Opening with "Beck's Bolero," — the track he famously recorded for the album Truth backed by various members of Led Zeppelin and the Who — Beck stretches the possibilities he first explored there, even further here. Few guitarists on earth can make a guitar simultaneously sing and cry the way that Jeff Beck does. And on this track, Beck lets the listener know immediately that they will be getting everything he has in his considerable arsenal.
I've personally had the pleasure of seeing Jeff Beck perform in concert multiple times — many of which have been from seats down in front — and the guy simply never ceases to amaze me. Seriously, I could get lost for days watching this guy's fingering technique.
What he does on the whammy bar here on songs like a particularly "whammified" version of Wired's "Led Boots," can only be described as setting the fretboard on fire. One minute Beck is bending the notes in a thousand different directions, the next he is attacking the strings in thirty to sixty second bursts that say more in that time than a ten minute Yngwie Malmsteen solo ever could.
By the same token, Beck also has a unique gift for making his guitar "sing" in more ways than the best vocalist you could imagine ever could. Nowhere is that more apparent than on this album's takes on Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" and especially the Beatles' "A Day In The Life," where Beck's crying guitar turns the song on it's ear, making it into a plaintive sort of cry.
Beck's guitar sings these songs without the need for lyrics, interpreting them every bit as effectively as a great singer ever could.
On performing this week...live at Ronnie Scott's, Jeff Beck provides ample proof, as if any were further needed, of just why he remains of the world's two or three premier guitarists.
Article comments
1 - Stratoblogster
Hey Glen,
Cool post! I totally agree! I love this line:
"...What Jeff Beck could say in one short staccato blast on the Stratocaster often said more than all of the thousand notes per second scaling of a DiMeola or Santana ever could..."
cheers!
2 - jeff Lyon
Glen,
You are so right on. Jeff has covered every base including Pavorotti,rap and reaggae. He's a new keyboardist in David Sancious (sorry to see Jason go) for an upcoming UK,Japan, and Australia tour. No U.S. dates YET.. beginning January. Jeff Lyon
3 - jeff Lyon
OOPs, we left out the great and soulful work he did with Joss Stone (People Get Ready)chording on Imagene Heap's "Blanket" and a guest apperance by Eric on which Jeff played slide... Jeff again
4 - Brien Comerford
Jeff Beck has been the greatest live concert guitarist since 1990. Now he's in his prime at the age of 64. In addition to being an inimitable and peerless guitarist, Jeff Beck is also an animal loving vegetarian, hot rod mechanic and rugged landscaper. Jeff Beck = The Best.
5 - Glen Boyd
Sancious is a former alumnus of the E Street Band so I look particularly forward to these shows.
-Glen
6 - Stephen Brody
I not only believe that the assesment that Beck is one of the 2or3 greatest guitarists in the world, I think Jeff has developed his skill to be considered as the greatest of all time.
7 - Paul Roy
I've only been waiting for his live DVD since, oh, when DVDs were invented. About time Jeff.
8 - Doc
This cd and the DVD in January will serve as an appetizer for what I am sure will be the best Jeff Beck touring band in many regards. Even though Rebello is a great jazz player, he was still an enfant on the synthesizer bends, as this was his first time doing such in playing with Jeff Beck. New keyboardist David Sancious is a fiery match for Jeff in that regard, and not since Jan Hammer will Jeff have had such a competent sparring partner. Additionally Sancious plays the heck out of the guitat and was influenced by Hendrix, Beck and McLaughlin. I imagine the music will be smoking as Colaiuta on drums and Miss Wilkenfeld on bass guitar(a certain up and comer to be recogned with) hold down the rhythm section. Can't wait till they come to the USA.
9 - Doc
As much as I enjoyed the BBC special of some of this project, I do hope that the sound engineer does a better job of blending the instruments mix wise so that this tour does not sound like Jeff Beck on volume level 10; Vinnie Colaiuta on 7;
Tal Wilkenfeld on 5.5; and David Sancious on 4.5.
The band is too good not to be able to hear full spectrum of all the timbres.
10 - Lars
Jeff is lucky to have David Sancious on Keys. Sancious is a genius in his own right.
11 - fabio
His playing is so natural,like grabbin' his head ,not different from !
12 - BeckenFan
... AND , when asked in The Rolling Stone interview , "What is it like to be the greatest guitar player in the world" , Eric Clapton replied , " I don't know , but I'll ask Jeff Beck next time I see him ...
If you haven't seen "Live at Ronnie Scott's" find it on the bit torrents... It is just awesome.... 90 minutes of THE guitar mechanic himself...
Thanks Jeff for all the years of great music....
13 - RalphKramden
Agree 1000% with all comments, and about fell out of my chair upon reading Clapton's ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of 'when i see beck i'll ask him' re: best guitarist. Just makes me physically ill The Master by all accounts - fellow musicians standing in awe of his prowess primarily, those who have a discerning ear, et al - is demonically-good on the fret and yet 'The Others' always get the glory (3-cord clapton, only-career-is-constant-resurrection-of-zeppelin page, etc). Long Live Beck!!
14 - AlB
Please note the BBC broadcast of the JB concert had errors in the broadcast level encoding and is the reason the stereo broadcast sounded odd..