Jeff Beck Beckola Remastered

[TommyTunes]

Not sure if everyone knows about this one but EMI in the UK reissued a Remastered version of Beckola last week that includes four bonus tracks; Sweet Little Angel, Throw Down a Line,
All Shook Up (Early Version) and Jailhouse Rock(Early Version). I'm real excited by this one and just ordered it. I think that this is the first time that any alternate or new tracks have ever been issued by the original JBG lineup. As a fanatic on the original JBG, I have never found any pressings that sound great and I have at least 6-8 variations of each title. I'm holding hope for this one because since they have found bonus material, I figured that they may have gone back to the original multi-tracks. Even if they did EMI probably no-noised it to death. Let's hope truth is next with bonus tracks.

[MartinGr]

Even if they did EMI probably no-noised it to death.
The EMI-twofer from 1991 was the deadest I can imagine with the biggest NoNoise Logo I own. So what else could they do than to bring it back to live again?? ;)

Martin

[shakti]

I too have this on order, and like you I am anxiously crossing my fingers that it may sound better than previous releases. This album was probably just recorded quite badly. While waiting for it to arrive, I've brought out a bootleg I have of the JBG on BBC in '67-'68 called London Sessions. The sound is terrible, but Beck is sooo hot on this stuff. And to think that all of this stuff was recorded well before Led Zeppelin ever set foot in a studio makes me think that it has been unfairly neglected (except by guitar fans, who still drool over Beck's tones and playing on those forst two albums).

[Dean De Furia]

I ordered it too hoping for a raw, live sound!

[TommyTunes]

This album was probably just recorded quite badly.
I don't think that it was so much recorded badly (along with Truth) as mixed badly. I think that if Steve was ever given access to the multi's that he could create a good sounding version. Like you I think that if the in-group fighting and Becks temper could have been held under control this band would have blown Zep away. IMO Beck is a much better and more inventive guitarist than Page. I also think that in the case of Beckola their judgment was clouded in choice of material.
I would love to hear a good clean live document of this band, unforunately all the boots that I've heard are crap. His record company must have made one or two good live recordings. Knowing Beck they will never see the light of day.

[Cousin It]

The problem with the JBG was they had no one in the band writing at the time,they were always relying too heavily on covers.Rod only started to come good as a writer when he joined the Faces.I've always wondered if the JBG had hung around if they would've done "Maggie May" etc.. or if it still would've been a Rod solo effort.

[Michael]

I have a Japanese mini lp cee dee from 1998 that's just fine...No bonus tracks though...anyone else have this?

[dolstein]

I always wondered why Sony Legacy never did a double disc Jeff Beck Group anthology, containing all the tracks from Truth and Beck-Ola, plus outtakes, early Jeff Beck single sides, and live recordings. It just seemed so obvious to me.

[TommyTunes]

I have a Japanese mini lp cee dee from 1998 that's just fine...No bonus tracks though...anyone else have this?
I have both of the Japanese mini lp releases, they are ok but I do not detect a difference between them and the US Epic remastered versions.

[Dean De Furia]

I just got this today at work but haven't listened to it yet.

Remastered by Peter Mew. I'll resist comment until I listen.

[Dean De Furia]

I got to listen to this today. The album sounds a little bass heavy but I don't hear any weird noise reduction artifacts. The sound is not anything to write home about.

BUT........

The bonus tracks are fantastic.

"Sweet Little Angel" is a 7 minute slow blues number that could have been an outake from the first Zep LP, no kidding. Beck is on-fire and Rod is screaming in pain! The sound of this track is so much better than the regular LP. It's got that "You are there" vibe. WOW. Worth the the price of admission.

[eelkiller]

I got to listen to this today. The album sounds a little bass heavy but I don't hear any weird noise reduction artifacts. The sound is not anything to write home about.

BUT........

The bonus tracks are fantastic.

"Sweet Little Angel" is a 7 minute slow blues number that could have been an outake from the first Zep LP, no kidding. Beck is on-fire and Rod is screaming in pain! The sound of this track is so much better than the regular LP. It's got that "You are there" vibe. WOW. Worth the the price of admission.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it is the version to get!! It has got to better than the version on the 1991 Truth/Beck-Ola No Noised collection.I read a review on the new disc today in a British mag and they echoed your comments about the bonus tracks!!

Another disc to order :goodie:

Barry

[Steve-oh]

Anyone have a clue if this is going to be released in the U.S.?

[Parkertown]

What about the remaster on Epic from a few years back, with the white jewel case? Mastered by Chris Athens (?) at Sterling Sound...

What's the consenus on this one?

[jazz8588]

Beck must have been crying into his beer when Beckola came out.

Dug out my original UK Beckola Mono Lp on the silver and black Columbia label. Don't know what you folks think but the production on this LP is simply awful. You can hear the great Beck and Rodders giving it their all. If only it had been captured by someone like Eddie Kramer or Tom Dowd. The sound here is like mud.

Beck hasn't had much look with the sound of some of his albums. I'm thinking Rough & Ready here as well.

[rangerjohn]

The mono is reputedly a fold-in. The stereo version sounds quite good.

[davmar77]

you can see some more on this here-

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=33728&highlight=beckola

[jazz8588]

The mono is reputedly a fold-in. The stereo version sounds quite good.

Thanks, I didn't know that

[jazz8588]

you can see some more on this here-

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=33728&highlight=beckola

Cheers for the link

[Jeff Wong]

Threads merged.

[PacificOceanBlue]

Beck must have been crying into his beer when Beckola came out.

Dug out my original UK Beckola Mono Lp on the silver and black Columbia label. Don't know what you folks think but the production on this LP is simply awful. You can hear the great Beck and Rodders giving it their all. If only it had been captured by someone like Eddie Kramer or Tom Dowd. The sound here is like mud.

Beck hasn't had much look with the sound of some of his albums. I'm thinking Rough & Ready here as well.
There is no doubt that the mixing for Truth and Beck-Ola leave a lot to be desired. There are a lot of layers of guitar-work there and in many instances, it sounds like mud. I would love to hear a nice, clean, remix someday....

[jazz8588]

I remember as a kid, in the 70's, that the Producer, Mickie Most, used to appear on a talent show on British TV called "New Faces" as one of the judges. He used to be very honest about some of the so-called talent on the show and their was no doubting his experience in the music business.

However as a Producer for the mighty JBG.....he just wasn't up to the task

[jeffrey walsh]

Rod really needs a kick in the a** to get back to ROCKIN'! Forget about those standard albums and start belting ala Spanish Boots & Plynth.

[cparamo]

Rod really needs a kick in the a** to get back to ROCKIN'! Forget about those standard albums and start belting ala Spanish Boots & Plynth.

:righton:

[Dave]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it is the version to get!! It has got to better than the version on the 1991 Truth/Beck-Ola No Noised collection.I read a review on the new disc today in a British mag and they echoed your comments about the bonus tracks!!

Another disc to order :goodie:

Barry
Barry, you might want to give the Japan 1st pressing catalog #TOCP-6318 a try.


I too have this on order, and like you I am anxiously crossing my fingers that it may sound better than previous releases.
I tried quite a few different CD pressings before arriving at the one listed above that is better at least for me.