Jeff Beck "Who Else!"

Jeff Beck "Who Else!"

album cover

Jeff Beck
Who Else!
The Story
"Who Else!", Jeff Beck's first all-instrumental album in a decade, finds him tossing a few contemporary peppers into his pot of musical virtuosity. Reuniting once again with "Guitar Shop" keyboardist Tony Hymas, Beck maintains a balance between contemporary, Art Of Noise-flavored tracks ("Space For The Papa", "TX138") complete with delays, techno beats and looped guitars, and a reunion with '70s fusion running buddy Jan Hammer on the heavier, Van Halen-esque "Even Odds." Beck's musical range continues to impress as he easily moves between emotive blues phrasing ("Brush With The Blues"), fleet-fingered noodling ("Blast From The East") and more ethereal numbers that bring to mind Carlos Santana's solo work ("Hip-Notica"). Beck's talent truly shines when he tackles Donal Lunny's "Declan." On it, guitar histrionics give way to Celtic arrangements that find Beck's guitar delicately dancing with Clive Bell's flute as images of foggy moors and rolling green hills float along. The brief solo piece "Another Place" could have been an Adrian Legg outtake.
The Music
03:23 What Mama Said Instrumental
04:56 Psycho Sam Instrumental
06:25 Brush With The Blues Instrumental
04:44 Blast From The East Instrumental
07:42 Space For The Papa Instrumental
06:30 Angel (Footsteps) Instrumental
06:15 THX138 Instrumental
04:36 Hip-Notica Instrumental
03:26 Even Odds Instrumental
04:02 Declan Instrumental
01:48 Another Place Instrumental
The Artists
Jeff Beck Guitar, Production, Arrangement
Jennifer Batten Guitar, MIDI Guitar
Steve Alexander Drums
Randy Hope-Taylor Bass
Tony Hymas Keyboards, Noises, Production, Arrangement
Pino Palladino Bass on "Psycho Sam"
Manu Katche Drums and Percussion on "Psycho Sam"
Clive Bell Ethnic Flutes on "Declan"
Bob Loveday Violin on "Declan"
Mark John Acoustic Guitar on "Declan"
Simon Wallace Synthesizers on "Declan"
Jan Hammer Keyboards and Drums on "Even Odds"
Simon Brint Production Help on "Declan", Editing on "What Mama Said"
Chris Sheldon Mixing
Bob Ludwig Mastering
"What Mama Said" contains a dialogue sample taken from the United Artists film "IT's A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD."

Mixed at Townhouse Studios in London.

Mastered at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine.