Flash (Jeff Beck album)
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Flash is the fifth studio album by guitarist
Two singles also charted, the first being a reunion with singer
Overview
The album is unique for Beck in that it is composed mainly of songs with vocals, save for two instrumentals in the form of "Escape" and "You Know, We Know", written by his longtime collaborators Jan Hammer and Tony Hymas respectively. Designed to be a foray into pop music in order to capitalise on that sound at the time, Flash was produced by Nile Rodgers for that reason. Such was the desire by the record company to score a hit album, Beck uncharacteristically found himself singing on "Get Workin'" and "Night After Night", at the insistence of Rodgers.[9] "Ambitious" and "People Get Ready" feature a rare instance of Beck playing a Jackson Soloist rather than his usual Fender Stratocaster.[10] Despite its success, he has since expressed his disdain for the album, calling it a "record company goof" and "a very sad sort of time" for him.[9][11]
"Ambitious" had a notable presence on
The
Composition
Unlike much of Beck's work, Flash is regarded as a
Several critics noted the album's eclecticism; Evelyn Erskine described it as "[surveying] the various genres Beck has covered throughout his career from
"Ambitious" – a "Rodgers'
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Great Rock Discography | 4/10[27] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
The Village Voice | B[19] |
Reviewing Flash for
In a more mixed commentary, David Fricke at Rolling Stone called the album "one of Beck's best ever" and praised it as having "awesome guitar prowess and startling commercial daring", but remarked that the collaborations with Rodgers and Baker "almost don't work".[18] The Bellingham Herald writer John Herald wrote that two of the record's best guitar solos resembled Rodgers' former group Chic, while "the worst sounds like Journey".[17] Robert Christgau at The Village Voice wrote that due to Rodgers' production on five songs, Flash is "the best LP of [Beck's] pathologically spotty career".[19]
Writing in
Among retrospective reviews,
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ambitious" | People Get Ready" (featuring Rod Stewart) | Curtis Mayfield | 4:54 |
Total length: | 20:02 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "Stop, Look and Listen" | Rodgers | 4:27 |
6. | "Get Workin'" | Rodgers | 3:35 |
7. | "Ecstasy" | David Bendeth, Simon Climie | 3:31 |
8. | "Night After Night" | Rodgers | 3:42 |
9. | "You Know, We Know" | Tony Hymas | 5:35 |
Total length: | 20:50 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
10. | "Nighthawks" | Rodgers | 4:48 |
11. | "Back on the Streets[nb 1]" | Fred Hostetler, Jeff Beck, Karen Lawrence | 3:41 |
Total length: | 49:38 |
Personnel
- Jeff Beck – lead vocals (tracks 6, 8), guitar, producer (tracks 3, 4, 9, 11)
- Jimmy Hall – lead vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 10), backing vocals
- Rod Stewart – lead vocals (track 4)
- Karen Lawrence – lead vocals (track 11)[4]
- Jan Hammer – Fairlight CMI (track 3)
- Tony Hymas – keyboard (track 9), producer (track 9)
- Duane Hitchings – keyboard
- Robert Sabino – keyboard
- Carmine Appice – drums
- Jimmy Bralower – drums
- Barry DeSouza – drums
- Tony "Thunder" Smith – drums
- Jay Burnett – percussion
- Doug Wimbish – bass
- Tina B – backing vocals
- Curtis King – backing vocals
- David Simms – backing vocals
- Frank Simms – backing vocals
- George Simms – backing vocals
- David Spinner – backing vocals
Technical
- David Charles – engineering
- Jason Corsaro – engineering
- Eddie DeLena – engineering
- Rob Eaton – engineering
- Chris Lord-Alge – engineering
- Tom Lord-Alge – engineering
- Eric Mohler – engineering
- Tony Tavener – engineering
- Nigel Walker – engineering
- Andy Wallace – engineering
- Nile Rodgers – producer (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
- Arthur Baker– producer (tracks 2, 7)
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1985 | Swedish albums chart | 27[7] |
New Zealand albums chart | 34[7] | |
Billboard 200 | 39[6] | |
Dutch albums chart
|
43[7] | |
German albums chart
|
60[7] |
Singles
Year | Title | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | "Gets Us All in the End" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 20[6] |
" People Get Ready "
|
5[6] | ||
Swedish singles chart | 15[7] | ||
Belgian singles chart | 22[7] | ||
Swiss singles chart | 24[7] | ||
New Zealand singles chart | 35[7] | ||
Billboard Hot 100 | 48[6] |
Awards
Event | Title | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1986 Grammys | "Escape" | Best Rock Instrumental Performance | Won[8] |
Notes
- ^ Titled "Back on the Street" on the single.
References
- ^ "Jeff Beck – Ambitious". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Jeff Beck - Gets Us All In The End (song)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Jeff Beck – Stop Look And Listen". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Jeff Beck And Rod Stewart – People Get Ready / Back On The Street". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Flash - Jeff Beck". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Flash - Jeff Beck | Awards". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jeff Beck - Flash (album)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b "28th Grammy Awards - 1986". Rock On The Net. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b Rosen, Steven (1989). "Jeff Beck Interview (1989)". Modern Guitars Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Noble, Douglas J (June 1993). "Jeff Beck Outtakes" Archived 30 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Douglas J Noble Guitar Archive. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Guy, Paul (1999). "Jeff Beck - Who Else?". Paul Guy Guitars. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Jeff Beck – Wild Thing". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Astarita, Glenn. "AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Harrison, Tom (18 August 1985). "Rock Records". The Province: The Magazine: 10. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Smitreski, Michael J. (24 August 1985). "Records". The Morning Call: 85. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Milward, John (26 November 1985). "Ability beats ambition for inspirational Beck". The Bellingham Herald: 4. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Fricke, David (18 July 1985). "Jeff Beck Flash". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d Christgau, Robert (24 September 1985). Village Voice review. The Village Voice. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d Defendorf, Richard (14–20 July 1985). "Record Jockeys". The Orlando Sentinel: 10. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b Erskine, Evelyn (19 July 1985). "Temperamental guitarist uses singers to widen appeal". The Ottawa Citizen: D5. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Milano, Brett (17 July 1985). "Test Pressings". Valley Advocate Amherst: 31. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ a b Wilson, Ward (1 September 1985). "Views on Vinyl". The Sunday News: 44. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Shefchik, Rick (9 August 1985). "Aging Rock Stars Back in Groove". The Charlotte Observer: 5D. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Adams, James (25 July 1985). "Beck LP cluttered, compromised". Edmonton Journal: 20. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ISBN 1-85227 745 9.
- ISBN 1-84195-827-1.
- ISBN 1-85828-457-0.