The Absolute Sound
New member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
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- #1
<p>
Jeff Beck is on a roll. His appearance at*the 2007 Crossroads Festival turned heads,*2008’s "Live at Ronnie Scott’s" went platinum,*and this year included tour dates with*Eric Clapton. His new release is as much*of a departure as "Blow by Blow" and "Guitar*Shop" were, and like these earlier classics*"Emotion & Commotion" succeeds because*it finds a context that complements his*dazzling guitar skills.</p>
<p>
This time around lyricism and lavish*drapery dominate. Accompanied by an*orchestra, Beck pays tribute to Jeff Buckley*on “Corpus Christi Carol,” breathes new*life into “Somewhere over the Rainbow,”*delves into a Puccini aria, and delivers a*warm reading of “Elegy for Dunkirk”*from Atonement. These are straightforward,*irony-free interpretations—but not*schmaltzy. Unfortunately that’s not the*case with two new compositions, “Never*Alone” and “Serene,” which feature nice*guitar lines dragged down by saccharine*arrangements.</p>
<p>
*Vocals have sometimes been the low*point of Jeff Beck records, but both*collaborations with British soul singer*Joss Stone catch fire, and “Lilac Wine”*with Imelda May is as memorable as Jeff*Buckley’s version. And, finally, the funky*Mahavishnu-tinged “Hammerhead”*reminds you Beck can still blaze up and*down a fretboard. The sonics are full,*with rich textures, as befits so much*variety and color.</p>
[Source: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/jeff-beck-emotion-commotion/]
Jeff Beck is on a roll. His appearance at*the 2007 Crossroads Festival turned heads,*2008’s "Live at Ronnie Scott’s" went platinum,*and this year included tour dates with*Eric Clapton. His new release is as much*of a departure as "Blow by Blow" and "Guitar*Shop" were, and like these earlier classics*"Emotion & Commotion" succeeds because*it finds a context that complements his*dazzling guitar skills.</p>
<p>
This time around lyricism and lavish*drapery dominate. Accompanied by an*orchestra, Beck pays tribute to Jeff Buckley*on “Corpus Christi Carol,” breathes new*life into “Somewhere over the Rainbow,”*delves into a Puccini aria, and delivers a*warm reading of “Elegy for Dunkirk”*from Atonement. These are straightforward,*irony-free interpretations—but not*schmaltzy. Unfortunately that’s not the*case with two new compositions, “Never*Alone” and “Serene,” which feature nice*guitar lines dragged down by saccharine*arrangements.</p>
<p>
*Vocals have sometimes been the low*point of Jeff Beck records, but both*collaborations with British soul singer*Joss Stone catch fire, and “Lilac Wine”*with Imelda May is as memorable as Jeff*Buckley’s version. And, finally, the funky*Mahavishnu-tinged “Hammerhead”*reminds you Beck can still blaze up and*down a fretboard. The sonics are full,*with rich textures, as befits so much*variety and color.</p>
[Source: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/jeff-beck-emotion-commotion/]