rze99
Doctor of Teleocity
He was amazing but to be honest I prefer less use of wang bar as a general rule
Jeff Beck: Was he ever considered the best rock guitarist?
- Thread starter 2HBStrat
- Start date
I don’t care. Jeff Beck did nothing for me. I’ve visited his music several times throughout my life and always came back with…meh.
Marc Morfei
Friend of Leo's
I know Nigel Tufnel was a big fan.
Happy Enchilada
Friend of Leo's
Was this the same "journalist" who referred to Bonnie Raitt as "an unknown blues singer"?
monkeybanana
Tele-Afflicted
I love Beck and he pushed electric guitar forward but someone who has done that more and added to our guitar vocabulary is Hendrix. Monkeybanana Magazine says Hendrix is the greatest RnR guitarist of all time so that settles that.
blueruins
Tele-Meister
Jeff Beck will be missed. He was truly a great guitarist and musician.
JIMMY JAZZMAN
Tele-Afflicted
Okay, Jeff Beck said Jimi was the best, Jimi said Rory Gallagher was the best and Clapton,
thinks he's the best. EVH doesn't count, to fast.
thinks he's the best. EVH doesn't count, to fast.
Guitar_Lefty
TDPRI Member
IMHO: Popularity doesn’t always equate with “Best”
Guitar_Lefty
TDPRI Member
I was and remain HEAVILY influenced by Jeff. For me “Blow by Blow” is the apex, an incredible album with many, many, different guitar sounds and techniques throughout. I have spent a millennia working through “Diamond Dust.” I believe musically Max Middleton lifted Jeff’s music and songs to a level that sets his performance inside the songs to the highest level he would attain.
The Yon Hamer recordings were similarly placed musically but not as solid as “Blow by Blow.” Remember, this is only an opinion.
The Yon Hamer recordings were similarly placed musically but not as solid as “Blow by Blow.” Remember, this is only an opinion.
I feel so fortunate I saw him half a dozen times in the last 30 years.
I feel kinda snobby that I understood (and loved) what he was doing the last 25.
I feel kinda snobby that I understood (and loved) what he was doing the last 25.
Yngwie is the best, he said so.
That wasn't my point at all. I was responding to the question of whether Beck was known among non-guitarists. I was making the case that not only is he known among non-guitarists, he's quite popular.
I totally agree with you about Blow By Blow.
Saw him almost ten years ago now at Wolf Trap in Washington DC area. His music is not something that I think can be defined as merely being rock, or classifying him as a plainly rock guitarist. I see no need to try to debate who is best, or classify even styles. Lots of great players of all styles and he was among them.
Becks Ashtray
Tele-Meister
I have heard quite a few guitarists and other musicians cite Jeff Beck as the best guitarist in his particular genre (although Beck ventured into many different musical areas and kept pushing what an electric guitar could do. He certainly influenced and amazed many fellow guitarists).The new issue of Guitar World magazine has an article about Jeff Beck after his passing. I haven't read it all but so far it is a good article, but...I DO have a couple (so far) of quibbles. And I know it's one person who wrote the article so it is, after all, opinions. However...
Quibble #1: the writer said that (sic) many consider Jeff Beck the greatest rock guitarist of all time. Is this true? I know Beck is in the upper echelon of rock guitarists but I don't think I've ever seen him in an "Best Rock Guitarists" List as #1. Even Guitar World magazine listed him as #9.
The 100 greatest guitarists of all time
A comprehensive rundown of the best guitarists of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, the best jazz, rock, indie, blues, metal and acoustic players – and the top guitarists around today...www.guitarworld.com
Quibble #2: He says that the cover of Rave-Up, the first Yardbirds album with JB as lead guitarist, is just as iconic as the back cover of John Mayall's 'Beano' album because it shows Beck's beat up Esquire. Well, it doesn't really show the Esquire. In fact, it shows so little of the guitar that (1) you can't really tell that it isn't a Telecaster, and (2) you can't see the wear/modification to the body that Beck did to the guitar. He said that that cover influenced a lot of guitarists to get Esquires. We all know about the modded Esquire NOW but you sure couldn't tell it from that Rave-Up cover pic.
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The best two guitarists that I have seen perform live were Tommy Emmanuel and Jeff Beck (not at the same time of course - that would have been an interesting duo).
When I say best, I am talking from a musical/technical point of view.
They aren't my favourite all time musicians.
For example I rate the musical works of someone like Tom Waits higher than these two guitarists on the emotional and creative grounds.
You can purely marvel at what a musician or artist creates or you can be moved by them on different levels, such as on a spiritual or emotional level.
B.B King was sensational every time I saw him (even playing with U2).
Mike Oldfield was ridiculous when I saw him play live in Australia. You continually lost sight of him on stage as he played every instrument, including percussion and of course the Tubular Bells.
Then you have artists like Roger Waters who is able to move mountains with words and a live show that is unique and challenges the audience on many levels.
So is Jeff Beck the greatest guitarist ever? Some people think so. Some fellow guitarists think so.
Even Alice Cooper thinks so......
But does it matter?
To me - not really.
What matters is what you leave behind when you take your last breath - how you affected other people's lives.
Life is a circus until you find the exit.....
Who plays the guitar like this????
I've always said this about the Yardbirds:
Clapton played with his heart, Beck played with his nads, and Page played with his mind. 14-year-old me gravitated towards Jeff and his style, and he remains my favourite era of the Yardbirds to this day. "A guitarist's guitarist" is pretty accurate. I (and many here, I suspect) tend to listen to "musician's music".
Jeff continued to grow and progress, and he was always on top of the game.
Clapton played with his heart, Beck played with his nads, and Page played with his mind. 14-year-old me gravitated towards Jeff and his style, and he remains my favourite era of the Yardbirds to this day. "A guitarist's guitarist" is pretty accurate. I (and many here, I suspect) tend to listen to "musician's music".
Jeff continued to grow and progress, and he was always on top of the game.
The best? No.
I like a few of his albums from his prime, but have never held him in my top five. Maybe not my top ten.
I view him like I view Thelonious Monk (who I like a million times more). Monk was a *brilliant* stylist and and wrote just amazing and weird/quirky songs. He might be my favorite jazz pianist and is certainly one of my very favorite jazz musicians. But if someone said "Was Monk the best jazz pianist?" I wouldn't hesitate to say no. Other guys are all-around more skilled and flexible.
But if you asked, "Who had the most unique jazz piano style?", I would probly say Monk.
If you asked "Who had the most unique rock guitar style?", I would probly say Beck. Probly.
I like a few of his albums from his prime, but have never held him in my top five. Maybe not my top ten.
I view him like I view Thelonious Monk (who I like a million times more). Monk was a *brilliant* stylist and and wrote just amazing and weird/quirky songs. He might be my favorite jazz pianist and is certainly one of my very favorite jazz musicians. But if someone said "Was Monk the best jazz pianist?" I wouldn't hesitate to say no. Other guys are all-around more skilled and flexible.
But if you asked, "Who had the most unique jazz piano style?", I would probly say Monk.
If you asked "Who had the most unique rock guitar style?", I would probly say Beck. Probly.
Tonetele
Doctor of Teleocity
What's best mean? It's not a competition. Also consider Chet, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Knopfler and others. They're not competing with eachother.
