Harder (Box Of Frogs) (LP 616)

Box Of Frogs Box Of Frogs (Vinyl, Epic, 1984) *** 

Genre: British pop/rock 

Places I remember: Second hand shop in Woodville

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Edge

Gear costume: Into The Dark 

Active compensatory factors: I only bought this for the two tracks that feature Rory Gallagher on lead guitar (featured above).

Generally, rock music of the eighties was pretty confused and an album featuring three former members of The Yardbirds with a journeyman vocalist and a slew of guitarists (including Jeff Beck) didn't overly excite me at the time.

It's okay as it goes (Rory is superb btw) but it's as confusing as you'd expect - not The Yardbirds, not Jeff Beck's jazz rock shapes, not pop, not heavy rock. 

Where do they all belong? A stand alone in my collection. They stuck around for a second album (without Rory's input) and that was that.

Play with me (Jeff Beck) (LP 550 - 554)

Jeff Beck Group Rough and Ready (CD, Sony Music, 1971) ****

Jeff Beck Group Jeff Beck Group (CD, Sony Music, 1972) *** 

Jeff Beck Blow By Blow (CD, Sony Music, 1975) ***

Jeff Beck Wired (CD, Sony Music, 1976) ****

Jeff Beck with The Jan Hammer Group Live (CD, Sony Music, 1977) ****

Genre: British pop/ rock 

Places I remember: HMV East Croyden

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Situation (Rough and Ready); Blue Wind (Wired) 

Gear costume: Going Down (JBG); Freeway Jam (Blow By Blow)

Active compensatory factors: Having just read Rod Stewart's autobiography I have a different take on Jeff's peculiar personality. Is it the truth? Who knows, it's certainly Rod's version of the truth 

(see what I did there?). 

He's definitely a restless musician - never sticking with a bunch of musicians for very long. Woody and Roddy only lasted  for two albums (Truth and Beck-ola) and were gone for 1971's Rough and Ready. Then that band (including Max Middleton and Cozy Powell) only lasted for two albums, and so on.

This five album package in  the Original Album Classics series by Sony Music) certainly shows Jeff's ruthless methodology from 1971 to 1977.

That's not to mean the music suffers though. His guitar heroics are on display in a variety of settings over these five albums, and it's actually the period of his that I like the most. 

The second incarnation of Jeff Beck Group makes a much funkier, jazzier sound than the blues/ hard rock of the Rod Stewart version.

First 'solo' album, Blow By Blow, is an instrumental album (pesky lead singers are dispensed with from here onwards) and allows Beck to experiment with jazzier guitar styles. It's a transitional album from the rock of the Jeff Beck Group towards the full on jazz fusion sound of Wired and Live.

Max Middleton and Jan Hammer deserve special mentions - both hold their own on keyboards and are not overshadowed by Beck's guitar pyrotechnics. Instead they shine and create their own distinctive sounds to complement Beck.  

Beatle fans note: Blow By Blow and Wired are both superbly produced by George Martin.  

Where do they all belong? Truth and Beck-ola have their moments but haven't aged as well - I've gone for a cheapo best of (featuring Rod Stewart) compilation. It cherry picks the best moments from Rod and Ron's time with Jeff (and includes, of course, Hi Ho Silver Lining).

Will time make men more wise? (The Yardbirds) #435-438

The Yardbirds For Your Love/ Got To Hurry (Columbia, DNZ 10408, 1965)
The Yardbirds Heart Full Of Soul/ Steeled Blues (Columbia, DNZ 10426, 1965)
The Yardbirds Shapes Of Things/ You're A Better Man Than I (Columbia, DNZ 10451, 1966)
The Yardbirds Ha Ha Said The Clown/ Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor (Columbia, DNZ 10523, 1967)

Something that is often overlooked when considering the Yardbirds: what a great singles band they were. 

Sadly I've never been able to find a copy of my favourite Yardbirds song - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago c/w Psycho Daisies but both songs are happily on Roger The Engineer so that's okay.

But what I do have are three great Yardbirds singles plus Ha Ha...which I've written about elsewhere on Goo Goo.

For Your Love and Heart Full Of Soul are both from 1965 - the Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck versions of the band respectively. So cool - check out those screaming girls and Keith Relf's shades. Mean.

Shapes Of Things, from 1966, also features Jeff (although the video below has Jimmy Page featuring on 'solo guitar').

All three are brilliant sixties pop singles with edge!

Hidden gems: Got To Hurry, Steeled Blues, both instrumentals, are excellent lopping blues work outs. 

You're A Better Man Than I is the real star B side on offer here though. Real deal - bam! Right there. Attitude aplenty, some wonderful Beckola guitar, great vocals from Relf and some interesting lyrics that remind me of Hendrix's If Six Were Nine. A great, great song! 

I make no apologies for featuring four videos for this post. Which one would you have me leave out???