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Jeff Beck: Who else!

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s

Artist: Jeff Beck
Title: Who else!
Released: 1999
Label: Sony Music
Time: 53:58
Producer(s): Jeff Beck, Tony Hymas
Appears with: The Yardbirds, Rod Stewart
Category: Rock
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Purchase date:  2000.02.07
Price in €: 9,67
Web address: www.jeffbeck.com

 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] What Mama Said (J.Batten, J.Beck, T.Hymas) - 3:23
[2] Psycho Sam (T.Hymas, J.Beck) - 4:56
[3] Brush With The Blues (T.Hymas) - 6:25
[4] Blast from the East (T.Hymas) - 4:44
[5] Space For The Papa (T.Hymas) - 7:42
[6] Angel(Footsteps) (T.Hymas) - 6:30
[7] THX 138 (T.Hymas) - 6:15
[8] Hip Notica (T.Hymas, J.Beck) - 4:36
[9] Even Odds (J.Hammer) - 3:26
[10] Declan (D.Lunny) - 4:02
[11] Another Place (T.Hymas) - 1:48

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Jeff Beck - Guitar, Arranger

with

Jennifer Batten - Guitar, Midi Guitar
Steve Alexander - Drums
Randy Hope-Taylor - Bass
Tony Hymas - Bass, Arranger, Keyboards

and

Pino Palladino - Bass
Jan Hammer - Drums, Keyboards
Clive Bell - Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Vocals
Manu Katche - Percussion, Piano, Drums
Bob Loveday - Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Vocals, Violin
Mark John - Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Vocals
Simonv Wallace - Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Flute

Bob Ludwig - Mastering

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


For my money, no one handles a guitar quite like Jeff Beck. Clapton, Page, Van Halen, Stevie Ray, Hendrix -- they're all world-class players with mainstream hits. Without causing a whole lot of fuss, Jeff Beck chose a path that veered away from the mainstream. In the process, he changed his entire approach to the guitar and the music he made with it.

Dispensing with hits and singers to sing them, Beck integrated his blistering, pickless style within a jazz-fusion framework. Some of the "songs" were originals, often penned by the musicians who accompanied him, rarely written by Beck himself. Others were reworkings of standards, marginal pop hymns and the occasional Beatle tune. From 1975 to 1980, Beck delivered three exquisite albums that showcased his explicit technique -- Blow By Blow, Wired and There And Back.

For the next ten years, however, Beck sunk into the shadows while hotshots like Steve Morse, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai took the reins and cemented an entire guitar instrumental genre. Beck was more content to work on his cars, accepting occasional session work for the likes of Rod Stewert, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. Flash, a solo album from the mid 80s, was a mishmash of dance n' skat with guest vocalists produced by Arther Baker and Nile Rodgers. Needless to say, it fell short of stirring up the discriminating Beck following.

It wasn't until late 1989 that Beck resurfaced with an all- instrumental album that rivaled his work of the 70s. Joined by drummer Terry Bozzio and keyboardist Tony Hymas, Beck aptly christened his new project Guitar Shop. Beck took full advantage of the new technological advances of the day, many now standardized since his last full blown outing. With Bozzio and Hymas -- outstanding players at the top of their game -- Beck reached beyond the scope of an ordinary jazz landscape, and affirmed that, once and for all, he was the undisputed king of the electric guitar.

It would be another ten years before Beck would release another all-instrumental album. Fortunately, Who Else! clearly substantiates that Jeff is the only Beck who really matters. Co- produced with Tony Hymas, Beck throws a few curves, lots of bouncing rhythms, and even doses us with the addition of a second guitarist. It seems as though Beck couldn't turn a blind eye on this one. As lead guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jennifer Batten has developed a strict style unparalleled by a majority of her male counterparts. A top notch GIT graduate, Batten's suave, rhythmical technique is in complete harmony with Beck's unyielding approach. The result is a full-throttle assault, driven by an in-the-pocket bass and percussion exchange, accentuated by giant chunks of Hymas' hyperspaced keyboard work.

