Beckett (1974) A Rainbow's Gold- LOST 70s GEMS

 Hard rock band and underrated group Becket's 1974 album begins with an 54 second long ELO styled string ballad, even unusual for a hard rock band in the 70s. This proceeds into Rolling Thunder which starts with a demonic amount of delayed guitar effects that sounds like something that was revolutionary in the 90s, it also remind some of The Edge's playing while Terry Slesser sings like U2; maybe U2 heard this track and used it as a blueprint as it's scarily prescient of their sound. Not wasting an opportunity make every track shine, Rolling Thunder has some cutting string lines and a Deep Purple mark 4 styled chorus. 

 The Green Green Grass features the funkiest cut with it's James Brown rhythm, heavy metal chug of a riff that allows for a nice RnB flexibility and soulful wah wah soloing from guitarist Robert Barton. Later on there is a nice Clavinet break and a Hammond Organ treated vocals from a band that clearly thought funk and rock was going to be the next big thing in the mid 70s. The hit from the album was My Lady, essentially a Prog pop song with its multi-jangle harpsichord chord progressions, the folksy harmonies and the Jazzy backseat verses; it reminds me of a Bill Withers song meets a 60s flower power tune.

The gem for me is A Rainbow's Gold with it's speed drumming intro, funky rhythm line and squealing vocals of suggests Deep Purple' Mark 3 and 4 who were emerging at the time; a funky hard rock style that never really took off. Though the elongated harmonies of A Rainbow's Gold and pummelling bass line reminds me of Aerosmith and there is even a country rock lead guitar on it to further show off their diverse potential. Terry Slesser has elements of Ronnie James Dio, Steven Tyler and even pre-Bono but sounds unique for his time which is something, while producer Roger Chapman of Family does a fantastic work to make all the various elements work together. The mixing is excellent, the violin string plucks of Rainclouds, the jazzy notes of Life's a Cloud, the reverse echo piano vamp that starts Don't Tell Me I Wasn't Listening.

 Excellent use of delayed, heavily reverbed guitars, crisscrossing instruments and a strong funky rhythm section pervade throughout. There are shades of orchestral rock and hard rock; half the album is showcasing the string players who are an integral part of the band's sound as a dramatic sweep foundation for some soaring vocal and guitar lines. It's no surprise they opened for Ron Woods' Wizard, another cosmic big band sound as well as bluesy glam rockers like Slade and Ten Years After.