Jeff Beck’s Most Iconic Moments

Jeff Beck showed his intensions as an artist early and this performance is certainly one of those moments. Recorded as part of the 1966 film “Blow-Up,” onstage with The Yardbirds, playing alongside Jimmy Page, Beck is delivering heavily distorted tones from a hollow-body and an AC30; to the point where it starts to give out. What comes next is Jeff repeatedly hitting the crackling amplifier with his guitar until it is in half, dropping it to the floor and putting his foot through it; before holding the guitar neck high in celebration then throws it into the crowd. A clear-cut demonstration of his artistic character, almost saying “I’m not like these other guitar players, get used to it.”

Cut back in 1966, this was Beck’s first solo recording and featured an ‘all- star’ personnel line up. Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones joined Beck in this recording session in a line-up that is said to be “the first attempt of what became Led Zeppelin,” making this tune iconic before we hear the first note. However, it’s really Jeff’s unique guitar playing that is at the forefront of this historic Rock guitar instrumental; wielding progressive and heavy sounds from just a Gibson Les Paul and a Vox AC30. Ranging from delicate and controlled slide lines to heavy and saturated tones that always seem to take the spotlight in a busy recording.

For me, what’s important to take note of with this one, is it was recorded in 1966. A time when there was no reference to the kinds of sounds that Beck was able to produce and electric guitar was associated with clean, twangy sounds. However, he delivered a debut solo recording that contained tones that really were part of the blueprint for the basis of what Rock guitar became.

This beautiful instrumental has an interesting back story. So it goes, Stevie Wonder gave this one to Beck as an apology for releasing “Superstition” under his own name, which was originally written and intended to be a Jeff Beck track. Originally written for Wonder’s wife, it’s hard to imagine a world where this composition didn’t fall into the hands of Jeff. I suppose in that respect, we have Motown Records to thank for insisting that Wonder released “Superstition” himself: another track that seems unfathomable to think of it being made famous by anyone than Wonder.

Beck’s playing on this is nothing short of mesmerising, opening with hauntingly beautiful guitar drones before moving into the main motif of the song. It is here where we hear the man’s mastery of creating tones that sound like the perfect balance of the human voice and an electric guitar, leaving amazing space and control over microtonal nuances. Beck builds the track with raw emotion and tension that crescendos into a true display of pioneering guitar playing, before returning to the eerily alluring feel of the beginning of a track. It all feels very thematic, almost like a bitter argument that gets out of hand before inevitable resolution is reached. It’s one of the best guitar instrumentals of all-time and will stand timeless for its technical prowess, captivating melody and innovative tones.

The motif in “Where Were You” song is a fantastic display of ‘less is more.’ The melody itself, gracefully simple but the execution: masterful. Taken from the 1989 album Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, from the first two notes, the presence of the guitar tone just grabs you, and begins to almost float through the melody in grandiose, operatic fashion; before Beck unleashes other-worldly sounds using harmonics and his whammy-bar.

The control over those notes using the whammy is so precisely masterful that it really is almost impossible to replicate. Drawing clear inspiration from World Music, what we hear are sounds akin to an alien race trying to communicate with Earth, with an emotive and tonal imbalance balance that clouds their intentions. Though, putting imagery aside, it is sincerely a masterful electric guitar performance and iconic due to the fact that Beck was creating sounds that no one else was, even in ’89. Try and learn it, it’s certainly going to be a challenge, as well as open doors to new realms you can go to with you electric guitar.

Jeff’s take on this Beatles Classic is always so wonderfully creative but the performance I’m going to pick out, is from the 25th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Anniversary. To play a song by the most popular band of all time at an already historic and iconic event is one thing, but to deliver that song in such a way that makes it completely and utterly your own is very much another.

For me, Beck’s interpretation is simply more moving than the original and sounds like a broken heart crying to itself over the humour of a helpless situation. His slide guitar and vocal line emulation in this rendition are breathtaking, and really help propel the emotion within the melody. When nevertheless, it is also just enjoyably creative and again, in true Beck fashion; technically masterful. When the piece opens up musically, it’s just so fun and engaging to listen to, a great example of Jeff’s individual voice and vision on the guitar.

No version is the same, which I think is something that Jeff tried to tell us throughout his catalogue and legacy: playing the electric guitar should be fun, fluid and spontaneous. For me, this performance screams that and there’s so many things to draw inspiration from.