Despite the significance of Blow By Blow in 1975 for charting a new jazz rock path for Jeff Beck - its his 1976 album Wired - that really blew the doors off this new genre for me.
Dynamic playing , riffs, grooves and textures abound from Beck and his lineup that included ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra members Narada Michael Walden on drums and Jan Hammer on synthesizer.
Max Middleton from the Jeff Beck Group added clavinet and Fender Rhodes - and Wilbur Bascomb played bass.
All members wrote and contributed to the album - with an innovative cover of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat by jazz legend Charlie Mingus.
Maybe that’s why this album is so vibrant -as every band member was heavily invested creatively in the songs.
As a side note : the great Charlie Mingus actually wrote Beck a letter when he heard Becks version of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and commended him for his inspired and unique approach.
Great praise indeed!
A personal favorite is the barnstormer Led Boots that opens the album.
You can hear the very front of the song is cut off - as the multi track recorder is engaged, a couple of cymbal splashes are cut off - but this adds to the live feel of the album - capturing the best live takes in the studio.
As long as the energy is there in the take - that was the most important consideration - not a minor technical recording flaw.
How times have changed - as producers today seek perfection in a waveform on a computer screen!
Check out Blue Wind - the interplay of the drums, bass and keyboard textures as well as Jeff’s guitar is irreverent and exciting.
The trademark Jeff innovations are there - false harmonics - as well as Jan Hammers use of the modulation wheel on his synth parts - a true masterpiece.
After this album (and indeed Blow By Blow in 1975) - there was never a need to have a vocalist again - there was enough top line melody already!
This album for me is still a personal favorite - and for me this is the one that cemented Jeffs future path for many years to come.
Produced by George Martin and Jan Hammer at Air Studios and Trident in London and Cherokee in LA - this was a tour de force and still stands out to this day.
Check it out here: