metal - I'm not sure about that, though some metal bands were influenced I'm sure. I recognized I Ain't Superstitious from Megadeth's cover, and I'm certain Gene Simmons copied Rod Stewart's singing style from this album. I'm adding it to my library. Favorite track: Shapes of Things. I think it sounds a bit like Pictures of Home from Deep Purple.

So I'll admit that, for a long time, I confused Jeff Beck with Beck. I think that's fair when you have no context for either artist. Obviously they were at their peak popularity in different eras and it's silly to get them mixed up once you know that, but that was me for the longest time. Moving on. This was heavy, man! Bluesy and heavy. Jeff Beck really lays it on thick. He's a guitar god, obviously. Anybody who was in the Yardbirds at that time would've been (Paige and Clapton say hello). But man this is was amazing. Such attitude, such delivery of said attitude. Yeah, they aren't all originals. And yeah there's some interesting choices here ("Greensleeves," for one. Don't get me wrong - it's beautiful and I'm glad it's here. Just kind of a weird choice.), but man when this hits, it HITS. Just some nice, heavy blues rock that's good for the soul. I'll take it any day. Five stars. Standout Tracks: Shapes of Things, Let Me Love You, You Shook Me, Ol' Man River, Rock My Plimsoul, Blues Deluxe

All time favorite album. The album just has a feel of being truly an entire album, not just a collection of songs.

What a star studded album!

Was für ein power-Album. Das ist sowas von abwechslungsreicher Rock, Bluesrock mir gigantischen Arrangements. Man weiß gar nicht, wann welches Instrument durch die Kopfhörer saust, man staunt einfach über die unglaublich kreative Hand der Macher, das aber so mitreißend ist, dass einem die Sprache ausbleibt vor Staunen. Für mich war das so erfrischend, dass es ab jetzt zu einen meiner besten Alben gehört.

Jeff Beck's first solo album after the Yardbird years. This album has a lot of covers, a backing band with Rod Stewart singing before he was famous and many brilliant musicians from the era, including John Paul Jones, Ronnie Wood, Nicky Hopkins or Keith Moon. This sounds a bit like a proto-Led Zeppelin album to no surprise. 'Beck's Bolero's is one of the best rock instrumentals ever. I enjoyed it a lot. 4.5/5.

This was great and glad I found this album. Really something nice to put on and have play.

Very nice!

Where has this been all my life? Why has Jeff Beck been just a name? It came out before I was born, contains covers of at least three songs I love, feels new and familiar at the same time because of the Rod Stewart vocals, the guitar is sensational, and has a Sixties/blues/verging on metal sound that ticks so many boxes.

I truly enjoyed this album. Great guitar and you can't beat Jeff's voice!

It's always a nice surprise when you find a great album, which you were not aware of before. And that is what happened to me here. A bit sceptic at first, I started listening, thinking this is probably one of so many average albums on the market. But no, this was totally different. Great songs, great playing. Of course everything very 70s. But if one like the 70s rock music, I think one will also love this album.

Today i had the much more interesting truth by Jeff beck, bluesy cool vibes I enjoyed this alot, the random greensleves is a bit random, but yeah really enjoyed this so think it's getting a 5

Hey, it turns out I love a lot of 60s blues rock. Whoever could have guessed? This is great. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to it, and even happier to realise that Jeff Beck is not Jeff Buckley!

A rock band in the era of psychedelics. They didn’t let the psychedelic scene dictate their music, they let it influence them and played an album true to themselves. This is just cool as fuck rock n roll, no fakeness.

My second favorite blues artist and he doesn't even strickly fall into the genre. Wears his influences on his sleeves and is better for it!

I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did

Why haven't I heard this album before? Great musicians playing here along with Beck. I loved it and i want more!

Great blues rock here, just top notch

Hit

This is Jeff Beck's masterclass on why he's one of the greatest guitar players ever. Totally transforming this album which would have been a good, if forgettable blues record into a must hear and memorable blues record. I don't like Rod Stewart's voice but I actually didn't mind it on this record

Beck’s guitar and Rod’s vocals are a match made in heaven. I like this so much more than I thought I would.

Solid rock and blues and Rod Stewart's vocals are top notch. I heard this one and Beck-ola plenty of times growing up so it's got some pleasant nostalgia too

Fantastic blues-rock album. Jeff Beck is one of the guitar greats with several other fantastic musicians ripping through this set of mostly blues covers. A classic.

Took me back to the 70s and being exposed to rock music for the first time.

Verrukkelijk!

Jeff Beck doing his thing with great vox by Rod Stewart

Dirty, bluesy, rock. Just perfect for an overcast Thursday morning in January, hugging a cup of tea to my wheezing chest, whilst struggling with yet another cold. How has this passed me by until now? Straight into my library with this one!

