1001 Albums Generator
Truth by Jeff Beck

Truth

Jeff Beck

1968
3.15
Rating
23566
Votes
1
3%
2
19%
3
44%
4
26%
5
8%
Distribution
Genres: Metal, Blues, Rock Styles: Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock

Reviews (page 2 of 8)

The lyrics are pretty dated and cringe. Probably was better in concert.

The guitar playing is all well and good. But there’s something about Rod Stewart singing, “Ol’ Man River,” I found off-putting. Makes for a good conversation starter for where, “homage,” ends and, “cultural appropriation,” begins.

Stewart almost ruins this bluesy beast, but Beck’s orchestration of this blend of covers and own compositions is just too good to be spoiled.

Boomer rock up the maxx, man. I think there's a lot to be said here, laying the groundwork for hard rock acts like Zepplin but a front to back listen today definitely makes me resent boomers a little bit. 3.5/5

Really nothing I like about this album. I hate that kind of blues rock and Rod Stewart as lead singer as a definite mistake.

It was fine

Not bad but not memorable

Great guitar work. Kind of hard to believe it came out in 1968, it seems really innovative for that time. I suppose that was kind of his thing though. I'm guessing a lot of 80's guitarists were inspired by his work because you can hear it all over the place. Great vocals by I'm guessing Rod Steward too. Very enjoyable listen.

Standouts Shapes of Things Let Me Love You Greensleeves Rock My Pimsoul Beck's Bolero Blues Deluxe

This has a calmness about it despite its crazy guitar work. The blues isn’t quite my sound, but if I were to put it on, I might choose this over other artists.

Loved it

Pretty good. Solid '70s rock. I wouldn't say it's stood the test of time, but overall, I liked the album.

I really enjoyed this. I love the guitar sound. And Rod’s vocals coupled with that guitar is perfect. And I Ain’t Superstitious reminds me of the movie Casino, which used the song so great.

Excellent!

I haven't ever given time to listen to Jeff Beck and feel I've missed out! Amazing vocal and some proper blues guitar riffs, clearly providing inspiration for bands later in the 70s

I like the idea of what this album should be more than actually listening to it. It's promising to be called a Proto-Zeppelin and have such strong players on the album (and Rod Stewart as well). However, it didn't really capture me beyond "meh". After a few tracks I found it sort of drifting into background noise, and no longer really grabbing my attention. I'm glad to have listened to it, probably would not seek it out again though.

Максимально ніякий альбом. Нуль розуміння, чому він тут. Я не можу сказати, що це якийсь кал, але взагалі нецікавий, пісні невиразні.

Для мене особисто Джеф Бек це в першу чергу джаз-рок, фьюжн, альбом Wired і так далі. А тут маємо перший його сольник, мега унилий блюзрок і кавери. Єдине що більш-менш сподобалось, це Beck's Bolero.

Rod Stewart is on this as well!? He's turning up on album after album with his hoarse singing. This is all OK, but I would be hard pushed to remember anything about this album now it is over, apart from maybe Beck's Bolero, which was fun, a mash-up of rock and classical. But overall this was some tedious white man blues rock and it significantly overstayed its welcome. I did not listen to the bonus tracks because there was no way they wouldn't been just more of the same.

I love this 60s British blues with Rod Stewart lead singing. 4/5

Ist gut, macht aber nicht viel mit mir

chaotic and messy but very intentional. great voice. just fun overall. was never bored.

Not much to say. I liked it.

sorry, it's just so basic

Not as interesting as I was expecting but not bad. Final track is the best.

it was fine

This is fine. A straight down the line, fine, middle-of-the-road, 3/5 bluesy rock album. It feels very inoffensive and a bit bland, but then I tapped my hand gently against my keyboard a reasonable amount, so...

Durch meinen Vater kenne ich eher die späteren Jeff Beck-Alben. Sein Frühwerk ist mir dagegen gänzlich unbekannt. Z. B. wusste ich auch gar nicht, dass Rod Stewart mal in seiner Band gesungen hat, was wirklich erstaunlich gut passt. Man erhält hier eine handwerklich gut gemachte Blues-Rock-Platte, die wohl für die damalige Zeit relativ "hart" war, was sich aus heutiger Sicht nur schwer nachvollziehen lässt. Mir gefällt, dass die meisten Songs kompakt gehalten sind und nur selten die 3 Minuten übersteigen (looking at you Eric Clapton). Highlights sind für mich der Opener sowie "Beck's Bolero". Mit den beiden Covern "You Shook Me" und "Ol' Man River" erreicht die Platte zwischendurch mal einen kleinen Durchhänger. Die Bonus-Tracks, die hautpsächlich aus Standalone-Singles bestehen, haben mir teilweise auch ganz gut gefallen. Ich bin aber doch froh, dass Jeff Beck den Lead-Gesang auf der Hauptplatte an Rod Stewart abgegeben hat, der hier wirklich einen ausgezeichneten Job macht.

Sollte eigentlich komplett mein Ding sein, aber ich empfand es zum Ende hin doch ziemlich eintönig. SCHADE!

Boah, keine Ahnung. Gefällt mir persönlich irgendwie schon. Gerade im Kontext des Erscheinungsjahres finde ich die Liedstrukturen recht beeindruckend, aber das gibt mir am Ende dann doch nicht zuuu viel. Starke 2 Sterne.

Wegen dieser Alben mache ich hier mit. Was ein Album wow.

Ei oo miu

This record perfectly showcases that technical abilities don't meen the music is good. Its awfully derivative.

Very solid rock record. Great energy and passion in the vocals and the music complements very well. It's got some depth and grunge to it, but a lot of character. Reminiscent of other music coming out around this time - Zeppelin and the sort, but this is still it's own. Dig this one a lot.

No se que decir, no soy tan fan del blues ni del rock de los 50's, aun asi hay canciones que disfrute bastante, pero se me hizo muy largo. Tal vez si escuchara mas del genero podria apreciar mas este album. ⭐️ Mi cancion favorita: Morning Dew

Better than I remembered. Quintessential apathetic hipster indie. Not really sure it will have staying power long term.

First Listen Favorites: Let Me Love You Ol Man River Morning Dew Honorable Mentions: Beck's Bolero

Is that you, Rod?

Hate when any dude makes a song about sex like the one on this album gross

Pretty accessible blues

I just couldn’t. I didn’t like how it started and it’s my day off.

Didn’t like this

This was crap

Mick Hendrix, eller Jimmi Jagger? Det lyder som en fin fusion.

En dygtig guitarist fra samme støbeform som Hendrix, Page og Clapton. Det er okay Bluesrock. Men det er også meget (bedste) farrocket.

Like it 3/5

Not my type of music honestly

Another good album from Jeff Beck

Had to listen twice to better appreciate it, plus situate it in the historical context. Once I did those things I understood it and enjoyed it more. To modern ears it sounds sloppy and a bit disjointed, but the riffs and sound were ahead of their time, and I can see why Jeff Beck was so sought after as a player. As a side note, I really don’t like the old mixing style where most of the band is tracked on one side and the rest on the other - glad that fad went out of style.

Good classic rock album. 6.3/10

Very laid back, hippie rock, classic sound, cool for the time, kind of bored of it because we have heard it from these other albums, lot of exasperation, cool guitar tho

Agree with most people that this was too much Rod Stewart and it overpowered the guitar

Good! Probably won’t go back but it was fun while it lasted

Скучный и разочаровывающий. У меня возможно недостаточно опыта жизни.

