The songs, of which almost all feature one of the women on vocals, range from soulful ballads to crushing, bassy hard rockers. Although he's recorded with vocalists in recent years, including Joss Stone and Imelda May, this album presented the teaming more as a true collaboration.
"Rather than do a guitar-nerd album, I thought, 'If I don't change course now, I'll be stuck with that Guitar World thing, and that's not where I come from at all,'" he told the audience. "Even though I've been on about 400 of their front covers, I'm not that person."
"What you hear is the most genuine result I could come up with rather than a bunch of musos sitting around trying to gas each other out with as many notes as they could possibly play."
How is this different than what he has done for the last 15 years? Last few albums have all featured female singers.
And the mystery women are Rosie Bones and Carmen Vandenberg. Some secret.
Rosie Bones - BIGkids - Don't Give Up On Me
Carmen Vandenberg
Alley Cat Jam
"Although he's recorded with vocalists in recent years, including Joss Stone and Imelda May, this album presents the teaming more as a true collaboration."
Well considering that Jeff barely writes, doesn't that make most albums a collaboration. When Jennifer Batten was in his band she had more song credits than Jeff did.
He releases so few albums that I will take anything. At least it is new.
I love Jeff and own it all. Each album has some great spots and always great playing but lots of average material at best IMO. Live is where he shines anyway.
Has he talked to Derek about what?
Looking forward to the new release.
Heineken, I was thinking of the idea raised repeatedly on this site that Derek made the powerful choice to move on from being perhaps the most celebrated guitar God of recent times, a master of extended instrumental excursions, to become someone who plays a more supportive role in a band that emphasizes songcraft.
Jeff Beck is doing the same. Some of his statements above resemble some of Derek's.
Canadian Mule, I too am a big fan of Beck and I agree that most of his songs involving vocalists are hit or miss. I think the last Jeff studio album I loved was Guitar Shop.
I think the point the writer is making is that most of Jeff's singers in the past 20 years or so have been more like guest stars rather than full-on partners like Rod Stewart or Bob Tench. To me, as a result, the vocal songs have not sounded organic but more like studio Pro Tools constructions.
Two post 1970s vocal songs that DO sound great are People Get Ready with Rod and also Manic Depression with Seal.
Jeff's stuff always sounds like a Pro Tools Project ever since the 80s. On Flash, you can tell that People Get Ready was different. But my favorite from that one is
Gets Us All In The End
It is the King of cut and paste the guitar parts. But killer guitar indeed. Terrible drums (Jeff always does that on album) - cheesy vocals but what a bundle of energy. The trouble is that it doesn't work live because it would be next to impossible to remember all that.
Even when Jeff has real musicians with him, it always sounds sterile to me.
I don't think these current ladies will turn Jeff into a new beast.
Terrible some of the comments people make on the RS article and a few other places on the net. Jeff doing this just to get young ladies in bed. Not worded that nice though. Jeff has supported women in music for a long time now. This is just a continuation.
Anybody who has Tal Wilkenfeld play bass for him understands and respects women as musical equals, not just eye candy.
Just look at the Live At Ronnie Scott's video, or any of the recent Crossroads appearances by Beck. There is clearly a lot of mutual respect between Tal and Jeff. He doesn't have her in the band because she's cute, he has her in the band because she is a freaking awesome musician. I'm sure he feels the same way about the female vocalists he is working with on this new album. They are fellow artists, nothing more, nothing less.
It is a little late in the game for Jeff Beck of all people, the gunslinger's gunslinger, to try and reinvent himself at this point in his career as more than just a Guitar World cover boy. I applaud him for trying, it shows that he still has some artistic fire left in him and isn't content to rest on his legacy.
We see Jeff & Buddy Guy @ CMAC in June.
Never seen Jeff live.
Looking forward to it.
Anybody who has Tal Wilkenfeld play bass for him understands and respects women as musical equals, not just eye candy.
Just look at the Live At Ronnie Scott's video, or any of the recent Crossroads appearances by Beck. There is clearly a lot of mutual respect between Tal and Jeff. He doesn't have her in the band because she's cute, he has her in the band because she is a freaking awesome musician. I'm sure he feels the same way about the female vocalists he is working with on this new album. They are fellow artists, nothing more, nothing less.
It is a little late in the game for Jeff Beck of all people, the gunslinger's gunslinger, to try and reinvent himself at this point in his career as more than just a Guitar World cover boy. I applaud him for trying, it shows that he still has some artistic fire left in him and isn't content to rest on his legacy.
Definitely and the same goes for all the other women he has played with. Rhonda kicks ass on the bass too. Batten is an amazing guitarist. All the various singers. The same will go with these two ladies. Jeff never does the same thing twice and rarely releases stuff so I never get upset and just enjoy each trip. Every album that he makes should be live. And he should have done that his whole career. Such a difference live.
I have pretty much heard every guitarist mimicked by someone and do it even better. The sound and technique nailed perfectly. Except for Jeff Beck! Why? it is in the hands. Fingerpicking, bar in hand used like no other, vibrato on frets while using the bar and connects it all with that unique combo of bonding with the amp and effects. Heard lots of people try including myself and I just don't think it can be done. All other guitarists, critics and fans know it too. One note and you know it's Beck.
You will love it Ron. Jeff live is hard to beat.
You will love it Ron. Jeff live is hard to beat.
We're on the same team for this one 😉
When we saw Jeff last year, we opted for the VIP ticketing, which gave us a "pre show" concert with this setlist, instead of the standard setlist for the tour:
101-Foxy Lady
102-I Put A Spell On You
103-Even Odds
104-Red House
105-Footsteps
106-Ain't Superstitious
107-Wild Thing
108-Lonnie On The Move
109-Where Were You
It was OUTSTANDING.
You will love it Ron. Jeff live is hard to beat.
We're on the same team for this one 😉
When we saw Jeff last year, we opted for the VIP ticketing, which gave us a "pre show" concert with this setlist, instead of the standard setlist for the tour:
101-Foxy Lady
102-I Put A Spell On You
103-Even Odds
104-Red House
105-Footsteps
106-Ain't Superstitious
107-Wild Thing
108-Lonnie On The Move
109-Where Were YouIt was OUTSTANDING.
That is awesome. A Pre-concert concert. Now that is VIP.
I agree. Jeff Beck live is unbeatable
I have seen him 5 times from the wired release in the late 70s to 2 years ago with Clapton, and one time front row.
I still cannot figure out how the whammy bar and his fingers make all those incredible effects. He is amazing!
You will love it Ron. Jeff live is hard to beat.
We're on the same team for this one 😉
When we saw Jeff last year, we opted for the VIP ticketing, which gave us a "pre show" concert with this setlist, instead of the standard setlist for the tour:
101-Foxy Lady
102-I Put A Spell On You
103-Even Odds
104-Red House
105-Footsteps
106-Ain't Superstitious
107-Wild Thing
108-Lonnie On The Move
109-Where Were YouIt was OUTSTANDING.
That is awesome. A Pre-concert concert. Now that is VIP.
Plus he actually said a few words to the crowd, now that was AWESOME
He spoke? Wow. 😉
He was pretty funny and talkative when I met him years ago. Signed my Guitar Shop album for me. 
Over the years, I have never really been an autograph guy but I have some that I love.
My buddy and Jeff talked cars and lost me. LOL