Jeff Becks first solo record is great heavy British blues rock. Some amazing guitar sounds, and the Rod Stewart vocals are pretty cool.

There is no better guitarist

DK // God damn. I don't know what was better on this album, the amazing beautiful vocals, the great guitar work, or the groovy piano on literally every track. I can't even pick a favourite song because they all bang so absolutely hard but to be honest, if I had to pick one right now it would be blues deluxe which is super super frustrating because it is not on streaming. The only real miss to me is the greensleeves instrumental track, especially when compared to the only other instrumental on the album. Rating - 5/5

Rod Stewards voice is unmistakable and Jeffs guitar work ground breaking. The album that shaped the hard blues - rock sound to come.

Pretty straightforward blues rock from the beginning, of course with excellent playing from Beck - one of the Old Masters of the mid-century white blues revival. The surprise if you're into guitar-based blues or rock music with the guitar player as the headliner is that Beck leaves tons of space for his collaborators, here. So much the better: the band (a young Rod Stewart singing, Ron Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums) sounds as cohesive as you'd expect of three guys who had already been in bands together in various combinations. Stewart is an excellent choice, rasping and wailing to great effect. Ron Wood on bass (soon to return to guitar when he joins The Faces alongside Stewart) is a surprise standout, playing a very riffy four-string style reminiscent of Zeppelin's John Paul Jones (who shows up later on Beck's Bolero), but keeps lovely, groovy time. I'd never heard of Waller before this but it's clear why he featured prominently in so many bands of this genre - he's an ace. A note before I continue: I often identify music like this as "white blues"; it's not a put-down, but an acknowledgement that this is a branch of a musical family that was founded almost entirely by black musicians in the American South. Their work (hastily or scantly recorded, often) was not widely available or heavily promoted to mainstream (in its time, that means white) audiences, especially in the UK where Beck (and Clapton, Zeppelin, the Stones, Deep Purple, etc) was working. Players like Beck made important and valid contributions to the tradition, as well as helping within their means to popularize artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Most knew their place in the scene and revered the originals but I feel it important to implicitly call out one of the things that helped Beck and his contemporaries break through to the mainstream: they were white, and so perceived as more marketable by record companies. Little Richard and Hendrix and others did break through, but Beck and Clapton et al had an unquestionable leg up. Mind you, Beck was a supreme talent. Naturally gifted, relentless in practice and a highly creative blues disciple, he continued arrangements, techniques, recording ideas and much more to the blues, to popular music and to the culture of guitar playing, writ large. This album features creative use of guitar effects, a spectacular sound from Beck's famous Stratocaster and wonderful arrangements of old and/or traditional tunes ("You Shook Me", "Old Man River", "Bolero"). Beck's Bolero is the first real departure from the blues roots (an adaptation of Ravel's famous composition). Everything works. And if you've listened to guitar-based music for more than a few years, pay attention on Truth -- you'll hear when more than a couple things you take for granted were invented. Innovative, engrossing, immensely listenable and *maybe* under the radar in 2023 as I write. Give this a few spins, as soon as you can.

Nice album, un bon album blues rock par un master de guitare. Pas si mal pour un premier album solo après yardbirds. 4.90

Com seu incrível talento na guitarra, Beck combina sem esforço os tons emocionantes do blues com a energia imponente do rock neste álbum. Temas clássicos de cada gênero são trazidos à vida de uma forma singular.

An outstanding album with a lot of superstars

JFC This is good. Never heard it before. Page, Stewart, Beck. My god.!

God this album was formative for me when I started to become curious as a guitarist about what lie beyond the blues influenced classic rock that I grew up on. This album fittingly opens with a Yardbirds track and with a who’s who of amazing musicians, it quickly take off into hard rock, proto metal, hard blues, and hints at the jazz fusion trajectory Jeff Beck’s career would take. Of the holy trinity of British guitarists that the Yardbirds produced, Jeff Beck was the most gifted and musically versatile. His phrasing is carefully chosen, and he never over plays or looses the thread (looking at you Jimmy Page). Rod Stewart’s vocals are some of his best, and the Ronny Wood rhythm section is integral to what makes this album work.

Awesome album

This is a banger! Totally worth it from start to finish. Rod Stewart’s vocals compliment Beck’s guitar style in the best way possible.

This album is new to me. Quite surprising, since I like blues - and this really is a great blues album! So 5 stars (despite the fact that there are a couple of weak tracks)!

Love it. Thought that sounded like Rod Stewart. Will need to listen to more

Could listen all day

Stewart and Beck know what they’re doing. Blues to rock, with everything in between. I’ll gladly listen to this again.

pretty fine guitaring

AMAZING album it was just so awesome from beginning to end 10/10

Enjoyed