Emotion & Commotion (2010)
Artist: Jeff Beck
Label: Atco
Format: Roon, FLAC (16/44)
Year: 2010
Equipment
- DAC
- PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC
- Streamer
- PS Audio AirLens
- Amp
- Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III
- Speakers
- DeVore Fidelity O/96
- Sub
- REL T/5x SE Powered Subwoofer
- Interconnects
- Morrow MA3
- Speaker Cables
- Tellurium Q Black II
After the gritty analog swagger of Blow by Blow, Beck’s 2010 album Emotion & Commotion feels like stepping into a different universe—one with soft lighting, lush string arrangements, and maybe a scented candle or two. There’s definitely emotion here—dripping, in fact. Tracks like “Serene” and his cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” lay it on so thick, it’s like the score to a sentimental B-movie that never got made. And while Beck’s playing remains tasteful and articulate, it’s all a little too precious. Like he’s tiptoeing through his own feelings with a string section holding his hand.
But don’t write it off completely. The tracks with Tal Wilkenfeld and Vinny Colaiuta bring the commotion back—tight, muscular rhythm work that gives Beck space to stretch out and snarl again. And when he does let loose, watch your volume knob. You’ll be tempted to crank it up during those quiet, delicate intros—don’t. The drop hits like thunder rolling in from a clear sky. The two Joss Stone tracks are solid too, her vocals gritty enough to balance Beck’s polish. Still, as accomplished as Emotion & Commotion is, it feels more restrained, more “produced.” Maybe it’s maturity, or maybe it’s just too many layers of polish dulling the fun. Either way, it’s worth a listen—but I won’t be playing it on loop like Blow by Blow.
Finally, I listened to “Behind the Veil” from Beck’s Ronnie Scott live album, as I needed a bit more of the magic that Wilkenfeld and Colaiuta bring to Beck’s playing. There’s an effortless groove there, a telepathic interplay that lifts Beck’s playing into something near-spiritual. It’s looser, freer, and somehow more alive than the studio polish of Emotion. That one track was enough to remind me: Beck’s catalog is deep, and I’ve only just started scratching the surface. I’ll be back soon—probably all of Ronnie Scott’s next. There’s magic there I’m not done chasing.
