JEFF BECK GROUP [AKA: ORANGE ALBUM]

Pretty much following the trajectory of the band's previous album "Rough And Ready," the fourth album by JEFF BECK and the third with the moniker THE JEFF BECK GROUP was the only album under the GROUP moniker to feature the same lineup as the album before. Given that many of us hate the laziness of titling an album eponymously, this one has been better known as "Orange Album" because of the prominent orange peeking out of the middle square on the album cover.

Continuing the funk, soul, R&B leanings of "Rough And Ready," ORANGE ALBUM brings back some of the bluesy licks of BECK's first two albums. Unfortunately BECK also reverted to relying on cover songs to fill up the album's track list and not just a few but five out the nine tracks presented. The covers included a new version of Ashford & Simpson's "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You" and Carl Perkins's Sun Records release, "Glad All Over" (1957). Also included, Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," Don Nix's "Going Down" and Stevie Wonder's "I Got To Have A Song."

The critics pretty much hated this one and it's not difficult to hear why. This is about as generic as it gets for the year 1972 when creativity was beaming down from the heave's with just about every musical genre finding resolution with the experiments set out in the 1960s. The fact that BECK was still relying on cover tunes, a definite no-no this far into his career proves that the fracture of his skull hadn't quite healed yet. This album has some decent tracks such as the funky cool soul rock tune "Sugar Cane," and the cool cover of "Going Down" however the album as a whole comes off as flat and uninspired and desperately grasping for straws.

Ultimately this is the weakest of the four albums that preceded BECK's biggest achievements of "Blow By Blow" and "Wired. Not only are the choices of cover songs questionable (except for the excellent "Going Down") but the originals are pretty much playing it safe with BECK never really taking his guitar playing techniques to the next level. As if he was hoping to grasp some success on the R&B charts, the ORANGE ALBUM should have been renamed the ROTTEN TOMATO ALBUM for its lackluster performances and insipid clunkiness adds up to one of the low points of BECK's early career. Not only is this one forgettable but actually a much harder listen than the previous "Rough And Ready." While not devoid of some brilliant moments, as a whole ORANGE ALBUM induces drowsiness overall.

This would be the end of the road for the second rendition of THE JEFF BECK GROUP and the GROUP moniker would never be used again. All the members went their own way and the following year the realization of the rather dully named Beck, Bogert & Appice supergroup came to fruition. After that project fizzled out with a single album BECK was finally forced to reinvent himself which resulted in the excellent jazz-fusion albums that would launch him into guitar god status. As for this one, it's worth a listen just to experience where BECK was at this stage in his career but ultimately it's more forgettable than the previous album over all with only a few tracks worthy of revisiting.

2.5 stars rounded down