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Jeff Beck (born June 24, 1944) is a notoriously influential and inspiring English rock guitarist, who has played with the Yardbirds, the The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Born in the London Borough of Sutton, UK, Beck began his musical excursions singing in his local church choir before learning to play a borrowed guitar and making his instruments. Inspired to play after hearing Les Paul, B.B. King and Steve Cropper, throughout the early ‘60s Beck played in a string of bands including the Rumbles and the Tridents and made his first vinyl appearance as a session guitarist on the Fitz and Startz single “I’m Not Running Away”.

At the request of session man Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds recruited Beck to replace Eric Clapton as lead guitarist, during Beck’s 20-month tenure The Yardbirds recorded the majority of their most popular and revered songs.

After being kicked out of the Yardbirds for rarely showing up and completing a short solo project which resulted in the two solo UK hit singles “Hi Ho Silver Lining” and “Tallyman”, Beck formed the Jeff Beck Group. The Jeff Beck Group temporarily had a line-up of Beck, ex-Shadow man Jet Harris on bass, Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on guitar and Nicky Hopkins on piano. The band’s first release “Truth” (1968) performed significantly better than the second “Beck-Ola” (1969) and resentment ended the band in 1969.

After a serious car accident in 1970 and a failed idea to start a power-trio with Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, Beck formed a new version of the Jeff Beck Group. The reformation however didn’t cause much of a stir with the albums “Rough and Ready (1971) and “Jeff Beck Group” (1972), and with the the breakup of the band Cactus, Beck, Appice and Bogert formed a power-trio in 1973.

In 1975 after a quiet period for the guitarist, Beck release the instrumental jazz-fusion album “Blow by Blow” which garnered critical acclaim as did his follow-up with Jan Hammer on the 1976 album “Wired”. Releases from Beck after this time appeared fewer and further between with his next release the Jan Hammer-contributed “There and Back” arrived in 1980 after which Beck toured extensively, before retiring again.

Five years later in 1986 Beck released the pop/rock album “Flash” produced by Nile Rodgers. On the album the single “People Get Ready” features vocals from Rod Stewart, as well as featuring the Grammy winning instrumental single “Escape”. Prior to the release of the Grammy award winning “Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas” in 1989, Beck played lead guitar on Mick Jagger’s second solo album “Primitive Cool”.

In 1992 Beck contributed lead guitar on the Roger Water comeback album “Amused to Death” before releasing a tribute album to Gene Vincent entitled “Crazy Legs” in 1993. After a six-year break came “Who Else! You Had It Coming” in 1999, followed by “Jeff” in 2001, the live set “Performing This Week: Live at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club” in 2008, and “Emotion & Commontion” in 2010. The album won two Grammys for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Beck subsequently release a live album titled “Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum in 2010, followed by a tribute album to Les Paul entitled “Rock & Roll Party” the same year.

Live reviews

It's just so hard to describe Jeff Beck. You have to see him. Being one of the pioneers of rock, playing with the Yardbirds in the 60's, went from their wailing blues to psychedelic blues as the three (Beck Clapton Page) guitarists divulged into Cream and Led Zeppelin. Jeff evolved into a modern guitar God enigma.

He has smooth riffs, blending into another with complete control of his effects, never using them repeatedly for lack of musicality. His quality of playing is always forefront to the gimmicks. You could give him a cheap guitar and he will sound like Jeff Beck because of his skill of playing.

His "People Get Ready" live instrumental rendition blew me off my seat when He played with Jeff Healy, Stevie Ray Vaughn at the now called Rogers Centre. The fans that had the pleasure to see him at Ronny Scotts are probably still shaking their heads on how he played the strat with slide and whammy harmonics, simultaneously. He will sustain a bend; climaxing in a flurry riff that you would have to play it back slowly to figure out what he was playing.

He has evolved in uncharted territory. He plays with raw, controlled emotion and mastery of his instrument. He can play so soulful (Definitely Maybe - Jeff Beck Group70's), he can make the Strat cry. He once quoted that a lot of good music comes by accident and rarely repeats his riffs, unless they are patented JB riffs. He builds a sculpture, then breaks the mold. He always comes up with something new,keeping you on edge until he pulls it out unexpectedly, like he did with "People Get Ready". He is one of England's National Treasures and I am a very happy man to be a witness to the journey he has taken.