I am less indeferent to this album thant to the Tom Waits album of yesterday. Yet I don't think it will make the cut to get a fourth star.

Never heard of this guy but really liked this, which makes sense when you see the guest list. Took a bunch of future GOATs and threw them all on one album. 9/10

Is this Rod?

Great sound. Jeff Beck shows his ability beautifully from blues to rock bloody Greensleeves.

Great guitar work, the lyrics are ass. So It sounds like Led Zeppelin a bit. Yeah it aged badly. But still good guitar work. Dont have much to say abouth that one thats it.

3,5 do posłuchania

This is more of a Rod Stewart album than a Jeff Beck one. "Truth" features some nice guitar work by Beck, who is the main attraction. Half of the songs on "Truth" are just covers. The tracks Beck and Stewart wrote for "Truth" are ok but the lyrics are just mediocre. I didn't know Jeff Beck was even on the 1001 albums list. 3 stars for "Truth".

im auto glost. decent bluesrock de jeff spielt geil gitarre. aber etz nöd suuuper. 3.

han mich churz gnervt, dass es scho wieder 60er isch aber das isch glaub chli öppis anders! kenn de name glaub scho aber hanen nanie glost hmm ich gseeehn de verglich zu heavy metal scho glaub aber finds bis jz scho sehr eifach chli rohe bluesrock you shook me isch megaa blues greensleeves kenni iwie? wahrsch eifach irgendes anders lied wo ähnlich tönt woaahh rock my plimsoul isch hoootttt beck's bolero isch würkli mega heavy metal! ouh ja die pseudo-live-ihspielige sind chli cringe, ME GHÖRT AMIGS SOOO FEST, DASS ES NÖD LIVE ISCH UIII NEI wow I've been drinking again isch cho (teil vode bonus-CD) und das isch soo en schöne song I guess ich gsehn de ihfluss uf d entstehig vo heavy metal, mier hend v.a. die sehr bluesige songs gfalle, ohni dass mich villes us de söckli ghaue het. drey

didn't really liked the rock(i think it's rock) it's not my cup of tea

⭐⭐ Blues rock med Rod Stewart på sång. Inte dåligt men för mig blir detta lite för mycket generisk blues rock av ännu en britiskt artist,.Under tiden då alla dessa album kom ut var det förmoligen jätte-edgy men nu känns det mest generiskt utan riktig blues-grith. Har inga problem att lyssna på albumer men kommer inte aktivt sätta på det, det blir en 2a.

not bad aber iwie nichtssagend

Better than Coldplay

Some fun white British guys blues - but nothing that really stands out.

Great! 4/5

jimi hendrix? s best goed einglijk maar ik ben niet into dit soort rock nu

rock slop.. dit was niet uniek of cool of iets

This sound is not for me.

I dug some of the great blues beats. Annoyed when he started singing with it.

Awesome “solo” record from Jeff Beck. I think it should be commended that he outsourced the vocals to someone who is a clearly better singer in Rod Stewart, and the result is one of Stewart’s best albums too.

Didn’t connect with it as much as the previous one.

Thought it was great guitar playing, but nothing more specific stood out

Blues Rock/Hard Rock Favorite Songs: Shapes of Things, Let Me Love You, Morning Dew, Beck’s Bolero Least Favorite Song: I Ain’t Superstitious (For implying that a black cat is bad luck…signed an owner of a black cat) Blues Rock is something that’s a bit of a hit or miss for me. My mother told me that he was considered as a great guitar player, and I’ll fully admit when I say that he does great work on the guitar. That being said, while the songs on my favs list are going on my personal library, there are other songs that are just okay or are just boring in my personal opinion. 7/10

Jeff Beck's Truth is one of those albums that feels like it's constantly on the verge of exploding. Even though it came out in 1968, it still sounds surprisingly raw and heavy, blending blues, hard rock, and flashes of psychedelia in a way that clearly influenced what came next. I ended up liking it more than I expected. Jeff Beck's guitar playing is phenomenal—not just technically impressive, but expressive and unpredictable. Rather than showing off, he makes every solo feel like part of the song. Rod Stewart's vocals are another highlight, bringing a gritty, soulful energy that perfectly matches the music, while Ronnie Wood's bass playing helps keep everything grounded. The album mixes originals with reimagined blues and rock standards, but they rarely sound like straightforward covers. Tracks like "Shapes of Things" are transformed into something darker and heavier, and "Beck's Bolero" is an instrumental showcase that's as inventive as it is influential. Even when the band stretches out, the performances never feel self-indulgent. Truth isn't as polished as later classic rock albums, and that's part of its appeal. The loose, almost live feel gives it a sense of urgency that many studio recordings lack. It's easy to hear why so many people point to it as a precursor to hard rock and heavy metal, influencing bands like Led Zeppelin, which formed only months later. Overall, Truth is a powerful debut that rewards repeated listens. It's an album that captures an exceptional group of musicians at exactly the right moment, and while it shows its age in a few places, its energy and musicianship remain timeless. It’s a classic that's well worth hearing, especially for anyone interested in the roots of hard rock.

Your favourite guitarist favourite guitarist

other than the bolero none of this is interesting. just regular ol rock. technically blues rock but I'm not exactly impressed by that chord progression in 2026

Great. So much variety.

Good guitar

If more songs were like Greensleeves I would have liked this album much more.

never cared for him.

This was great. Great blues rock. 4/5

Bizarre album for Jeff Beck where Rod Stewart completely overshadows it

Boomer blues rock that is actually quite good; for a 60s guitarist based album Is justified to be on the list as it means one does not need to listen to CCR as Beck and Stewart do it much better than Credence.

I'd somehow never listened to this before, and I was 25 seconds in when I realised it was going to be 5*

Love me some Rod!

Fades into the background so nothing special

I was hoping to like this more. But every song feeling like an extended self indulgent jam has brought if down for me. Low 2.

Jeff Beck is a supremely talented guitarist but this is mostly stock blues

The words “blues tinged hard rock feat. Rod Stewart” seems to have been developed by a crack team of scientists to strike terror within my soul. Everything Jeff Beck does on the guitar here is oppositional to my tastes, and made me feel like I was eating my greens, convinced that a varied music diet is inherently a good thing. And I curse myself, because they are of course highly skilled musicians taking joy in every additional guitar lick, whammy pedal wobble and vocal strain. I hope to enjoy my greens one day.

Lowest 3 for Jeff Beck today, i like it when they rock out, i like the heavy psych thing, but i do not like rod stewart singing grateful dead, or really any of the vocals.

Mää odotin jotain kunnon kitaratilutussooloa, mutta tää olikin periaatteessa ihan perus blues levy. En paljon bluesia kuuntele, niin en osaa tästä oikein muuta sanoa kuin että ihan perus hyvää taas. Parhaat: I Ain"t Superstitious

Good, shame it wasn't taken more seriously

I generally don’t have great things to say about Rod Stewart but the addition of vocals were a nice touch here. Also Jeff Beck’s approach to guitar playing was so unique. It felt like he was getting interesting songs out of his instrument before other were. This is a great album.

