The only person who can be labeled as Guitar Hero is Jeff Beck.
Jeff Beck was one of the most epic rock guitarists, who defined his own rules and unpredictability while playing. Jeff is also considered one of the most critical individuals who gave everything in developing blues rock and hard rock in the 60s.
Beck is one of the three notable guitarists in the band, The Yardbirds. His skills are worth discussing. After he left The Yardbirds, Beck formed the Jeff Beck Group. He also formed Beck, Bogert, and Appice with Tim and Carmine Appice. His greatest hits can be found under his own name, and he is one of the greatest influencers in contemporary rock music.
Jeff passed away suddenly at the age of 78 due to bacterial meningitis. He had achieved everything as an artist, with seven Grammy awards, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two times. As a member of The Yardbirds in 1992 and as a solo artist in 2009.
Remembering him, here are some of his notable songs and moments
Over Under Sideways Down
Jeff Beck only had time to make a single album with the Yardbirds. It was ‘Roger The Engineer. The song which is most remembered on the album is Over Under Sideways Down where Beck delivered his best riffs. He has blended blues music with oriental to create new music. According to the drummer Jim McCarty, Over Under Sideways Down is about having a good time. He commented, “Cars and girls are easy to come by in this day and age, and laughing, drinking, smoking, whatever, till I’ve spent my wages, having fun.”
The Jeff Beck Group, ‘Situation’
This is another song that defines his character. After being with Rod Stewart for a certain time, he moved into a different type of music. That new music was defined by jazz and soul-type tunes. The Jeff Beck Group also featured singer Bobby Tench and Beck moved away from his standard heavy licks to a more fluid sound.
Beck’s Bolero
The song was recorded in 1966. He recorded the song with a different line-up which consisted of his friend Jimmy Page on another guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Keith Moon on the drums. This was for his debut solo single. Beck’s guitar line in this song is iconic and also the drums and piano has a distinct voice of their own.
Let Me Love You
This is a great song from Jeff Beck and Rob Stewart. They both had that mutual connection which made the music even better. Ron Wood’s work on the bass cannot be overlooked whereas, Beck and Stewart clearly charmed the song with their work.
Going Down
This song was recorded after Stewart and Wood split up in 1969 from the Jeff Beck Group. After recording two albums together they split up. A year later, Beck reformed the band with Alex Ligertwood on vocals and Max Middleton on the keyboard. Jeff also included Bobby Tench after hearing his voice. This appears on the second album after this line-up formed, it is called ‘Jeff Beck Group’. Going Down is one of the best songs and was popularized by Freddie King.
Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
The most notable song on Blow by Blow released in 1974 is ‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers’. Beck managed to captivate everyone with his mystical guitar playing. It was a Tele-Gib hybrid. This song was written by Beck’s friend Stevie Wonder who had already collaborated together before. According to Songfacts, “This song, dedicated to guitarist Roy Buchanan, was composed by longtime friend Stevie Wonder as an apology to Jeff for releasing “Superstition” first. This is what Beck is referring to in the liner notes on the back of the album when he says, “thanks to Stevie.”
Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
This song incorporates psychedelic elements to it. Back in the day, Beck and Jimmy didn’t record many songs as joint guitarists. Jeff has his fuzzed guitar solo in the song. The song blends middle eastern music with rhythms which makes it a different type of song. Jim McCartney explained, “On ‘Happenings Ten Years Time Ago,’ Keith (Relf) and I were trying to write a song about reincarnation. We’d seen everything before, and it was all happening again. That was quite an interesting viewpoint, really. Meeting people along our way that we’d seen from another day. Sort of bringing in that situation that we’d been there before.”
