Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group- Live

This was $2.80 and purchased to inject a bit of rock into the blog which I like to do on Saturdays.  I saw Jeff Beck live at Sam Houston Coliseum.  He was a split bill with Stevie Ray Vaughn,  The year was 1989.  I was still in high school and was 15.  Terry Bozzio played drums.  Tony Hymas was on keys.  I remember being pretty stoked about “Freeway Jam”.  That is about all I remember.

Set List to said show

Interview with Beck and Vaughn and crew

Well, there is this live album, with a similar set up with the Jan Hammer Group.  Hammer best known for his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Miami Vice theme. Recorded somewhere on tout in 1976 (sources say the Astor Theater in Reading, PA on August 31) and released in 1977, this record features 7 songs which highlight Beck’s guitar skills as well as the interplay with the group.

For a sample, I went with “Full Moon Boogie”, solely because it had vocals, provided by drummer Tony Smith.  Just to round out the personnel, Fernando Saunders plays bass and Steve Kindler plays violin.

Good little album.  Satisfactory.

Leslie West- The Great Fatsby

DSCN5079 (1024x990)This was $3.00.  The allusion to Scott F Fitzgerald’s classic is what got me to buy this.  While the record is in ok shape, the cover is not.  It is falling apart as  we speak.

mgid-uma-image-vh1

This was guitarist and singer Leslie West’s second solo album and his first after Mountain, the group which he is best known for.  Released in 1975, the album features Ex-Mountain man Corky Laing on drums.  Mick Jagger is credited with rhythm guitar but I am unsure when and where on the record.  DSCN5080 (1024x1007)

The record is pretty good and departs from his Mountain style.  There are a lot of good rock tracks with West’s guitar works highlighting the album.  There is also a pretty good mix of songs.  Besides the hard rocking tunes, there is a version of Tim Hardin’s “If I Was  A Carpenter”.  There is also a curious number “High Roller”, which has songwriting credits for Keith Richards and Jagger.  I believe this is where Jagger plays guitar.  Either way, the song’s main riff sounds a lot like “Brown Sugar”. West also covers “Honky Tonk Women” for good measure.

For a sample, I went with “The House Of The Rising Sun”.  This song has been covered various times but it is the Animals who seem to have the definite arrangement.  This cover uses this arrangement but kicks the intensity up a couple levels. I like the soft flute at the beginning. It provides a good contrast. It also features Italian born/ South African bred singer Dana Valery. WEST-01

This is a pretty decent album despite falling apart cover wise.  Satisfactory.