Ah, ben c'était intéressant pour deux raisons : - il y a une des chansons plagiées par Led Zeppelin (je sais pas si c'est une reprise pour Jeff Beck, mais voilà), - il y a I Ain't Superstitious, reprise par Megadeth et c'est la première fois que j'entends l'originale. Sinon, bon, ça m'a pas franchement parlé. Ou plutôt, c'est très contrasté. D'un côté, y'a vraiment des morceaux presque rock qui me parlent bien et Rod Steward a un chant assez rocailleux très cool. De l'autre, je trouve qu'il y a vraiment des longueur et que c'est parfois franchement répétitif, ce qui est d'ailleurs ce que je n'aime pas trop dans le blues de façon générale. Notamment, You Shook Me est déjà pas un titre fou, mais en plus, plus tard dans l'album arrive un morceau presque identique (la flemme de revérifier lequel). Cela dit, j'ai pas non plus passé un mauvais moment, alors ça sera un petit 3, un peu timide, mais tout de même sympathique !

I have it on vinyl and CD. All 5 members of the group autographed the back cover of the album in 1968. Still have it!

I’m not really into white guy blues.

2 stars Uninteresting blues rock that foreshadowed Led Zeppelin a mere months away but could not really hold my interest or make me want to listen further.

Some really great tracks here kicked it up to three stars. There was some self indulgent blues mixed in there which threatened to drag it down, but in all some pretty solid songs. First half probably the pick of it

Not a bad version of "Ol' Man River" and I liked the beginning of "Green Sleeves", but it got a little crazy instead of staying the melodic version I've always liked. On the whole, the album was fine, but not something I would have on my shelves.

3.5 - never listened to a Jeff Beck album before

One of the most underrated guitar players ever. At least, in the public eye. He was highly respected by his peers. If his band would have stayed together, they would have given Led Zeppelin a run for their money. But Jeff had the bad luck to have an incredible lead singer who had solo aspirations. This is Rod Stewart's debut and it's quite an eye opener. Blues rock at it's best

A hard album to rate for me struggled between a 3 and a 4. Jeff and every other instrument is a very strong 4 but rod brings this album down with his lyrics.

Decent album! Never listened to a lot of jeff beck but it's pretty good 👍

The starry personnel and proto-whatever status don't add up to a particularly memorable or impressive result. At worst it's horribly grating and at best it's just fine. Rod Stewart's voice overwhelms whatever else might be going on; he sounds much better on the tracks where he reins it in. Greensleeves, You Shook Me and Ol' Man River are good songs but they can't take much credit for those.

I don't normally like Rod Stewart's voice on his own albums or with the Faces. Here it's not quite so grating though on some tracks which was a nice surprise. Would be good to hear the whole album with a different vocalist though, someone like Peter Green from early Fleetwood Mac would suit this. Or why not just have Jeff himself sing them all? Nevertheless I enjoyed the album as another one I'd missed in my youth. (I bought and still have the Hi Ho Silver Lining single of course but that wasn't on the original album). A fairly laid back bluesy sound which always goes down well together some more heavier rockers.

Going up write review as listening… Ooooffff that voice … pretty grating! Oh no - I hate this style of music nooooooooo!! Ol’ Man River into Greensleeves particularly awful. I feel a bit embarrassed even listening to Rock My Plimsoul - god I hope no one hears this! Apparently there is controversy surrounding if he wrote Becks Bolero or not - personally I wouldn’t be even laying claim to that monstrosity. Blues De Luxe should be renamed to Snooze De Luxe (hehehe!). Last track - thank the good lord this is nearly over! He is obviously a great guitarist, I just don’t want to hear it.

I only had to wait a day to hear an album even more boring than Coldplay’s ‘Parachutes’. I don’t appreciate the stealth Rod Stewart, I don’t like noodling on a guitar, and I have no interest in hearing anything like this ever again. Which is a shame, cos I bet the list is full of this shite. (‘Rock my Plimsoul’ is a good song name, and ‘Morning Dew’ being about the post apocalypse are ever so slight redeeming features)

- just a buncha head bangers back to back to back by just a buncha dudes

It took me way too long to figure out that it was Mr Rod Stewart on the vocals.

can sense that I’ve been leaving albums I thought I may not enjoy all to the end and it’s not been that much fun

Well, this is a another album emerging from the British heavy blues scene that itself grew out of the British blues boom. But why didn't the Jeff Beck Group go on to stellar success like Led Zeppelin? Maybe having a rather unstable line-up didn't help, maybe actually crediting original blues artists didn't help, maybe the rather fey folk stuff like Greensleeves didn't help. I dunno, but this album doesn't really grab me. Plus, I listened to an extended version which unfortunately includes Hi Ho Silver Lining, that mainstay of student discos even as late as the late 70s, when the DJ turned the sound down to hear the students sing the chorus.

The passionate vocals push this from being just some more blues to being a good listen even today

Decent outing for him.

Note: listened by proxy to Wired and Blow By Blow

Cool guitar stuff plus Rod

Didn’t do it for me

This sounded like Rod Stewart the entire time (complementary)

Cool lineage. Good blues rock- potential birth of hard rock or proto metal

It’s very samey. But I do like Rod Stewart.

Enjoyed much more than expected, I don't tend to go for "I'm good at guitar" as a genre, but this was more blues :)

I had never heard of Jeff Beck before this but after searching him up I can see how huge of a name he was in accordance with rock history. Didn't know he was in the Yardbirds! I have come to realize I am not a huge fan of the blues sound, but this album is undeniably good and he has such amazing talent as is evident in this album. I really liked the song Morning Dew!

Pretty good. Of course, Jeff Beck’s guitar playing is crazy good, and it’s an interesting fact that Ronnie Wood is also part of this, but I actually really enjoyed Rod Stewart’s voice. Maybe not so much the lyrics though

I got three songs in and decided that I have better things to do than listen to mediocre music.

I do try to consider these with context and I'm sure this was cool and innovative in 1968 but I can't help but feel it isn't that remarkable now. Jimi Hendrix and Cream are contemporaries that come to mind that have been much more impactful Jeff Beck is good at guitar, I won't argue with that and I do like rod Stewart's voice. I didn't even know he played with him. And I did quite like this version of I Ain't Superstitious Highlights: I Ain't Superstitious

It's honestly better than I expected. Rod Stewart was a big surprise. I don't think I would ever listen to it on purpose, so I can't give it 4 stars, but if you have to listen to YET ANOTHER 60s rock album, this one is far from the worst. 3.5 stars.

It was fine. He’s obviously talented but he’s better and there’s better albums with a group

Tremenda combinacon Jeff y Rod

I agree with another three star review - whilst this is good, objectively, and was probably impactful at the time, blues/ heavy rock has developed in more interesting ways subsequently, which means that this has ended up sounding a bit "mid" (as they say). I also agree that the lyrics are really boring.

Pretty good! Was that Rod Stewart on vocals?

This is fine. I can't complain about straight-ahead rock music, but it's okay.

This album is fine! I like Rod so I wasn't annoyed to have him singing these tracks.

