Tribute to Jeff Beck - A Guitarist and Musical Pioneer who Never Lost his Sense of Wonder 

A sad day for those of us who were youngsters in the 1960s and 1970s.

So true. I'm 71 and Jeff Beck and others of his generation played the sound track of our lives and will continue to do so until we die. A lovely tribute. RIP Jeff Beck. Peace love and blessings to his family and friends and all touched by his music and grace. Keep playing.

Hi dear Phil, what a beautiful tribute. He was a true innovator and unique. He will be missed. Thank you. Thankfully we can listen to the gorgeous and masterful legacy he left us with.

Very shocking news. Very nice tribute. I can now finally say he was probably the greatest guitarist ever, just never wanted to admit it as everyone has their personal favorites. May Jeff rest in peace. ♥

Jeff Beck deserves endless praise and appreciation. His passing hits immeasurably hard. We had no warning. This is especially difficult to get over.

Your love of what Jeff Beck had done for guitar music has touched you, me and MILLIONS of other people worldwide! I also have all of his albums and will treasure them forever. As someone said of Jeff's playing, "God plays electric guitar but he uses Jeff Beck's hands". R.I.P. Jeff. Neil from Sydney Australia

RIP 🙏 My condolences to the family and all of his friends Jeff Beck did everything his way. A wonderful musician. A great man. God Bless

A guitarist like no other. RIP Jeff.

I was shocked and Numb when I heard this news early this morning. Jeff's music as been a big part of my life for over fifty years. There is ' NO ONE ' like Jeff Beck, I was lucky enough to see him many years ago, a truly amazing live performer. Jeff's catalogue really is like a box of chocolates, when you dip into it, what you decide to pull out won't disappoint, and the variety second to none. I pulled ' Blow By Blow' today and when ' Cause We've Ended As Lovers' came on, 'I broke my heart' R.I.P. Jeff.

This is such a wonderful tribute to a giant!!!

What a beautiful tribute straight from the heart .

JEFF BECK YOU ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST. R.I P

Shapes of Things!!!

Thank-you, Phil, for this heartfelt - and insightful - tribute to Jeff Beck. You're so right, the musicians we grow up listening to, the ones that truly mean something to us, are all closely connected to us. They are, in some ways, like distant brothers - or sisters - or friends. At least, that's how it seems from our perspective. We certainly seem to be losing too many of them these days. Our sadness and grief, I believe, comes because we truly love these artists and their music. Without the love maybe we would not feel the way we do when we lose our old heroes. The story of how you discovered Jeff's music, and what it all means to you, is uniquely personal, and ends on a wonderfully optimistic and forward-looking note: to always keep that sense of wonder. I think as music fans we are naturally good at doing that. There's always so much to discover (and one thing always leads to the next). So, again, thanks for this - and all that you do at Now Spinning. It makes the journey all the more special.

This musician was real! I was 19 Years old saw him live in the 80s then in the 90s at last in 2016 /18. Can't get enough of him.He was definitley the best !! The music vibes are forever magic!!! Rest in Peace.,Mr.Jeff Beck!!! 🌹🌹🎼🌹🌹

Thanks for great tribute R.I.P Jeff Beck

Excellent tribute to my favorite Yardbirds' guitarist. Jeff Beck was like the Miles Davis of guitar since his music constantly evolved yet was immediately recognizable. He was a legend who will be missed by many. You're right that we will always have his music.

Musical integrity is a rare gem , Jeff had it in heaps. Jeff checks all the T"s ...Taste Tone Touch Technique and Talent RIP

Another one of the greatest guitarists gone!!R.I.P. Jeff

YEAH A REAL UPSETTING DAY, HE WILL BE SADLY MISSED RIP FELLA.

Great tribute Phil, Legends never die

Jeff’s musical history is brilliantly summed up in this tribute; Thank you - RIP Jeff Beck!!

Indeed, our generation of rock music. I'm glad he had such a blast on his recent tour.

Thanks for your video - it is from the heart, and to our hearts. I am older than you, and can say that Jeff Beck has been my favorite guitarist for a long time - he is always an adventure to listen to, and no other guitarist sounds like him. I saw him a few years ago, and cherish that memory. Long live Jeff Beck!!!