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Well to start with, the show for Jeff Beck was very disappointing. Most of his songs were just screaming distorted sounds that sounded the same throughout the entire performance. We mainly purchased tickets to see him on stage with bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, who was not on his show! Instead he had a mediocre bass player who did nothing to add to the songs played. Tal makes Jeff play more melodic with feeling. Even on his ballad song "Cause We Ended As Lovers" had no bass solo, a staple part for Tal in which she steals the song from Jeff.

To make the show even worse than it could ever be, guitarist Buddy Guy performed right after Jeff Beck and all you heard was him saying the "F Bomb" word all night long, so disrespectful to the audience & minors that were present. If Buddy thinks by laying his guitar down while beating it with a towel while it feedsback, he should record himself & see how immature if really is, that's not music, nor beating the guitar strings with a bow. I've seen him 2xs before, and each time he has been intoxicated on stage. The worse was when he put his guitar up in the ceiling rafter while it was

feeding back & he couldn't get it down!! The entire show sucked.

Perhaps one of Britain's most celebrated musicians, guitarist Jeff Beck had the coveted opportunity to play alongside The Yardbirds as well as other iconic performers Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Now performing solo at the grand age of 70, the guitarist has not lost any of his abilities or stage presence.

An eccentric through and through, Beck was born to be onstage and you can understand why he refuses to take early retirement as you listen to the deafening cheers as he steps proudly out to his adoring crowd. Playing a bold cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing' he easily demonstrates his masterful abilities and this level of expertise continues throughout the evening. His accompanying musicians are talented within their own rights, but the whole attention is well and truly on Jeff and his guitar. The complexity of 'Big Block' evokes mass cheers from the crowd and as he exits the stage they are left under the impression that Beck will not be hanging up the strings and plectrum anytime soon.

I was glad an excited to see this venue, for two of the finest, at Denver's premier stages outside this summer. Buddy Guy landed his licks, among the crowd when he walked round expressing the sources of bluesdom mixed with rock. His performance was outstanding, loved his Blues,totally.

The Jeff Beck Band was more ,of an up to date format ,moving to the next level of his career. At his age, traveling through his past,didn't seem to slow his performance one bit. His band showed their energy and flowed to us in every song played... moved the lyrics into our brains n out of our tearful eyes. The vocalists (times two) showed how to get it right. My gratitude is heart felt, Thanks to both of you, splendidly.

A terrific show on August 7th, 2016. One that will be talked about, reviewed, over all He is a Rock Legend, true to form.

Kevin Walsh,

I've been a jeff beck fan since the mid 60's (yes I'm an old burnout).his playing was as crisp and smooth as it was in 1971,when i last saw him live.his play list was a good representation of his work for the last several years with just enough of his early tunes thrown in to please us older fans.i would strongly recommend younger folks to go and see beck play.remember he came onto the British rock/blues scene with guitarists eric clapton,jimmy page and peter green.

The crowd was of mixed age with plenty of young folks there to check this guy out.from what i saw there were no concert antics like the 70's.my take on this show was time and money well spent. The venue daily's place ampatheatre was a pleasant surprise.thanks songkick i sure could have used you back in the day.you now have a customer for life,great experience.

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This was a first class concert. I had not seen Jeff live before but was extremely impressed with the whole package, his playing, the band and the material they played. I was really impressed with the two young girls who were outstanding and the drummer was incredible. I would like to know if the drummer was Simon Phillips who played with him some years back and is, of that standard. All in all a great concert. The band was so surprised to be asked to do an encore that they had not planned for one and took a few minutes to agree on what to play. if he tours again in this country I would go back and see him again.

Great show overall - but a bit short at just over 90 minutes (including an encore). Front of house mix was a bit hit and miss for first 15-20 mins (drums and bass a bit overpowering) but settled down when the male vocalist - who was outstanding- came on. Backing musicians were outstanding and Jeff was in good form with Big Block, Superstition, A Day in the Life and Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers stand outs.

Jeff lets his guitar do the talking but the show would benefit from a few more words from Jeff - he was even quieter than usual but the singer was excellent and helped communication with the audience.

