Bilbo Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Whilst in no real sense a fan, I have always admired Beck's expressiveness as a guitarist but, lately, everytime I see him on a video etc, he is playing some lame mainstream crap like Jerusalem or You'll Never Walk Alone. The arrangements aren't even interesting. It all sounds like James Galway play The Beatles to me, Dreadful. What is he playing at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Danny Boy, FFS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1400785465' post='2457063'] What is he playing at? [/quote] I dunno... doing what he wants..? Having fun..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard, Elton John, etc. Age catches up with us all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) He seems to have always followed an idiosyncratic career path. For example, back in about '69 he had a band which included Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass. They could have been monsters, but it didn't last long. Jeff lost interest. There's been a bit of a pattern over the years. From what I can gather, he's always been more interested in his cars than pursuing musical 'big time'. Edited May 22, 2014 by Len_derby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 [quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1400786015' post='2457073'] ...he's always been more interested in his cars than pursuing music 'big time'. [/quote] Yes, he must be the least famous performer to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame... twice. And he's managed to keep those six Grammy Awards for best Rock Instrumental Performance pretty quiet, too! Of course he also asked not to be credited on those secret albums he did with with Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Kate Bush, Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters, Donovan, Brian May and ZZ Top... OK, I'm done now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Wears a mean wig too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) Disagree entirely... his touch is sublime and lends new light to old melodies which are obviously his muse... his 'Over the Rainbow' is legend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgGvml0cOKA If you're evaluating him in terms of chromatic approach notes or substitutions you'll miss it entirely... just go with a visceral (diatonic) melody with heaps of articulation. Edited May 22, 2014 by visog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnyboy Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 http://youtu.be/IjdkjGwGJQc Nice hat too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I saw him a week or so back at the Cliff's Pavilion in Westcliff. I am by no means a fan, either, but didn't want to pass up the chance of seeing him live and local. Whilst I could do nothing but admire the techniques he used I didn't actually enjoy the music or the gig particularly - just not my cup of tea, really. Someone described him as a dischordant Hank Marvin which, although a bit cruel, actually fits quite nicely. He appeared to play Danny Boy out of sequence because the rest of the band changed instruments for what they thought was the next song, only to quickly change again. Speaking of the rest of the band, I thought Rhonda Smith's playing was amazing - a masterclass of restraint - yet her solo was completely inappropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I hide my inability to solo by swearing blind that any bass solo is inappropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 [quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1400830585' post='2457277'] I hide my inability to solo by swearing blind that [b]any bass solo is inappropriate.[/b] [/quote] Plus about a billion. Never heard a single bass solo I liked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1400785567' post='2457064'] Danny Boy, FFS! [/quote] do people actually listen to him still? this strange vibrato technique he seems to favour recently sounds like listening to an old tape deck with the belt playing up shoot me down for being sexist but he seems to me to be more concerned with adorning himself with young strumpet bass playerettes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 (edited) I liked him when he was with The Yardbirds and the JBG Truth LP is great but not all that twiddly diddly stuff later. Not for me thanks. Edited May 24, 2014 by BetaFunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1400928995' post='2458231'] ...shoot me down for being sexist but he seems to me to be more concerned with adorning himself with young strumpet bass playerettes [/quote] Won't shoot you down for being sexist, but WILL shoot you down for being jealous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 (edited) It is always difficult to gauge why people do what they do, I can only suppose that he is following his own guiding light and doing what makes him happy. I really rate Jeff as a technical, expressive musician - he is a monster in that respect, and is high up on my own personal guitarist technical ability hierarchical food chain...the paradox for me however is that I would say that he is yet another musician of staggering ability that has never really married that capability with true, lasting meaningful music in an original context. Yet further proof that technical ability does not quantify any significant musical