I've watched just about every tribute to Jeff Beck today and would like to thank you for most heartfelt, informative and interesting tribute that I've heard. A wonderful and unique player sadly lost to us.

Awesome tribute Phil. Thank U so much.

This passing IS significant... I dreaded this day would come. However, this is a wake-up call. We are all very lucky to have been part of Jeff's journey. My first Beck LP was 1977's with Jan Hammer - Live. I was 16, and thought "Wow, this guy takes notes and sounds much further than anyone I had heard before". Then I had to go back to older LP's of the Yardbirds to hear what he had done there first. I finally got to see him at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis 2010 ! It has taken years to put together all the cd's and Lp's and dvd/blu-ray's that were hard to find. THERE should have been a career spanning Box Set already. Wait and See. There are plenty of Great musicians that are well into their 70's and we will have to endure all their passings... Let's Celebrate Their Musical Talent While We Can !!!

Such a nice tribute

Great tribute Phil, you said it all about this special musician, who like many others has left us with some incredible recordings of their gift. You often say that music is the healer, the Dr. ("rock and roll Doctor"-Sabb. Tech. Ecst.) , I was a music major in college, played professionally for 10 yrs ('83-'93), never became famous but I made a living playing. One of my teachers/mentors shared this comment : "music is a language, you hear it, read it, write it, speak it, feel it, and perform it"...a very important part of our lives. R.I.P. Jeff, your music will live forever...

There are times when there are advantages in getting older. One such occasion was when i attended a Jeff Beck concert many moons ago at the Hammy Odeon. As i settled down this long curly headed chap sat next to me with his lady companion. I paid no attention until, just prior to the commencement of the concert, a few guys came up to this chap and asked if he would provide an autograph. My curiosity got the better of me and upon greater scrutiny i realised i was sitting next to Brian May and his wife Anita Dobson. Far to shy i gave a smile and tried to act in a cool-cat fashion (probably failing miserably in the process). However Brian shook his head numerous times during the concert and kept saying 'amazing'. After it was over i gathered up my fortitude and asked what he thought. Time has clouded my memory of Brian's response but it was to the effect 'Jeff's playing was in another league'. A wonderful memory and an extraordinary musician who played on his own terms. RIP Jeff and thank-you.

I was fortunate to see Jeff Beck 15 times, including his last tour last year with Johnny Depp. He was my all time favorite guitarist as well as musician. I am devastated right now, this hurts me as much as when my Mom died. #RIPJeffBeck

Beautiful tribute man. Thanks, Love.

When I heard him with The Yardbirds..I couldn't believe what I was hearing..the heaviness of his chords..the lightness of the use of the vibrato..the wail of feedback controlled to pitch..he was unique. I'm at loss he was a heavyweight of guitatist...he was always looking forward never settling on what he had done alway looking for new.He will be missed..May he rest in peace 🙏 Jeff Beck we love you and will forever be in our hearts 💕.

Beautifully done. Thank you for your thoughts on the Maestro.

He was a true Master and Legend of the guitar his touch carved and shaped the instrument in such a magical way that only he could have ever done so. There was only ever one Jeff Beck and the tears are still rolling down my cheeks hearing of his sad loss. We have truly lost one of the greatest guitarists on this planet and one who will be deeply missed. May he rest well in peace. Thanks, Phil for another smashing tribute and the stellar work you do here...

I just got introduced to Jeff Beck in 1998. He was one of my favorites!

don't forget the different live albums he made in the last years... for me probably the best...

A wonderful tribute, Phil. Jeff Beck was the Guv’nor; he always will be …

Thanks a lot for this very interesting and moving tribute

Been a fan since the Blow by Blow album.

A most wonderful, heartfelt tribute, Phil. Thank you.

Lovely tribute Phil

Wonderfully put, Phil, and clearly heartfelt too.

1975. Riding a bike with some mates in West Germany. Camped underneath a garage one night. A guy pulled out a cassette player. Lying in a sleeping bag i heard a song that absolutely blew me away. I asked him, " who the hell is that?"...he raised his head up and said " Jeff Beck!". The song? " Cause we've ended as lovers... i will never forget that moment. Stunned.

