By Billy Florio

Q: What do you get when you put three rock legends together for an album of blues songs? A: one of the greatest Led Zeppelin clone albums ever created.

In 1973, after the breakup of the Jeff Beck Group, Jeff Beck (JBG, Yardbirds) joined up with drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge) to form the one album wonder Beck Bogert and Appice. This was the second attempt to form this supergroup after a failed attempt in 1971. The wait was worth it, since their only album is an extraordinary mix of Beck’s pounding guitar and Vanilla Fudge’s rhythm section, creating an album that fits nicely next to Led Zeppelin II.

The opening track, the Zeppelin sound-alike “Black Cat Moan,” is the best song on the album, and quite possibly one of the greatest blues-rock songs ever created. The next tracks, “Lady” and “Sweet Sweet Surrender” are Clapton-esque blues ballads. They provide the album with a break from entirely heavy riffs. Their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” is amazing, giving the classic a whole new feel, making it sound more like a Vanilla Fudge song. “I’m So Proud” is a very Chi-lites sounding song that ends the album perfectly with a touch of motown.

The album’s shortcomings are far and few between, and almost not worth mentioning. The lyrics of “Why Should I Care” attempt to rival Dylan’s “Positively Fourth Street” but fall short of pinning that bluntness. “Livin’ Alone” stretches on needlessly and at a certain point gets annoying, but other than that, this album is perfect. No other supergroup created an album that compares to the impressiveness of this. It’s a shame Beck broke the group up and refused to release what Appice claims to be a second studio album. If they stayed together, Beck Bogert and Appice would surly rank among the blues-rock giants.