Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow

 1975: It Blew by Blew our minds
In an interview back in early 1975, Jimmy Page was raving about a new album coming out by his old friend, JEFF BECK. That was nice because fans were disappointed in 1974 by Jeff's BECK, BOGERT, & APPICE II album, which was never officially released to this day, for whatever reasons. As for BLOW BY BLOW, we knew it was coming, but we weren't expecting anything like this! An all-instrumental album, which featured Jeff's reunion with the badly missed Max Middleton, and being produced by the legendary George Martin, it was a big hit. At this time, Jeff was playing in top form, (not yet being overcome by "sound effects" he did later). It's his best guitar playing since his ROUGH AND READY (1971) days. Of course, some people didn't like it because it wasn't mainstream Heavy Rock, but truthfully by 1975, that style was worn out. Jeff's blend of Rock-Jazz fusion and funk appealed to a wide audience, certainly. March 15, 2008

 Pleasent Surprise
I'm almost embarassed to say that I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and never really listened to Jeff Beck, until purchasing this CD. Yes, I did listen Truth but there is just so much more to Beck than that work suggests. Now I know. Beck is not a shredder and technically, there are better out there. But in terms of imagination, of creativity and uniqueness - there are few who can compare. He reminds be a bit of David Gilmore. No one gets more out of a single note than Gilmore and Beck. Nothing is wasted and nothing more than what is needed is added. His music is smart and inspired. What I particularly enjoy is that he is a risk taker. He creates a sound that is unique and stylish. There is no sound-alike here, he is his own man. This is a CD that gets better with each listen. December 27, 2007

 Excellent example of Jeff Beck tone
I think this CD is a good example of the famous Jeff Beck tone. I recommend it to those who want to dive into that world of guitar tone and having a whole album contain material that makes you want to play the entire album. December 21, 2007

 Fusion + Beck = Goodness
So Beck was done with funk, and instead decided to take fusion on. A fine choice for him, too, as it yielded three radio staples: the reggae cover of "She's a Woman", with a talkbox "singing" the main melody; the gorgeous, Stevie Wonder-penned ballad "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers", with Beck's emotive guitar; and the funky, hard-rockin' "Freeway Jam", featuring blazing guitar and funky drums. And a couple of the non-hit album tracks are just as good as the three big hits. For instance, "You Know What I Mean" rocks, featuring a tasty fusion guitar solo and awesome keyboard work; the lighthearted "Thelonious", another Stevie Wonder contribution with more talkbox; Beck and Max Middleton's playing are also highlights of "Constipated Duck" and "Scatterbrain", which aren't the best songs ever written but do have a lot of fantastic playing. It's far from perfect, though to its credit there's only a single weak song on the album: the endless "Diamond Dust", repetitive and with a cheesy synthesized string part that was probably intended to be breathtakingly beautiful. Yeah, that didn't work. But "AIR Blower", named after the studio it was recorded at, is kinda forgettable. Not bad or anything, but the kind of song that fades in the background when it's done, you know? But I'm willing to amend a bit of filler, because there's a lot of unforgettable material here. Along with Truth and Wired, this is an essential Jeff Beck disc. December 17, 2007

 Brings Back Memories
Wow I had this on an LP and this brings back great memories of hanging out with my buddy and listening to real rock and roll!! October 17, 2007

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