YOU HAD IT COMING

Excellent to see Jeff Beck included on Progressive Archives. It is hard however to not over rate such an incredible guitarist because nearly everything he releases is jaw droppingly good.This 2001 release is no exception and I rate this as one of his best albums. ' Roy's Toy' is incredible with an almost derranged beat and drum delivered by Steve Alexander. Beck's guitar work is nothing short of mesmerizing.' Dirty Mind' is another great song, nothing lacking in it's suggestive overtones either and great vocal work from Imogen Heap.' Blackbird' is another very clever instrumental. I am surprised he has not released anything else since 2001, but this is by far one of his best albums.Three and a half stars actually!

Who says an old dog can't be taught new tricks?

Guitar legend and musical chameleon Jeff Beck met the 21st century head on with a new sound to match the new millennium: part techno grunge, part industrial electronica, but without ever sacrificing the patented lyricism of his distinctive guitar style.

The album is only 36 minutes long, but packs a lot into its all-too brief length. Most of it is instrumental, ranging from the aptly titled opening salvo "Earthquake" (having lived through a few during my childhood in Northern California, I can vouch for the song's unsettling sense of power) to the lush ambient chillout of the album closer, "Suspension". In between is the aggressive Harley-Davidson hip-hop of "Roy's Toy"; some gorgeous East Indian motifs (in "Nadia"); and lots of raw, effects-heavy soloing (I'm thinking in particular of the rocket-fueled instrumental "Loose Cannon", a personal favorite).

And before you accuse Beck of completely abandoning his musical roots, lend an ear to the more traditional blues of "Rollin' and Tumblin'". The song dates back to the days of Hambone Willie Newbern, and has since been covered by (I'm sure among many others) Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, and The Grateful Dead. But here it's updated with enough testosterone to fuel a small sports car, and graced by the appropriately soulful vocals of Imogen Heap (recorded in a single take, I'm told).

Fans of the guitarist's older blues and fusion recordings might not be ready to appreciate his latest change in direction. But the album (and his self-titled 2003 follow-up) should appeal to the same forward-thinking listeners who applauded the V-drum improvisations of the more recent KING CRIMSON. Personally speaking, here's one old dog ready to roll over for music like this any day.

That explains the crowd!

I suppose Jeff Beck was inducted into PA"s files, in his "Blow by Blow" jazzy/funky/fusion?, era, and yes maybe Rock. I couldn't think of a less Jazz/Fusion Jeff Beck record, after the Jazz period, than this one, my favorite Jeff Beck record by the way.

"You Had It Coming" 2001, is touched by those kind of muses that turn every single note into something magnificent. Each song holds its own personality, but it is also perfectly "understood" as a whole concept.

Instead of going on a song by song description, which somehow is always futile, I'll try to explain what goes on in this beauty.

For starters, as mentioned it is flawless, if by that we understand, no mili-second is wasted. Jeff Beck since his Yardbrds' years, always stood apart when it comes to guitar "sound effects' that could enhance his aspirations as a composer or as an extraordinary performer. (I myself, admire Jeff Beck the guitar player, not necessarily Jeff Beck the composer, to set things into perspective), therefore another major attribute this project holds is the most refined and trend-setting guitar effects you can imagine, in the hands of a virtuoso of course. Next we have the primary part, of any album, that I will recommend as "masterwork" , I have listened to this album since it was released, at least 50 times, and it still holds my enthusiasm, as the same day a friend presented it to me. It has not aged, opposite to that it gets better and still trend-setting!!

Here we go! From Electronica Hard Metal Rock, to high strung Rockabilly, to his guitar experiments and explorations (explotations) filled with sexual nitty gritty inuendos, to his famous "space-boogies", to his dexterity with the acoustic sister, to extremely touching electric guitar symphonic pieces (to call them somehow). Whew!! (the whole album lasts less than 40 minutes, which also explains why there is no place for fillers or gaps.)

So we get the best of Jeff Beck, as performer but also Jeff Beck's best, songwriting wise. And of course with its usual extreme dossages of highlights of peak beauty to down to the bottom pits emotions. With the "greasy, rebelious, misfit" attitude this fellow is well known for.

*****5 PA stars, in accordance that more than prog or jazz or rock, this is simply a Jeff Beck's masterpiece!

In a similar vein as his previous release "Who Else", Jeff Beck once again strays from his jazz fusion roots to deliver an eclectic hard rock/pseudo-techno setlist.

