Jeff Beck, 1944 - 2023

It's 2023 and I'm afraid that heroes from the 1960s and 1970s are going to pop up on these pages more and more for a final goodbye. This week Jeff Beck passed away after a short but fatal bacterial infection.

On social media all the greats of his era laud him on his great playing and often in combination with him joining them on stage for a blistering, characteristic solo. In my opinion, this is extremely telling. Without taking anything away from the quality of his playing, he has influenced many if not all rock guitarists that came after him, he has not become as huge as many of his contemporaries.

The Yardbirds that existed from 1963 to 1968 (granted there's still an outfit touring under that name) and brought forward three exceptional guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. And here you see the main difference in stature. Clapton and Page went on to have huge musical and commercial success, Beck did not at that level. And that is down to one flaw: he was not able to write hits and hit albums himself or attach himself to someone who could (assist him in writing).

His breakthrough as a guitarist came with the trippy The Yardbirds 1966 single 'Shapes Of Things'. He used a host of new effects on his guitar sound, creating totally new sounds. His stint in the band did not last long, to return with his own band and a hit single 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' with himself taking the lead vocals. I remember the song from then and remember liking it because of the sound effects on the song. So I knew the name Jeff Beck from a young age. The second and lesser hit, 'Tallyman' passed me by and the final song and hit for Beck (and Donovan for five years) was 'Barabajagal' that charted in the lower figures in 1969. That is my relationship with Jeff Beck.

I bought 'Truth' in the 00s, in an expanded version, because it contained 'Hi Ho Silver Lining'. Is Truth an album that is standing out? No, it isn't. It contains first division blues versions sounding rather strained in my opinion in trying to make them sound different, just like the cover of 'Shapes Of Things'. Rod Stewart is bending himself over backwards to make it sound like another song in the chorus. The 'Bolero' on guitar, just like 'Love Is Blue'. It is nice to listen to every couple of years but that is it. It never inspired me to buy more.

The Jeff Beck Group had Rod Stewart as a singer and Ronny Wood as bassist. Nicky Hopkins played piano and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. All went on to bigger careers. Not Jeff Beck. Although he found critical acclaim with a few albums in the 70s, jazz rock or so I understand, later on he became a hired hand as guitarist. Like on Mick Jagger 'She's The Boss'. Not Jagger's best, as that is 'Wandering Spirit' with another guitar wizz kid who did propel Jagger to a higher level.

Remains the guitarist who could play his instrument in a fantastic way but never found the partner to go big together. That may be the tragedy of his career but who knows also says something about him and his character. I don't know, I'm just guessing here. Those solos in all these clips are phenomenal. There's no other word for it.

Am I wrong? Interested to learn your views, so feel free to respond.

Wout de Natris