Jeff Beck has passed away.
- Thread starter dcdiaz
- Start date
Damn.
jt01
Well-Known Member
When John Lennon was killed in 1980, CBS newsman Walter Cronkite led off the nightly news with "Today the world mourns the death of a man who sang and played the guitar". For Jeff I say "Today the world mourns the death of a man who made the guitar sing".
RIP Mr. Beck
P.S. This is an excellent commentary on Jeff and his influence in the guitar world.
RIP Mr. Beck
P.S. This is an excellent commentary on Jeff and his influence in the guitar world.
Last edited:
flatwound
Active Member
And the follow-up group Oblivion Sun featured Frank. My teen bandmate Bill Brasso played drums with them. RIP Frank and also Jeff
Bringing him his guitar
A sad ending for sure for "the guitarist from another planet". Nobody played like Beck or had a better black wig. A true loss.
Chip Polk
Member
When Rolling Stone issued their top guitarists of all time list in 2015 and put Jeff Beck at #5, this was the great writeup from Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers:
Jeff Beck has the combination of brilliant technique with personality. It’s like he’s saying, “I’m Jeff Beck. I’m right here. And you can’t ignore me.” Even in the Yardbirds, he had a tone that was melodic but in-your-face – bright, urgent and edgy, but sweet at the same time. You could tell he was a serious player, and he was going for it. He was not holding back.
There is a real artistry to playing with and around a vocalist, answering and pushing him. That’s the beauty of those two records he made with Rod Stewart, 1968’s Truth and 1969’s Beck-Ola. Jeff is not getting in the way, but he’s holding his own. And he stretched the boundaries of the blues. “Beck’s Bolero,” on Truth, is un-bluesy, but still blues-based. One of my favorite tracks is the cover of Howlin’ Wolf‘s “I Ain’t Superstitious,” on Truth. There is a sense of humor – that wah-wah growl. I don’t know if Clapton plays with the same sense of humor, as great as he is. Jeff’s definitely got that.
When he got into his fusion phase, the cover of Stevie Wonder‘s “‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” on Blow by Blow, got me immediately. The tone was so pure and delicate. It’s like there was a vocalist singing, but there was a guitarist making all of the notes. I saw him last year at a casino in San Diego, and the guitar was the voice. You didn’t miss the singer, because the guitar was so lyrical. There is a spirituality and confidence in him, a commitment to being great. After I saw that show, I went home and started practicing. Maybe that’s what I took from him: If you want to be Jeff Beck, do your homework. By Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers
Jeff Beck has the combination of brilliant technique with personality. It’s like he’s saying, “I’m Jeff Beck. I’m right here. And you can’t ignore me.” Even in the Yardbirds, he had a tone that was melodic but in-your-face – bright, urgent and edgy, but sweet at the same time. You could tell he was a serious player, and he was going for it. He was not holding back.
There is a real artistry to playing with and around a vocalist, answering and pushing him. That’s the beauty of those two records he made with Rod Stewart, 1968’s Truth and 1969’s Beck-Ola. Jeff is not getting in the way, but he’s holding his own. And he stretched the boundaries of the blues. “Beck’s Bolero,” on Truth, is un-bluesy, but still blues-based. One of my favorite tracks is the cover of Howlin’ Wolf‘s “I Ain’t Superstitious,” on Truth. There is a sense of humor – that wah-wah growl. I don’t know if Clapton plays with the same sense of humor, as great as he is. Jeff’s definitely got that.
When he got into his fusion phase, the cover of Stevie Wonder‘s “‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” on Blow by Blow, got me immediately. The tone was so pure and delicate. It’s like there was a vocalist singing, but there was a guitarist making all of the notes. I saw him last year at a casino in San Diego, and the guitar was the voice. You didn’t miss the singer, because the guitar was so lyrical. There is a spirituality and confidence in him, a commitment to being great. After I saw that show, I went home and started practicing. Maybe that’s what I took from him: If you want to be Jeff Beck, do your homework. By Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers
Playing "Freeway Jam" at the moment.
BlindBoyGrnt
Nullius in verba
Nobody played like Beck. A true pioneer and master.
RIP, Jeff.
RIP, Jeff.
Jeff Beck was always one of my favorite musicians. I first saw him in 1972 when I was an exchange student in Hamburg (still have the poster -- see below) and half a dozen more times over the years. I took my son, who had just turned 12, to his first rock concert when Jeff played the art deco Paramount Theater in Oakland back in 2006. We sat in the middle of the second row from the stage and a guy sitting next to my son told him he shouldn't expect to get such good seats at every concert. Great memories.
What I really admired about Jeff Beck is that he was always going in different directions, unlike Clapton or Page. From rockabilly to electronica to fusion, he always forged his own path.
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