18: An Album Review

By: Emily Eade 

18 by Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp is the duo's first and unfortunately last studio album together. The album took inspiration from musicians that the duo took inspiration from. This 13-song album is filled with covers of legendary songs by musicians such as Mavin Gaye, Brian Wilson, John Lennon, and Janis Ian, just to name a few, but with a twist. This album encapsulates the raw emotion of being hurt, burned out, and broken down by life. 

The album starts with a cover of an instrumental track composed by Davy Spillane. “Midnight Walker'', was originally performed with bagpipes; Jeff Beck took another approach and did the cover with the electric guitar. This song has a powerful grasp on emotion. “Time” is the third song to come off this album. This song was originally written and performed by Dennis Wilson. This song is about reflecting on the significance of time and its impact on our lives. This song was written to reveal a sense of longing and regret, as time passed by and there were many missed opportunities. In the cover, Depp creates this haunting melody that carries the listener through the journey of self-reflection. 

“This is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” is the sixth track of the album. This song would be one of two songs composed by the duo. The song has such a powerful, and emotional connection between the instrumentals and lyrics. Although the song was created as a homage to the late actress, the song would also include semi-autobiographical pieces, resignating with Depp’s story and image. This can be seen through the lyrics, “Stripped of belief, a thief is a thief. Who's gonna stand up, to give you relief. Of all dispossessed, it's so hard to digest. You've no right to sit down, if you're nobody's guest.”

“Stars” is the twelfth song on this album, originally performed and written by Janis Ian. This song is about Ian’s reflection on the difficulties she faced when struggling with her fame after the success of her debut single at the age of fifteen. The cover is expressed through a soft and slow-pace acoustic, which makes the emotion more melancholic. The album ends with a cover of John Lennon’s song, “Isolation”. This song was written as a way to express Lennon’s feelings of vulnerability, due to his disillusionment from his fame and fortune. 

This album would come out before the passing of the legendary guitar player Jeff Beck. The album would consist of many melodic guitar solos from the performer. Although 18 consists of mostly covers, the duo gave these songs a new life and meaning. It seems as if the album has a common theme of following the pain, and sorrow that fame brings.