Track Listing

1. You Know What I Mean
2. She's A Woman
3. Constipated Duck
4. AIR Blower
5. Scatterbrain
6. Cause We've Ended As Lovers
7. Thelonius
8. Freeway Jam
9. Diamond Dust

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13219 in Music
• Released on: 2001-04-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

From Amazon.com
His guitar-slinging contributions to the Yardbirds having dwarfed those of Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, Mrs. Beck's bad boy spent the next several years playing blues-rock (the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart), soul-rock (the second edition of that band), and leading a power trio. Then, he made this all-instrumental album, which was a huge 1975 success. Produced by George Martin, the nine-song session finds Beck fronting a keyboards-bass-drums outfit, augmented by some tastefully unobtrusive string arrangements. Call it a jazz-fusion album at your own risk. While Beck's playing is less in-your-face than his previous efforts, all the fierce attack, thick tone, microtonal bends, distortion, feedback, vibrato, sustain, sonic hoodoo, and rhythmic and harmonic creativity that the man's fans have come to know and love can be heard here. "Freeway Jam" boasts the most memorable melody and thus remains a Classic Rock staple to this day. "Cause We've Ended As Lovers"--written by Stevie Wonder--is Beck's gorgeous tribute to one of his own guitar-heroes, the now-deceased Roy Buchanan. --Don Waller

CD Description
Realising the overwhelming response he received in concert with his extended instrumental breaks, Beck finally bit the bullet and released his first all-instrumental work in 1975.The jazz-rock tour de force BLOW BY BLOW was produced by Beatles mainman George Martin and proved that Beck's six-string skills could easily carry an album. Completely inspired bythe challenge and surrounded by a stellar band and solid compositions, Beck lets loose throughout. The result is one ofhis very best works. Highlights include the funky opening track "You Know What I Mean", a pair of Stevie Wonder-penned tracks ("Cause We've Ended as Lovers" and "Thelonious"), andthe classic rock-radio staple "Freeway Jam".

Customer Reviews

Superb Throughout
As the 1970's dawned Jeff Beck was becoming bored with the constraints of rock music, and, never one to remain in a rut, he wisely expanded his horizons to include jazz rock. In fact, Jeff Beck was one of the first to explore the possibilities of making a rock album with no lyrics whatsoever. Beck was never one to enjoy singing (To this day he still hates singing Hi Ho Silver Lining), and tired of sharing the limelight with a lead singer, he focassed all his attention on the music, it's arrangements and the complex guitar solos he would play with characteristic aplomb. Blow by Blow was a tremendous success when it was first released in the early 1970's, thrusting Beck into a whole new area of serious jazz rock. This whole area of music was sufficiently exciting and original to attract the attention of George Martin, no less, who produced this magnificent album. Beck's strength's lie firmly in guitar playing and his arrangements of solo's. Various sources are credited with the writing of the songs on this album, whilst Beck concentrates wholly on the guitar. The result is a genuine innovation and one that would equally astound and infuriate Beck's fans and critics. Some thought Beck should stick purely with blues and rock like his old mate Eric Clapton, while others thought this album was truly an original piece of work, easily out classing other less adventurous guitarists. Needless to say, the album is well produced by George Martin, with a couple of tracks being enhanced by strings, arranged by Martin. The whole thing is so utterly compelling and refreshing now, it must have seemed breathtaking at the time. Such a success this album was that Beck turned his back completely on pure rock music to concentrate his efforts instead upon his own blend of highly charged jazz rock.

Not my kind of music.
I bought this album after listening to (and really liking) Joe Satriani's 'Surfing with the Alien'. Before then I had not been very interested in purely instrumental music though I always appreciated great guitar playing. Having read about Jeff Beck many times in guitar magazines and hearing praise along the lines of him being 'the greatest living guitarist', I thought I was on to a winner. After all, these were the same sources that had introduced me to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen, Buddy Guy and Mark Knopfler. So, I was surprised after trying hard to like it that I did not enjoy the album at all. I am also surprised that almost all negative reviews (site-wide) are found 'unhelpful' by readers. Personally, I find it very useful to find out why people really dislike a product as well as why someone else really likes it. If you have a broader taste in music than I do I think you will really like listening to this album. If, however, you are not fond of jazz music or you are not a guitar enthusiast think long and hard before you buy - then answer 'Was this review helpful?' with NO! Have fun.

Superb.
An astounding and in it's day, a groundbreaking album by the Universe's greatest guitarist.Still fresh after all these years.