I'm from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, my name is Casimiro Monge...yesterday after 30 or more years wanting to see and listen live this genius of electric guitar, i made it ! something memorable for me, a form of happiness that transcends me, his passion, his taste, his technique, his everything is really great ... for me the least predesible...you do not know what note interpret...today I can say, I will die happy !! Excellent show, great set list, although I would have liked to interpret Blue Wind of his album Wired.

Long live to Jeff Beck!!!

Jeff Beck has 5 decades of music, on Saturday night he played for only 70 minutes. 25 of those minutes we were forced to listen to Johnny Depp sing. It was the worst concert I've ever been to. Compare this concert to Santana a month ago. Santana played for 3.5 hours, tickets were only $35 and when the tickets arrived included was a copy of his latest CD. That was a concert to remember.

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• June 30, 2014
• B-Sides , Columns

I Was There When…Jeff Beck Blew John McLaughlin Off the Stage in 1975

• By Doug Collette
• 37 Comments

With “I Was There When…,” veteran music journalist Doug Collette reflects on his experiences in the glory days of live rock music. With each column, he takes us back to a specific concert he attended way back when, spotlighting bands like The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Allman Brothers Band, among many others.

Civic Center; Springfield, MA (April 26th, 1975)

The co-billing of Jeff Beck and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra in the spring of 1975 made perfect sense in more ways than one. Not only were the two guitar heroes of their era label-mates (the former on Epic; the latter on Columbia), but also their prestigious status on their instruments was hardly in question.

Replacing Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds, Beck made a name for himself as an innovator of the highest order, and his original Jeff Beck Group created the template for heavy bands of the late ’60s. Recovering from a serious auto accident, he’d had mixed success with subsequent lineups, but his first foray into instrumental music, Blow by Blow , reignited interest in Beck and the jazz-rock fusion field in general.

An alumnus of Miles Davis and Tony Williams’ Lifetime, McLaughlin had helped create that genre with the first incarnation of Mahavishnu — yet this version of the band was not the lean fiery quintet as first assembled, but instead an expanded ensemble including violinist Jean Luc Ponty (fresh off his stint with Frank Zappa) and keyboardist/vocalist Gayle Moran, who had most recently performed in a similar context with an evolved version of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. The metamorphosis of these two hallowed groups was remarkably similar in their concept and eventual impact, and the contrast McLaughlin posited couldn’t have been more stark this April evening at the Springfield Civic Center.

Sans stage production of any kind, Beck brought a stripped-down quartet to bear on a fairly standard setlist, including nasty funk like “Constipated Duck,” alternated with ballads such as “’Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” that were as delicate as rockers such as “Freeway Jam” were volcanic. Anyone who thought this man’s genius lay in the means by which he overdubbed complementary guitar parts on recordings might well have been laughing maniacally watching Beck’s left hand fly up and down the fretboard while his right maneuvered the whammy bar and various other controls of his guitar.

Elongated phrases assumed an inevitable logic, as Wilbur Bascombe on bass and the legendary Bernard Purdie on drums generated ebb and flow of rhythm simultaneously independent of and complementary to the guitar. In the meantime, across the stage from Beck, keyboardist Max Middleton evinced the same stoic demeanor as the band leader, effortlessly drawing out crisp, glowing notes of electric piano and atmospheric clouds of synthesizer (mimicking orchestration Beatles producer George Martin had arranged on “Diamond Dust”) from his own instruments.

This straightforward, all-too-human approach made selections from Apocalypse and Visions of the Emerald Beyond  sound even more bombastic than they might have otherwise. There was no missing the lack of dynamics, as the leader’s icy guitar gave way to Ponty’s fevered electrified violin, proving intensity is a relative concept.  Moran’s keyboards, flowery as they were, found an over-busy match when precocious bassist Ralphe Armstrong stepped forward to solo in the hopes of demonstrating he had as much technical skill as anyone else in the group.

It was perhaps no surprise in retrospect, but no less an ironic one, that the most outstanding musician of McLaughlin’s’ ensemble was drummer Narada Michael Walden, who would subsequently become a lynchpin in the recording of Beck’s next studio effort, Wired  (and four decades later return to accompany the man when Beck toured briefly with Clapton). Walden seemed to be the only member of the Orchestra actually listening and reacting to the musicians in front of him, as they engaged in an exercise of almost pure Sturm und Drang.

