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Genius with the guitar
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From being a one-time choirboy to becoming an influential lead guitarist, Jeff Beck had seen it all
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The exit of Eric Clapton from R&B pioneers The Yardbirds saw the entry of Jeff Beck as replacement. It was a tall order for the one-time choirboy, but before long he floored audiences with his fluent guitar pyrotechnics. In time, he would become one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock, giving shape to blues rock and heavy metal.
Clashes with joint lead guitarist Jimmy Page, later a founding father of Led Zeppelin, found Beck walking out of a U.S. tour concert. His vocals were unimpressive but Hi-Ho Silver Lining launched his solo career. He then formed the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 that comprised Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Nicky Hopkins and Mickey Waller.
Differences rocked the band as Stewart and Wood left to join The Faces and Waller was sacked. A fractured skull from a car crash found Beck sidelined for a year-and-a-half. He was involved in three more motor accidents. Vanilla Fudge members Tim Bogert and Carmen Appice joined Beck in the early 70s but that association fell apart in 1974. In the next year, he came out with an all-instrumental format, foraying into jazz and resulting in Blow by Blow, that many consider to be his best work. Beck then toured with the Mahavishnu Orchestra working in tandem with its keyboardist Jan Hammer now and then. In between periods of hibernation, he surfaced at Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball in 1981. Guesting on Tina Turner's Private Dancer, he even collaborated with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on the Honeydrippers' album. His stock continued to be high on polls for leading guitarists, his genius unmistakable. He also performed alongside Mick Jagger, Roger Waters and Jon Bon Jovi. New material arrived with Who Else! in 1999 that explored the electronic genre.
Awards and Grammy nominations greeted him till a marked deviation was observed with Crazy Legs, a tribute to Gene Vincent. On this album he shed jazz stylings and blistering solos for a clean rock-and-roll feel, once again displaying his complete control of technique. For a taste of his wizardry, simply sample Jeff Beck Live.
A. GEORGE ANTONY
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