So here I am trying to gather my hastily scribbled notes from last night and all I can think of in my head was a phrase one rabid fan kept screaming out for Jeff Beck to hear,
"We're not worthy; we never were and never will be." Perhaps this was a bit much (and reflective of a bygone era where Beavis and Butthead reigned supreme) but I dig the passion. So I am thinking to myself, as I settle in to decipher my chicken scratch, how do I write a review of one of the most amazing guitarists I have ever heard? I haven't had much interaction with the illustrious Jeff Beck, and to be honest, last night was my virgin experience. It was then that I realized that the information that I was digging up for my recap for this column paled in comparison from the informal "review" my husband sent out in an email to his musician buds. So I stole it. I hope you folks like it as much as I did. From the eyes of Mark Fichera, read below.
"I saw Jeff Beck last night....
WOW! Intense! That's the best way to describe it
INTENSE
He is something beyond a guitar player. He is more than a musician. He is a master of his instrument. Much like Dick Dale in concert, he pulls sounds from a guitar that seem impossible.
The show opened with "Beck's Bolero", a song originally from the 1968 TRUTH album. It was a high energy & truly rocking version of a song from an album that some consider being the precursor to heavy metal with its combination of classic blues, & hard, driving, guitar rock & roll.
As the show continued, I wasn't familiar with all of the set. I guess that happens when there are no lyrics. I have to say at times, some of it got a bit too free-form & improvisational. Not a bad thing to some music fans, but I personally don't like solos that are too long & drawn out. Sometimes the structure of the song gets lost in the solo its OK in Jazz, but not OK in rock... that's my opinion anyway. It certainly didn't happen often enough to take away from the greatness of the set. Of course, much of the crowd was there to hear just that, Jeff Beck solos, so I'm sure my modest opinion on this differs greatly from many of the fans at the Electric Factory last night.
The entire show was comprised of instrumental numbers. The stage was sparse. It was a no nonsense affair. Not much by the way of visuals, the night was about music. The band included Tal Wilkenfeld on Bass, Jason Rebello on Keyboards & Vinnie Colaiuta on Drums. I have to say that the band kept up musically with Beck the entire night. Unfortunately, due to no fault by the musicians, as is usually the case at the Electric Factory, the sound there was horrible. Tal Wilkenfeld, who at only 22 years-old is on tour with Jeff Beck, is worth the ticket admission price on her own. To say she rocked would be an understatement. I was standing pretty far back in the room, so I didn't get to see her up close, but, honestly, there is something really hot about a 22 year old chick wielding an axe with that kind of talent.
After roughly 75 minutes, the concert ended with an all-instrumental version of the Beatles "A Day in the Life". The encore was a song that I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know & the night came to a close with a pretty humorous version of the Peter Gunn theme song.
As past Yardbirds alumni, Page & Clapton, are clearly past their prime, what amazed me is how Beck is still on top of his game. Clapton & Page are still great, but in some ways they are going through the motions & surviving on past reputation. A guy like Clapton can still muster up the fire his in playing every once in awhile, but how "on" can you be when you've played Layla, Crossroads and Cocaine almost every night for the past 35-40 years?. A guy like Beck on the other hand, besides the stuff he did with Rod Stewart & Ronnie Wood, what are his hits? Freeway Jam? Savoy? Goodbye Pork Pie Hat? Playing ability aside, he's got a little more freedom. His songs lend themselves to more freedom. And as good as the musicians Clapton plays with are, Jeff Beck surrounds himself with even better musicians. He needs them to keep up. When you play with Jeff beck, you are "ON" every night. You would have to be.
Beck is not as limited, even in style, as most musicians are. Is what he plays even rock? He doesn't really fit into any genre. He's progressive and it is something that I always appreciated about his music. Jeff Beck is still growing as an artist. He's still experimenting. He's never worried about releasing singles and hits. He does what he does and has managed to stick around and remain on top.
No guitar player I have ever seen has a mastery of the Strat the way that Beck did last night. Simply Intense!"
I hope Mark's review paints a good picture for you all. It was an incredibly intense show and I am simply stunned by the masterful way Jeff Beck so easily coaxes a variety of sounds out of his guitar. From funk, to heavy meal, to jazz and blues, last night's show had it all. It was like being in a time warp to where music kicked you in the teeth and made you take notice. Funny how a guy in his 60's can pull that off more than the kids these days.