The audience filling the cookie cutter venue, originally designed for hockey and basketball, were no doubt stunned on a number of fronts this night, wondering what they’d seen and heard from Beck and company as they opened the show, but they were hardly given the chance to process it all before being subjected to the heavy-handed Mahavishnu Orchestra: Mach II.

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37 responses.

I don’t recall ever hearing/reading anyone else say that Beck blew McLaughlin off the stage, and considering that they both are members of a small mutual admiration society, and have played together since then, plus Beck has publicly stated that McLaughlin is the best guitarist alive, I doubt that he would agree with the writer’s opinion.

http://www.uncut.co.uk/jeff-beck/an-audience-with-jeff-beck-feature

I saw two nights from this tour one at san jose civic the next at winterland arena in sf. I was the first guy in line for both. The first guy through the door at both. Dead center against the stage at both. Just them and me i could see no one else but them standing inches away. Had i wanted to i could have grabbed their ankles that’s how close i was for both shows. One night Jeff opened the next John . Jeff was in heaven and you could see it in his cheshire cat smile (ear to ear) all night long. He was playing with his hero and there was no mistaking it he loved every minute. Only people “blown away” were all of us in the crowd. When you get to that level there is no best or better it’s all the same. We weren’t allowed to take photos during those shows but my buddy brought his camera in regardless and snapped away all night long getting some incredible shots of these events . Back then i was regularly seen at these venues standing against the stage . I learned from the first shows, if i want to see these shows comfortably, it was going to be standing against the stage. That way at least, i had something to lean against. As a result my face is seen in countless rock n roll images taken by countless now famous rock n roll photographers. Especially winterland arena because it had an uipper balcony where these guys often sat to get up close and personal. The Who , Frank Zappa, Jeff, John, Traffic, Grateful Dead(I’m in the movie), Allman Bros, Frampton, Stones, Rory Gallagher, Montrose, Kinks, to name a few. Stumbled upon these pics some 40 + years later while randomly viewing pics of concerts i was at on line. There i am!!!! There i am again!!!!on and on hahahahhahahahah I kept finding more and more. Yes this was a GREAT tour and perfect match . Saw jeff last november exactly 2 months prior to his death. San Jose civic!!!! Still incredible as he ever was!!!!

I was at the 75 show in Phoenix AZ. It was one of the occasions that MO opened for Beck. McLaughlin’s group and performance was so awesome that I left halfway through Beck’s set. Beck’s performance was good, to be sure, but it was so anticlimactic to the power of the MO, even in this configuration.

I’ve always loved Jeff because his solos tell a story and are melodic. JM is obviously a technical master. Jeff is more pleasing to the ear.

Well we are all entitled to our opinions and since I wasn’t there that night, I cannot say yours is correct or not. However, I will say that I have never seen anyone “blow McLaughlin off the stage” either acoustically or electrically. I do agree that MO 2 was not as powerful as MO 1 – no band has even been. I might humbly suggest you read Power, Passion & Beauty by Walter Kolosky , the 2014 ebook edition so you can see for yourself what Jeff Beck has said about John McLaughlin, as Mark has mentioned above.

Ted – Mr. Collette claims to have read Walter Kolosky’s book, and he trashed it, IIRC. That should indicate something right there.

Ted & Mark, Doug’s is an opinion earned through years of experience, and I hope you will accept that Beck, though humbly crediting McLaughlin as the better guitarist, might have produced a superior performance on a given night. For me, theirs is truly a comparison of apples and oranges, and my clarifying question might be this: which guitarist/bandleader would you rather have danced to in 1976? 🙂

I was at the ’75 Springfield show and am happy to send along a few photo’s… As a fan of both players…. hard to say if anyone was the stronger player… Beck was on fire… John’s playing wa much more subdued as compared the original Mahavishnu Orchestra whom I seen a year and half earlier at Bowker Auditorium, Univ Of Mass. , Amherst.. It was a great and I met Jeff at the Springfield Sheraton, later that night, wherein a jam session was held in the hotel cocktail lounge featuring players from both bands.. What a night !

i have seen jeff beck well over 100 times each time he played on the east coast after i saw him at the fillmore east in 1968 and he not only blew me away but played his guitar like i think and feel and i sure as hell saw him at avery fisher hall with bernard perdie, wilber bascomb and max middleton and john mclauglin opened up for him and the jamed together (both bands) at the end. BECK IS THE GREATEST GUITARIST ever as far as i am concerned.

