Jeff Beck (1944-2023)

Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023)

Having first become famous in the 1960s, Jeff Beck is one of the most respected guitarists of all time. He was a pioneer in multiple ways—across psychedelic rock and hard rock—and later went on to become legendary for a guitar style that some critics call uncopyable because it is so unique. I would say that Jeff Beck is something of a musician's musician, especially for fans of virtuoso guitar playing. Here are a few iconic songs.

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is a 1966 single by the English rock band the Yardbirds. It features the band’s dual-lead guitar lineup of Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. While the two guitarists performed together in the band for a twenty-month period, this track is one of the few instances where their collaborative work was recorded in the studio. Critics have observed the song's progressive structure and instrumental sections—which feature heavy distortion and feedback—and the layering of multiple guitar tracks as a significant development in the transition from blues-rock to psychedelia and early heavy metal. In addition to Beck and Page, the session featured future Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, who was a prominent session musician in London at the time.

"Beck's Bolero" (1966) has been described, Wikipedia observes, as "one of the great rock instrumentals, epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy." The songs brings together Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and Nicky Hopkins.

Jeff Beck’s version of "You Shook Me" (FYI: originally a 1962 blues song by Chicago blues artist Muddy Waters; lyrics by Willie Dixon, with Earl Hooker providing the instrumental backing) is an important song in the development of heavy metal. Released on his 1968 solo debut, Truth, it preceded the Led Zeppelin version by several months and established a new standard for heavy, guitar-driven music. The album served as a major introduction for the Jeff Beck Group, with vocalist Rod Stewart, and bassist Ronnie Wood. The album is recognized as a classic of the late 1960s and an early example of heavy metal, moving from blues into something more aggressive and experimental, pointing the way for hard rock in the 1970s.

"Cause We Ended as Lovers" is an instrumental from the 1975 album Blow by Blow. The song was written by Stevie Wonder. Critics have noted the use of volume and note-bending to mimic a vocal performance. The song focuses on dynamics and the use of the guitar's volume knob to control each note. This track is seen as a great example of the legendary guitarist's transition toward jazz-fusion and away from traditional rock structures.

The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (1966)

Jeff Beck - Beck's Bolero (Instrumental)

Jeff Beck -Truth(1968) - 04 You Shook Me

Jeff Beck - Cause We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck | The Midnight Special