With his place in the rock’n’roll pantheon secured, Jeff Beck doesn’t necessarily need to release a “state of the nation” album at this stage of his career. On his first album in six years, the 72-year-old guitarist is not afraid to experiment and although he doesn’t always pull it off, his alacrity is commendable.
Enlisting little-known London singer Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, Beck tackles war and politics on Shrine and The Revolution Will Be Televised.
His musical compass veers wildly from the industrial rock of Pull It to the bluesy growl of Right Now, 1960s soul via Shame and bizarre jazz-pop cabaret of O.I.L. Unsurprisingly, the best tracks are the likes of Scared for the Children – where Beck's virtuosic playing gets a chance to shine.
