O’Keefe Master II (Wardour-045)
O’Keefe Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – July 23rd, 1975 (late show)
(67:21): Introduction, Constipated Duck, She’s A Woman, Freeway Jam, Definitely Maybe, Superstition, AIR Blower, keyboards solo, ‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers, Power, Got The Feeling, You Know What I Mean, Diamond Dust / Jeff’s Jam
Jeff Beck’s evening show in the 3,000 seat O’Keefe Centre in Toronto is not as well known as the afternoon. Unlike the afternoon, which has several titles a well-known vinyl release, the evening has been pressed only once on disc two of Complete O’Keefe Center Show (Scarecrow 004/5) with the afternoon on disc one.
It is a very loud and powerful recording, but suffers from faint levels of distortion in the higher frequencies. There is a tape flip after “‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” and a cut after “Got The Feeling,” but neither cut is destructive and the music is complete. It’s a bit lesser quality than the afternoon show (which is probably why that one was chosen for release), but this show isn’t bad at all and ranks among the better documents from the tour.
Beck himself isn’t as chatty, but is all business as they progress through the show. The setlist remains the same as every other concert on the tour with no surprises. It starts off with “Constipated Duck” followed by a short drum solo with Beck’s introduction of Bernard Perdie.
“Freeway Jam” has a magnificent dignity in this show, and its transition into the slower and more melodic “Definitely Maybe” provides one of the dramatic highlights. But after a tentative “Superstition” he tells the audience that “we’re trying to do something a little bit different, it’s really nice you seem to be enjoying it. Snookered me out. Really.”
Max Middleton has a long keyboard solo. Beck tells the audience that Middleton doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. “Listen to this” he gushes while Max is playing his cocktail lounge sounding ditty leading into “‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.”
Bassist Wilbur Bascomb has his spot in “Power,” and Beck plays a few notes of the seductive “Morning Dew” as an introduction to “Got The Feeling.”
When he comes back for the encores Beck breaks a string on the guitar. “It’s one of those embarrassing moments when you break a string. Know what I mean??” And after a flawless rendition of Blow By Blow‘s opening track they play the album’s final song “Diamond Dust” as the finale. “I hope this won’t send you to sleep. It’s a very pretty tune” he tells the crowd before playing.
O’Keefe Master II was released as a sequel to the label’s O’Keefe Master. It’s a very good effort by Wardour and is worth having.