For much of the album, Beck adapts to the changing climate by blending industrial/techno meters, implanted on What Mama Said, Psycho Sam and Hip-notica, within his own maddening nomenclature. Rated consistently as one of the most heart-felt blues players alive, Beck unfurls an impassioned display on Brush With The Blues. Still, Who Else! is also a continuation of an evolving form that can only be attributed to Jeff Beck. Blast From The East and Even Odds (with Jan Hammer) both draw heavily from 70s-era Beck, while Space For Papa is more reminiscent of Guitar Shop. For the melancholy types, Beck isn't without his tender moments. Declan is a stirring Celtic-flavored ballad that the guitarist slides and swells his way through while the CD's closer, Another Place, shows Beck at his most intimate.

These days lots of players fail miserably at recreating the magic that once propelled their careers. Without even trying, Jeff Beck generally steps up to bat with something as topical and invigorating as anything shaking up and down the current trend-o-meter. He remains one of the few veterans on the scene who can genuinely emit a buzz when he even thinks about making a record. With visits few and far between, it would seem that each album weighs heavily upon Beck's mind. More likely, however, he'd rather just rebuild a Model T, and play when he needs the money to buy new parts.

Shawn Perry
(This review originally appeared on the Classic Rock channel of about.com, Spring 1999)



"Jeff Beck meldet sich zurück und tut das, wie es sich für einen Halbgott an der Gitarre gehört, nämlich mit einem ohrenbetäubenden Knall. "Who Else!" kündigt nicht nur im Titel vom Selbstvertrauen des 55jährigen. Mit "Who Else!" zeigt sich der Altmeister vital, unterhaltsam und relevant wie kein anderer."

ME/Sounds 4/99



Jeff Beck releases his first collection of new original music in a decade, and one of the most exciting and adventurous albums of his 35-year career as an Epic recording artist.

Who Else! is neither a soundtrack (cf. Beck's Frankie's House, released 1993) nor a side project (cf. his Gene Vincent tribute, Crazy Legs, also 1993). It is a fully-realized collection of eleven new guitar instrumentals, its styles and influences ranging from techno to blues to Irish traditional music. In each and every setting, Jeff's playing demonstrates his absolute technical mastery and total emotional conviction.

Sony



Jeff Beck has never shied away from following trends, at least as far as the musical styles he uses to back up his signature guitar sound. Back in 1969, in a sleeve note on Beck-Ola, he noted that he hadn't come up with "anything totally original," and instead made an album "with the accent on heavy music" at a time when the "heavy music" of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin was all the rage. In 1975, at the height of the jazz fusion movement, he made a jazz fusion album, and a good one, too. In both cases, however, the fashionable genres only provided a contemporary-sounding context in which his playing could flourish. If anyone has ever needed to be inspired to work, it's this recluse. So on his first regular studio album of new material in ten years, Beck, on at least a few tracks, solos over heavily percussive techno tracks reminiscent of Prodigy. But whether he's piercing such a rhythmic wall, rearranging the blues on the live "Blast from the East," or floating over an ambient soundscape on "Angel (Footsteps)," it's the same old Beck, with his stinging and sustained single-note melodies, his harmonics, his contrasting tones, his drive. And the man who played "Greensleeves" straight on Truth in 1968 is the same one who is faithful to the Irish air "Declan" here. Older fans who haven't been spending time at raves in recent years may want to program their CDs to avoid the electronica, but they should at least give those tunes a listen -- are they any heavier than the "heavy music" of 1969?

William Ruhlmann, All-Music Guide



Jeff Beck releases his first collection of new original music in a decade, and one of the most exciting and adventurous albums of his 35-year career as an Epic recording artist.

