YOU HAD IT COMING

By the end of the 20th century JEFF BECK had long abandoned his jazz-fusion playing and become a sort of ambassador for the blues by taking the early Yardbirds style blues rock and adapting it to more modern stylistic approaches. Pretty much following the bringing the boogie to a techno party of his previous album "Who Else!," JEFF BECK continued his curveball foray into the world of electronica with YOU HAD IT COMING which according to sources either came out in the year 2000 or early in 2001. Unlike his Yardbirds counterparts who sort of fizzled out and became old fogies, JEFF BECK was still at the top of his game as far as innovating and taking bluesy rock to places no one dreamed possible.

Another album, another lineup with even long term associate Tony Hymas stepping down from duty. Back was guitarist Jennifer Batten who had risen from nowhere and not only played on first two techno-laced blues albums but took on the duty as guitarist for Michael Jackson during his early millennial touring schedules. Also back was drummer Steve Alexander who only appeared on three tracks on "Who Else!" was percussionist-in-chief and same for bassist Randy Hope-Taylor who had only contributed a single track previously. Perhaps Hymas was out because the keyboards had been traded in by an electronic programmer named Aidan Love. YOU HAD IT COMING took the techno-blues hybridization to the next level making this one sound more like a blues-infused Nine Inch Nails or Prodigy.

Sounding like something out of the Matrix film's soundtrack, the thundering "Earthquake" shakes things up from the getgo with a hefty industrial metal groove and techno / big beat electronic percussion. JEFF BECK proves himself to be the most forward thinking member of the Yardbirds by completely adapting his bluesy guitar playing to this seemingly incompatible sounds. The following "Roy's Toy" and "Dirty Mind" showcase BECK's amazing improvisational skills and the musical flow is made all the more eccentric by the stellar engineering, mastering and production. While YOU HAD IT COMING is primarily an instrumental album the two tracks "Dirty Mind" and "Rollin' and Tumblin" feature electropop pioneer Imogen Heap on vocals. The latter track is particularly cool as it showcases BECK's extensive use of slide guitar along with a funky bass groove and heavy well-nigh tribal drumming.

The tracks on YOU HAD IT COMING are surprisingly diverse with each composition taking on a completely different spin on electronica meets the blues. "Nadia" is no exception with an almost Steve Vai sort of ballad style with feisty bigbeat percussion. "Loose Cannon" and "Rosebud" sort of play middle ground and are ultimately the most forgettable tracks but the stream picks up on "Left Hook" which gets all aggro-industrial with heavy start / stop beats and twin processed guitar parts. The drums are particularly cool on this one. "Blackbird" may sounds like a Beatles track but this is no cover. This short minute and a half original starts with chirping birds and is basically a BECK guitar solo as he alternates a blues lick with bird chirps covered by a frosty electronic atmosphere. The guitar is simulating a sort of conversation with the birds. "Suspension" ends in a totally different style. A clean dreamy guitar sequence is backed by a Native American percussive beat reminding me of Mike Oldfield's "The Songs of Distant Earth." Although very similar to "Who Else!," YOU HAD IT COMING is much more consistent and takes things up a few notches. The previous album showed lots of promise and then sort of drifted hither and tither. This one showcases diversity while not losing its edge. All in all a very unusual yet satisfying album that will surely alienate blues rock purists as well as 90s electronica heavy beat worshippers. For those of us who are more adventurous and love surprises, YOU HAD IT COMING delivers on many fronts. BECK displays some extremely satisfying guitar antics and the bass, drumming and ambient parts are quite satisfying as well. This is another unlikely favorite in the JEFF BECK canon.