Truth is on my desert island list. Absolute classic.

Thanks for your wonderful eulogy of Jeff Beck. The way I got to know Beck was similar to yours.

I love Jeff Beck ❤️. He's now star dust and will shine endlessly. I am sad, very sad now 😔😢😭.

A very nice tribute Phil. Many thanks.

Very nice tribute, Phil...enjoyed your stories & journey, as well. I bought both of those LPs to your left as they were release. Still have both. My BBB copy is framed & on my cube wall at work. RIP, Jeff...your music & musicianship have made many people happy.

Thanks Phil I really enjoyed that heart felt tribute to the great man , he will be very sorely missed

Well said Phil. Jeff Beck played like the guitar was an extension of himself. All I can say is thank you Jeff for the great music you gave us all.

Lovely thoughts and reflections Phil. The massive reaction to his passing speaks volumes for this master musician who never paid attention to what might be commercially popular and simply continued on his quest for the perfect tone, the next sonic innovation. There's no question in my mind that he was the greatest living exponent of the electric guitar and, given the longevity and accomplishments of his career, it would be difficult to argue that he wasn't the best ever. Most top guitarists would be the first to acknowledge that. A huge loss.

Thank you for the nice tribute. Shout out to his work on Donovan’s Barabajagal.

NICE COMMEMORATION .RIP JEFF.God Bless.

You did an excellent job! I'd rather watch your heartfelt tribute to Jeff than any of the big bull shit music industry douches giving lip service. It was touching and spot on. I've been a great fan of Jeff since the 60s. Throughout all Rock history, I've always said he was the greatest of them all. All the big name guitar heroes shine Jeff Beck's boots. Truth and Beckola rocked my world in the 60s. I watched him morph into different styles and loved all of them. Jeff for me has always been #1 in the guitar world. Thank you for this moving tribute. I really enjoyed it and shared with my friend. I can't get over this loss. He was a great artist. It truly hurts like loss of family. Love and condolences to Jeff's family.

a legend of rock..thank you. RIP

Well done Phil. We can see it must have been tough for you mate. All of us ata certain age understand the sense of loss. That heavenly supergroup is getting better every year.

Thanks for this brilliant tribute for a true legend. I will be listening to Jeff Beck, and pay close attention to those 3 albums that you suggested RIP Jeff Beck

What an absolute legend. I’ve seen him live 6 times. The first time being in 83 at the ARMS tour in NY. I just can’t say enough about him. Truth….Rough and Ready….Blow by Blow….Wired….There and Back…..Guitar Shop. All these albums are masterpieces. We love you Jeff. RIP legend. 💔

Bravo Jeff Beck. Thank you for sharing your life and music to us. R.I.P.

A true Guitarist 🎸 God was Jeff Beck ~ it's hard to imagine a world without him and his inimitable style & flourish. May he rest with the angels 🕊️. Condolences to Sandra, his family & dearest of friends + rock 'n roll commrades ~ what a force of nature 🎸

Thank you for sharing so many of his treasures with us. I remember Blow by Blow and Wired but had NO IDEA of his vast library

I remember hearing Jeff's name in relation to the Yardbirds around 1967 and heard things like Shapes of Things, I didn't really hear much else except Hi Ho Silver Lining until around '71 when I left school and heard Truth at a friend's house, I was buying a fair bit of music at this time and he slipped from view for a while, then the BB&A Album came out and also I heard his contribution to Talking Book, of course it all leaped up several gears with Blow By Blow and Wired, I was getting into Fusion via The Mahavishnu Orchestra and I loved those albums, I have followed him ever since and I would say Flash and Guitar Shop are sheer class( I have Played both tonight) the 'Trilogy' you love I agree they are three of his most innovative and diverse recordings, I have collected pretty much everything I can and The Ronnie Scott Live Album is Jaw Dropping, I watch it regularly on Bluray and it always mesmerise me to watch the Master of his craft coaxing those glorious sounds from his guitar, everyone should watch it at least once, incredible! Thanks for this wonderful tribute you had me getting extremely emotional, Jeff will always be with us as long as we are able to listen! The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!🎸🔊🎶🎶🎶💔🧙‍♂️

