Rhonda Smith & Willie Weeks

[The Funk]

Caught the gig at the 02 last night. Pretty enjoyable. Jeff Beck's set was inspiring while Clapton's was a little bit plodding in comparison.

JB has Rhonda Smith on bass. She was playing a nice Fender Jazz American '75 reissue through a Mesa stack. Her playing was pretty tasty but she made sure not to get in the way of the guitar - which is what everyone was there to see. She did a nice little slap solo. Very different player to Ms Wilkenfeld but I thought fitted with it much better. Clicked with Narada Michael Walden pretty well too. The set had a real [i]Wired[/i] vibe as a result of Beck and Walden reuniting. Walden doesn't do it for me the way Colaiuta does but was still excellent. Jason Rebello was superb - managed to do both the Jan Hammer-style lead stuff and the Tony Hymas-style pad stuff from two of JB's previous eras. All in all, an excellent rhythm section.

EC has Willie Weeks on bass. He was playing a Precision through an Aguilar amp (possibly the 751) and what looked like an Epifani cab (although I couldn't really see it). EC's set was far less adventurous and with two keys players there wasn't much room for Mr Weeks but he kept things simple, clicked with Steve Gadd well and held it down - and again, made sure he didn't get in the way of the guitarist. (Same can't be said of Chris Stainton who just couldn't help himself.)

I only just realised today that EC didn't play [i]White Room[/i], [i]Layla[/i] or [i]Sunshine Of Your Love[/i]. He didn't have a rhythm guitarist so that might have had something to do with it. In the joint set EC mainly played rhythm and sang with JB doing most of the lead work, but there were points where they were both cutting loose. They closed out the whole gig with a very funny rendition of [i]Hi Ho, Silver Lining[/i], which JB reportedly hates and refuses to play live. He seemed in a good mood and had a laugh playing it.

Overall: happy. Clapton could have done with one less keyboard player and a better set list but it was great to see the two guitarists in action doing their thing.

[The Funk]

An opposing review for comparison:
[url="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aCpu9XBpB3EA"]http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=aCpu9XBpB3EA[/url]

[The Funk]

Just read 3 other reviews. The general consensus seems to be that Clapton is god and that Beck is in the way. That was not my reaction at all!

[wateroftyne]

Hmmm... It could depend what floats your boat, I suppose. Clapton is probably more about songs than solos at the moment.

[Rayman]

[quote name='The Funk' post='745912' date='Feb 15 2010, 02:45 PM']The general consensus seems to be that Clapton is god and that Beck is in the way. That was not my reaction at all![/quote]

Seen them both a numberof times over the years, and Beck is a much more enoyable gig IMO. Clapton was great the first time I saw him, then subsequent gigs have been dull, although he was great again during an open air gig in Yorkshire a couple of years back, although I was a bit pissed. Jeff has been fabulous every time I've seen him, a true guitar god. How anyone could claim they prefered Clapton over Beck is a mystery to me.

[ezbass]

[quote name='The Funk' post='745900' date='Feb 15 2010, 02:35 PM']An opposing review for comparison:
[url="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aCpu9XBpB3EA"]http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=aCpu9XBpB3EA[/url][/quote]


What a stuffy review. Who doesn't want musical fireworks at a gig? The Funk's review is way better and more detailed without lapsing into pointless product placement, good work Sir.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Rayman' post='745944' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:17 PM']How anyone could claim they prefered Clapton over Beck is a mystery to me.[/quote]
Well FWIW, I personally couldn't stomach ten seconds of JB's current turn. I could just about handle a Clapton set.. at a push.

[Stingray5]

I sooo wanted to see this gig and was unable to make it after all, but many thanks to The Funk for what seems like an objective and concise review of the show.
I saw the JB 'There And Back' tour in '81 and not seen Beck since. I've not had the pleasure of seeing EC live at all... yet!
I'm a long-time huge fan of both and probably would have enjoyed the whole gig anyway (even if, with all due respect to Narada and Rhonda, I would rather have seen Vinnie and Tal with JB on this one).
Another bonus, for me, is the fact that Eric had Willie Weeks on bass, even if he did keep it reigned in. (Two keyboard players? Hmmm! )
Oh well, maybe I'll make it later in the year for EC and Stevie Winwood...???

[4000]

[quote name='Rayman' post='745944' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:17 PM']How anyone could claim they prefered Clapton over Beck is a mystery to me.[/quote]

For the same reason anybody prefers anybody or anything; because people have different tastes.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Rayman' post='745944' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:17 PM']....How anyone could claim they prefered Clapton over Beck is a mystery to me....[/quote]
You'll work it out!

[The Funk]

I just wanted to clarify something: when I said that Clappers' set was a little plodding, I meant by his own standards. I saw him a fair few times in the mid '90s at the Royal Albert Hall and he was superb. I don't expect to be truly foxed by what he comes out with but I was left feeling that Clappers' band/sound on the night wasn't quite getting across what he's trying to achieve. As far as Beckola is concerned, he absolutely nailed his current sound, which is basically a sophisticated update of the [i]Wired[/i] sound. If Clappers' hair is anything to go by, he was revisiting his [i]Journeyman[/i] period, but without the pink Versace suits and screaming solos. JB has a new album coming out, while EC doesn't, which could explain why JB's set felt more coherent and EC's felt cobbled together.

