Jeff Beck's guitar wizardry breathes new life into old songs at the Michigan Theater
Jeff Beck publicity photo
Jeff Beck threw a a rock ‘n’ roll party at the Michigan Theater Thursday, revisiting the songs that turned him onto the guitar as a child, while paying tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator, guitar innovator Les Paul.
But it wasn’t just Paul who was the recipient of Beck’s hero worship during a 90-minute show that leaned heavily on rockabilly twang and torchy smolder. The guitarist tipped his hat to other guitar heroes like Cliff Gallup and Scotty Moore.
In fact, Beck, one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll guitarists ever, almost took on a subordinate role in his own band, deferring much of the attention to his bandmates, Imelda May and her group of Irish rockabilly revivalists.
Ultimately, Beck’s show was entertaining, if never groundbreaking or jaw-dropping, even as it offered frequent reminders of what makes him such a remarkable player.
Make no mistake; with amazing tone and astonishing dynamics, Beck has the ability to make each of the numerous guitars he played on Thursday sound like the essence of their individual sounds. In his hands, Telecasters are twangy and gritty, a Gretsch Duo Jet bites through the mix, a Gibson hollow body sounds warm and round.
“Please excuse all the changing of guitars,” said Beck, ever the foppish dandy in a sleeveless white shirt and black vest, his eternal rooster hairstyle still impossibly brown and impeccably shaggy.
“But it’s very important.”
Indeed. But it was with the white Stratocaster he leaned on the most that he sounded the most like himself, delivering wiry solos and crunchy, thick rhythms as he pushed the band through a swingy, brassy reading of “The Peter Gunn Theme” and on “Rockin’ is Our Business,” on which he traded eights with his tenor saxophonist.
If only he spent more time on Thursday sounding like himself, rather than an extremely fine guitarist in a very good oldies group.
Not that sharing the spotlight with May is a bad move. The Irish rockabilly queen has a huge, warm voice and endless charm, while her husband, singer and rhythm guitarist Darrel Higham, doesn’t lack for charisma or vocal chops, either.
Beck’s tribute to Paul, on which he played one of the latter’s signature Gibson guitars, started out fascinating, with Beck emulating his mentor’s rapid-fire, echo-laden licks, while May accompanied her own pre-recorded vocal tracks. The result was hauntingly familiar to any fans of Paul and his onetime wife and partner, Mary Ford. But after a few songs, it all sounded pretty same-y. By the time it was over after six numbers, the novelty was long gone.
Then it was back to more rockabilly, via just-like-the-record versions of “The Girl Can’t Help It” and “Rock Around the Clock” … even “Hound Dog” got the cover treatment.
Thankfully, Beck is just so musical that even straight covers of these tunes benefit from his inability not to play cool licks. And the tone … good grief, the tone he wrings from those guitars!
Even a tired old ballad like “Danny Boy,” re-imagined as a torch song, which closed the show, hade some freshness in Beck’s hands.
Was it a great show? No, even though some incredible things happened in isolated bursts. But, ultimately, here’s to Jeff Beck for revisiting the songs and guitarists that influenced him, while remaining true to their visions and finding ways to inject his own boundless creativity into those old sounds.
Comments
Dave in Green
Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:50 a.m.
First, many thanks for the review of this wonderful performance. But I have to say there's one thing I just don't get. The review says of the Les Paul numbers played: "But after a few songs, it all sounded pretty same-y. By the time it was over after six numbers, the novelty was long gone." This was billed as a tribute to Les Paul! Everyone came expecting to hear lots of Les Paul songs, not "novelty." The fact that fewer than 25% of the numbers played were Les Paul songs could hardly be considered over-saturation. The selections were far from "samey." Each song had a different tempo and different guitar sound that some of us old-timers remember from way back when Les Paul wowed the world with dramatically innovative sounds, and we all wondered how the heck he created them. The only thing "samey" about the six songs is that they were all Les Paul classics. Do I need to repeat that this was billed as a tribute to Les Paul? Maybe I'm misinterpreting what the reviewer intended to write, or maybe the reviewer didn't say exactly what he meant. But I reread the words several times and still don't get it. Anyway, I was a fan of Les Paul's in the '50s, and have been a fan of Jeff Beck since I bought my first Yardbirds album in 1965. Jeff Beck represents the innovative spirit of Les Paul more than any other guitar player I've heard, and it's fitting that Les Paul thought the world of Jeff Beck and his playing. I was in total awe of everything I heard last night. It was well worth the 200-mile drive from Green, Ohio. The only thing better would have been more Les Paul songs, not fewer. Can't wait to hear the next surprise Jeff Beck has in store for us. If he just stood on the stage and played scales for two hours, I'm sure he would do it in a way that would have the audience mesmerized, just as Les Paul would if he were still with us.