Who Else! is neither a soundtrack (cf. Beck's Frankie's House, released 1993) nor a side project (cf. his Gene Vincent tribute, Crazy Legs, also 1993). It is a fully-realized collection of eleven new guitar instrumentals, its styles and influences ranging from techno to blues to Irish traditional music. In each and every setting, Jeff's playing demonstrates his absolute technical mastery and total emotional conviction.

© 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.



It's becoming increasingly harder for fans of pure, blues-based rock to thumb their noses at the likes of electronica and techno, especially since guitar legends like Eric Clapton -- and now Jeff Beck -- have recently found inspiration in electronic rhythms. Who Else!, a collection of 11 instrumentals that feature Beck's six-string pyrotechnics (with assists from past Beck collaborator Tony Hymas on keyboards and former Michael Jackson tour guitarist Jennifer Batten), is significant, if for no other reason, than the fact that it marks Beck's first new, full offering of original music in more than a decade. But there's a lot more to absorb here than just nostalgia: Beck successfully demonstrates an ability to work within the confines of his chosen form, and he does so convincingly. The live "Brush with the Blues" is a beautiful showcase of virtuosity, where Beck comes pretty damn close to making his guitar sound like a human voice. But it's the up-tempo, techno-flavored offerings, like the opening "Mama Said," and "Psycho Sam," that really define this record, their driving rhythms covered with a thick layer of something human. Jeff Beck might be a 35-year veteran of the music scene, but he's certainly not stuck in yesteryear.

Sean McDevitt
Copyright © 1994-1999 CDNow, Inc. All rights reserved.



Jeff Beck's lead singer is his Stratocaster. And what range she has. Opening with a racy, techno-tinged extravaganza, "What Mama Said", she slips into a "Brush With The Blues", a funky, postmodern take on the soulful music of St. Louis. It's one of two tracks on Who Else!, Beck's first collection of new, original music in a decade, recorded live on tour. By the time she reaches "Space For Papa" and "Angel (Footsteps)", she's cooled down to an ambient, sonic experiment where she sings at ethereal high octaves - imagine a Salvador Dalí theme song.

Eric Clapton has called Beck "the best guitarist around", and the Englishman, who's been on Epic's label for 35 years, proves it here. With respect for electronicos like Prodigy, Beck has successfully upgraded his rock roots but hasn't compromised, showcasing his musical maturity on "Blast From The East", which was recorded in 7/8 time. He also pays his respects to the pipes with "Declan", a traditional Irish melody. While purists might take issue with Beck's contemporary acclimation, they can't but be amazed at how he still makes his six-stringer sing.

© 1999 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Arranged by Jeff Beck and Tony Hymas, a longtime friend and collaborator, and featuring 11 guitar-driven instrumentals, Who Else! is the first album of original material in almost a decade from the legendary guitarist.

From his earliest days with R&B bands the Deltones and the Tridents to a tenure with the Yardbirds, followed by the formation of the Jeff Beck Group, Beck has always played by his rules. It's this uncompromising musical vision and integrity that gives the Surrey, England-born Beck staying power after 35 years.

Beck's signature, searing guitar builds upon rhythms inspired by electronica, techno and ambient, resulting in a fresh, timely sound for this classic rock hero.

Several snappy numbers get things moving early on, then Beck introduces the cooler, atmospheric "Angel (Footsteps)," only to wind-down with his melodious, ambient guitar on "Even Odds" and ethnic flutes and violin on "Declan," a traditional Irish melody.

Jazz-fusion overtones can also be heard on this record, harkening back to Beck's Blow by Blow and Wired albums from the ‘70s. Beck once again enlists the help of keyboardist and composer Jan Hammer whom he collaborated with in 1977 on the live jazz-rock album Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group.

Lorraine Gennaro
Copyright © 1994-1999 CDNow, Inc. All rights reserved.



For my money, no one handles a guitar quite like Jeff Beck. Clapton, Page, Van Halen, Stevie Ray, Hendrix -- they're all world-class players with mainstream hits. Without causing a whole lot of fuss, Jeff Beck chose a path that veered away from the mainstream. In the process, he changed his entire approach to the guitar and the music he made with it.

