This is “From The Archives” a feature where we take a trip back to a previous decade and discuss an album! We will talk about highlight tracks that should not be missed. As well as reasons why we think the album was so influential and successful.
The Album Breakdown
The album was released in 1966, and interestingly enough was the only album that Jeff Beck played on all the tracks of.
Guitar Innovation
Becks guitar playing not only delves into psychedelia, but it also oozing fuzz, feedback and completely audacious. The instantly recognisable intro to “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” was not only lauded by fans but by the band themselves as a breakthrough moment.
Original
In an era of rock music that somewhat relied heavily on covers, this album is a completely unique set of original songs. Which is just one of the reasons for its success at the time.
Influential
This album captured the essence of the band while they were navigating from the realms of blues into the arena of hard rock and psych. Many albums came out with similar stylings after this point but this would be known to many as the blueprint!
Highlight Tracks
Over, Under, Sideways, Down
I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who knows this album who does not think this is the best track on it. Maybe even the best song the band ever did… Not only does it have a driving riff at its heart but it is also full of fun and psych bravado. The distorted guitars make it stand out but only because of its combination with blues throughout. This is truly a cracking track!
Lost Woman
This song showcased to the world that the band were fully on board with showing off their blues roots in combination with experimental touches. The bass riff on this track is a major player in the reason why this is such an energetic piece of the puzzle. While it remains blues like, it never remains there, always searching for a little bit more.
Album Weaknesses
While the tracks themselves are popular, and to be fair strong… The album does not really have a cohesive feel to it. It feels more like a collection of songs rather than a body of work at times.
Unless you’re Sum41 and release “All Killer No Filler” unfortunately that means there is going to be some filler tracks. A big example of this in my own personal opinion is “Turn Into Earth”.
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