Customer Reviews

Beck Bogert & Appice

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was lucky enough to see BBA at my very first concert when I was really young. I've been a lifelong fan of all three of these guys ever since. I had just started playing bass, so to see Tim Bogert play a 15 minute unaccompanied distorted bass solo was pretty cool! Sure, the vocals aren't very good (Sorry Dave from Covington, I CAN sing a bit so I feel qualified to say that), and the songwriting is basic, but these are three amazing musicians just jamming away at boogie rock. The tracks "Lady", "Superstition", "Livin' Alone" and Curtis Mayfield's "I'm So Proud" are outstanding.

Check out West, Bruce & Laing, Restrictions by Cactus or Johnny Winter's Still Alive & Well if you like this stuff. There's also a BBA Live in Japan double album out there, but it's expensive.

This album is another great chapter in the ever changing musical career of Jeff Beck. Before this was the underrated R&B flavored Jeff Beck Group with Cozy Powell and Max Middleton. After this was the stellar Blow By Blow, when Jeff took off in a whole new direction.

It's not every day three musicians with such talent as Tim Bogart, Carmine Appice, and Jeff Beck get together and make an album. Usually when musicians of this calabor get together egos and tempors get in the way of the music, thats way supergroups dont last. Appice is one of the worlds best drummers, Bogart is a great bass player, and Jeff Beck is well, Jeff Beck, the man plays guitar like... well I dont know what like but he is amazing! This album however is unlike anyother supergroup album in the history of music because this one is actually good and actually its better then good its excellent!

The album opens up with its best song, 'Black Cat Moan' which is a nice heavy bluesy rocker and features some amazing slide guitar by Beck. Next is the nice little ballad lady, and no not the horrible Styx song, this is much better! 'Oh To Love You' is another ballad with nice vocals from Bogart. Its almost like a Beegees song but with balls! 'Superstition' is a cover of the classic Stevie Wonder song, and I actually like it. I mean they could have done better but I think they did a fantastic job on it, though its clearly not better then the original its still nice and features some killer lead guitar by Beck. 'Sweet Sweet Surender' is another slower ballader type song, and its not one of my favorites though it does have some really beautiful lyrics. 'Why Should I Care' is a nice heavy rocker, and one of the better songs on the album, If the whole album was like this song I would have given it five stars thats for sure. Next is the rocker 'Lose My Self With You' which is probabley my favorite song on the album next to 'Black Cat Moan' because it is just such a killer song. Becks amazing wah-wah talents are showcased greatly on this song. 'Livin Alone' is a really cool song, I dont know how to describe it, its very 1970's and very cool, thats really all I can say because it must be heard to enjoy. The album comes to a close ever so perfectly with 'im So Proud' which is the best of the ballads on the album and is a nice easy way of ending the album on a soft and high note.

Beck, Bogert, and Appice is one of the best albums Jeff Beck ever made, and had there been fewer ballads and more rockers and bluesier songs this album would have been even better.

So even though I think the boys went a little over board with all the ballads I still think this is an essential album that all rock fans and musicians (especially guitarists), should own and add to their collections.

Teaming up with Vanilla Fudge bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, Jeff Beck returned to the power-trio format, and created yet another great album. One of the highlights of this set is a scorching version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." This is an album which I feel has been unfairly slagged off by many people, including Beck himself. However, it's actually a masterpiece. Get it before it sells out.

This album was a must-have back in the early 70's while still in high school. My friends & I all had it & played the grooves off it. Every track is great, especially the opening cut "Black Cat Moan" & their version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". Great guitar & drum work throughout, should be enjoyable even to new generations of kids interested in good ol' classic rock!