I saw them on this tour in NYC and it was a great show.

Sounds like it was written by someone who didn’t appreciate Mahavishnu 2. Oh well. I would have done about anything to see a band like that. A band like Becks, you could see about any day of the week in any bar. Jeff is fantastic, but that band, Mahavishnu, legendary. Too bad you did not appreciate it. Prob were not ready.

On any given night I imagine Beck & company could blow McLaughlin & company off the stage and – on another night- vice versa. Both men are phenomenal talents who attract first rate colleagues in their exploits. I’ve seen both live and relished every one of their performances.

I was nerdy enough in 1975 to come home from shows and write down what I saw. For instance, I can tell you that Mahavishnu Orchestra was the opener that night in Springfield, not the other way around as described in the article.

I saw the show in Boston maybe a week later, and I’m pretty sure the violinist was Steve Kinder, not Jean Luc who had left after the recording of VOTEB. Also I think it was Stu Goldberg, not Gayle Moran on keys. Beck was at the top of the bill, at least in beantown.

I saw Avery Fisher and agree with Doug. Jeff was so much more impressive in every way. Perhaps the stripped down fusion group he had was more like MO I I don’t know but Beck was way the Man that night. And I love all of McLaughlin’s work Bitches Brew Emergency w Tony Williams through Shakti. The original quintet was the bomb listen to Between Nothingnesss and Eternity. Both great in their own right and should tour again!

I was also at that show. I think Jeff’s playing was more accessible to the rock ear looking to expand his/her sonic library. Few if any have better technical chops over McLaughlin but Beck has a way of coaxing sounds out of guitars that is unique. For my taste, JB won the night. I am sure there are plenty of Mahavishnu fans that would disagree and for their taste level, they would be right.

What a silly story. I was at several of these shows, and both Beck and McLaughlin’s bands played great and went down a storm every time. I’m sorry Doug doesn’t “get” the M.O. and that incredibly incorrect “heavy handed” statement made me bust out laughing. Keep your day job, kid. Music criticism is not your bag. At all.

Must be the best bill in fusion history. I saw this incarnation of Maha’ Orch’ in the U.K. and didn’t get to see Jeff until a few years ago. when he toured with the amazing band he recorded a residency with, at Ronnie Scott’s/London. They are both wired to the elements when they play and are incandescent/transporting when “on”. Silly to play the …who’s better … game IMO. Anyone who saw Shakti live will know why Jeff reveres him so much. Anyone who has seen Jeff at his best will know why the fact that he technically can’t play what John is capable of playing … that that fact … is totally irrelevant.

As a huge Jeff Beck & John Mclaughlin fan, to compare the two is silly. While Jeff Beck is the master of coaxing incredible sounds from his guitar, he isn’t even close (and he admitted so) to the sheer technical virtuosity that JM has. Only one other comes close and that is the late Larry Coryell. Conversation over!

I saw the 75 Show Hofstra university playhouse. Jeff Beck opened and was well Jeff Beck (Magnificent) John Maclaughlin followed and I believe he had to up his game after Mr Becks set! The song Birds of Fire was exactly that!! I left the playhouse with my jaw hanging! I still over 30 years later consider that concert one of the best I have ever had the privilege to experience!!!!

I saw that tour in 1975 in Tulsa, OK. Beck greatly impressed me with his creativity and range and the Blow by Blow material. While “Visions of the Emerald Beyond” wasn’t McLaughlin’s best work, I was still blown away by both bands. The Mahavishnu set was a little too loud, but they got into some really intense pieces beginning about halfway in and when they were done I was almost in a trance. It was hard to get up and walk away. Great concert overall. I don’t think Beck ‘blew McLaughlin away’, but Beck sure gave a great account of himself, and it wasn’t McLaughlin’s finest hour – yet awesome nevertheless.

