Truth
Jeff Beck
1968
Album Summary
Truth is the debut studio album by English guitarist Jeff Beck, released in 29 July 1968 in the United Kingdom on Columbia Records and in the United States on Epic Records. It introduced the talents of his backing band the Jeff Beck Group, specifically Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, to a larger audience, and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200.
WikipediaWhile 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.
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
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
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
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?
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.
Great British Blues album. A few covers on the album but I don’t think it should be marked down for that.
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.
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.
WOW. Favourite album so far. Great vocals from Rod Stewart, band sounding brilliant. 2005 remaster is sublime. In a great mood with this album.
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.....
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
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.
Has a voice that reminds me a bit of Rod Stewart mixed with Led Zeppelin's lead. Guitar was definitely elite
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.
Stewart and Beck know what they’re doing. Blues to rock, with everything in between. I’ll gladly listen to this again.
Love it. Thought that sounded like Rod Stewart. Will need to listen to more
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.
Álbum catedralici de blues rock, amb un Rod Stewart increïble i un Jeff Beck en el seu millor moment. La primera cara es antològica. La segona deriva molt més cap al blues, però no desentona. Un clàssic entre clàssics
Musically a fine album indeed. Rod Stewart sounds amazing. But some of the song choices; Old Man River? Greensleeves? Am I supposed to a middle class white Brit performing these "slave" songs. That notwithstanding I'm not really a "blues " guy. But, no denying the sound and the epic guitar playing. For me 3.75 🌟 which translates to...
Really enjoyed this album, a bit of a mish mash of styles- covering everything from some pretty heavy blues to a cover of greensleaves but the album captured my attnetion whilst i was working and i often found myself stopping what i was doing just to listen and enjoy
4.0 - As much as I dislike the word, I'd best describe this record as "groovy." It's got a cool, laid back blues sound that's uncluttered and allows Jeff Beck's killer guitar and Rod Stewart's soulful vocals to shine. Though I finished listening to it in the late morning, I found myself thinking back on this record several times throughout the day and into the evening.
только гитара, барабаны и бас. играет с ритмом, ломанными мелодиями. однообразно в первой половине. во второй половине блюз, он зашёл круче
Aka Rockin' Rod Sings the Blues. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It's delightful to find Rod Stewart in his early 20s, showing he's already got what it takes, growing like a wildman. That and Beck 'n' friends wild blues rock explosions are thoroughly enjoyable. Yeah, they didn't go there first and a hefty creative debt is owed to the American bluesmen, but this feels like an evolution, taking things onwards for everyone.
Forget Jeff Beck for a minute or two - this album is a good reminder for me that Rod Stewart actually had a (very) small period where he absolutely killed it. It's kinda important to bring up Rod because this is absolutely as much his album as Beck's; it's almost akin to if Led Zeppelin I had been billed as "Jimmy Page" (who plays on one song here) and in a lot of ways I like this album more. Mostly because Jimmy Page's guitar playing occasionally irritates me as Beck was (is) a more interesting player to me; I think as a guitar player I enjoy his sound/tones quite a bit and on this album he runs the gamut from wailing on "Shapes of Things" to gentle acoustic on his rendition of "Greensleeves" and generous wahwah double tracking on "I Ain't Superstitious." And back to Rod Stewart ... maybe I'm focused on him because in the 80s he was ubiquitous for his milquetoast and lame songs/singing, so to hear him as the young rock god here is not only refreshing but he actually saves a lot of otherwise boring songs ("Ol' Man River", "Blues Deluxe") Overall there is a little too much slow blues for my tastes but getting beyond the occasionally dull songwriting Beck's playing (and definitely Stewart's vocals) saves the show when needed. And even though most of the best songs are covers, this is a great album not only for its time but a keeper which features a number of legendary musicians all hitting their peak. 8/10 4 stars
Pretty great blues rock album. Good mix of vocals, jams, and great licks.