Thank you Phil Aston, so much. I gabbled on here writing somewhere. I love your way of going through Jeff's life time of making music; summing up so completely the trail of Jeff Becks art and his way of inventing new ways of expressing different sounds and emotions. I met Jeff with Art One, at Sutton East Secondary School. He hardly attended class and was always getting into trouble with the head master. One day when Jeff, who hardly ever came to school, when he was 14 and we were 13, came in with a jumble of wires and flat pieces of wood. The girls found out from the only boys that had anything to do with Jeff, that he was trying to make a guitar!! It was break time and we were allowed to stay in, so the whole class stared at him as he sat down in the Teachers small store room on the floor and began fiddling with this jumble he was carrying. I have already written this somewhere else. We were allowed in at break and suddenly the sound of the blues came from Jeff's bundle. He told the boys he was trying to make a guitar! I was amazed that he could have got any sound out of that bundle, but I was thrilled. I went home and when I came back I was sure that Jeff would be famous one day. I wanted so much to tell him, but I did not, as I was too shy!. I went home to lunch and as I came back I said I would tell him that one day he would be famous. He was trying to do what I was trying to do but I never succeeded I could not understand why people dId not understand what he was trying to do, -but YOU DO! AND THERE IS ANOTHER GUY WHO GOES THROUGH THE WAY HE PLAYS WITH A TOOTH COMBE, SO YOU WOULD ENJOY IT TOO! Some people, just don't understand! The reason I understood, was that was because my mother like Jeff's was a trained pianist. I was brought up in Africa, and my mother had two upright pianos, so that she could teach me to play with her at the piano. She unlike Jeff's mum, did not want him to play "Pop" music, and taught him piano, like my mother. She had also been one of Billy Mayrel's 20 pianists so played professionally for a while. Pianos were used instead of an orchestra for a musical starring John Miles who was a hoofer. However my mother loved Art Tatum and he played in a very versatile and fluid way. She could drive and offered top drive him and his wife, to where ever he wanted.

Thank you for the beautiful tribute. I discovered Jeff Beck around 2003 and him passing away came as a total shock to me. You captured Jeff's influence on a listener. It totally changed how I listened and how I perceived a guitar player should be. Who Else! is my all-time fav album. I don't know if you heard UPP by UPP (1975) where he plays and produced. Jeff slays on Bad Stuff, the album opener. Wish at some point his motown album gets released. Thank you again!!

I love Flash, absolutely stunning sonics on this album. Incredible production and the vision is well ahead of its time. Glad someone else appreciates it as I do.

lovely tribute phil - we all got 12 notes - jeff had 17/18 - he could coax extra stuff / microtones etc out of them - lovely tribute from steve hacket today on sky news - we all just wiggled the trem bar - he made it a musical artform lol - brilliant

My dad was into Jeff Beck. If he was alive he would be 92. I owe a lot of my musical exposure to my dad.

Thanks for giving props to his later albums. I have to include myself among those who haven’t explored them enough (although I’m a big fan of You Had It Coming). Plus, all the collaborations you mention. Heck, he won a Grammy in 2010 for his work on a Herbie Hancock record (among the three he won that year). Like so many, I’m still a bit broken up a bit about this huge loss. He just wasn’t done. 😕

Definitely shocking news Jeff Beck is one of the greatest guitarists

Thank you for this lovely tribute. I hung on every word and you had me in tears. So similar to my experience but after Blow by Blow, Wired and Stanley Clarke’s Journey to Love I didn’t keep track of Jeff as well as you did and have only been catching up since I retired in 2019. I am so upset that I left it so late, but I did see his latest tour. I am collecting everything now and your guidance is very helpful. ❤🎶

Jeff beck one off the greatest guitarists all time has gone. But hes great guitar riffs and the bands, artist and solos that he played well be with us forever to play, GOD BLISS THE MAN who has given us so much joy and sounds that that we can keep spinning them now and forever.

My only complaint is that ya left off "Crazy Legs".....As a drummer ,the sheer expanse of his visions for the " confines" of rock n' roll guitar,his command of so many styles,is simply stunning.....

Thank you so much for this fantastic review of Jeff's material. I'd forgotten about half of this stuff but thanks to you I'll be able to revisit a lot of his output that I used to own on CD etc. Probably, hopefully, through Spotify etc. Thanks again, superb Tribute.

Music requires both the Artist and the Listener to use their imaginations. It's a abstract form of communication, everyone may see ice-cream but every one will taste a different flavor.

"Never Lost his Sense of Wonder" Yep. I had gotten rid of my LP's. But I have a few picture discs left. One of them on my wall is a 45 with Black strats which is the side facing out. It has Beck's Bolero and Hi-Ho Silver Lining. I think his excellence, (And up until his passing) was in his Moments that he pulled off live.

i can only say that he was my first musical hero...the first to use distorted guitar. For this reason, my first good guitar, in 1972, was a Fender Tele, his prefered guitar at that time. RIP Jeff..real trailblazer...

HI Phil,i' m in LOVE with 2 first Jeff BECK group and BBA,cette manière d'aborder la guitare avec les Yardbirds dans [Roger the Engeener],était Unique et il à perfectionner son jeu avec les 4 albums J B Group et BBA !! Après j'aime moins je suis pas fan de jazzrock.Mais le guitariste reste insurpassable dans son style!! Je vais être cynique mais ces chères maisons de disques,vont nous concocter l Le COFFRET DU SIÈCLE!!BIEN À TOI.THANKS A VERY GOOD [HOMMAGE]🎸🤗🎸

truly wonderful tribute video, i felt every word and you picked the same 3 albums that blew my mind. thanks for putting this together while the rest of us are trying to figure out what the hell this empty feeling inside us is all of a sudden.

Nice eulogy and commemoration.The Jeff Beck album that sticks with me is the Blow by Blow album and Guitar shop.I always had the album's but never saw him live.It wasn't until the Ronnie Scott's concert I watched many times over which I absolutely love.I don't know if you have heard the song "Say it ain't true" from the Roger Taylor album "Fun on Earth " Jeff guests on that song and it has some of the most beautiful guitar playing on it.

Only just seen this. Missing Jeff like crazy, like many will be I know. Anyway, I enjoyed this tributute but the funny / odd / amazingly coincidental thing is that my history will Jeff is almost exactly as explained here. Quite bizarre! Miss you Jeff, and youd like my newly done 32 coupe. Sad you never got to see it.

Ele tinha um detalhe. Utilizava o polegar para tocar a guitarra. Nao usava a palhetA. Sua obra esta registrada nao morrera. X. Descanse em paz.

The first time I heard Cause We Ended as Lovers! Back in 75 he and Larry Carlton were guitarist I couldn't get enough of them! But Jeff dropped my jaw every time I heard him 🔥✌🤘

Thanks Phil for a moving and heartfelt tribute to one of a kind musician. To me he was to the guitar what Miles Davis was to the trumpet. Always in the forefront of changes for what you could do with an instrument and Jeff did it throughout his career in a non compromising way. Like yourself my wake up call to Jeff's music came with Wired in 1976. I had just started buying LPs often being guided by the still brilliant NME Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, which was a game changer for me when starting collecting and in which Jeff Beck was lauded (though not sure if Wired was specifically mentioned). By then I'd heard nothing of Beck so on a sunny summer's day in Kingston Upon Thames in 1976 I walked along the market stalls and came across a bloke selling LPs. Flipping through them I came across Wired by Jeff Beck, don't think it had been available for that long at the time. "Good choice, mate!" said the seller and off I went with it. The cover alone had me excited! I had no idea whatsoever what to expect but what I heard later that day was nothing short of stunning and it opened up an entire new soundscape to me as to what could be done. It was a bit like hearing Hendrix for the first time. It's been a sad day today and thoughts go to his family first and foremost. I will be playing his music only for the next couple of days and remembering the only gig with him that I saw in 2011 in a small club in Malmö, Sweden, which was mind blowing and where he steamrollered the crowd! Many happy faces after that gig:-)

