JEFF BECK : GUITAR SHOP : 1985
This is one favourite of my many Jeff Beck albums.
Unlike many of his contemporaries Jeff’s playing has evolved as technology moved with the times. He is not afraid to mix & match styles in order to come up with something new.
This album shows off his ability to juxtapose his outrageous arsenal of guitar sounds, where the playing is not always restricted to just the neck of the guitar, with ballads of almost ethereal guitar playing.
When I was younger everyones guitar hero was either Clapton or Page, both good at their particular genre of playing, but no one engaged me like Jeff Beck. The task of listening to him play, made even harder by the fact that he hates the music industry. He would rather be at home in his garage building hot rods, than recording product. It is not uncommon to wait 4 years or more for a new album to surface.
This album was long awaited after the much maligned, Flash released in 1985. Guitar shop hit the record store racks in 1989, Just in time for my move back home to Leeds from Scarborough. It featured Terry Bozzio & Tony Hymas supporting Beck who was obviously in no mood to surrender any musical ground to the younger kids on the block .
His musical manifesto is stated clearly on the opening track, which is the title cut, Guitar Shop.
The guitar springs at you from everywhere in the mix & added to this brew an innovation in the form of samples, which are used on a few tracks.
Stand outs for me are Big Block , Where were you, Stand on it, Slingshot & the sublime Two Rivers.
Long may he continue to dazzle me with his skills & if you get the opportunity, check out any of his albums……
No comments:
Post a Comment