Guitar work on this had me making the stank face. This rules. Didn't know the singer was Rod Stewart until today.

très bon 4/5

Excited for Jeff Beck, then Rod Stewart had to come in and ruin everything

Not really good

Shapes of Things - 3/5 Let Me Love You - 3/5 Morning Dew - 4/5 You Shook Me - 2/5 Ol' Man River - 2/5 Greensleeves - 3/5 Rock My Plimsoul - 3/5 Beck's Bolero - 4/5 Blues De Luxe - 3/5 I Ain't Superstitious - 3/5 Average score: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ very disappointed to hear that i have been tricked into listening to Rod Stewart again. i feel deceived anyway, it was painfully mediocre blues. onto the next

When I think Jeff Beck, I think of his time in The Yardbirds and his virtuosity at Jazz Rock and Fusion guitar playing. Naturally, before he would transition into that style he had to bust out of his Blues-based rock music. I always preferred Jeff's more boundary-pushing guitar playing personally, but I get why; especially for musicians, his blues material would be looked at so fondly. This album is a tight 40 minutes worth of Beck and Rod Stewart with several other session musicians (including Ron Wood and Keith Moon) banging out some decent classic blues rock. Stewart sounds great on this record, his signature smoky rasp works wonderfully over this raw tracks, especially on the barn-burner "Blues Deluxe". Jeff's presence on this album is actually quite overshadowed by Stewart IMO. Sure his solos rip, but Rod just commands such attention whenever he sings. All in all though, this is a fine record if you like British Blues and the like. It's not something I would actively seek out as much but it was a nice listen.

Groundbreaking, released prior to Led Zeppelin’s debut and with a relatively unknown Rod Stewart on lead vocals.

Really fun guitar, greensleeves cover was sick

Kind of boring and I’m not a fan of the vocals

If you go to any art gallery of medieval or Renaissance paintings, you will quickly discover that most of the paintings from that time were of baby Jesus. And they all look pretty much the same. I am not saying that said paintings are bad. And a few will likely stand out from the rest. Nor am I questioning their historic or artistic significance. But unless you go in knowing the historic or artistic significance of the paintings, you will quickly tire of seeing the same painting of baby Jesus with just slight variations. The 60s/70s rock albums on this list are very much in a similar situation.

I enjoyed the first couple tracks, but it got weird after that. Too many odd covers (Greensleeves, really??) and too much Rod Stewart singing.

Album #170 Jeff Beck: Truth Jeff Beck is on my radar pretty much entirely due to his reputation as a guitar god. Sort of “your favourite guitarist’s favourite guitarist”. I often find with these types that, unless they are already incredibly famous like Hendrix or Marr, I end up not enjoying their music. I mean, if they are supposedly masters of their instruments, how come I haven’t heard any of their music? There is the argument to be made that the more complex your music is, the less enjoyable for a mainstream audience; however, I find that there is just as much complexity in making something sound simple as there is in making something sound difficult, which is why Mark Knopfler is my GOAT. Truth by Jeff Beck seems to support my theory: the master guitar player making boilerplate blues rock. To me this doesn’t even sound complex necessarily, though I am admittedly a layman. The album is far from bad, but maybe I’m a little let down by his reputation. However, to give Beck credit, I listened to a track off his album Blow By Blow, and it blew everything here away, so maybe I will check that out; it is entirely possible he just hadn’t found his sound at this point. But hey, who cares about making captivating music when you can do triplets while dropping your guitar, right? Best Songs: I Ain’t Superstitious, Morning Dew, Beck’s Bolero Worst Song: Blues Deluxe Score out of 10: 5.5

I have heard of Jeff Beck in passing but I can't say I have ever been itching to hear one of his projects, until now. I get that Jeff Beck is important for being a part of The Yardbirds with as much talent as that band had, and for being a pretty solid guitar player, but that is about as far as my knowledge of him goes. After hearing his debut album Truth I can only really see the glimpses of greatness as nothing here really wowed me or blow my socks off even for the Blues Rock style Jeff embodied for so long. As much as I want to applaud the guitar playing here, that was not alone going to make me like this project. I'll even go as far to say Jeff Beck is not a very good songwriter and it shows here very blatantly. Truth isn't a bad project, but it is far from being some iconic piece of 60s Rock.

Pretty good

Talented musicians but the songs sound a little stolen

Great blues rock!

2/5 I can appreciate the artistry of the music on this album but nothing really grabbed me.

Sehr alt sehr viel Gitarre

Lacking standouts but he can really make that guitar sound good. 7/10

Another member of the pantheon of American Rock. Sigh.

Funnily, the first song on here that I really enjoyed and caught my ear was Ol' Man River. He did it well, a good rendition. Then Greensleeves was good, and I enjoyed the rest of the album. I think this is a rare case where I had settled on a 2, but it got better in the last few songs and bumped up to a 3.

Clicked here thinking "Oh good, Jeff Beck" but was 'rickrolled' to Rod Stewart. Beck's guitar skill is legendary but the vocals on this album are too distracting to enjoy.

Best 3 I've ever heard.

Not blown away as much as I think I was supposed to be. Good album, and the variety is pretty cool. I wasn't expecting Greensleeves or whatever that take on Bolero was.

Lots of star power on this one. Endless names and of course, cheaters' justice!

Very cool overall, little to no complaints here. Beck is a fantastic player, and the bluesy-hard rock works very, very well. Some truly outstanding musicianship going on, and the influence is easy to see. Rod Stewart jumpscare and also Greensleeves jumpscare. Oh well.

Good surprise, gritty blues

This isn't a bad album by any means. It's just another mediocre one played by mediocre white dudes and I'm sick of those taking up space in the music world and on this list that other people deserve far more. In no way is this an essential listen and I couldn't get myself to finish it, because I'm so tired of Rod Stewart and overlong albums from the sixties and seventies that should have been condensed into something better.

I didn't have high hopes when I saw this record generated this morning as I'm not really a big blues guy and Rod Stewart's involvement in a project is not usually a mark of quality for me either. However, I actually quite enjoyed this, until the seven and a half minute penultimate track. It just sucked out any of the momentum and goodwill built up to this point. It's the kind of boogie-woogie piano workout that is the low point of any Later with Jools episode and it's got some tacked-on crowd noises that Jeff apparently expressed regrets about later. Never mind the overdubs Jeff, you should have done us all a favour and taped over the whole thing. Best track Greensleves.

Should not have taken me this long to discover Jeff Beck

Honestly, 100% for surprised by this. Thought I was going to be a generic, dad rock album, and I don’t wanna Dolby out too much, but I think it’s five stars. All the way through.

I listened to the first song and I was confused how a group of people got together and wrote this song. Then, thought it sounded good enough to actually record, not only that, but to include it on an album and think it was good enough for the opening track?! Then... THEN the record company heard it and said, "Yeah. OK!" What?????? This thought went through my mind with every subsequent song. Including the incomprehensible covers of Old Man River and Greensleeves. Zero stars. Minus 5 stars for making me listen to Rod Stewart

He got better, but even this early on, his chops were evident.

gooooood

Overall, I liked it but the drummer was questionable at times and didn't love the pianist or the singing. Guitar was great though and the general overarching songs were nice.

Drummer and pianist stimming on primitive blues rock for 8 tracks Greensleeves and Beck’s Bolero stand out as highlights, which also not-so-coincidentally happen to be the only songs that escape the grasp from Rod Stewart’s blues-man yelping.

Eh, it seemed like pretty generic white guy '60s rock.

Strong 3.5. Acaba ficando um pouco repetitivo no final, mas ainda é um ótimo take em um blues rock com leves experimentações, o vocal é bom

Ever wonder what a wank session with Rod Stewart singing over it would sound like? You don't have to imagine, just pop this baby in!