I was at that Springfield show and Mahavishnu opened for Beck… so I do not understand what you are saying at all 🙂

I must confess I trust my recollection(s) and my observations more than those of defensive fanboys (of which Kolosky is the archetype: ‘The Greatest Band That Ever Was’!?!?…c’mon man!?!?!?)

I would not have left after Ralphe Armstrong’s blustery bass solo if El Becko was yet to play?!?

I was at Winterland, San Francisco mainly to see McLaughlin. I don’t remember alot of details… MO opened for Jeff Beck and when John McLaughlin came out at the end of the show, I thought JM stole his thunder and Beck walked off as John kept playing. Just my impression and questionable memory.

I also was at the Springfield show. Honestly, I remember some concerts better than others, and this one not so much. I was and still am a huge Jeff Beck fan, but at the time I was not very familiar with Blow by Blow as it had only come out about a month earlier. Yardbirds, Jeff’s 4 previous albums with his two bands, and BBA was where I was at musically. I also remember that MO opened and I wasn’t impressed – too much pointless noodling. I wasn’t that into Beck’s direction at the time either, although I liked him better than MO. I have warmed to Jeff’s style over the years. Since I saw Jeff at Foxwoods in 2014, I have become a fanatic. I have become obsessed with getting a legitimate recording or a soundboard recording of at least one show from every Jeff Beck tour/band – not an easy task. This 1975 tour being especially difficult. Regarding MO, I’ve never been able to get into them. I don’t like the tone of John’s guitar (or is it his amplifier), there’s too much violin, and too much pointless noodling. In preparation for writing this, I gave the MO another listening and still feel the same way. I’m sure that Jeff knows what he is saying when he says that John’s technique is better than his, but music is so subjective and just because he is good doesn’t mean that everyone will like his music. The players are certainly talented.

As an aside, did anyone who was at this show see the Yardbirds at Mountain Park on August 15, 1967? Talk about a show: 10 feet from the stage with the Jimmy Page Yardbirds on their last tour, documented on the Anderson Theater show.

Funny,i saw them both Beck and MO around 1975, i believe it was at the Nassau Coliseum. And at the end of the show they were trading rifts when Beck finally gestured to john after John had finished one of his rifts. It was an obvious i can’t top that John. and stopped trading rifts at that point. Beck is excellent, but it was obvious to me John took home the trophy. I believe Mclaughlin, Di meola, Paco Deucia and Bireli Lagrene are the best in the business. Honorable mention to Larry Coryell.

I was at the show at Avery in 1975. I was blown away by both bands and guitarists who I still love to this day. I don’t know which show this guy Doug went to, but at the end of the jam they did together that closed the show Jeff laid his guitar down at McLaughlin’s feet, bowed and walked off stage. It was done as a sign of respect as they has been trading solo licks for about ten to fifteen minutes. Doug was mistaken if he was at the show I was at. There was nothing but mutual admiration between them and it was evident. I remember it vividly although I was eighteen years old at the time. Marc G

I was at the show at hofstra university in 1975, and both bands blew me away. Being a huge jeff beck fan, I must say that he was my favorite. Whether he blew Mclaughlin off the stage is debateable. Both are amazing musicians.

For most, Becks brand of “Fusion” is more easily heard, less time changes, soloing, etc, more melodies. Beck is an excellent guitarist, as Is McLaughlin. But McLaughlin is a Master, improvising, creating, while Beck plays street mapped solos, though with great finesse.

I attended the early and late shows at Winterland Ballroom. Beck and John M. jammed at the end of the early show, but did not in the late show. I was with a guy who tripped out on window pane during the early Mahavishnu set. I escorted him to the door and he left. Terrific shows !

Music is not a competition. Impossible to “blow JM off the stage” IMO. He is a master. As is Jeff. My two favourite living electric players along with the astounding Pat Metheny.

Will miss you Mr. Jeff Beck

I gotta say I went to Avery Fisher for McLaughlin had all their LPs even saw bassist Rick Laird in Mass that summer but Jeff was The Master that night big surprise he had jazz chops like that I think Pontyvplayed and Armstrong and Walden were awesome rhythm section tight powerful and innovative Gayle in keys as well McLaughlin kicked ass but blow for blow the match went to Jeff

I saw them at Winterland in 1975 and during the climax of the encore guitar battle, McLaughlin threw up his hands and applauded Jeff Beck. Truth.

