JEFF BECK GROUP - LP BECK-OLA - NEAR MINT

Released four months before the group's disbanding, it famously boasted that it wasn't anything original, but is nonetheless a fine example of British blues-rock. Featuring five original numbers composed by various combinations of the band members, rounded out with two radically reworked cover versions of Elvis Presley hits, the album continued the second chapter of Beck's career as a musician (the first being the days before his solo career began).

The album features Presley's "All Shook Up" and "Jailhouse Rock", a heavy blues rock tune called "Spanish Boots", a piano instrumental called "Girl from Mill Valley", "Plynth (Water down the Drain)", "Hangman" and a sizzling power trio instrumental called "Rice Pudding" which concludes the album.

The album ends abruptly with "Rice Pudding" breaking off in mid-stream. This was a unique novelty of this album.

The Jeff Beck Group line-up on this album includes Beck on guitar, Rod Stewart on vocals, Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, Ronnie Wood on bass, and Tony Newman on drums (the previous album featured Mick Waller). Hopkins, who had been a sideman on Truth, was promoted to a full band member for the Beck-Ola album.