For a second I thought I thought this was a second Jeff Buckley album, which honestly made me do a double take like the fool that I am. Jeff Beck is a vaguely familiar name, though in all fairness that could be due to his name being pretty generic. I'm not sure what I'm picking up from this album cover, title and year of release. It looks a bit like a 70s prog rock album, though that obviously doesn't line up with the year of release. I think I'll hedge my bets on a 60s psychedelic album. Here goes. Blues/hard rock and heavy metal. It seems so obvious in retrospect, but oh well. This was fine. I'm not much of a blues rock or metalhead, but I commend this album for following all of the blues/metal conventions to a T. The guitar riffs are generally competent, with some select moments being pretty good. The grunting, bluesy guitars which underscore the music guide these tracks along effectively, and the polished, bassy sound which was standard with a lot of music from this time is also good. Other embellishments like the pianos and acoustic guitars are welcome additions as well. The blues/metal vocal style doesn't do much for me, but it generally gets the job done. On the whole, this is a solid offering - the only caveat being that I'm just not particularly enthusiastic about this style of music. Yeah, I know. What a cop-out Book time. Jeff Beck was formerly a member of the Yardbirds before striking it out on his own. "You Shook Me" was covered by Led Zeppelin shortly after release, whose front man was also previously a member of Yardbirds. Wow - I'm learning things. Charted for 8 months in the US, but never made a splash in Beck's home country. That's a surprise - I'm pretty sure the Yardbirds albums have that exact same story. Beck won a few Grammys with his successive releases, though this is widely considered to be his best album. Wikipedia says that this album is regarded as a classic and one of the first heavy metal releases. The album peaked at No. 15 on the US charts, with the only other place where it charted being at No. 38 in Canada. This album wins big on the historical significance front, so I'm favourable to letting it through. I cosign this inclusion.

Today I found out I hate Rod Stewart's voice. Serisously, everything is great about this album - Jeff Beck is a phenomenal guitarist - but Stewart's voice just makes this such a hard listen. Would've been an instant 5 if this was an instrumental album. Or if Beck himself sang on the tracks himself. Tallyman and Hi Ho Silver Lining are better than Stewart coughing up a lung on one of the main tracks. Favourite track: Beck's Bolero 2/5

I do love the Beck / Rod Stewart combination, but I think everybody was still finding their way with this record. It was hard not to make the Led Zeppelin comparisons because the first LZ record treads such similar territory, even one of the same songs, and it does it so much better. But I love Beck's Bolero and I Ain't Superstitious, and I also love how 60s British guitarists would just break into stuff like Greensleeves 😂 you can just hear Beck justifying it in his Spinal Tap voice. The incredible folk players had such an influence on the rock guys in the UK. Anyway, long live Jeff Beck. Blow By Blow is a 5 star record imho.

Fine! Pleasant, but too many blues tunes at the back half that just sound like.. the blues. He deserves credit for being considered one of the best guitarists of all time but the songwriting is not much more than just pleasant

some fun songs, hit n miss. hi ho silver lining played, thats fun

Jeff Beck is an amazing blues guitar player, and he should feature more prominently in conversations about guitar legend. But the truth is, it's mostly Rod Stewart here. That should turn me off much more than it actually does, but young Rod Stewart singing the blues could be my favorite version of Rod Stewart. The vocal performances sound incredibly similar to Robert Plant on [choose any future Led Zeppelin classic], even if the instrumentation doesn't quite climb to the same sonic heights as Zeppelin would. For me, Zeppelin were always at their best when they leaned hard into the blues, so this 'proto-Zeppelin' sound is a very easy sell. Every Led Zeppelin fan should also own this record. Ok, but it's supposed to be a Jeff Beck album, right? I think what Jeff is doing here just comes off as too subtle by modern standards. The guitar playing is top notch, but it's not the kind of bombastic virtuoso performance that we grew to expect from namesake frontmen like Eddie Van Halen, or (Jeff Beck contemporary) Jimi Hendrix. This kind of restraint is valuable in a band leader, but underserves his personal myth building. As an whole, this is very good album but I think it's missing that one big hit that would keep more people coming back over and over again. That's a shame. It's also a shame that "Blues Deluxe" only has 770K streams on Spotify? What an absolute blues-rock heater.

Previously unknown. Good listen.

Pretty good

Jeg vil sige at jeg har fået en del mere respekt for Rod Stewart som sanger af det her projekt. God giddar. Har hørt en del albums som det her tidligere på listen

Fed tråd, men federe er det heller ikke

Getting some Doors vibes from this. Liked it better than the Yardbirds.

Jeff Beck was blessed with the voice of a character much more interesting than his music.

🎧Decent blues rock. Nice vocals from Rod, as always

A cool listen.

How have I not listened to Jeff Beck before

I just don't think I get Jeff Beck. He's a great guitar player, but half of these songs just don't excite me. He's at his best when he's jamming, not when he's singing. Best Songs: You Shook Me, Greensleeves, I Ain't Superstitious Worst Songs: Morning Dew, Ol' Man River

Found it hard to get a grip on this one.

It's not really my favourite genre but I can't really fault it

The guitar was pretty good, the singing not so much.

601/1001 2026.04.27 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Real dislike for Rod Stewart’s vocals. But Jeff Beck’s guitar work and compositions here really caught me. The instrumentation on this album sounds gorgeous. Other than my distaste for the vocals, the musical elements were pretty impressive, which is why I thought the instrumental tracks were the best and most enjoyable.

This took me a while but loved it by end. From ol man river loved the variability

Really enjoyed this one, more than I thought I would.

Guitar god. Love it.

Favorite songs: Morning Dew, Beck's Bolero, I Ain't Superstitious

OG Beck, Woods and Stewart. Kind of epic

No. 169 I can say enjoy the distortion effects and piano playing compliment each other real nice.

Jeff Beck “Truth” THREE AND A HALF STARS I have had an up and down relationship with this album. Started out as unimpressed, but then felt like Beck’s guitar and the hard rock template it established made the album worthy of the hefty reappraisal it has received over the last decade. With this last listen and others recently, I find myself leaning towards my original rating of the album. Like early Led Zeppelin, “Truth” is often at the mercy of its cover selections. Personally, I do not find even the original blues versions of “Rock Me Baby” and “You Shook Me” all that interesting. As songs they scratch the surface of best blues earthiness, and do not come close to the menace, bawdy rebel fun and declaratory power of better songs. In the hands of countless rock bands who covered them, they border on dull. The same can be said for “Greensleeves” and “Ol Man River.” The Rod Stewart who was about to appear on The Faces records and his own solo albums is not here on this record. He has a pleasing rasp, but can’t seem to quite get to the heart of songs like he would just a few years later. Ronnie Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums are capable, but there was not a single moment where they stood out. I am sure other listeners will disagree. A swirling cover of “Shapes of Things”, the endless fascinating, what might have been sounds of “Beck’s Bolero” and the demon snarl of “Ain’t Superstitious” save the record. Beck’s guitar on the latter may be the rudest belch on any rock record. Few instrumentalists in rock can create a sound that burrows into your brain. Notice a sound, not a riff. Unlike the large pantheon of great British 1960s guitar players, Beck lacked the ability to compose riffs that carried songs. This album and its follow-up exposed those limitations. With Rod and Woody not yet writing endearing tracks that they brought to the Faces, The Jeff Beck Group comes up short in my eyes.

