Live: Jeff Beck
The guitar legend has jaws dropping and eyes popping Tuesday at the El Rey.

By Randy Lewis
April 23, 2009



In the age of "Guitar Hero," in which anyone with a few hundred bucks to spend on a video-game system can feel like a world-class shredder in a matter of minutes, what's the real deal still have to offer?

For one, the living, breathing version doesn't necessarily burn out after it's been on for an extended period. British guitar god Jeff Beck, who's been making jaws drop for nearly half a century now, pointed up that happy fact at his stirring show Tuesday at the El Rey, the first of two sold-out nights, one that was as much a master class as entertainment experience.

In fact, a number of other high-profile guitar slingers, including the Paul McCartney Band's Rusty Anderson, looked on with regular-Joe (and Jane) fans in fascination, admiration, frustration and exhilaration at the full spectrum of possibilities Beck unleashed from his instrument of choice, a vintage white Fender Stratocaster.

Beck pulled a rainbow of sounds and effects from the guitar -- most without going near the foot pedals of the guitar switches on the floor, during the hour-and-45-minute set, which consisted far and away of instrumentals. Some were elegant ballads built on the utter purity of tone Beck can produce, others rock, blues, funk, progressive rock and jazz-inflected numbers.

Then he sent an already agog crowd into apoplexy when near the end he peeled off the instantly recognizable first few notes of Curtis Mayfield's 1960s spiritual "People Get Ready."

A bolt of electric anticipation shot through the SRO crowd. Sure enough, out from the wings stepped Rod Stewart, his onetime band mate, who strolled to the mike for an intensely beautiful reading of the song that was a pop hit for him and Beck in 1983.

That year was the last time these onetime band mates appeared together onstage. After their elegant collaboration brought them back together again a decade and a half after Stewart's brief stint as lead singer in the Jeff Beck Group, the brotherly love at the core of that song flew out the window during a heated onstage argument. They hadn't shared a stage since.

This time, it was heartfelt smiles and bear hugs as Stewart greeted his new newly inducted fellow member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perhaps the only thing larger than rock-star ego is jaw-dropping talent. "It is a privilege to be on stage with this guy," Stewart said. Having reconnected with a foil and partner every bit his equal, Stewart plumbed the R&B/soul depths that were once his stock-in-trade before the jet-setting party-boy persona usurped his musical ambition. Taking the lead from their master-of-restraint boss, keyboardist Jason Rebello, bassist Tal Wilkenfeld and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta kept the accompaniment on low boil rather than shifting into overdrive, making Stewart raspy voice sound all the more earnest.

It's the kind of material ideally suited to him, far more so than the Great American Songbook stuff he's nonetheless made a mint off of in the last decade.

Stewart stuck around for a second number, "I Ain't Superstitious," from the days of the Jeff Beck Group. Seeing how they fed off one another's energy, you couldn't help but wish Stewart would spend more time -- maybe even tour -- with the guitar great.

People get ready, indeed.

http://www.latimes.com/en...5971.story
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I'll probably have a little something to say about tonight's performance.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 4/27/09 13:16pm]

Wow, sounds like a great show. I would expect nothing less from the man. I am going to see him tomorrow at the Fox in Oakland. I hope Rod shows up.
[Edited 4/22/09 18:15pm]

Awesome

100.3 played Beck and Rods version of Aint Superstitious on Monday afternoon in tribute to Beck playingt later on. Maybe they got a whiff of the set list?

xlr8r said:

I traded a few emails with Andy requesting that he play certain Jeff Beck albums during their recent Album Sides Wednesday.
He mentioned that he'd played that cut.


tA

Tribal Disorder

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(Day Two)

Not even sure where to start. Maybe at the beginning.
I went to the bar to get a drink as soon as I walked in to the El Rey Theatre and noticed that I was standing next to Neal Schon. After introducing myself I asked him when he was going to get Randy Jackson to "leather up" again. He laughed and said, "Randy's making too much money."

Jeff Beck to me represents a lot of what's good about music as an art.
He doesn't appear to take the "celebrity" part of it seriously at all.
He plays what he wants, when he wants to.
Simple guitar rig, doesn't play a billion notes per second, but chooses his barrages carefully.

There were 2 surprises. One good, one not so good.
The first occurred when the band launched into the opening riff of Sly Stone's "Higher".
A female came from backstage dressed like she'd just come from a high-society cocktail party and started to sing the first verse. It was then I realized that it was Joss Stone. The less said the better.

The next surprise happened after the band's first fake "We love you, goodnight" move.
The stage techs moved a second guitar rig onstage. A few moments later John Mayer came out with the band and did very good take on Manic Depression.

Outside of these 2 instances, the rest of the set consisted of classic Jeff Beck instrumentals.










Great show that was well worth the time and money.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I guess the show I saw in Oakland on Thursday was the last of the tour. There were no special guests, but that just meant more Jeff. Neal Schon must be a big fan because the guy in front of me said he was sitting in front of Neil at Jeff Beck's show at the Paramount in 2006. He also said he overheard Neil tell his friend he might as well go throw his gear away.I am sure that is how most guitarists feel after seeing Jeff. I have seen Clapton, Page, Van Halen, Vai, and many other great guitarists including Prince. I would have to say none of them can touch Beck.(sorry Prince)

rmartin70 said:

He echoed the same sentiment when I asked him if he was there to pay homage.
"Yeah, i'm here to take a beating" was his response.


tA

Tribal Disorder

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carlcranshaw said:

Short clip...



...but better sound.


tA

Tribal Disorder

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woulda loved to have seen that show.

Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck playing "Here But I'm Gone".

Of all the 60s "guitar gods", this guy was always the most underrated. In terms of innovation, I rate him slightly behind Hendrix. If Beck hadn't gone a bit mad back then, he'd be consistantly rated far above EC. Glad that he's back an in top form.

^ Nice pull.

A mostly live rare version of...



...Definitely Maybe (Max Middleton, Cozy Powell, Clive Chaman)


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431