JEFF BECK WITH THE JAN HAMMER GROUP: LIVE

I loved this album when it was first released. It was a great example of instrumental rock fusion. Now, more than thirty years later, I still like it, but it sounds a bit dated, mostly, thanks to Peter Frampton over- using the device, because of the heavy use of the mouth tube.

The album starts out strong, with Freeway Jam. It's immediately apparent that Beck's guitar and Hammer's keyboards blend peffectly. On Earth (Still Our Only Home), Hammer's vocals sound so much like Fee Waybill, you might think it was a Tubes song. Then follows a nice reggae rendition of She's A Woman, followed by Full Moon Boogie, both featuring the above mentioned mouth tube.

The abum begins to get proggy with Darkness/Earth In Search Of A Sun, featuring Hammer's synth prowess, and turns it up a notch with the fiery Scatterbrain. The album closes with a great performance of Blue Wind, which includes the Yardbirds' classic, Train Kept A Rollin'.

Despite a rough sounding recording, still a nice album to own.