Fantastic album. It's got everything you want. Early blues rock. Covers. Lingering guitar solos. Heaviness. Lightness. English folklore. Rod Steward snorting lines of sailor cum offstage. Something for everyone. Who's better than us, eh guys? If you don't enjoy this album, you can go to hell.
This album is blowing me away. The vocals are fantastic, I was expecting another boring 60's album that I've heard 1,000 times before but this is great - bluesy, rocky, excellent
Jazz-blues, blues-jazz. Definitely an influence on Led Zep. Annoying bonus tracks on Spotify.
Gets better as you listen trust me the lyrics and the guitar are so great! Deal with the first song the guitar is great! Hi Ho Silver Lining- favourite song
I've never heard this one before, but based on how it sounds and the year it was released, it's pretty easy to hear how this album must have had a huge impact on bridging the gap between blues-heavy hard rock and the beginnings of heavy metal soon after. Musically, this sounds really dated, which is sort of funny in as much as it also sounds like it was quite far ahead of its time back in the late 60's. Anyway, very interesting historically, still pretty good, but not one I'd listen to regularly.
You can hear the genre producing sound from the on set. Really powerful lyrics and guitar. The understated drums are a let down. They needed whoever recorded zeppelin’s drums to record the drums on this album. But you really can’t say enough about the power felt from the guitar and vocals. The bass is dope as well. Give a listen
A rather straightforward hard rock record, reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced' released a year prior. The predictable building blocks and basic arrangements make for an easy listen, but can result in a musical gridlock. As a package, 'Truth' is well-organized with meaningful changes in composition throughout.
Cool blues album! Though I can't help but think that Jeff Beck sounds a bit like Rod Stewart...
Fine introduction of Rod to the world, awesome guitar, and some great blue tracks.
I've always like Jeff and his guitar work and style, cool album love it
This album kind of goes all over the place especially with the Old Man River rendition and then Greensleeves. The songs are good though. I enjoyed it.
So just how impossibly underrated is Jeff Beck? He's never mentioned among the all-timers, at least not in the upper echelon like Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, or Jim Hendrix. And I'll take Jeff Beck over that prick Eric Clapton any day. Beck's a virtuoso here like he always is, but if you didn't know any better, you might swear this is a Rod Stewart album. My favorite Jeff Beck song is the cover version of "People Get Ready" that he and Stewart did some 17 years after this album. By that point, Rod was at the height of his fame after a remarkable solo career that eventually went in a much different direction from the work he did with Jeff Beck and then the Faces. It's a shame that we don't remember Rod's early career like some of the great songs from this album. Most of that is on Stewart himself, who still seems to be addicted a little too much to the spotlight (I know maybe 15 things about the world, and somehow one of those things is that Rod Stewart likes soccer). But it's more of an injustice that we don't give Jeff Beck his props as an axe wizard.
Rod Stewart on vocals; only thing keeping this from a 5 is Wired and Blow By Blow
Very good - very bluesy - you can see why it influenced a lot of bands
Very surprised - every track. Roundly solid rock but a roller coaster from track to track. Only downside is it doesn't feel like an album as much as a grab bag of tracks.
This is ... familiar. It's also got this peculiarly timeless feel to it. It feels a lot more modern than 1968 but still with that old bluesy guitar vibe to it. I must away and find out more about Jeff Beck now.
There’s an alternate reality where the Jeff Beck Group became THE virtuoso blues group that brought rock fans into the 70’s instead of Zeppelin, and part of me is curious to see how that went. I don’t think that they’re as tight-knit as Zepp, or as able to make blues staples their own the way they did. Yet they’re all great musicians, and Rod Stewart proves that he def has pipes here. It’s pretty damn good for what it is, but I understand why they didn’t get bigger in our timeline. B
I really like this, the guitar is absolutely mesmerizing. I had no idea who Jeff Beck was or that the Jeff Beck group contained Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. Love it!
Zwischen Jeff Beck und Jimmy Page bestehen Ende der 60er „gewisse stilistische Überschneidungen“, mE bis hin zur Ununterscheidbarkeit. Was ok ist, beide nicht schlecht.