Third chapter in Beck's adventure in Jazz-rock land, this live album is probably his best and certainly an improvement of the preceding ultra-technical Wired and the too fusion-esque Blow By Blow. Indeed, this third try is probably the best suited to those searching for a conventional (but not boring) jazz-rock between Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, while remaining accessible and out of the clichés.

After Jeff Beck's underwhelming power trio collaboration with Vanilla Fudge alumni Bogert and Appice in '73 fell apart Beck went solo and so impressed the snooty jazz rock/fusion congregation with his work that he toured as co-headliner with the inimitable Mahavishnu Orchestra for a season and more than held his own. It was at that point in his musical evolution that he discovered a kindred unconventional spirit in Mahavishnu Orchestra's keyboardist Jan Hammer and they became thick as thieves. The possibilities of the Beck-Hammer relationship were hinted at in the album Wired in which Hammer wrote and produced one of the key tracks, "Blue Wind," as well as performing on and re-mixing four other tracks. A subsequent tour in which Beck joined Hammer's group on tour (or Hammer's group joined Beck) and now a live album from the tour have revealed that Beck and Hammer are a perfect pair of kindred spirits musically. Both play and compose with astonishing visceral energy and excitement.

Tracklist:

1.Annie's Song 2.Back Home Again 3.Baby You Look Good To Me Tonight 4.Sunshine On My Shoulders 5.Sweet Surrender 6.Take Me Home Country Roads 7.Rocky Mountain High 8.I'm Sorry 09.Fly Away 10.Dreamland Express 11.How Can I Leave You Again 12.Looking For Space 13.Calypso 14.Leaving On A Jet Plane 15.Wild Montana Skies 16.Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)

Lineup:

Jeff Beck - guitar, bass guitar, special effects. The Jan Hammer Group: Jan Hammer - Moog, Oberheim and Freeman string symphonizer synthesizers, electric piano, timbales, lead vocal on "Earth (Still Our Only Home)", Tony "Thunder" Smith - drums, lead vocal on "Full Moon Boogie", Fernando Saunders - bass, harmony vocals, rhythm guitar on "She's A Woman", Steve Kindler - violin, string synthesizer on "Darkness", rhythm guitar on "Blue Wind"