JEFF BECK — Wired (review)

JEFF BECK — Wired album cover Album · 1976 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Another highly acclaimed album from Beck, but I never understood why it was so highly regarded. Yes this album is probably the utmost of technicality in terms of guitar playing: Beck almost goes out of his way just to make things more complicated, but this album is colder than the South pole in the dead of winter. Actually I find it very easy to pinpoint where things went wrong on this album (even if I am the only thinking so). The fact that only two players played almost all the instruments (and of course the usual studio guest), this doesn’t make a group effort, but a Beck showcase with little else than pure pretension and virtuoso ideals. Such were the times where DiMeola and others thrived to play faster than McLaughlin (the obvious target), and in the process of trying to emulate him forgot to play the instrument and came out as soulless.

While Beck made some bold cover choice (Pork Pie Hat???), I can't say that his gambling is paying off. Most of these tracks are sounding way too calculated and the best one around (Blue Wind by a mile ahead) is much better in its live form two years later. Spohie and Come Dancing are pure bore IMHO, and the closing Love Is Green just a filler.

Possibly one of jr/f’s most over-rated albums around with its predecessor, and strangely enough, many fans forget the upcoming Live album. Again, I’d like to stress I stand in a minority regarding this album, so please don’t blindly follow me on these two, make your own mind on them. For this album however, I will stoop lower than the three stars, because I think it is reserved for dedicated fans only.

Share this review
more

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!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

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

Alberto Nemo, Claudio Milano (with borda), Niccolò Clemente : Frattura, Comparsa, Dissolvenza Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CLAUDIO MILANO (NICHELODEON)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Shapes of Silence (live) World Fusion
ALEPH QUINTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Horizons Held Close Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TRANCE MAP (EVAN PARKER AND MATTHEW WRIGHT)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Puttin' On the Ritz Classic (1920s) Jazz
THE NEW WONDERS
Buy this album from MMA partners
異響同塵~Different echoes in the same dust~ Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TOSHI TSUCHITORI 土取利行
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Puttin' On The Ritz
THE NEW WONDERS
js· 12 hours ago
Wet Weather Wet
THE WRONG OBJECT
js· 1 day ago
Michael Kiwanuka - Lowdown (parts i and ii)
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
js· 1 day ago
Who Needs You (Billie Holiday-Jeanne Burns) by Ineza with Alex Webb & The Copasetics
INEZA (INEZA KERSCHKAMP)
js· 2 days ago
Notbad
PEELA
js· 2 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
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed