Rough & Ready

After the blues rock of "Truth" and the heavy rock of "Beck-Ola" this was a somewhat different type of album for Jeff Beck's newly-formed band of musicians. No more Rod Stewart or Ronnie Wood and we had a very funk rock offering. The rock is still there, of course, but there were lots of funky guitar and organ breaks and also a soulful vocal style from new vocalist Bobby Tench. He had replaced Alex Ligertwood (who went on to be the vocalist on many Santana albums around ten years later). There was certainly no gravelly Rod Stewart sound to the vocals anymore. Cozy Powell is now on drums. Like many early seventies albums, there is somewhat of an indulgent feeling to it, but that mustn't be allowed to mask its good points.TRACK LISTING1. Got The Feeling2. Situation3. Short Business4. Max's Tune5. I've Been Used6. New Ways/Train Train7. Jody"Got The Feeling" is a vibrant piece of breezy but tough funk rock to kick the album off with and "Situation" is similar, very Santana-ish in both its vocal style and Beck's guitar interjections. It has some funky keyboard soloing too. "Short Business" is a shuffling, chunky mid-pace rocker with a feel of seventies-era Traffic about it. "Max's Tune" is a jazzy, reflective instrumental that is based around Max Middleton's keyboards. It is very similar to some of the material Santana put out from around 1972 onwards, so maybe this was the influencer, not the other way around. The guitar work on it is very jazzy, melodic and laid-back, totally different from the huge, heavy riffage of the previous album. This sort of ambient stuff was certainly a change in direction. I believe that it alienated some fans at the time, who wanted more guitar-driven bluesy bombast."I've Been Used" is one track that has a few echoes of previous work, in its slightly psychedelic rock sound, although the vocal is very much in the muscular, soulful Blood, Sweat & Tears style. "New Ways/New Train" is similar to some of the soul/funk/rock that Chicago were putting out at the time. The guitar/drum interplay two and a half minutes in is one of the album's best passages. Sublime bass too and the percussion near the end. Impressive stuff."Jody" ends the comparatively short album with a rock ballad driven by some Elton John-style piano. Jeff Beck contributes a buzzy guitar to this and again, the bass is infectious. Once again, it has hints of Chicago to it. Overall, I prefer the Rod Stewart era, but Jeff Beck was always an artist who evolved with different albums and different bands. This was just one more on his considerable journey. For 1971, it was quite an advanced album, ahead of many of its contemporaries.

'ROUGH & READY' and it's latter companion 'JEFF BECK GROUP' aka 'THE ORANGE ALBUM' occasionally get a bad rap due to the sound quality of the original albums and ensuing CD's in later years. Sony Music Japan have now put that issue to rest with their Blu-Spec CD2 reissues. Although some of the original recording anomalies are present, both albums now sound clearer with much better definition. like different recordings. The Blu-Spec CD2 CD's play in regular CD players, it's just a new mastering algorithm based on Blu-Ray tech that increases sound quality. This version of Beck's band, Bob Tench (vocals), Max Middleton (piano), Clive Chaman (bass) and the late great Cozy Powell (drums) played a more down & dirty funky and soulful brand of rock, with Beck's guitar accompaniments weaving, stinging, and growling like a caged animal. There's no reason to pass these up any more......TRACK LISTING:1. Got the Feeling2. Situation3. Short Business4. Max's Tune5. I've Been Used6. New Ways Train Train7. Jody

After the break up of the original ground-breaking Jeff Beck Group- Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood having decamped to the (Small) Faces- ace guitarist Jeff Beck was left without a group. But he was soon back with this interesting, jazz-tinged line-up which I first heard when it came out originally. I have an old vinyl album plus a few tracks from the excellent triple-CD Jeff Beck compilation "Beckology"- it is appalling this has been allowed to go out of print especially as I have never heard the remastered version. While the new JBG does not match the original JBG, especially on "Truth" (although I was never a fan of Stewart's warbling Ol Man River), "Rough and Ready" was a partially-succesful attempt by Jeff to chart a new direction while still staying faithful to his rock-blues roots- the first album by the new group is an impressive rock-blues-jazz mix that bears repeated listening despite some weak tracks and I think has improved with age.The production is quite crisp if a little rough around the edges but in my view that works well and was presumably the desired effect. Cozy Powell's drums are high in the mix and this works on most tracks. It helps offset the sometimes irritating soul-style singing of Bob Tench (he is no Rod Stewart). Jeff's guitar is fresh and fluid and inventive and always finds a new angle to amplify on the basic rock/jazz riffs or most tracks. Max Middleton is a brilliantly inventive keyboardist and Cozy P an impressive, driving percussionist; the bassist does a more than adequate job also. The combination works best on the bluesy, extended New Ways/Train Time, with brilliant guitar and keyboard solos, in my view one of the best things Beck did post the original JBG. I have always loved Raynes Park Blues also- to give its original best title- the slow, moody and very atmospheric instrumental track that ended side 1 of the album, with both Jeff and Max on fine form. It really does sum up the rather grey SW London suburb of that name. Jodi is the track where Tench comes into his own as a vocalist, adding just the right degree of pathos to a moody ballad.

Sortit en 1971,avant le classique jeff beck group(l'album avec l'orange sur la pochette),cet album de jeff beck propose une orientation differente de sa periode heavy-blues (truth et surtout beck ola),se dirigant plutot vers un musique plus noire(du rock teinte de soul avec une petite touche jazz-rock)Jeff a produit et compose tout l'album,sauf "max's tune"(max middleton),le resultat donne un disque qui gratte moins que certains de l'artiste mais qui apporte un travail de groupe tres homogene et pose les bases du futur album qui allait suivre.Bien accompagne et bien produit,ce disque est,je pense tres important dans la carriere de jeff,car il lui a permis de grandir en musicalite et de demontrer qu'il n'etait pas simplement qu'un musicien enferme dans un style.un disque tres agreable a ecouter,a redecouvrir.pascal49

...gran disco! da avere assolutamente, come ogni altro disco di jeff... ottima qualita' audio,... conserva tutta la magia del sound di quegli anni...

世間的には第二期はセカンド(オレンジ)のほうが評価が高いみたいですが、僕は、こちらの一点集中突破的な勢いを買います。　コージー・パウエルのドライヴするドラムに、クライヴ・チェアマンのグルーヴィなベース、マックス・ミドルトンのジャジィなキーボード、そこに、ソウルフルなボブ・テンチのヴォーカルが乗っかり、唯一無二のファンク・サウンドを展開します。　4.7.を除くどの曲も疾走感満点で、甲乙つけがたし。“マックス・チューン”はスローなマイナーキーのインストだけど、ジェフはあんまり弾きまくってない。“ジョディ”はメジャーキーの歌もので、ミドルテンポ。“マックス・チューン”よりは良いと思うけど、その他の曲が良すぎるので、見劣りしちゃう。　全曲オリジナルで勝負しているというあたりに、ジェフのやる気がかいま見れます。アルバム・タイトルの「ラフ・アンド・レディ」＝粗製濫造から、内容を誤解している人もいるようだけど、これは畢生の傑作ですよ！。未聴の人は聴くべし！。

ロックからフュージョン系に 移る時期のジェフベックが聴けるアルバムですね。

昔のベックが好きでなんやかんやで揃えました。今聞いても新鮮です。ぜひご視聴あれ。『ラフ＆レディ』から『ジェフベックグループ』リリースの後、ＢＢＡに行くわけですな。これもいいですよ。

ジェフベックの一番カッコいい時代でした。コージーパウエル、マックスミドルトン、他のみんなも最高です。

個人的にはオンタイムでアルバムをもってました。大好きな一枚でしたが、いつの間にか紛失。ただ冒頭2曲はずっと頭の片隅にへばりついていました。2曲目「situaion」の2コード部キャッチ―でした。今回紙ジャケ再発で久々に聴いて、やはりアタマ2曲でノックアウト！！カッコイイ・・・・！！（今年で50になるのに、こんなこと言ったりしていいのか！・・・？？）べック（G)、コージ―（Dr)抜きでの、ハミングバードは、このバンドの発展、洗練形だが（小粒ですが・・笑）、ここでの異物混入のソウル・フュージョンは、べック、コージーの「ハードロック」軍団が、クライブチャ―マン（B)とマックスミドルトン（K)のスムース＆メロウネスを、事あるごとにロックの土俵に寄り戻し（べックは、歌物だからって容赦はしない）、心地いい緊張（まだ自制心と初々しさが残るコージーのハツラツプレー）と、曲中の場面展開に寄与している。楽曲がいい上に、クライブ（やたらに歌うベース）、コージーのリズム隊を指揮するマックスは、べッックのどんな仕打ちにも舌打ちひとつせず、第2期ジェフベックグループのコンセプトの構築にただただ邁進している。ラスト曲「Jody」の中間部のハチロクの部分なんか、目から鱗もんですゼ。ボブテンチ（V）はマックスなしにはジェフとは一緒にいられません。母親の影に隠れる「ひ弱な長男坊」てな感じ。一生懸命です。この不安定感＝ある種「異種格闘技」こそが、このバンドの最大の魅力だろう。コージーパウエルもこのまま、ケツ割らず、ハミングバードあたりまでつきあっていれば、Jeff porcaroなみにオオバケしたかも・・なかなかイイ