I luv that you addressed everyone at the beginning. I didn’t know who Beck was until I heard of his passing. I know Zeppelin & Sabbath, but Beck was apparently a little before my time. RIP 💜

My friends and I were listening to and appreciating Jeff Beck in the early 70's, particularly his way of bringing out the soul of the instrument like no one else. It always seemed as though Jeff was hovering around the periphery of the music world like an asteroid, occasionally returning and grazing the atmosphere, leaving a trail and then back out into the cosmos. I remember his reentrance during the MTV era of the 80's with the tune "Ambition" with a lineup of various singers and it put a huge smile on my face, once again, as he reminded us "I'm still here, I'm still exploring", just as he had always done and would continue to do for decades to come. There are only a few guitarists of this caliber, musicians that are clearly in love with their instrument and Jeff Beck is one of the important individuals in this particular realm. He will be missed, but I'm also fairly certain that he will continue to be discovered by new music lovers, and of course guitarists, far into the future. We lost a beautiful and soulful being in Jeff Beck. May his journey be as smooth as his playing. Peace.

Wonderful tribute Phil. Beautiful....

Thanks Phil for this fine tribute. Honest, emotional and heartfelt, I appreciate your insight into Jeff's work and it has inspired me to to do a deep dive into Jeff's catalogue myself. Cheers.

❤😥

Thank you Phil for your lovely perspective on Jeff’s music.. I love the history of how he entered your life throughout the decades.. I need to open myself to his music and do some deep sea diving into those albums you mentioned.. I grew up hearing him from my brothers stereo yet never bothered exploring further..Jeff has crossed over yet the beauty of the music will live on ..

Nice tribute. Growing up, Jeff Beck was one of those musicians I always heard about, but for whatever reason I just wasn't familiar with his music. Thanks to RU-vid, I have been able to explore his catalog over the past several years and purchased several CD's. My favorites are "Wired" and "Truth" and I just recently picked up his amazing "Guitar Shop" album. An incredible musician that will be missed.

Sad to hear of this news. My friend saw him at York last year with Johnny Depp. Bill Nelson was also at the same gig.

I was shocked this morning,when i heard the sad news that Jeff Beck has passed away. I saw him once November 11, 2010 Amager bio Copenhagen. I always loved the 3 cd box(beckology) Rest in peace Jeff

Fine tribute Phil, as always straight from the heart. I remember circa 1972, two of the older, cooler boys at my school had gone to a Jeff Beck concert. They then held court and told an eager audience of the rest of us all about it. They had seen a great artist. I also feel that the Jeff Beck Group blazed the trail that Led Zeppelin followed to such musical glory. Did Jeff plus Rod and Ronnie do it first and best? Now that is something for debate. RIP Jeff and thank you for everything you have given us.

I'll dedicate, a favorite of mine and a fitting finale, I think, to JB - The Golden Road from There and Back

No mention of 'Crazy Legs' his 1993 tribute to Gene Vincent and Cliff Gallup! A great album that meant so much to Jeff.