This album is only saved by the instrumental tracks, specifically "Beck's Bolero" otherwise it sounds like a person's idea of a classic rock album, rather than a classic rock album. Won't degrade it further by calling it AI's idea of a classic rock album because I wish to continue my faith in the human race over AI (but AI probably would have better vocals).

Cool late 60s rock record. Nothing to write home about from my perspective.

Favorite track(s): Let Me Love You, Beck's Bolero, I Ain't Superstitious Fine stuff but why it's the only Jeff Beck album on the list baffles me.

Catchy tunes, good album to listen to when working.

Slow rocky jazz. Nice piano and guitar solos

Pretty nice for 1968.

Really should be the Jeff Beck Group; Rod Stewart on the vocals. Very precise and elaborate musicianship on all tracks as you would expect from the virtuoso guitarist. Ultimately most of the tracks are forgettable.

Pleasant, played three times that Sunday, but the next day I don't truly recall a single song.

Classic rock sounds, not the biggest fan of Rod's voice, but the rest of the talent here makes up for it.

Day834 - i thought i have never heard a jeff beck album but i didnt know it was really a rod stewart / small faces album. he’s was such an amazing guitarist

Just quite dull.

Jeff Beck is one of the greatest.

Now that is some good rock and roll.

I listened to a Yardbirds album just five days ago and didn't like it, mostly due to the boring vocals and minimal showing off by Jeff Beck. Well here I am five days later and I got a much better vocalist and lots of showy guitar work by Beck. Unfortunately the other thing that I didn't care for with the Yardbirds album were the songs themselves, and I mostly feel the same way with Truth. I think this is a better album, but not one I really enjoyed all that much. I'm not that interested in the blues, especially the 60's and 70's versions, and this did nothing to change my mind. The only two songs that kept my interest were Ol' Man River and Greensleeves, but even they weren't exactly revelatory.

I keep confusing Jeff Beck with Beck. That’s the case here, too. The album was okay, but overall uninteresting. I probably won’t listen to it again. 3/5

I thought this album was pretty bad; all the songs didn't sound that great and were so forgettable. The songs also sound so quiet, and the instrumental always sounds mediocre.

Definitely a neat listen. Beck's guitar here is super smooth, some of those riffs are absolutely incredible and very easily a highlight throughout. Also enjoyed the piano bits that appeared throughout. Rod Stewart does a fine job on vocals, but lyrical content don't really hold much weight here for me. Super cool instrumentals made this an enjoyable listen.

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jeff-beck/truth/ Not bad at all, but also I can’t really care about it much. Must say that I was surprised by the strong vocals and finding out it’s Rod Stewart of all people. They were probably the highlight of the album for me, which is not a good thing if the album artist is someone else completely.

Love the music and the guitar and the blues. Not a fan of Rod Stewart's voice. Also, it is the humble view of this reviewer that, this version of Morning Dew is an abomination. But shapes of things, your shook me and the instrumentals are all good

Una delicia! Tiene momentos muy sensuales

In the realm of guitar players, there is only one Jeff Beck. That's the truth and nothing but the truth so help me Jimmy Page!

1. thingz - 0 2. love - 1 3. deuu - 1 4. zhook - 1 5. river - 1 6. zleevez - 2 7. rock - 2 8. bolero - 1 9. bluez - 1 10. zuperztitiouz - 1

Pretty boring to be honest. Tedious rock.

lo escuché medio por arriba, no me parecio la gran cosa

Like many other pop divas of the era, Beck focuses his album less on original songwriting and more on using the contemporary playbook as a showcase of a singular voice (by this I mean Beck’s guitar, although Rod Stewart did give a very strong performance). One of the challenges with this approach is it is easy to compare with other, and sometimes better, renditions. I’d rather be hearing the Dead do “Morning Dew” and Willie Dixon or Zeppelin’s versions of “You Shook Me.” I did really enjoy “Ol’ Man River” but I think the record’s best moment was the rave-up on the original “Beck’s Bolero.” 3.5 stars.

Ginger Baker once said the most important thing a musician can have is time...Jeff Beck has that quality. Solo Debuts by guitar greats (Clapton, Harrison, Beck to name a few from the same time period) always showcase a talent once hidden behind or mixed within a myriad of other great musicians. While there is no stand out favorite track on this album for me, I do enjoy it for the overall substance and showcase of talent.

I have never and will never be a fan. But that Greensleves song is really something.

Yeah this is definitely a rock album

ik waardeerde de greensleeves wel

🥱🥱

Honestly, I think is more of a showcase for Rod Stewart than for Jeff Beck. It's easy to forget that Rod used to be a rock star before he went adult contemporary and then swung to lounge singer. It takes a second to realize, hey... hey, I know this voice. Beck-as-guitarist doesn't get as many chances to shine alone. Sure, it's a solid blues album, but the big shining moment is Beck's Bolero, taking a classical vibe into 3 minutes of stunning electric blues. That's worth hearing, for sure... it feels like the genesis of all of the satrianis and vais of the future. But the rest of the album feels sorta indistinguishable from dozens of other solid releases like this. Ill give it a 3*. Besides Bolero, I think "Shapes of Things" finally contextualizes the Yardbirds in a way that I can more easily grasp. These sorts of lists tend to get REAL Yardbirds heavy. This update makes me appreciate them more than a dozen Roger the Engineers.

TERRIBLE

This guy is underrated

Definición de BODRIO Nota: 1.9

This is a bit of a tough one to rate. On one hand it rocks pretty hard and has great musicianship including, of course, guitar. I particularly appreciate how restrained some of the guitar parts are. Beck's Bolero was a particular highlight for me, and subsequently reading the musicians involved it's no surprise why. On the other hand it's all covers or songs based on other songs, and the vocals aren't even Jeff Beck's. The inclusion of Greensleeves is a mis-steps that really breaks the flow of the album. It's great, but I struggle to give it a 5/5 for those reasons.

TIL that Jeff Beck and Beck are two completely different artist that I thought was the same the guy forever. This was a fun listen, like Led Zeppelin before Led Zeppelin. Really great guitar work by Jeff Beck. Super ahead of it's time, this album does not sound like it was made in 1968. Not all the tracks hit, but the ones that do really hit. Favorite Track - Morning Dew Least Favorite Track - Old Man River ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Don't know that I'd ever listened to Jeff Beck or the Jeff Beck Group. I dig the Yardbirds, and knew his rep, but damn! This was good! It's worth remembering what a great rock singer Rod Stewart is. I hope that new Faces album (!) is good.

This whole morning i was like “am i just listening to a Rod Stewart album?” and it turns out that yes! I kinda am just listening to a Rod Stewart album. Ignoring my state of confusion, this album is just ok on present-day listen. Credit to Jeff Beck that some of this stuff was probably pretty ahead of its time. The way “Morning Dew” speeds up at the end comes to mind. A lovely “Greensleeves” cover and the very grand, galavanting “Becks Bolero” were also some worthwhile highlights. Everything else about this record has since been taken in tons of new directions, many of which more interesting. I’ve heard plenty of Rod Stewart talk about getting shook all night long by a lover now - thank you but no more. 3/5

Heavy debut from JB with some rocking re-workings of some classic tunes. Stewarts vocals on I Aint Superstitious are some if his best and that's probably the best version of the Willie Dixon song out there. Really good listen for an album from '68.

