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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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

Epic.

Discovery of Led Zeppelin sound before they got into the game

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.

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

Wonderful interpretations of great music.

A blues master. Love Becks Bolero

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.

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

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?

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

A bluesrock gem

yeah good. rock my plimsoul was cooool 7/10

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.

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

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 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.

I like the music more than his voice

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

Genialt album! Rod Stewart på vokal og fede blues numre med Hard Rock islæt. Wow

Está buenisisisisimoooo, de los mejores álbumes de rock que he escuchado, vale la pena cada canción.

Meh

Already own this one

nice

WOW. Favourite album so far. Great vocals from Rod Stewart, band sounding brilliant. 2005 remaster is sublime. In a great mood with this album.

LOVEDDD

Jeff Beck é único. Disco impecável, solos memoráveis, letras marcantes.

p152, 1968. 5 stars Classic Brit blues rock. Beck and Stewart on absolutely top form - the interplay between guitar and vocals is fantastic. Most of the tracks are stone cold classics - they even manage to cover Ol' Man River and get away with it. A couple of weak tracks - Shape of Things doesn't add anything to the original other than Beck's guitar work, and Blues Deluxe outstays its welcome, complete with the overdubbed "live" audience applause - but they are still worth listening to just for Jeff Beck. This still sounds great nearly 50 years on.

What a great playing style. If Jeff could sing at all, he'd have been as big as Clapton. But when Rod Stewart is doing all your vocals, and Rod isn't available to go on tour with you, then.....

Great mix of rock and blues.

Jeff Beck is every bit as good of a guitarist as Eric Clapton in my opinion and this bluesy English rock is excellent. Some of the best on the list so far.

Twisty, bendy, bluesy, trippy, surprisingly heavy. There really isn't anything Jeff Beck can't do with a guitar. What I love about a Jeff Beck album besides his innate awesomeness is that in the early stuff, we also get to hear Rod Stewart. These two sound so perfect together and their work together is really some of their finest. Beck elevates the quality of Stewart's singing while Stewart's presence keeps Beck from stylistically wandering too far into the weeds. Beck is a guitar nerd's guitarist. In some ways he's not as listenable as some of his peers who are less talented than he is. He's off searching for new ways to bend a note while others could teach him a thing about editing and how to use a hook. It's still pretty brilliant, next level playing and exhilarating to hear. For any small flaw I might find, this is still a 5. "Beck's Bolero" and "I Ain't Superstitious" are worth the price of admission all on their own. Oh and would you look at that supporting list of players? Ronnie Wood and Micky Waller give a necessary backbone and counterweight to Beck's guitar, and Nicky Hopkins on piano is brilliant. I also love how artists supported each other's work and would show up on each other's albums back in the day. I mean, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page AND Keith Moon? Come the freak on. This is great. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): I Ain't Superstitious, Beck's Bolero, Let Me Love You, Shapes of Things, Rock My Plimsoul, You Shook Me, Blues Deluxe, Ol' Man River, Greensleeves, Morning Dew

Loved it

Really good bruh, blues, rock, lyrics all on point

Yes! This one ROCKS! I'd heard of Jeff Beck before but never listened to him much. Has those 60s Jimi Hendrix vibes but hits a little different.

Classic blues rock

Has a voice that reminds me a bit of Rod Stewart mixed with Led Zeppelin's lead. Guitar was definitely elite

Excellent album, still holds up well.

Yeah man, this kills. Jeff Beck is just so damned good — just watch any live video of him playing and enjoy. Rod Stewart does everything he can to hang with the band — and he does a fantastic job — but honestly, he may be the least impressive member of the group. Mickey Waller, who I'll admit I didn't know by name (even though we've listened to him on Every Picture Tells A Story) is killer — there are other drummers credited (including Keith Moon on "Beck's Bolero), but Waller plays drums on the bulk of it, displaying the abandon of Moon and the control of Gene Krupa — or something like that. Just a great combo of chops and and a long leash and the musical intuition to know when to let loose and when to rein things in. Dug in a little after seeing Jimmy Page is credited as the writer of "Beck's Bolero," which on its face seems difficult to understand — whose Bolero is it? But I'm getting into the weeds... Beck is a magician on the guitar, and while blues is not my all-time favorite jam, this is excellent. The rhythm on "Rock My Plimsoul" is evidence of how this band can take a standard form and inject some grooviness that you might not even catch on a casual listen. And this is 1968. Love it.

This band in general has always lived in the shadow of Led Zeppelin, who released their debut a few months later with a similar sound. It's sad this album while critically hailed never got popularity that Led Zeppelins albums did. It's a great album and it never get's much play. I love the this version of You Shook me, especially with contribution of Nicky Hopkins piano (who should be a household name but is not). Great versions of Morning Dew, Shape of Things and an awesome I ain't Superstitious. Plus the great Beck's Bolero instrumental, written by Page and also used in How Many times.

This album was a big one for me. It showed me just how great a player Beck was, and it was within a song context. Great sound, and great band with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood sounding fantastic.

Enjoyed

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

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES MADAFACAR

pretty fine guitaring

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

Could listen all day

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

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)!

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.

Awesome album

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.

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

An outstanding album with a lot of superstars

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.

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

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.

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

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

There is no better guitarist

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

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 Beck doing his thing with great vox by Rod Stewart

Verrukkelijk!

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

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.

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

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

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

Hit

Great blues rock here, just top notch

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Very nice!

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

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

Great album, great guitar, just the right amount of blues

Good blues rock

lenda

Blues rock

Great blues album! Jeff Beck introduces himself well and it features rock greats as well! It also lays the groundwork for later guitarists in metal.

At times I love Jeff Beck's playing, and there's a couple of things he's done that scrape the firmament of what's possible in the popular idiom of guitar rock. And there's this, which has been said to have been a big influence on Led Zeppelin, amongst others. I still think it has a certain aura to it, despite fundamentally being a heavy blooz rock album without too many frills.