Jeff's music very obviously meant much to you, as it did to me, though I started a bit earlier than you with his debut single from the Yardbirds, 'Heart Full of Soul'. It opens with a guitar riff (and sound) that signalled a new direction in pop music. 'Evil Hearted You' came next. Both of those plus the Yardbirds' debut hit, 'For Your Love' and Beck's second solo single, 'Tallyman', were penned by 10cc's Graham Gouldman, who also wrote the Hollies 'Bus Stop' and 'Look Through Any Window' as well a hits for Herman's Hermits and others, including his own 'Dreadlock Holiday' with 10cc. An early irony with Jeff's career is that 'Beck's Bolero', recorded in May '66 with Keith Moon drumming, John Paul Jones on bass, Jimmy Page on 12-string and Nicky Hopkins on piano, was the definitive early example of heavy rock music. But it wasn't released until 1967 as the B-side of 'Hi Ho Silver Lining', a single that Jeff fans didn't buy. A year after that it surfaced on Jeff's 'Truth' album. But by 1967 the concept of heavy music was, thanks to Vanilla Fudge (which contained Beck's future bandmates Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice), Blue Cheer, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream already permeating the scene, as pop escalated up into rock. Even the Beatles were getting riff-heavy with the likes of 'Hey Bulldog'. And Paul McCartney's guitar solo in 'Taxman' is very inspired by Beck's playing on the Yardbirds 'Shapes of Things' (Jeff's own heavier half-time version on 'Truth' wouldn't arrive until '68). The fact that Led Zeppelin stole Beck's thunder was totally Jeff's fault. After a stellar response to the debut tour of America by the Jeff Beck Group, manager Peter Grant booked a string of return dates. But Beck, much to Grant's fury, rejected the idea of returning at that time. So Grant gave the dates to Jimmy Page's new band, which after fulfilling some outstanding dates as the New Yardbirds was now named Led Zeppelin. Their first gigs included opening for Vanilla Fudge, which is where Zep drummer John Bonham - after seeing Fudge drummer Carmine Appice's oversized drums - got the idea to get the same big setup (on the first Zep album he used standard sizes). It was Appice who arranged for Bonham to receive a kit - identical to his own - and endorsement from Ludwig, though Page and John Paul Jones soon insisted Bonham get rid of the second bass drum as it was getting in the way of what they were playing. So Jeff not only opened the door for Page & Co. to capitalise on the excitement the Jeff Beck Group had created, he also prompted Grant to put Zep at the top of the priority list, automatically relegating Jeff to a distant second. Mind, that was just one of many setbacks Jeff would experience due to his bloodymindedness, lack of business savvy and reluctance to assume the responsibility associated with being a band leader - he just wanted to play guitar. Page, by contrast, was a savvy producer and businessman with a vision - he had learned much as a top session player. And after years of being stuck in studios, he also enjoyed the spotlight. Worth noting that Jeff's exclusive use of a Les Paul was short-lived. He had one during his latter period with the Yardbirds (apparently smashed that up in a pique of rage when he walked out on the band, thus leaving Page to handle all the guitar parts), and a couple during his Jeff Beck Group MKI days. But by the time of 'Beck-Ola' he was using a Strat. Ditto in Jeff Beck Group MKII. He reverted to using a Les Paul and Strat with BB&A as well as his 'Blow by Blow' and 'Wired' era. BTW, the sessions for 'Blow by Blow' originally included Appice on drums. Carmine had come up with some of the riffs and assumed that as with BB&A his name would be on the album. His manager pressed the point and Jeff's management responded by sending the drummer packing. BTW, it was Carmine who first introduced Jeff to Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' album and inspired him to dig deeper into the jazz-fusion thing, which Jeff in turn converted to funky rock-fusion on 'Blow by Blow' before taking it a few steps deeper into the jazzier fusion terrain of the genre with 'Wired'. On 'Blackbird' Jeff is actually using a dinner fork as a slide to create the bird sounds. Brilliant! It is great that you highlighted the trilogy of 'Who Else?', 'You Had It Coming' and 'Jeff'. Though there are numerous great tunes - and all great guitarring - on them, those albums did nothing in terms of popularity. But if anyone is still reading at this point, listen to the two stunning solos on 'Seasons'. IMO that is some of Jeff's very best playing. There is also 'Brush with the Blues', which is actually a live recording. By the end of that his is really ripping it up. (Also watch him doing that tune on 'Later...with Jools Holland' on RU-vid, though the ending is rather tame by comparison.) And listen to 'Final Peace' on 'There & Back'...just him and Tony Hymas on keys. I had always hoped those two would do an album minus any other instruments. We are all mourning the loss of Jeff. Despite all the guitarists in the world, there was only one Jeff Beck. And as we are seeing with outpourings of grief from such majors as Brian May, Clapton, Page, Joe Perry, Joe Satriani and all the rest, they too agree that when it came to creatively wicked and melodically moving guitar playing, there really was only Jeff.

Well put...Emotion and Commotion rekindled my fan devotion, check out "Never Alone" and "Lilac Wine"

Jeff Beck is the Miles Davis of the Rock.

Loudhailer was a terrible album but you can’t knock the guy for doing something different. A real innovator who’ll be sadly missed 🎸🤘😥