It's alright.

Not really my genre but I can appreciate the quality

Decent album. I liked it.

Less than the sum of its parts given the talent involved. Slow and plodding and recorded badly to my inexpert ears.

Given this was from 1968, impressive stuff. Proto Led Zepplin. Can see the influence Jeff Beck and this album had on rock to come, but found it dull.

Big ass. Terrible voice. 0/10 0.00%

I like the other Beck better. The other Led Zeppelin too.

An excellent Blues Rock album. You've got some heavy hitters here, with Rod Stewart on vocals(before he turned into a pop star), the great Jeff Beck on guitar, Ron Wood on Bass, Mickey Waller on drums.

Shape of things was really cool. Rod Stewart’s voice is great. I would have wanted more rocking songs like this. Most the rest of the album is like the one straight blues song on a Zeppelin record. Well done but the British blues thing in the 60’s doesn’t always hold my attention after a few while. Like Jeff Becks jazzier 70’s stuff. It’s crazy how different records sound from late 60’s to early- mid 70’s. The style and production evolved so much.

jeff and rod are legends so cant really go wrong, but also this record seems so random and not thought out at all lol. Like old man river straight into greensleeves was wild, and the rest is just straightahead blues.

I really like Rod’s voice.

another pretty ok album

Now this is some good music right here. Good old fashioned rock and roll! I love how he blended the different genres together, it was seamless.

Brilliant record. Super influential, great musicians, great voice

Rod Stewart. Again. 60s Brit Rock. Again.

This is the second time I've listened to Rod Stewart without realising it (he seems to pop up in strange places). The album's okay but I'm not the biggest fan of Rod's voice. Jeff Beck's guitar playing was enjoyable though.

Here's some truth, this record is poorer than it has any business being. Less than the sum of it's parts, springs to mind

What a guitarist Jeff Beck was. He may not be the first name on most lists but he is one of the all-time greats and this shows off all his ability. An absolute extra is Rod Stewart on most of the lead vocals. That voice ... Great stuff!

'Blues played by pasty British guys with electric guitars in the 60s' is my most consistently low rated genres, so I was expecting to hate this but was pleasantly suprised. The music has grunt, the rhythm section is full blooded, and the lead guitar is effortlessly badass. Not even King Leer himself Rod Stewart or some baffling song choices could ruin it for me.

This was absolutely fine. I’d never heard Rod Stewart at this point of his career, and he sounds great on this, in the more blues based songs. His voice suits the instrumentals on this album very well, Jeff Becks emotional playing really suits Rod. They match each other very well. It was pretty decent but nothing I’d rush back to.

- So, Jeff Beck is amazing and I was so looking forward to this .... but I was, apparently, not as familiar with this one as I thought. Initially struck me as trying to be Led Zeppelin ..... and then I find that it's basically proto-Zeppelin. Usually, I like Rod Stewart ..... not so much here. Let me just say that he ain't no Robert Plant, ok? This probably hit harder when released, not sure it holds up. There just wasn't enough Jeff Beck amazing guitar for me. Maybe I'm spoiled .... or jaded but, ultimately, it was sort-of boring in a weird way. So, I'm gonna say 2.5 but rounded up to 3 because it's probably ground-breaking for it's time and the talent assembled is ridiculous. It just left me wanting the things to come ..... -

Truthfully pretty shitty. It’s the same lyrics over and over and it sounds like Rod Stewart singing. The guitar is the only instrument to get a solo. The piano player tries once but doesn’t get very far. I’m so tired of late 60’s white British white guy blues.

My understanding based on what anyone who knew and/or played with Jeff Beck is that he was one of if not the greatest guitarist. While he is definitely good, I’m not sure this album showcases that to the right degree. With the exception of Beck’s Bolero, which is the best track on here. Much of the rest had too much Rod Stewart for my taste, which is actually almost any amount of Rod Stewart. So, great album, kinda, might deserve more than the four stars I’m giving, but since I can’t see listening to much of it again, that’s as high as I can go.

Honestly doing nothing for me. Thought I recognized Rod Stewart though. But yeah. Perfectly fine blues rock, with a little bit of psychedelia to it. Just burnt out on this style of music.

un peu long, malgré le talent

4 out of 5. This was some good stuff, didn't even mind Rod Stewart here.

honestly the guitar is cool and crisp but Rod’s vocals are more distracting than they are adding any value

in my brain some of these songs are about Janis Joplin ??? overall enjoyed the record

Me cansó un poco y no lo pude seguir escuchando. Edit. Lo escuché otra vez, muy bueno.

At first I wasn't vining at all with this album but then I got more and more hooked into it. By the time I reached "Rock My Plimsoul" I was certain this was a very, very good album.