After waiting for these guys to get together for a few years due to Beck`s near-fatal car wreck, BBA hit the scene hard, and with good cause. They were a 'supergroup' when the days of such entities were waning and sorely in need. Remember, after this we were subjected to groups like Foreigner and Bad Company, who shamelessly pandered to get hits and airtime instead of living up to any true potential they had. While there are great muscular, butt-kicking trax on this lp like 'Lady', 'Livin' Alone', 'Lose Myself With You' and a killer cover of 'Superstition', the other trax are pretty weak compositionally, and the vocals are lacking in more than one or two places. 'I`m So Proud' is a surprisingly pretty track that Jeff plays some georgeous leads on, but I wonder if it really belongs here. The remaining tunes are throwaways, IMHO. I have the Japanese-only released double live LP, and it`s a much better representation of what these guys were truely capable of - seek it out, you`ll love it.

Think about it-Jeff Beck in his prime, ripping off some of his best licks with incredible tone backed up by Tim Bogert on Bass and Carmine Appice on Drums from Vanilla Fudge. The rhythm section is still tight coming off 3 years of playing with Cactus. Beck is great on tunes like "Black Cat Moan" and a great version of "Superstition". Forget the vocals (they're pretty bad) and imagine Rod Stewart singing these songs (what should have happened). This album is worth getting just for Jeff Beck's guitar work. Enjoy this unique one time collaboration.

this cd smokes...you put a rhythum section like that with becks guitar and thats exactly what you get...black cat moan, superstition, sweet sweet surrender,terrific...if ya wanna hear they're take on a few beck songs and fudge songs pay the price and pick up BBA live in japan two cd's of killer bass and drum attack and some mean guitar with solo after solo

This is one of the most exciting works in Jeff's career. And I think it was a good fortune for him to meet Bogert and Appice.
The first track, Black Cat Moan fades out with Jeff's short but wonderful slide guitar works. It is one of my favorite part in this album. From the next track, Lady, the rhythm parts begin to show their talents. Bass and drum rock! Third track, Oh To Love You is one of the ballads in this album. It's not bad. Piano, Keyboard, choir and Jeff's killer licks go together well. Superstition is surely a rocker. S.Wonder is surely a prodigy! And the guitar solo part here makes a deep impression. Free(noisy and bluesy) Jeff meets two strict brothers in rhythm and makes a hurricane. An emotional ballad, Sweet Sweet Surrender on the next cools down this fever a little. Then, a light rocker Why Should I care passes by. In Lose Myself With You, Danny(Vocals on this album : not Tim but Danny Hutton)'s vocal reminded me of Rob Halford's, haha. Livin' Alone is a fast shuffle rocker, exiting. The Last track on this LP, I'm So Proud is a Curtis Mayfield's composing. A beautiful ballad.
Throughout the album, Bogert and Appice's rhythm supports are wonderful, so that they are making all tracks so funky, dynamic and even emotional! Jeff the real big boat had equipped two excellent engines, and made a gorgeous voyage!!

I bought this because I'm in the midst of Beck-aholia attack. I gotta have all things Beck. So I'm listening to this & enjoying it in general, until I get to "I'm So Proud". OMG!!! I've played it over & over! I'm of an age to remember the original version & these guys sound just like it! Too bad JB's moved away from blues & R&B. I'm not sure, but I THINK he's singing on this cut. I only have the mp3 version, so I've got no liner notes, but the harmony is wonderful!

Having had this in my car's rotation for the last few weeks, I've come to enjoy the power trio format Beck presented here, even though there are a few weak tracks along the way.

The opener, "Black Cat Moan," is a heavy blues rocker of the kind you used to hear a lot in the early 70s.

The rather forgettable "Lady" follows, and then a slow ballad "Oh to Love You."

The album really kicks in with a scorching version of "Superstition," which has Beck crunchifying the riff and beating it into holy oblivion. The album is worth getting for this track alone.

"Sweet Sweet Surrender" is another ballad, with nice harmonies, and "Why Should I Care" features some active bass by Bogert.

The next two tracks are again a bit weak, but the record ends strong with a fine uptempo version of "I'm So Proud," (famously covered by Todd Rundgren as well in A Wizard A True Star).

On balance I wished these guys continued for a bit longer, the power trio format was working and although the vocals are not tremendous and there a few clunkers, the record and musicianship stands up to repeated listens.