Randy Tessier
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
A song that knocked me over 45 years ago was "Heart Full of Soul"a 1965 single by The Yardbirds (Beck on fuzz guitar). Since then he's assumed a dual the role of iconic fusion soloist ("Blow By Blow") and front/side/man ("Rough and Ready"). Last night he was in the latter mode. The components were Imelda May, with her workman-like rockabilly band, and Beck, featured virtuoso sideman. It was also a tribute to Les Paul, Mary Ford, and multi-tracking. The synergy wasn't happening. At times it seemed like an event where a band on the rise had called a superstar guest in attendance to join them on stage. The overall affect: Jon Pareles NYTimes review, "the jukebox pace grew wearing, as did Mr. Beck's unwanted modesty." It wasn't my cup of tea. Why? It had a certain Lawrencewelkian atmosphere to it. I understand the fickleness of nostalgic fads, but the saccharine appeal of "Sitting On Top of the World" (by no means the same as Chester Burnet's masterpiece) left me flat. Vaya Con Dios" (I was waiting for "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window"). Multi-tracking, Les Paul invented it. Marveling at the wonder of a tape loop of May's prerecorded voice - old wine in new bottles. On a purely subjective note, the music of Les Paul and Mary Ford, and the like, represents a pre-crossover time when some pretty vanilla white folk's music dominated the charts because it could be no other way. This is the music rock and roll rebelled against. And in doing so, paved a path allowing a long legacy of great black music to move towards the mainstream. Also, I've heard "Sleepwalk" and "Peter Gunn" too many times (compare to George Bedard's choice of Floyd Cramer's "Last Date"). U.K. lady divas? I lean toward Adelle and Amy Winehouse. Pareles: "For an encore, Mr. Beck and Ms. May did something different with "Remember (Walking in the Sand). He let his guitar sing the melody his way: wailing, scurrying, climbing, jabbing, swooping. It was the kind of anachronism the rest of the show
Dave in Green
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 9:52 p.m.
First, many thanks for the review of this wonderful performance. But I have to say there's one thing I just don't get. The review says of the Les Paul numbers played: "But after a few songs, it all sounded pretty same-y. By the time it was over after six numbers, the novelty was long gone." This was billed as a tribute to Les Paul! Everyone came expecting to hear lots of Les Paul songs, not "novelty." The fact that fewer than 25% of the numbers played were Les Paul songs could hardly be considered over-saturation. The selections were far from "samey." Each song had a different tempo and different guitar sound that some of us old-timers remember from way back when Les Paul wowed the world with dramatically innovative sounds, and we all wondered how the heck he created them. The only thing "samey" about the six songs is that they were all Les Paul classics. Do I need to repeat that this was billed as a tribute to Les Paul? Maybe I'm misinterpreting what the reviewer intended to write, or maybe the reviewer didn't say exactly what he meant. But I reread the words several times and still don't get it. Anyway, I was a fan of Les Paul's in the '50s, and have been a fan of Jeff Beck since I bought my first Yardbirds album in 1965. Jeff Beck represents the innovative spirit of Les Paul more than any other guitar player I've heard, and it's fitting that Les Paul thought the world of Jeff Beck and his playing. I was in total awe of everything I heard last night. It was well worth the 200-mile drive from Green, Ohio. The only thing better would have been more Les Paul songs, not fewer. Can't wait to hear the next surprise Jeff Beck has in store for us. If he just stood on the stage and played scales for two hours, I'm sure he would do it in a way that would have the audience mesmerized, just as Les Paul would if he were still with us.
Ed
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 3:08 p.m.
Saw the sold out show in New Brunswick: people came from NY having seen the show at The Beacon the night before - to see Jeff and Imelda a second time. Total set was an hour 45 mins. Imelda is not well known in the U.S., but sells out every show in the UK. She has a set of pipes and her band is great. Her most recent CD replaced Bruce as #1 in the UK (they love her). This show was a rare event and Jeff was having a blast. Show in Austin will be recorded for future broadcast on Austin City Limits, and PBS has the NY tribute show recorded last June on tape and has broadcasted it in New England as "Jeff Beck Honors Les Paul". Jeff resumes Emotion and Commotion dates following this short, unique and very special tour.
John B.
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 5:50 p.m.
I saw that tribute show on PBS here (locally) a couple months ago. Pretty cool....
tater
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
Jeff Beck was never a great writer anyway, and his disdain for doing vocals is legendary. Besides, I like it when performers do something "out of the box." If, for Beck, that involves revisiting one of the passions of his youth, who is anyone to complain?
David Briegel
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.
I enjoyed Imelda and Beck singing harmony and background! He couldn't refuse her!
David Briegel
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
Will, It was Beck's show, not ours. It was a fine show deserving of our praise. It took me back to the radio and then television of my youth as my musical tastes were formed. My Mother always had music and entertainment as a background for our lives. It was a real trip down memory lane for me. I remember her love for Les Paul and Mary Ford and her resistance as that new Rock and Roll pushed her music out of the way and I found it so excitingly different. I remember how R&R was considered evil, the Devil's music, race music and, now it seems so mainstream. I liked the fact that Jeff chose to be a part of the band that lovingly brought us that great music rather than the egomaniacal guitar God that he clearly is!
Terminal
Fri, Apr 1, 2011 : 12:13 p.m.
Jeff Beck has never been understated but is often underestimated and under appreciated. Rock on Mr Beck!