Truth

by Jeff Beck

Overview

Jeff Beck's Truth -- which was already regarded as the pioneering heavy metal blues album of its era, beating Led Zeppelin to the punch by about six months -- got a lot better with this British import remastered reissue, which puts all prior editions of the CD to shame. EMI Records have remastered the original LP in 24-bit digital, which puts Beck's guitar and John Paul Jones' organ on "You Shook Me" practically in your lap, and the amp on the former almost up against your ear, and Mickey Waller's drums and Ron Wood's bass on "Shapes of Things" into a position of similar intimacy, so you can almost hear the action on the bass strings. And Rod Stewart's voice is not only close but flows out with a resonance that can't entirely be covered by his rasping delivery -- "Ol' Man River" now seems like an ideal choice for him (as well as a distant precursor to his later recordings of standards), and Keith Moon's timpani performance is totally larger-than-life here. Beck's guitar sounds like it's in the room with you on "Rock My Plimsoul," and Stewart's singing is presented in such detail, that his nuances now seem fine and intimate. There are so many details revealed in the playing here in this remastering, that even longtime listeners are certain to find nuances in the playing and the different parts that are new to them -- and that's just the established album. The original ten songs have been very judiciously augmented with a brace of killer bonus tracks, starting with "I've Been Drinking," where Rod Stewart first treaded into Sam Cooke territory stylistically, which somehow never got included on the LP and ended up relegated to the B-side of the Beck single "Love Is Blue" in mono (it's in stereo here, natch); there's also the undubbed, stripped-down first take of "You Shook Me," filled with instruments that are nice and close and crunchy (especially the guitar); the early, single-take of "Rock My Plimsoul," remixed to stereo here; "Beck's Bolero" in its original mono single version; the previously unissued first take of the shattering "Blues De Luxe"; and the early single A-sides "Tallyman," "Love Is Blue," and "Hi Ho Silver Lining," the first and last featuring Beck's own singing (a decision imposed by producer Mickie Most over the guitarist's vociferous objections) the latter in its unedited form with a "wee surprise" at the very end. It's worth the upgrade -- you may well find yourself practically getting high off the raw invention and passions oozing from virtually all of the music, and even playing it once for some younger friends who've heard it before will make a few converts to its cause. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	10/10/2006
Label:	Legacy / Epic/Legacy
UPC:	0828767735221

Tracks

1. Shapes of Things
2. Let Me Love You
3. Morning Dew
4. You Shook Me
5. Ol' Man River
6. Greensleeves
7. Rock My Plimsoul
8. Beck's Bolero
9. Blues de Luxe
10. I Ain't Superstitious
11. I've Been Drinking
12. You Shook Me
13. Rock My Plimsoul
14. (Beck's) Bolero
15. Blues de Luxe
16. Tallyman
17. Love Is Blue
18. Hi-Ho Silver Lining

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jeff Beck   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Ken Lewis   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
John Paul Jones   Guitar (Bass),Bass,Organ,Organ (Hammond)
Jimmy Page   Guitar (12 String),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Ron Wood   Guitar (Bass),Guest Artist,Bass,Guitar
Rod Stewart   Guest Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Mysterious Scottish Bloke   Bagpipes,Bagpipes
Mick Waller   Tambourine
Mickey Waller   Drums
Aynsley Dunbar   Drums
J.P. Jones   Timpani,Organ (Hammond)
Clem Cattini   Drums
Madeline Bell   Vocals (Background)
Nicky Hopkins   Piano,Keyboards
Keith Moon   Drums,Timpani
John Carter   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Bryan Blackburn   Composer
Dobson   Composer
Baron Wolman   Photography
Charles Shaar Murray   Liner Notes,Sleeve Notes
Jeffrey Rod   Arranger,Composer
Mike "Clay" Stone   Assistant Engineer
Tim Chacksfield   Research
Mike Stone   Assistant Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Paul Samwell-Smith   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Johnny Rod   Composer
Bonnie Dobson   Composer
Jimmy Page   Composer
Chris Athens   Mastering
Chris Dreja   Composer
Keith Relf   Composer
J. Rod   Composer
J.B. Lenoir   Composer
Laurence Weiss   Composer
Graham Gouldman   Composer
John Paul Jones   String Arrangements
Jeff Beck   Arranger,Liner Notes
Rod Stewart   Performer
Scott English   Composer
Peter Mew   Mixing,Remastering
Pierre Cour   Composer
Jim McCarty   Composer
Relf   Composer
Mickie Most   Producer
Tim Rose   Composer
Dave Siddle   Engineer
Andre Popp   Composer
Ken Scott   Engineer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Hugh Gilmour   Reissue Design
Willie Dixon   Composer