# In-Depth Review: *Truth* by Jeff Beck (1968) Released on July 29, 1968, *Truth* stands as one of the most consequential debut albums in rock history. Recorded in just four days with a band featuring a then-unknown Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on bass, and Mickey Waller on drums, the album essentially blueprinted the sound of 1970s hard rock and heavy metal—beating Led Zeppelin's debut by six months . --- ## The Music: Genre-Busting Heavy Blues *Truth* occupies a fascinating transitional space between British blues revivalism and the emerging heavy rock sound. The album opens with a radically reimagined version of The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things," stripping away the psychedelic pop elements of the original and injecting it with raw power and steroids-like heaviness . This sets the tone for what follows: blues standards transformed through aggressive guitar tones and muscular arrangements. The core of the album's sound lies in Beck's guitar work. He deploys an arsenal of effects—fuzztone, wah-wah, feedback, tremolo, and previously unheard distortion textures—that push the instrument into new territories . On tracks like Willie Dixon's "You Shook Me" and Howlin' Wolf's "I Ain't Superstitious," Beck's wah-wah pyrotechnics rival anything Jimi Hendrix was producing at the time . "Blues Deluxe" features seven-and-a-half minutes of live-in-the-studio improvisation with canned applause, showcasing Beck's edgy speed licks and string-bending mastery alongside Nicky Hopkins' piano work . The instrumental "Beck's Bolero" (written by Jimmy Page and recorded in 1966 with Page on 12-string electric guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, and Keith Moon on drums) serves as the album's centerpiece. This Ravel-inspired piece with its Spanish dance rhythm and monstrous middle break essentially previewed Led Zeppelin before the band existed . Beck's use of slide guitar to emulate pedal steel here was incredibly forward-thinking—Joe Walsh would later adapt this section for James Gang's "The Bomber" in 1970 . The band stretches into folk with "Morning Dew" (featuring Scottish bagpipes) and a 16th-century traditional "Greensleeves" rendered in acoustic arpeggios, while "Ol' Man River" brings in Broadway show tune material—all evidence of Beck's refusal to be categorized . --- ## Lyrics and Vocals: The Rod Stewart Factor The album's vocal identity rests entirely on Rod Stewart, whose raspy, soulful voice provides the human counterpoint to Beck's guitar pyrotechnics. Stewart was unemployed when Beck discovered him, and producer Mickie Most initially opposed his inclusion . This would prove to be a historic miscalculation by Most. Stewart's lyrics on the three original tracks ("Let Me Love You," "Rock My Plimsoul," and the album's material) work within standard blues-rock tropes—romantic pursuit, swagger, and emotional intensity. "Let Me Love You" features the classic sentiment "When I'm with you woman, my whole life seems so hazy" . While some modern critics find the lyrics generic or overly reliant on "baby" as a term of address , Stewart's vocal delivery—passionate, gritty, and technically strong—elevates the material. However, Stewart's approach to covering established blues songs occasionally drew criticism. Even supporters note his "sloppy attention to the lyrics of great songs" on tracks like "I Ain't Superstitious" . The tension between Stewart's interpretive style and the sanctity of blues traditions would continue throughout his career. --- ## Production: A Beautiful Mess The production of *Truth* remains controversial and inconsistent. Producer Mickie Most, known for pop acts like Herman's Hermits and Donovan, seemed an odd choice for this heavy blues material . The album spans recordings from 1966 ("Beck's Bolero") through May 1968, resulting in what mastering engineer Steve Hoffman described as sounding "like ten different songs recorded over a period of ten years by ten different engineers" . Some tracks feature the polished, production-savvy values of Most's pop background—particularly "Shapes of Things," "Beck's Bolero," and "Greensleeves"—while the remaining material appears more self-produced with engineer Ken Scott . The inconsistency manifests in odd mixing choices, clunky drop-ins, and varying frequency responses—some tracks lacking midrange with piercing top end, others lacking treble with overbearing midbands . The 1968 sessions capture a band playing largely live in the studio, with Beck adding overdubbed flourishes later. This approach creates both raw energy and occasional technical imperfections—dubbed additions sometimes "hang there like a fart in a cathedral," as one reviewer memorably put it . The 2005 Peter Mew transfer from Abbey Road and the 2017 Audio Fidelity remaster by Steve Hoffman have improved the album's sonic coherence, though the fundamental inconsistency remains part of its character . --- ## Themes: Authenticity and Transformation At its core, *Truth* explores the tension between blues authenticity and rock innovation. Beck treats the blues not as a museum piece to be preserved but as raw material for transformation. The album's very title suggests a search for something genuine—whether in the emotional directness of the blues, the technical mastery of the playing, or the raw power of the new heavy sound. The cover songs (Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Bonnie Dobson, Broadway standards) juxtaposed with originals under the pseudonym "Jeffrey Rod" (Beck/Stewart) create a dialogue between tradition and invention. The canned applause on "Blues Deluxe" adds a layer of irony—a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of the performative nature of blues authenticity . --- ## Influence and Legacy: The Blueprint for Hard Rock *Truth*'s impact cannot be overstated. The album arrived in a watershed year for rock (1968 also saw *Electric Ladyland*, *Wheels of Fire*, *Beggars Banquet*, and The White Album) and immediately established a template that would dominate the 1970s . The influence on Led Zeppelin is particularly direct. Jimmy Page's presence on "Beck's Bolero" alongside John Paul Jones essentially created the Zeppelin prototype six months before the band formed . When Zeppelin's debut appeared in January 1969, it covered two songs from *Truth* ("You Shook Me" and "I Ain't Superstitious") and employed a nearly identical sonic approach—heavy blues with folk touches and explosive dynamics. Page's early billing of his group as "the New Yardbirds" acknowledged the debt . Beyond Zeppelin, *Truth* influenced the entire trajectory of hard rock and heavy metal. Tom Scholz of Boston cited it as his favorite album, stating he "knew Jeff Beck's *Truth* album inside out" . Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa recorded multiple versions of "Blues Deluxe" and performed "Beck's Bolero" and other tracks from the album during his Salute to the British Blues Explosion tour . Rolling Stone's Al Kooper, in his 1968 review, called *Truth* a "classic" and "the current equivalent" of the Clapton-Mayall *Blues Breakers* album, noting the band "swing like mad on this record" . The album has since been regarded as a seminal work of heavy metal, though critics note it actually "leaned more towards a heavy brand of blues rock" . Classic Rock magazine ranked it eighth on its list of the 30 greatest British blues rock albums . --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Groundbreaking Guitar Work** | Beck's innovative use of fuzz, wah-wah, feedback, and Eastern scales pushed electric guitar into new territories | | **Rod Stewart's Vocals** | His raspy, soulful delivery provides the perfect counterpoint to Beck's guitar and established him as a major vocal talent | | **Historical Significance** | Effectively launched 1970s rock two years early; blueprint for Led Zeppelin and hard rock/metal | | **"Beck's Bolero"** | The instrumental centerpiece featuring Page, Jones, and Moon essentially created Led Zeppelin before the band existed | | **Versatility** | Range from heavy blues to folk ("Morning Dew"), classical ("Greensleeves"), and Broadway ("Ol' Man River") demonstrates Beck's refusal to be categorized | | **Raw Energy** | The live-in-studio approach captures genuine band chemistry and improvisational excitement | | **Influence on Heavy Metal** | Cited as a primary influence by countless guitarists and bands; "the first metal album" according to some historians | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Inconsistent Production** | Sounds like "ten different songs recorded by ten different engineers" due to spanning 1966-1968 with different approaches | | **Heavy Reliance on Covers** | Only three original compositions (credited to "Jeffrey Rod"); majority are blues standards, folk songs, and show tunes | | **Lyrics Can Feel Generic** | Some modern critics find the blues-rock lyrics formulaic and overly reliant on clichés | | **Technical Imperfections** | Clunky drop-ins, odd mixing choices, and occasional harsh frequencies (particularly drum tones around 1k Hz) | | **"Greensleeves" Placement** | The acoustic instrumental can feel like a momentum killer in the album's flow | | **Rod Stewart's Lyric Sloppiness** | Even fans note his occasionally careless approach to lyrics on cover songs | | **Canned Applause** | The artificial crowd noise on "Blues Deluxe" strikes some listeners as dated or distracting | --- ## Verdict *Truth* remains a paradox: an album of covers that sounds utterly original, a hastily recorded project that became a cornerstone of rock history, and a commercially inconsistent release that influenced millions. Its flaws—inconsistent production, reliance on outside material, technical imperfections—are inseparable from its character. The album captures a moment when British musicians were transforming American blues into something heavier, louder, and more aggressive, accidentally inventing hard rock in the process. For guitarists, it remains essential listening—a masterclass in tone, technique, and taste. For historians, it represents the true beginning of the 1970s rock sound, beating Led Zeppelin to the punch with many of the same personnel and approaches. And for listeners, it offers the thrill of hearing a band discovering its power in real-time, warts and all. As one reviewer summarized: "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" .

I liked this

Pretty much the epitome of “i can acknowledge this is good but does almost nothing for me” some of the solos bordered on tacky for me.

Very rock and roll, hard and heavy songs and enjoyable to listen to. Different than the rest, and quite good.

Dude, I totally see The Black Keys copying this bands style! It's so smooth and jazzy, bad ass sounding, too!

Guitar nerds love this guy, and I a fellow guitar nerd still don't see it. I am probably not good enough to see the subtleties. He's not bad at it, and has a killer future all star band for this and some fun stuff - predating young Yngwie with the classical bolero stuff...

So I've never heard Jeff Beck before, just always saw his CDs when looking for Beck.

I always saw Jeff Beck albums when looking for Jason Becker as a kid but never listened to him. Wish I would have, quite enjoyed this one.