I was at the ’75 Avery Fisher show the second evening. Beck opened the show and of course impressed with a fine set of the new fusion oriented direction he was heading in, been teasing the audience with the riff from Rice Pudding and asking us if ” you remember that one”? Mclaughlin was obviously upset over something, perhaps a personal matter and though Mclaughlin on a bad night is still better than just about any guitarist alive, the set overall could have been better as I had seen this second lineup live in Central Park a year prior and they were just magnificent. Perhaps they knew the lineup would not last much longer. I was disappointed they did not jam that night as all of NYC seemed to know they did the evening before. 2 of my all time favorites I am happy to have seen on many occasions and will always have the recorded body of work for my enjoyment.

Both are unique, master guitarists. Jeff was undoubtedly far more accessible to rock fans. But John, one needs to have studied and have a deep understanding of different genres of music, from blues to modern classical, from Coltrane to Ravel, to truly appreciate him as a musician. The instrument is just a medium.

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• Venue Ambassador Theatre (St. Louis, MO)
• Date May 11, 1975
• Total Length 58:33
• 1 Constipated Duck (Incomplete) 04:30
• 2 She's A Woman 06:13
• 3 Freeway Jam (Incomplete) / Definitely Maybe 14:57
• 4 Superstition (Incomplete) 02:39
• 5 Cause We've Ended As Lovers 07:52
• 6 Air Blower (Incomplete) 04:19
• 7 Power 05:17
• 8 Got The Feeling 05:51
• 9 You Know What I Mean 03:33
• 10 Diamond Dust 03:22

Copyright © Bill Graham Archives and affiliates

Jeff Beck - guitar; Wilbur Bascomb - bass; Max Middleton - keyboards; Bernard Purdie - drums

After redefining electric guitar during his tenure in The Yardbirds, numerous outstanding permutations of The Jeff Beck Group, and a brief experiment with ex-Vanilla Fudge/Cactus alumni in Beck, Bogart & Appice, Jeff Beck disappeared from the public eye. When he returned in 1975 with his new album, Blow By Blow , it was immediately apparent that Beck was taking an entirely different approach. The album, produced by the legendary George Martin at his AIR Studios, was strictly an instrumental affair with the music clearly heading in a jazz-fusion direction. The results were nothing short of spectacular, gaining Beck a new legion of fans, and Blow By Blow would sail up the charts, soon to become one of the best selling instrumental albums of all time.

When Beck took this exciting new material on the road, he assembled a stellar new quartet featuring the outstanding rhythm section of bassist Wilbur Bascomb and drummer Bernard Purdie. He wisely retained the services of keyboardist Max Middleton, the only mainstay from his previous groups. Middleton's jazzy keyboard parts complimented much of Beck's finest work from the early 1970s, and in this new band he inspired Beck to reach new levels of sophistication. Beck's explorations into this new genre of music were immediately distinctive and would in retrospect prove to be the commercial peak of a long and illustrious career. This recording, from when Jeff Beck and The Mahavishnu Orchestra took to the road together, captures this new era perfectly. Much of the Blow By Blow album is here when it was fresh and new. Even when Beck dips back into his catalogue, older songs are given an altogether new instrumental treatment, bringing out delightful nuances and making them entirely new experiences.

This set, recorded at St. Louis' Ambassador Theater, was the final night of the first leg of the North American Blow By Blow Tour, when both Jeff Beck and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra toured the continent together, providing audiences with a remarkable double bill of cutting edge jazz/rock fusion. Although not without a few dropouts on the master cassette, this recording captures Beck and one of his most revered bands at a peak moment in time. Following this performance, Beck would return to England for two weeks before embarking on the second leg of the tour at the end of the month.