Jeff Beck is one of the great creative minds of our time and it certainly shows on this record. The album's ten tracks draw from various different musical styles, from blues to electronica to metal, but are all united by a common electronic production and use of techno song structure and effects. The album is completely instrumental save for the 12-bar number "Rollin' And Tumblin'", which features vocals from Imogen Heap. The end result isn't especially progressive but it's definitely worth a listen. "You Had It Coming" will appeal mostly to fans of guitar wizards like Satriani, Vai, Johnson, etc, who will love its good use of instrumental effects and strong soloing. My only qualm with the album is that, while it's satisfying while you listen to it, doesn't really stick with you afterwards, with the exception of the exceptional uptempo ballad "Nadia", one of Beck's most touching guitar performances. A solid but non-essential release.

By the end of the 20th century JEFF BECK had long abandoned his jazz-fusion playing and become a sort of ambassador for the blues by taking the early Yardbirds style blues rock and adapting it to more modern stylistic approaches. Pretty much following the bringing the boogie to a techno party of his previous album "Who Else!," JEFF BECK continued his curveball foray into the world of electronica with YOU HAD IT COMING which according to sources either came out in the year 2000 or early in 2001. Unlike his Yardbirds counterparts who sort of fizzled out and became old fogies, JEFF BECK was still at the top of his game as far as innovating and taking bluesy rock to places no one dreamed possible.

Another album, another lineup with even long term associate Tony Hymas stepping down from duty. Back was guitarist Jennifer Batten who had risen from nowhere and not only played on first two techno-laced blues albums but took on the duty as guitarist for Michael Jackson during his early millennial touring schedules. Also back was drummer Steve Alexander who only appeared on three tracks on "Who Else!" was percussionist-in-chief and same for bassist Randy Hope-Taylor who had only contributed a single track previously. Perhaps Hymas was out because the keyboards had been traded in by an electronic programmer named Aidan Love. YOU HAD IT COMING took the techno-blues hybridization to the next level making this one sound more like a blues-infused Nine Inch Nails or Prodigy.

Sounding like something out of the Matrix film's soundtrack, the thundering "Earthquake" shakes things up from the getgo with a hefty industrial metal groove and techno / big beat electronic percussion. JEFF BECK proves himself to be the most forward thinking member of the Yardbirds by completely adapting his bluesy guitar playing to this seemingly incompatible sounds. The following "Roy's Toy" and "Dirty Mind" showcase BECK's amazing improvisational skills and the musical flow is made all the more eccentric by the stellar engineering, mastering and production. While YOU HAD IT COMING is primarily an instrumental album the two tracks "Dirty Mind" and "Rollin' and Tumblin" feature electropop pioneer Imogen Heap on vocals. The latter track is particularly cool as it showcases BECK's extensive use of slide guitar along with a funky bass groove and heavy well-nigh tribal drumming.

The tracks on YOU HAD IT COMING are surprisingly diverse with each composition taking on a completely different spin on electronica meets the blues. "Nadia" is no exception with an almost Steve Vai sort of ballad style with feisty bigbeat percussion. "Loose Cannon" and "Rosebud" sort of play middle ground and are ultimately the most forgettable tracks but the stream picks up on "Left Hook" which gets all aggro-industrial with heavy start / stop beats and twin processed guitar parts. The drums are particularly cool on this one. "Blackbird" may sounds like a Beatles track but this is no cover. This short minute and a half original starts with chirping birds and is basically a BECK guitar solo as he alternates a blues lick with bird chirps covered by a frosty electronic atmosphere. The guitar is simulating a sort of conversation with the birds. "Suspension" ends in a totally different style. A clean dreamy guitar sequence is backed by a Native American percussive beat reminding me of Mike Oldfield's "The Songs of Distant Earth." Although very similar to "Who Else!," YOU HAD IT COMING is much more consistent and takes things up a few notches. The previous album showed lots of promise and then sort of drifted hither and tither. This one showcases diversity while not losing its edge. All in all a very unusual yet satisfying album that will surely alienate blues rock purists as well as 90s electronica heavy beat worshippers. For those of us who are more adventurous and love surprises, YOU HAD IT COMING delivers on many fronts. BECK displays some extremely satisfying guitar antics and the bass, drumming and ambient parts are quite satisfying as well. This is another unlikely favorite in the JEFF BECK canon.