RS Essentials: 6 Jeff Beck Solo Albums You Need to Hear
From the late guitarist’s debut with ‘Truth’ to his final offering ‘Loud Hailer,’ this list captures the musician’s true essence
English guitarist Jeff Beck has a vast discography to choose from, what with his work with the Yardbirds, the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. Throughout his career, he worked on soundtracks, compilation records and even live albums. We’ve put together six solo albums from Beck’s repertoire that we think you should definitely listen to.
Truth (1968)
In 1968, Beck released his debut solo album Truth. Apart from Beck, the blues-rock offering includes a star-studded cast featuring vocalist Rod Stewart, bassist Ronnie Wood and drummer Micky Waller. Additional musicians to play on the ground-breaking album include the likes of John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Keith Moon. The juxtaposition of Beck’s classic sound and the grittiness of the blues is felt quite wholesomely throughout the album.
Blow by Blow (1975)
Beck’s sophomore record as a solo artist came in the shape of the nine-track Blow by Blow in 1975. The completely instrumental offering pushes the boundaries of music further with blues and rock guitar-based music accompanied with jazz-fusion and plenty of improvisation. Beck also calls upon big-name collaborators such as George Martin who produced the album and handled orchestral arrangements, as well as Stevie Wonder who played on the album. The rest of the band features musicians such as keyboardist Max Middleton, bassist Phil Chen and drummer Richard Bailey.
Flash (1985)
Beck’s fifth studio album was the contemporary 11-track Flash. The album includes a much more pop-oriented sound with synths incorporated into his rock music, giving it a funk-metal touch. Beck also takes on vocal duties on a couple of songs, though the majority of the singing is handled by Jimmy Hall.
Who Else! (1999)
After a decade-long absence in terms of releasing original material, Beck returned in 1999 with his seventh studio album, the 11-track Who Else! Interestingly, the record showcased the musician’s first introduction in using electronic and techno sounds along with his instrumental blues-rock and jazz fusion influences as heard on previous albums. Fellow guitarist Jennifer Batten (who worked with Michael Jackson) also features on Who Else!
Jeff (2003)
On his ninth studio album Jeff, Beck’s playing is exquisite as he delivers a robust industrial sound across 13 songs. The scintillating and quirky “Plan B” from the album also bagged Beck a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 2004.
Loud Hailer (2016)
The guitarist’s 11th and final studio album – the 11-track Loud Hailer – was released in 2016. The record houses Beck’s genre-bending styles of music beautifully as he makes his guitar sing with striking solos, chuggy chords and entrancing melodies. The band on the record also includes guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, vocalist Rosie Bones, drummer, Davide Sollazzi and bassist Giovanni Pallotti.
