Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 117 - Jeff Beck: The Great Creator of Guitar Instrumentals I

The Sad News of Jeff Beck's Passing

I am sad to report that guitarist and composer Jeff Beck passed away on January 10 at the age of 78. I pray from the bottom of my heart that he may rest in peace.
Jeff Beck was one of the three great guitarists of the 1970s. It was Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, a guitarist who was much talked about in the media.
The cause of death was reportedly bacterial meningitis. I was very sorry to see the news on a national broadcast.
My impression of Jeff Beck was that he was a youthful guitarist who never aged.
Recently, I have more and more opportunities to watch live videos of musicians on YouTube. I have watched many videos of Jeff Beck. In those videos, Jeff Beck was playing with young musicians. His hair was black and he played with a lot of energy and vigor.
Recently, it has been reported that many musicians who created their own musical frameworks are now departing. Chick Corea, Joe Sample...Jeff Beck was one of them.
In this article, I will write a retrospective of Jeff Beck from a keyboardist's point of view.

Jeff Beck, CC BY 2.0 (Source:Wikipedia)

I discovered Jeff Beck in a college light music club

I first heard Jeff Beck's music when I was in college and I was reading the magazine Player, which I had been reading since I was 17 years old. At the time, I was listening to progressive rock and I had little interest in the big three guitarists, so I did not actively listen to Jeff Beck. Favourite guitarists at the time were King Crimson's Robert Philip, Yes's Steve Howe, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, and other progressive rock rockers. Hard rockers included Rich Blackmore of Deep Purple and Mick Box of Uriah Heep.
I joined the light music club in college, and my senior band was covering Jeff Beck's classic songs like “Scatterbrain” and “Do You Understand Me?”
Jeff Beck used his unique method of plucking the guitar strings with his fingertips instead of using a pick, and he used his arm to achieve that technique. He took a different path from Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page by approaching jazz and creating a new kind of music, while still being rock-based and not sticking to a genre.
I have not listened to all of his albums, but Blow by Blow and Wired, released in 1975, will go down in history as rock classics, and I consider him to be a guitarist who will go down in history as a one-of-a-kind musician.

「Even listening to it now, I think Blow by Blow is a great album. No musician at the time could make an album like that with instrumental guitar music. That guitar riff, melody, and the way the rhythm was captured was something I had never heard before.
I am not a guitar player, but I can easily understand the advanced nature of Blow by Blow.

■ Recommended album: Jeff Beck, Blow by Blow (1975)

The Japanese title of the LP record at the time of its release in 1975 was “Gita- Satsujinsha no Gaika” (Triumphant Return of the Guitar Murderer). I remember thinking as a high school student, “What in the world is the title of this album?” Nowadays, instrumental albums by rock guitarists are not uncommon. However, at the time, there were no precedents, and I imagine it was quite an adventure to see if a guitar instrumental album could be a commercial success. However, Jeff Beck's first solo album was a huge hit that reached No. 4 in the United States. It overturned the industry's prevailing belief that rock music without someone singing would not sell, and it established the instrumental guitar as a genre. The use of talking modulators is also well done, and the songs are inventive in many different places.
The album also features keyboardist Max Middleton, a jazz-oriented musician, and is a fusion of rock and jazz.

Recommended Song: “Scatterbrain”

The riff in this song is fantastic. It is full of anticipation in its reveal as to what is about to begin. Various riffs have been composed in the history of rock music and have supported great songs. I think this riff in the song “Scatterbrain” is one of the greatest riffs in the history of rock music. This album is full of Jeff-devised phrases and riffs, and you can fully enjoy the splendor of his musical background. In this sense, I think this is a highly advanced album. Jeff's ad-libs are hard and fast, and they play a leading role in the music.
Max Middleton's jazzy ad-libs on the Fender Rhodes piano are also brilliant. The string ensemble that accompanies the piano solo is also excellent. I have rarely heard such a thrilling arrangement of strings combined with rock. After the break, I wondered if it was the end. Then, a solo that seems to be a habit of Jeff's enters, and another riff begins. The dramatic development is beyond imagination. The composition of this part was nothing short of brilliant. I wonder if it’s possible that the recording was used as it was because Jeff started playing again after the performance was over and the drummer joined in with him (this is just my imagination).
The guitar sound that Jeff could play still has a strong influence on the sound that the guitarists produce today.

Recommended song: “Lovers of Sorrow”

This song highlights Jeff's expressiveness as a guitarist. Max Middleton's manipulation of the vibrato and volume knob on the Fender-Rhodes piano adds expression to the song. The drummer's rim-only fill-in is also nice.
When I was in college, the guitarist in my band insisted that we play this song, so we gave it a try. Sure enough, it didn't work at all. Jeff Beck's playing ability stands out on this track, and his technique is the foundation of this song. I realized that amateurs should not play this song (tears).

Musicians, albums, and recommendations featured in this issue

• Artist：Jeff Beck, Max Middleton
• Album：Blow by Blow
• Song Title: “Scatterbrain” “Sad Lovers”

⇨ Jeff Beck Signature Model

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