A few of the reviews mentioned that the whole thing seemed too polite and formal, and I have to agree with that. The whole thing felt a bit like a retrospective, which would have been cool in places - especially with longer sets covering more of each guitarist's back catalogue. But what it really needed was a bit more of an exploration of how the two of them could play together in the same band. Their playing on [i]You Need Love[/i] showed that with the right material there's something really quite special about their two guitars in combination. I'd have also liked to see them both on acoustic together, unaccompanied. The problem is that at 65 and 64 their schedules may not coincide well enough to give them enough time to actually collaborate properly - and with them being on different record labels it may not be so easy to organise a proper future album release.

Edited February 15, 2010 by The Funk

[ezbass]

[quote name='Stingray5' post='745998' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:48 PM']I saw the JB 'There And Back' tour in '81[/quote]


I was in the front row at the Hammersmith for that tour with the Climax Blues Band supporting, still one of the best gigs I've ever seen. JB was phenomenal, Si Phillips played the only other drum solo I really liked (Bonzo live on Whole Lotta Love is the other) and the master Mo Foster played so hard he broke a string which I've never seen since. This was in the days before JB decided to overuse the whammy bar.

[Stingray5]

[quote name='ezbass' post='746891' date='Feb 16 2010, 09:30 AM']I was in the front row at the Hammersmith for that tour with the Climax Blues Band supporting, still one of the best gigs I've ever seen. JB was phenomenal, Si Phillips played the only other drum solo I really liked (Bonzo live on Whole Lotta Love is the other) and the master Mo Foster played so hard he broke a string which I've never seen since. This was in the days before JB decided to overuse the whammy bar.[/quote]
Hey, excellent! I loved the guitar/drum duel JB had with Simon Phillips though I have to confess to missing (forgetting?) Mo Foster breaking a string.
I do remember, however, Beck bringing on 'an old mate from a few years back' and Jimmy Page stepping out onto the stage. Mind you, I didn't recognise him; he looked like some hermit brought in off the street!
I thoroughly enjoyed CBB supporting too. All in all, a knock-out gig for me also.

[ezbass]

[quote name='Stingray5' post='747578' date='Feb 16 2010, 06:27 PM']Hey, excellent! I loved the guitar/drum duel JB had with Simon Phillips though I have to confess to missing (forgetting?) Mo Foster breaking a string.
I do remember, however, Beck bringing on 'an old mate from a few years back' and Jimmy Page stepping out onto the stage. Mind you, I didn't recognise him; he looked like some hermit brought in off the street!
I thoroughly enjoyed CBB supporting too. All in all, a knock-out gig for me also.[/quote]


Unfortunately this does also date us somewhat

[chris_b]

[quote name='ezbass' post='747653' date='Feb 16 2010, 07:17 PM']....Unfortunately this does also date us somewhat....[/quote]
But not as much as saying that you saw Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together at the Crawdaddy in the Yardbirds!

[Stingray5]

[quote name='ezbass' post='747653' date='Feb 16 2010, 07:17 PM']Unfortunately this does also date us somewhat [/quote]
Have to agree with you there!

[quote name='chris_b' post='747662' date='Feb 16 2010, 07:25 PM']But not as much as saying that you saw Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together at the Crawdaddy in the Yardbirds![/quote]
Hey, thanks cb, I feel young again!!

[The Funk]

You guys may feel old but some of us younger guys feel like we've almost completely missed out. I'll feel sorry for my kids when the '60s greats have all passed onto the great gig in the sky. At least I've been able to see Clapton, Beck, Stevie Wonder, Bernard Purdie etc, even if they're a little mellow these days.

[ash_sak]

I went thanks to some last minute ticket purchasing.

I thought Beck was good but kinda too much, in my opinion.
It was nigh on 'perfect' (playing wise, my aversion to calling it 'perfect' is largely just cause i dont like what that word infers)
But Claptop was amazing, i hadn't listened to either Beck or Clapton for a good year if not several and Clapton won it for me.

The removal of the orchestra helped and also i prefer Clapton's style (as in, watching someone sing and play is much more interesting and involving than just listening to someone play, as it is with Beck)

Rhonda's solo was a nice addition to it all. I was wondering for a while if it was a girl or just a very womanly looking man (no offence to her, i just had images of Malmsteen going through my head when i first saw her)

Hi Ho... was amuzing, and it's interesting to read that Beck apparently doesn't like to play that song cause from what i saw, they walked on stage.
Beck had a whisper to Clapton n they ended up playing it...
Maybe he really enjoyed the gig?

Either way, a great gig and it reminded me how great both of them are.

EDIT: Let me add to that though, Beck playing 'Lilac Wine', why did they do that? It really wasn't that good (though that could be cause Buckley's version is nigh on 'perfect')

Edited February 18, 2010 by ash_sak

[wulf]

I was talking about it with my colleagues at work yesterday. The administrator of my department was there; she has seen both guitarists numerous times and concurred with The Funk's opinion, that Beck's performance was definitely stronger, while Clapton seemed to be plodding a bit (although, to be fair, she said that he did pick up a few numbers into the set and all was good from then on).

It's a shame I hadn't twigged what this conversation was about when I first spotted it, otherwise I could have impressed them by knowing the names of the bassists...

Wulf