The new flyer for Guitar Center came in the mail last night. Jeff Beck, who looks lioke Keith Richards brother, was on the cover along with a story inside. "Hugely influential, undisputed genius, ever relevant, artist of uncompromising originality, the greatest living electric guitarist", etc. What took him to that level? What has he done so differently and outstanding to deserve that aclaim? I know of Jeff Beck, never listened to him intentionally, I don't get it.
He's kinda like Buddy Holly. Over rated. How was he so differently mind bending to indure all these years, except for some great songs he wrote, he was just an average player and singer.
IMHO, if you could play guitar and sing, and had a few decent songs you had written, you could be an overnight star. America was so hungry back in the 50's and 60's for something new, everything and everybody that could jumped on the bandwagon and rode it as long as they could. Some longer than others, and some should of gotton off a long time ago.
I think back then, it was more about the message and the words of a song that got the musicians started on thier glory ride.
Granted, some guitarists were doing "different" things with the guitar, but Jeff Beck said it himself the best in the article. he said "The Strat was the icon. Then when I saw Jimi Hendrix play, I thought, that's it. He's making the right NOISE with that".

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[quote="masterhacker"]

If you think he and Richards look alike, take a look at Cozy Powell (R.I.P.), one of JB's former drummers. Looking at the album cover (Jeff Beck and the Rough and Ready Group), I used to confuse the two.

To a degree, I definitely see your point about Jeff Beck.

Before the Blow By Blow album, JB was truly one of the absolute best Rock and Blues guitarists there ever were. Virtually all his contemporaries would be the first to tell you this. He was fresh, innovative and went far beyond the usual pentatonic cliches. Live, he was phenomenal with no matter whom he played with. Unfortunately, once he got into all the instrumental stuff and started veering away from what made his reputation, alot of what he's into now is more for himself, a certain clique and I dare say, those who feel they have to be on the band wagon because it is him being unique (for better or for worse). Aesthetically, I have no use for the new stuff either as I find it mostly self-indulgent, boring, and at times, a bit abrasive. You'd have to wallow in his old stuff to really appreciate him or when he gets into some live jams nowadays with other acts.

To me, Buddy Holly played as well as a 6 month guitar student who could (vocally) carry a tune. He, as you've stated, was in the right place at the right time, singing the right stuff and had enough nerve (and resources) to succeed. I cannot compare him to Jeff Beck at all other than the fact that they use(d) Stratocasters.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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You dig?

I've never been a Beck fan,and y'all make valid points,and I think we all who are serious musicians and can recognize pure talent and "undisputed genius",have seen it in musicians who have never been or will ever be famous...."right place at the right time",yep,that's a lot of the formula.

IMHO it's all about the song. Buddy Holly had to be lucky to be signed, but he had a real talent in composing songs that people liked. I noticed Jimi Hendrix because of the sound, the originality, not that I appreciated his musicianship. If you appreciate musicianship, you ought to like the modern Jeff Beck or go to a concert hall.

It is largely about being "on the cutting edge" (for that moment in time), and being in the hot city for that type of music. Some perceive Kurt K and the whole Seattle music scene as "the be all and end all". I never did. Remember the 70's when electric everything in music was king? Groups like Boston and a bunch of other groups from NE hit it fairly well-WHY because one group made it big and the others hung on to the shirt tails of that group and were pushed by record companies and promo people. When that fizzled out, indie folk rock and hair bands became big. Indie folk rock is still around by a lot of the same groups who have been doing it since the 80's but hair bands? Bon Jovi is about the only one who is still making records. And heck they all trimmed back the hair and changed the music.

Bottom line-quality music always finds a core audience that will uphold it for a very long time. Other groups are one hit wonders or fizzle out fairly quickly, for any variety of reasons-mostly not much talent and infighting.

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!

Jeff Beck is one of my all time favorites.

Blow by Blow is a phenomenal album--it and Guitar Shop feature heavily in my listening habits.

He made Biddy Guy's version of Mustang Sally such a delight to listen to.

His style is his, and I like it.

I have transcriptions of a few of his songs, and I have learned a lot by trying to play them--although I haven't mastered them.

So I would be the other side of most of the posts here, and a veering off of Martian's.

I think it was Jimmy page who said something along the lines that Beck was the best there is--when he wants to be.


As for who he looks like?

Nigel Tufnel & Jeff Beck bear an uncanny resemblance.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

+1

I've seen Jeff Beck precisely once -- in 1969 at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, shortly after "Truth" was released. The opening act was a band called Nazz and they absolutely cleaned the Jeff Beck Group's clock!

I've never been one to be led around like sheeple, buying into ad hype or PR puff sheets. If I hear a song on the radio that I like, I'll buy the record. But I refuse to let anybody do my thinking for me.