impact. Give me a Bob Dylan or a George Harrison before a Steve Vai or a Joe Satriani all day long. Edited May 24, 2014 by White Cloud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1400932380' post='2458283'] Won't shoot you down for being sexist, but WILL shoot you down for being jealous... [/quote] yes indeed am just sooooo jealous that i havent got long curly hairly like shirley temple and have a bass rig that is taller than me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Well, swimming against the stream I really like Jeff Beck, I really like bass solos and I would take Vai and Satch every day of the week over Dylan and Harrison. I hasten to add that a lot of Satch and Vai bores me, but I think their respective best stuff is sublime. Can't sit through 2 songs in a row of Dylan ranting, although Harrison has produced a couple of pleasant songs. Jeff at his best: I really like the live at Ronnie Scotts stuff. Top drawer geetaring for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel36 Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='Donnyboy' timestamp='1400797919' post='2457196'] [media]http://youtu.be/IjdkjGwGJQc[/media] Nice hat too... [/quote] Neat drummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Norman Wisdom on guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 (edited) Hmm, Jeff Beck. I really like Jeff Beck's style and overall approach as a guitarist, but his big problem is that, despite a long and distinguished career , he has never really found the right vehicle for his talents. Since his fledgling days in the Yardbirds, he has struggled to find a musical setting where he can do himself justice, and as a result his output has been patchy, at best. That is probably why he has ended up doing James Galway numbers. All evidence points to the fact that whilst Jeff might be a great guitarist, he isn't a great writer or a great bandleader, and he would have benefited far more from being in a band with other people who were more so those things. If Jeff had found a band of equally gifted individuals the way that Jimmy Page did with Led Zeppelin then it may well have been a very different story. However, the reality is that he has been able to survive as an artist by indulging his whim and relying on his virtuosity, instead of considering the music as a whole and making some great records like so many of his contemporaries did. What can we look back on as great Jeff Beck albums? Wired and Blow By Blow captured something of the time they were made and the crossover between jazz and rock , before fusion was a dirty word and there was a genuine spirit of curiosity and experimentation between the two idioms. Apart from those two records , there is precious little music he has made that you can say is consistently good or particularly memorable, although he still has his moments now and again . He is a unique and awesome guitar player, but he has never showcased it well , in my opinion. I am also deeply shocked to hear that he wears a wig. Edited May 24, 2014 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1400933380' post='2458293'] It is always difficult to gauge why people do what they do, I can only suppose that he is following his own guiding light and doing what makes him happy. [/quote] And fair play to him. I got to see Gary Moore playing Moon River at a soundcheck - it was sublime - lead and some lovely jazz chords, a million miles from what he played in the set. He appeared at my shoulder when the guy I was working with was soundchecking after and I told him how lovely it was and he said that was what he loved playing. I asked him why he didn't put it in the set and he laughed and said he'd get lynched. Felt a bit sad for him after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Jeff Beck does what he wants to and says f*** everyone else if they don't like it. Why shouldn't he. He obviously has enough money to do this and he makes no secret of the fact that he also has other interests in life (hot-rods) and doesn't live and breath music. To me, he's one of the best and original guitarists the UK has ever spawned. He's never stood still, never been afraid to try something new (even if it doesn't work commercially) and obviously gets great pleasure on trying to put a new slant on some old classic numbers (Greensleeves and Ole man river to name a couple) He was always (IMO) more innovative than Page or Clapton whilst in the Yardbirds. Just listen to that solo in Shapes of things. That was a groundbreaking early psychedelic rock solo. Fast forward a few years and he's producing great and original albums like "There and back" and "Guitar shop" Although he's never likely to fill Wembley, I can make an educated guess that there a lot of world-class and world famous musicians who'd like to add JB to their CV. Regarding Paul S seeing him at Westcliffe, Phil Hilborne was there too and said "I've never seen so many guitarists in an audience before" and there's the crux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 What I'd like to know is how to get that snazzy grey graphic into the topic title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1400961141' post='2458675'] What I'd like to know is how to get that snazzy grey graphic into the topic title. [/quote] Something to do with a content tag? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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