Following some brief tune-ups, this fiery set kicks off with the humorously titled "Constipated Duck." Despite a brief cut in the master, this is a great opener as it showcases a wide range of guitar sounds and techniques. Beck vacillates between screaming psychosis and lyrical beauty, all in the space of four minutes. The set then continues with his infectious instrumental take on The Beatles classic, "She's A Woman," featuring Beck playing his guitar through a talk-box, a gadget that he helped introduce to a legion of guitar players. (The way this effect works is the electric guitar signal is diverted from the amplifier speaker to a special hose-like conduit. The hose directs the sound into the guitarist's mouth. Guitarists move their mouth as if they are speaking to change the tone and nuance of the sound, which is then picked up by the microphone.) Next up is one of the standout tracks from the new album, "Freeway Jam," which would soon become a ubiquitous radio staple. This too has a brief cut in the master, but it's a wonderful performance regardless. Following a brief drum interlude from Bernard Purdie, the song segues directly into a spine tingling version of one of Beck's finest older compositions, "Definitely Maybe." This is a prime example of the incredible chemistry between Beck and Middleton and it features some of Beck's delicate and beautiful slide guitar.

At this point, Beck does a two-song tribute to Stevie Wonder, beginning with an all-instrumental take on "Superstition," where he again uses the talk-box to allow his guitar to take the lead vocal. A beautiful introspective take on "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" follows. Beginning with a lovely keyboard intro sequence from Middleton, Beck's interpretation of this ballad remains one of his most beautiful displays of emotionally charged guitar playing ever, and this version is certainly a highlight of the performance. His guitar pleads, weeps, wails, and sweetly sighs, revealing Beck's astounding control of dynamics.

For the last several songs of the set, Beck pulls out all the stops beginning with "AIR Blower." A sizzling take on Stanley Clarke's "Power" follows, before the group tackles the old Rough And Ready album track, "Got The Feeling," here revamped in a new instrumental arrangement. All of these numbers feature blazing guitar work and illuminate what has always made Beck so distinctive. While plenty of other guitarists can play fast, Beck can take one note, bend it, sustain it, and add harmonics and distortion like no other. To conclude the proceedings, Beck delivers the funkified frenzy of "You Know What I Mean," the classic opening track from Blow By Blow . This provides yet another prime example of Beck utilizing the entire guitar, often changing the tone and timbre several times within the course of a song. For the encore, the group eases into "Diamond Dust," which rapidly builds up momentum before bringing this performance to a close.

Throughout this performance, Beck's band creates a stately sounding fusion of rock, jazz, soul and blues, bringing Beck's music to a new level of sophistication, while retaining the volatile quality that has always infused his guitar playing. Incorporating a diverse range of musical styles, seasoned with tasteful unpredictability, this performance is a textbook example of what makes any musician truly distinctive. Much like iconic figures such as Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane or Miles Davis, it's not so much the choice of material played, but how immersed the musician is within the context of the music. Here, Beck is deeply submerged and this music ultimately reflects his own volatile and unpredictable personality.

-Written by Alan Bershaw

Related Music

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• Eric Clapton Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Feb 12, 1978

©2024 Bill Graham Archives LLC

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• April 27, 1975 Setlist

Jeff Beck Setlist at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, USA

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• Constipated Duck Play Video
• She's a Woman ( The Beatles  cover) Play Video
• Freeway Jam Play Video
• Definitely Maybe ( Jeff Beck Group  song) Play Video
• Thelonius Play Video
• Diamond Dust Play Video
• Superstition ( Stevie Wonder  cover) Play Video
• Air Blower Play Video
• Power Play Video
• Got the Feeling ( Jeff Beck Group  song) Play Video
• Cause We've Ended as Lovers ( Syreeta  cover) Play Video
• You Know What I Mean Play Video

Edits and Comments

2 activities (last edit by alert23 , 30 Jan 2015, 23:27 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Constipated Duck
• Diamond Dust
• Freeway Jam
• You Know What I Mean
• Cause We've Ended as Lovers by Syreeta
• Definitely Maybe by Jeff Beck Group
• Got the Feeling by Jeff Beck Group
• She's a Woman by The Beatles
• Superstition by Stevie Wonder

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Capitol theatre.

• Mahavishnu Orchestra Add time Add time
• Jeff Beck This Setlist Add time Add time

Jeff Beck Gig Timeline

• Apr 25 1975 Dome Arena Henrietta, NY, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 26 1975 Springfield Civic Center Springfield, MA, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 27 1975 Capitol Theatre This Setlist Passaic, NJ, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 29 1975 John Cranford Adams Playhouse Hempstead, NY, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 30 1975 Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center New York, NY, USA Add time Add time

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