JEFF BECK — Rough and Ready (review)

JEFF BECK — Rough and Ready album cover Album · 1971 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
as1978
I can't find a true identity for this second Jeff Beck Group.I know it's common thing but I'm a Cozy Powell fan and Jeff Beck is one of my favorite guitarists. Also here plays Max Middleton, one of the best keyboard players of that era. Bob Tench is too underrated a singer and bassist, Clive Chaman, is certainly no fallback. It must be said that Jeff Beck was a fantastic innovator and without him there would be no Heavy Metal. But it is equally true that here, in this "Rough and Ready", he drastically breaks with the past to devote himself to a sort of POP Jazz Rock that has Soul and Funk moments that I don't mind at all. Only that POP component does not help to understand this choice.And today it also destabilizes the fact that the next album, "Jeff Beck Group", is a really beautiful and compelling Blues Rock album and more in line with what Jeff Beck was known for.

Musically I think that "Rough and Ready" is more interested in an audience open to certain contaminations of Progressive Soul and certainly Blues Rock than a Jazz audience, although it is, in truth, a Jazz Rock album with various digressions in other musical genres (and well blended). In my head, although "Rough and Ready" is certainly a good album ... It just doesn't convince me as an album. Great music in general. Which convinces me, as single songs. But that leaves me very bitter in my mouth. And that makes me say "Rough and Ready" is a wrong album.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Thrive Post-Fusion Contemporary
FABIENNE AMBÜHL (AMBUEHL)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Beneath the Skin Vocal Jazz
NNENNA FREELON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ozark Concerto Third Stream
JAKE HERTZOG
Buy this album from MMA partners
Joe Morris, Caleb Duval, Michael Larocca : Refreshment Jazz Related Improv/Composition
JOE MORRIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

After the Last Sky
ANOUAR BRAHEM
js· 1 day ago
Positive Energy
GREG ABATE
snobb· 3 days ago
The 23
NELS CLINE
snobb· 4 days ago
Simple Pleasure
CHARLES CHEN
js· 4 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us