08 TRUTH JEFF BECK (1968)

Beck’s first solo album is a cornerstone of the heavy rock sound of the late 60s, pre-empting Led Zeppelin’s debut by a few months. Indeed, the cover of Muddy Waters’ Youshookme bears remarkable similarities to Zeppelin’s version of the same song. Two of Zeppelin’s lineup even appeared on Truth, with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joining Beck, The Who’s Keith Moon on drums and Nicky Hopkins on piano for the fearsome Page-penned instrumental Beck’sbolero. The album opens with a slowed-down, rockier version of his former band’s Shapesofthings, featuring some virtuosic lead guitar work to kick things off. Elsewhere, Morning Dew and Iain’tsuperstitious showcase his dexterity with a wah-wah pedal, Bluesdeluxe and Rockmyplimsoul has him mastering the blues rock sound of the future, and an acoustic rendition of the classical Greensleeves demonstrates his astonishing breadth of styles.