| Wired | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1976 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | Jazz fusion, funk, instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 36:51 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | George Martin, Chris Bond, Jan Hammer | |||
| Jeff Beck chronology | ||||
| ||||
Wired is the third solo album by the British guitarist Jeff Beck, released on Epic Records in 1976. An instrumental album, it peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Of the album tracks, four are originals by Narada Michael Walden and one by Jan Hammer. Max Middleton contributed the homage to Led Zeppelin, "Led Boots", and Beck chose to interpret the Charles Mingus ode to saxophonist Lester Young, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", from the classic 1959 jazz album Mingus Ah Um . These last two tracks were long-time staples of Beck's performance repertoire.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B− [2] |
| PopMatters | (positive) [3] |
| Rolling Stone | (positive) [4] |
Wired received mostly positive reviews when it was released. In Rolling Stone , the reviewer cited it as being full of "fire and imagination". [4] However, Robert Christgau faulted it as technically proficient but soulless, calling it "mindless trickery". [5] Engineer Peter Henderson later said of the album, "I listened to that a few years later and it sounded like it had been recorded direct to cassette. I don't think it was one of my finer moments." [6]
Writing for AllMusic, Mark Kirschenmann said, "Within a two-year span, the twin towers Blow by Blow and Wired set a standard for instrumental rock that even Beck has found difficult to match. On Wired, with first-rate material and collaborators on hand, one of rock's most compelling guitarists is in top form." [1]
The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 in August 1976, spending a total of 25 weeks on the chart. [7] In the UK it spent five weeks on the chart and reached No. 35. [8] The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA. [9]
In addition to the conventional two channel stereo version the album was also released by Epic in 1976 in a four channel quadraphonic edition on LP record and 8-track tape. The quad LP release was encoded in the SQ matrix system.
The album was first released on CD in 1985 in Japan. In 2001 a remastered stereo edition of the CD was reissued internationally.
The album was reissued in stereo in the United States on the hybrid Super Audio CD format in 2016 by Analogue Productions. The same year it was also reissued by Epic in Japan as a hybrid multichannel SACD. The Japanese SACD version has the entire stereo album, but also adds the complete quad album on the same disc adapted for 5.1 surround sound. This marks the first time that the quad version has been reissued in a digital format.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Led Boots" | Max Middleton | 3:59 |
| 2. | "Come Dancing" | Narada Michael Walden | 5:54 |
| 3. | "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" | Charles Mingus | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Head for Backstage Pass" | Wilbur Bascomb, Andy Clark | 2:42* |
| Total length: | 18:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Wind" | Jan Hammer | 5:49 |
| 2. | "Sophie" | Narada Michael Walden | 6:27 |
| 3. | "Play with Me" | Narada Michael Walden | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Love Is Green" | Narada Michael Walden | 2:28 |
| Total length: | 19:19 | ||
* Note: "Head for Backstage Pass" is incorrectly listed as being 3:45 on some LP centres; 2:42 is correct.
Blow by Blow is Jeff Beck's second album credited to him as a solo artist. It was recorded in October 1974 and released via Epic Records in 1975. An instrumental album, it peaked at No. 4 on the American Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Secret Treaties is the third studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on April 5, 1974 by Columbia. It features the same band members and production team as their previous album.
Birds of Fire is the second studio album by jazz fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was released in 1973 by Columbia Records and is the last studio album released by the original line-up before it dissolved.
Spirit is the debut studio album by American rock band Spirit, released on January 22, 1968 by Ode Records. The album was commercially successful, spending more than six months on the Billboard album charts, peaking at #31. It was voted number 658 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).
Truth is the debut studio album by English guitarist Jeff Beck, released on 29 July 1968 in the United States on Epic Records and on 4 October 1968 in the United Kingdom on Columbia Records. It introduced the talents of his backing band the Jeff Beck Group, specifically Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, to a larger audience, and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
The Rolling Stones, Now! is the third American studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in March 1965 by their initial American distributor, London Records. Although it contains two previously unissued songs and an alternative version, the album mostly consists of songs released earlier in the United Kingdom, as well as the group's recent single in the United States, "Heart of Stone" backed with "What a Shame". Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote four of the songs on the album, with the balance composed by American rhythm and blues and rock and roll artists.
Donovan's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States in January 1969 on Epic Records and in the United Kingdom in March 1969 on Pye Records. Donovan's Greatest Hits peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Barabajagal is the seventh studio album and eighth album overall from British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released by Epic Records in the United States on 11 August 1969, but was not released in the United Kingdom because of a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, and The Hurdy Gurdy Man from being released in the UK.
Beck-Ola is the second studio album by English guitarist Jeff Beck, and the first credited to the Jeff Beck Group. It was released in June 1969 by Epic Records in the United States and the following August by Columbia Records in the United Kingdom. The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200, and at No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. The album's title puns on the name of the Rock-Ola jukebox company.
Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by American rock band Santana, released on October 11, 1972. The album marked a period of transition for Santana as it was the band's last to feature several key early members, while shifting in a more instrumental, progressive jazz fusion direction. It sold in fewer quantities than the band's previous chart-topping albums, stalling at No. 8 on the Billboard LPs chart, but has been critically acclaimed.
Nightbirds is an album by the all-female singing group Labelle, released in 1974 on the Epic label. The album features the group's biggest hit, the song "Lady Marmalade," and it became their most successful album to date.
Money Jungle is a studio album by pianist Duke Ellington with double bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. It was recorded on September 17, 1962, and released in February 1963 by United Artists Jazz. All but one of the compositions were written by Ellington, with four of the seven on the original LP being recorded for the first time on this album. Later releases on CD added eight tracks from the same recording session.
There & Back is the fourth studio solo album by guitarist Jeff Beck, released in June 1980 through Epic Records. The album reached No. 10 and 21 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively, and No. 36 on the Swedish albums chart.
Cantamos is the seventh studio album by the country rock band Poco. It was released in 1974 on Epic Records. This album saw the band moving back towards their traditional country rock sound after experimenting with a harder style on the previous album.
Jeff Beck Group is the fourth and final studio album by the Jeff Beck Group and the second album with the line up of Jeff Beck, Bobby Tench, Clive Chaman, Max Middleton and Cozy Powell. The album was produced by Steve Cropper and often referred to as the Orange Album, because of the orange which appears prominently at the top of the front cover.
Flash is the fifth studio album by guitarist Jeff Beck, released in July 1985 by Epic/CBS Records. The album reached No. 39 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart as well as reaching the top 60 in four other countries.
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live is a live album by Jeff Beck, released in 1977 on Epic Records.
The Best of The Guess Who is the fourth compilation album by the Canadian group The Guess Who. It was originally released by RCA Records in April 1971 and contains recordings made between 1968 and 1970. The album reached number 12 on the Billboard top LPs chart in the United States.
The discography of Czech-American musician Jan Hammer consists of 25 albums with Hammer as the lead artist, as well as several singles and a large number of collaborations with jazz and rock musicians, such as John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Tommy Bolin, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather, and Elvin Jones among many others. He has composed and produced at least 14 original motion picture soundtracks, the music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice and 20 episodes of the popular British television series Chancer.
The Best of The Guess Who Volume II is the fifth compilation album by the Canadian group The Guess Who. It was originally released by RCA Records in 1973, and contains recordings made between 1970 and 1973.
