Top Artists – Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck – Blow by Blow

More Jazz Fusion

  • Beck’s 1975 release, here with a KILLER Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) side two mated to a solid Double Plus (A++) side one
  • These sides are doing practically everything right — they’re clean, clear and open with lots of space around the players, and plenty of rich, bottom end weight
  • 4 1/2 stars: “Blow by Blow signaled a new creative peak for Beck, and it proved to be a difficult act to follow. It is a testament to the power of effective collaboration and, given the circumstances, Beck clearly rose to the occasion. In addition to being a personal milestone, Blow by Blow ranks as one of the premiere recordings in the canon of instrumental rock music.”

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Looking for 5 Star Albums with Hot Stampers? There Are 50+ in Stock Now

beck_truth_1610_1302710570Hot Stamper Pressings of Allmusic Five Star Albums in Stock

From Cannonball Adderley’s sonic Masterpiece Somethin’ Else to X’s Under the Big Black Sun.

Including albums like Truth here. If I were to make a list of the best albums from 1968, this album would definitely be on it.

That said, it’s a one and done album for me, but probably not for many of you reading this. It all depends on how much you like Jeff Beck’s music — including, I suppose, his very successful foray into jazz/rock fusion.

Those records were in heavy rotation at my house and my friends’, at least for a couple of years. Beck-Ola spent some time on my turntable back then too but eventually fell by the wayside. Just not good enough to bother playing.

In short, I can take him or leave him, and I left him a long time ago. But that first album is as big and bold a musical statement as he would ever make. That makes it a Must Own in my book. (The complete list of such records can be found here.)

Below are some excerpts from our review of the album.

One of the most surprising things we learned in our first big shootout from 2014 was how well recorded the album is. It’s yet another triumph from one of our favorite engineers, Ken Scott.

In many ways it sounds like the first Zep album, and that’s a good thing. The sound is a perfect fit for the music. (more…)

Jeff Beck – Truth

More of the Music of Jeff Beck

  • A vintage reissue pressing of Beck’s debut LP with two killer Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) sides, just shy of our Shootout Winner – fairly quiet vinyl too
  • Easily – and by a wide margin – the best sounding record Jeff Beck ever made – thanks, Ken Scott!
  • This pressing embodies the “big rock sound” that we go crazy for here at Better Records
  • Really fun music – it’s a blast to hear Rod Stewart fronting such a heavy rock band
  • Problems in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these Classic Rock records – there simply is no way around them if the superior sound of vintage analog is important to you
  • 5 stars: “…almost as groundbreaking and influential a record as the first Beatles, Rolling Stones, or Who albums.”

These Nearly White Hot Stamper pressings have top-quality sound that’s often surprisingly close to our White Hots, but they sell at substantial discounts to our Shootout Winners, making them a relative bargain in the world of Hot Stampers (“relative” meaning relative considering the prices we charge). We feel you get what you pay for here at Better Records, and if ever you don’t agree, please feel free to return the record for a full refund, no questions asked.

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Jeff Beck – Wired

More Jeff Beck

More Jazz Fusion

  • You’ll find seriously good Double Plus (A++) grades on both sides of this vintage copy of Beck’s sophomore solo effort (one of only a handful to hit the site in eleven months) – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • Big and full with a punchy bottom end and driving jazz/rock energy, here are the elements critical to the better sounding copies
  • Wired, the sequel to the hugely successful Blow by Blow, was produced by Sir George Martin and mixed by Geoff Emerick
  • 4 1/2 stars: “Within a two-year span, the twin towers Blow by Blow and Wired set a standard for instrumental rock that even Beck has found difficult to match. On Wired, with first-rate material and collaborators on hand, one of rock’s most compelling guitarists is in top form.”
  • If you’re a Jeff Beck fan, or perhaps more a fan of mid-70s Jazz Fusion, this title from 1976 is surely a Must Own

Copies with the most bass, the richest lower midrange and the most extension up top (to keep the upper midrange from becoming too hard and shrill) did the best in our shootout, assuming they weren’t veiled or smeary of course.

So many things can go wrong on a record. We know, we heard them all. We’re glad to report this copy was doing just about everything right, hence the high Hot Stamper grades. (more…)

Side Two of Truth Tends to Sound Better than Side One

More of the Music of Jeff Beck

UPDATE 2026

This was written circa 2014, so we’re not actually sure if this is still true.

Take this commentary with a grain of salt and see for yourself when you play whatever copies you own.

An interesting bit of trivia: many side twos earned a sonic grade that was a full plus higher than any given copy’s grade for side one. A half plus higher was quite common too.

Side two most of the time just plain sounds better than side one, so when evaluating your copy be sure to check side two first to hear what is probably going to be the best sound on the album. 

In many ways it sounds like the first Zep album, and that’s a good thing. The sound is a perfect fit for the music. In recent interviews Jeff Beck has been saying that Jimmy Page stole his idea for a Heavy Rock Band playing electrified blues. Based on the evidence found on the two sides of this very album I would say he has a point.

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Letter of the Week – “The sound on Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is to die for.”

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently:

Hey Tom, 

Another WINNER. Just spun my latest purchase from you folks, Jeff Beck’s “Wired,” and it’s KILLER. The sound on Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is to die for. THANK YOU guys, for always coming through with THE best sounding LPs. I now have two dozen of “your” albums in my collection – owning their own special shelf – and they continue to occupy not just a special place on my Well-Tempered Amadeus GT, but in my heart. 🙂 

Steven

Further Reading

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More Hot Stamper Testimonial Letters

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