当然ＬＰ時代には持ってたけど・・ＣＤ化されて有る程度満足できる音に達するまでが長かった・・・プレイや楽曲に不満は全くないけど・・ＬＰ時代の作品をデジタル化することに難ありだと・・ジェフベックグループのほうも星４に使用としたけど間違って５入れてしまったからこっちから一つ弾いて星三つ・・・

発表当時のライナーノーツには「粗製濫造」と訳されていた「ラフ・アンド・レディー」。コージーパウエルの刻むリズムで始まり、ジェフベックのスリリングなスライドギターへと導かれていく。全曲ジェフのギターが炸裂するファンキーなアルバムは40年経ってもお気に入り、ブルースペックのビビッドなサウンドもご機嫌な一枚です。

単品SACD/CDで5400円は少し怯むが、マルチチャンネルはやはり魅力的。このシリーズは不評なので、そうそう簡単に売り切れる気がしないので、しばらく待ってから買い。ミックスされた時代のせいか？ブロウ・バイ・ブロウやワイワードの様な大げさなサラウンドではない。それでも、聴きなれた2ch以上の音が聞けるのは嬉しい。

デジタルリマスターということで購入しましたが、昔のカセットテープを聞いているような音質でがっかりしました。こんなものなで妥協しないといけないのでしょうか？

この時代にこんなスタイルな事が出来るぞと、これでもかと僕の頭を叩かれた一枚です。ギタ-革命を感じた一枚です。ボトルネックとア-ミングの使い方が天才的ギタ-に限界はないと証明されたオシャレな一枚です。

Back in the early 70's I wrote a music review column for my student paper in college. When I reviewed this album, I remember that I really liked it compared to the other Jeff Beck offerings out at the time - Truth and Blow by Blow. To me, this collection of songs is more melodious and well constructed than a lot of Jeff's work which consists of stuffing 20 notes where 1 would do. He's a master at extended solos and if that's your thing, you'll find some here. What I liked about these songs is that they're good songs first and THEN they're played well. I can't say that about all of Mr. Beck's stuff, you know?Here we find straight ahead Rock and Roll right from the belly. Cozy Powell on drums figures prominently here and keeps the band driving on every song. He plays in full attack mode on all the cuts even the slow ones. He's the thread the fabric is made of. This strong rhythm line allows the other players to sort of float over the top and then get down in the mud in the mix when they're really feeling it. Here is where Jeff shines on this album. He doesn't seem to feel that he has to carry all the load here so his solos are more judicious in their application than what I found on those two previously mentioned discs. I think he's just great here and when I listened to the CD when it arrived, I was transported back to my youth in a heartbeat.Evidently I wasn't alone in my first assessment all those years ago based on the reaction I got when I told one of my musician buddies that I'd bought the disc. He just went off on how much he liked this particular disc for most of the same reasons I've already mentioned. We talked for almost an hour about various details we remembered and how it made us feel the first time we heard it. The atmosphere was akin to two little boys pushing their toy trucks in the dirt - it was like being in heaven.Two years ago I bought one of "The Blues" series DVD's headed up by Martin Scorsese. The one in particular was titled "Red, White and Blues" and was directed by Mike Figgis, of the Irish persuasion. When you watch the DVD, you'll see Jeff Beck do some blues playing you NEVER thought you'd see - slow, soulful, dripping with emotion. If you want to know just how good a Fender Telecaster can sound, check out that DVD and watch for the studio sessions where Mr. Beck is plying his trade. Marvelous.So we come back to Rough and Ready or Jeff Beck: the Early Years. This disc is a good insight into the raw power of down and dirty Rock and Roll music. It was good in the 70's when I played it on vinyl, and it's still one of those true gems today.By the way, best listened to LOUD...

this is pricey but worth it I thought.great sound in surround.plus all the goodies that came with it.highly recommend it

A lot of the reviews for this record said that the CD version was not faithful to the sound of the record. Because of that, I chose this version because there were no reviews saying it wasn't a good version.I'm happy to say it's a perfect reproduction of the record. I put the CD and the record on simultaneously and switched between them. There's no difference, except, of course, the CD's louder.