That said, I've grown to appreciate Jeff Beck although I think his best efforts were during his Beck, Bogart & Appice days. His playing lacked the polish he now exudes but I liked the rawer, edgier "DeGuello-ish" vibe.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Buddy Holly.... over rated?
That's rich.

Jeff Beck is a musical genius and if you poled every serious player over 35 about 80% would say he is the best player on the planet. Jeff has never been one to sit on his past accomplishments and has gone from Blues, to Rock, Early Metal, Fusion, Techno and Mid Eastern music . He is probably the one original great that actually keeps improving as he gets older. I have a Beck Strat and asked Mike Eldred who is personal a friend of Becks how the hell is he able to play 2 hours and not make a guitar change, there must be some secret with his gear. And Mike said that (I forget the guys name) who is another master builder was at a soundcheck for Beck and when he put the guitar down he asked his tech if he could check it out, and he said go ahead but it is going to be totaly out. And when he picked it up and played the guitar was totally out of tune. So to imajine that he shapes all those beautiful lines just by his mastery over the guitar is amazing. This is a true story and you can ask Niki Ninga as he was on the thread.I would say go and listen to Wired and Blow by Blow real hard. Hey everyone cant like everyone and that is fine but if you cant see the genius-well. By the way when was Beck ever a singer except for a real early single.

Trivia-Nigel Tuffnel was based on Beck.

Also this harshness about Buddy Holly is puzzling. The guy was one of the founding Fathers of rock and roll and practically set up the band format of Drums, Bass, Rhythm and Lead guitar besides writing mostly all original material. That'll be the Day, It's so Easy, Maybe Baby,Words of Love, Peggy Sue and a hell of a lot more still hold up today. He was also a big influence on the Beatles/Crickets and was all of 21 when he died. Yes the day the music Died indeed.

theres several over rated "greats" out there.
back then when they got started, if you were doing
something just outside the box people were watching.
the press really pushed them into popularity.
if you were one of the first few to be involved in a music trend swing
your considered one of the best, even if you werent.
i always found eric clapton to be WAY over rated.
please dont get me started on jimmy page.
by todays standards, 90% of the greats wouldnt come close.

you ever notice that the greats always say that they were influenced by others that were pretty much around in their time?
its never by anybody new.

Well living in and around "Music City" for most of my life I can tell you that there are many vastly underrated musical geniuses around that you might never see but you sure have heard,and not on just country music songs but in other music genres.
It has always chapped my arse that people think of country caterwallin' when they think of Nashville.
Anway,on the other hand it's a fact that people with mediocre talents are packaged,spruced up to look better and backed by serious talent and mucho $$$ and "sold" the public,and the public takes it hook line and sinker.
WE have to remember that WE are usually way more critical than the general public when it comes to music and some "star's" genius/talent...and WE are usually very vocal about it....after all,how many times have you watched somebody famous and nearly famous and thought,"I can do better than that".
On a side not,even though some think Buddy Holley was overrated,one of the biggest and most humbling experiences of my life have been when I met at different times,J.I. Allison,Joe Mauldin and Sonny Curtis(who played with buddy early on)....not because of their "musical genius",but because they were true R&R trail blazers.They were nice humble guys who didn't brag about anything...but they had been there and done it.

It seems logical that most people (and not just those involved in music) are chiefly influenced by their contemporaries.

In all seriousness, your observation would probably be an excellent theme for a sociology dissertation.

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You dig?

Way cool, You're free to your opinion as everyone is but....
I don't think Buddy Guy or BB King would concur.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQRV6YlhqgQ

Nor would Willie Nelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_800CRTrjE

Now Willie's dueted with a pretty wide variety of musicians outside
his mainstream genre. Like him or not, that man's seen a lot!

I guess what I am trying to say is that the BIG names are really nothing
more than mile posts along the history of music.
I've heard some extraordinary guitar players and muscians in my time
who have made me think, "Why aren't you famous?" so I CAN relate to
some people's bewilderment of the iconic reputation some people have
garnered that seems over the top but then again, somewhere along the
way, they may have earned that recognition.
Now....
What were you going to say about Jimmy Page?

Hey Jeffo, I am struggling to determine the 1st guitar hero part.
In actuality, Buddy IS my first guitar hero, and then there's Chuck Berry.
Those two are at the top of my list for rock and roll not so much because
of their fame and notoriety but I really liked their playing.
For Country, I like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
For Blues, I like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Buddy Guy, and of course B.B. King

Now all these guys had their own heroes.

What I like best of all is the variety!
I can enjoy famous people and not so famous people to absolute unknowns. Sheesh, I even like my own stuff sometimes.

I would like to have the attitude that I can learn something from someone
else whether their genre is my style or not. I figure I can pull something
out of what I heard and build upon it. I think that's what makes a muscian
influential. Simply mixing the ingredient of heroes in one big fat musical blender.

For me, it's the music. And because I don't have to do it for a living, I can
enjoy it.
I think that's the way it should be.