Dispensing with hits and singers to sing them, Beck integrated his blistering, pickless style within a jazz-fusion framework. Some of the "songs" were originals, often penned by the musicians who accompanied him, rarely written by Beck himself. Others were reworkings of standards, marginal pop hymns and the occasional Beatle tune. From 1975 to 1980, Beck delivered three exquisite albums that showcased his explicit technique -- Blow By Blow, Wired and There And Back.

For the next ten years, however, Beck sunk into the shadows while hotshots like Steve Morse, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai took the reins and cemented an entire guitar instrumental genre. Beck was more content to work on his cars, accepting occasional session work for the likes of Rod Stewert, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. Flash, a solo album from the mid 80s, was a mishmash of dance n' skat with guest vocalists produced by Arther Baker and Nile Rodgers. Needless to say, it fell short of stirring up the discriminating Beck following.

It wasn't until late 1989 that Beck resurfaced with an all- instrumental album that rivaled his work of the 70s. Joined by drummer Terry Bozzio and keyboardist Tony Hymas, Beck aptly christened his new project Guitar Shop. Beck took full advantage of the new technological advances of the day, many now standardized since his last full blown outing. With Bozzio and Hymas -- outstanding players at the top of their game -- Beck reached beyond the scope of an ordinary jazz landscape, and affirmed that, once and for all, he was the undisputed king of the electric guitar.

It would be another ten years before Beck would release another all-instrumental album. Fortunately, Who Else! clearly substantiates that Jeff is the only Beck who really matters. Co- produced with Tony Hymas, Beck throws a few curves, lots of bouncing rhythms, and even doses us with the addition of a second guitarist. It seems as though Beck couldn't turn a blind eye on this one. As lead guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jennifer Batten has developed a strict style unparalleled by a majority of her male counterparts. A top notch GIT graduate, Batten's suave, rhythmical technique is in complete harmony with Beck's unyielding approach. The result is a full-throttle assault, driven by an in-the-pocket bass and percussion exchange, accentuated by giant chunks of Hymas' hyperspaced keyboard work.

For much of the album, Beck adapts to the changing climate by blending industrial/techno meters, implanted on What Mama Said, Psycho Sam and Hip-notica, within his own maddening nomenclature. Rated consistently as one of the most heart-felt blues players alive, Beck unfurls an impassioned display on Brush With The Blues. Still, Who Else! is also a continuation of an evolving form that can only be attributed to Jeff Beck. Blast From The East and Even Odds (with Jan Hammer) both draw heavily from 70s-era Beck, while Space For Papa is more reminiscent of Guitar Shop. For the melancholy types, Beck isn't without his tender moments. Declan is a stirring Celtic-flavored ballad that the guitarist slides and swells his way through while the CD's closer, Another Place, shows Beck at his most intimate.

These days lots of players fail miserably at recreating the magic that once propelled their careers. Without even trying, Jeff Beck generally steps up to bat with something as topical and invigorating as anything shaking up and down the current trend-o-meter. He remains one of the few veterans on the scene who can genuinely emit a buzz when he even thinks about making a record. With visits few and far between, it would seem that each album weighs heavily upon Beck's mind. More likely, however, he'd rather just rebuild a Model T, and play when he needs the money to buy new parts.

Reviewed by special correspondent Shawn Perry of the Vintage Rock Web Site



Jeff Beck meldet sich zurück und tut das, wie es sich für einen Halbgott an der Gitarre gehört, nämlich mit einem ohrenbetäubenden Knall. "Who Else!" kündigt nicht nur im Titel vom Selbstvertrauen des 55jährigen. Mit "Who Else!" zeigt sich der Altmeister vital, unterhaltsam und relevant wie kein anderer.

ME/Sounds 4/99

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