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Beck in San Diego review...
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:34 pm
by NY Chief
He opened with "Beck's Bolero" which was very close to the recorded version. Even the um, "Page" parts! That segued into Billy Cobham's "Stratus" from the Spectrum album and I only knew that because some old friends used to play it. Vinny Caliauto(?) on drums, Pino Palladino on bass and a young gun (name?) on keys.He covered his whole career with a lot of staples. Cause We've Ended, Nadia, Star Cycle, Blue Wind, Where Were You, Scatterbrain (Vinny KICKED ASS), Big Block, The Pump. He also had a guest vocalist, a chick named Beth Hart. Real skanky, Joplineseuqe kind of singer ( read "Yeah I WOULD!"). She was rockin'. Having a singer allowed the band to do Morning Dew, People Get Ready, Going Down, You Shook Me, Let Me Love You and some other Truth / Beck Ola stuff. Beck seemed to enjoy playing the old straight up rock stuff. It wasn't the best I've seen Beck and the sound left something to be desired but the guys bad nights are better than most peoples best nights!! He has total command of the fret board, bar, volume knob, etc. He has taken the impossible harmonic to a entirely new level. As usual his slide intonation was deadly accurate. I forget the name of the song but he continues to climb the finger board until he's playing over the pick ups. He waved the slide over his head then put in down on the string in the exact right spot for the note he wanted. My bass player buddy who has never seen Beck commented several times to me, "How the fuck does he do that????" Simple answer? Because he's Jeff Beck and we ain't!! The fact that this guy is one of the founding fathers stands alone but the fact that he has transcended his peers and is still growing, learning, experimenting puts him a class by himself. I love Page and Townsend and Clapton and Richards and all those other guys that came from the same time but those guys are pretty much done (or not gonna do anything new) and none of them can touch Beck's expertise.
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:20 pm
by NY Chief
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:34 pm
by MacGaden
Hi Chief:
Here´s a pic of what Chief is referring to from a show in SF:
It says it all: He´s NOT making a strange noise with the slide in his right hand ! He´s playing a tune, "Angel/Footsteps", and using his left hand to dampen the strings, tapping the strings with the slide and then sliding the notes. He ends up between the two rear pick-ups on his Strat. Try it. There´s only 1/2mm between half-steps up there ! And his intonation is dead on...
Beck is so good it should be mandatory for every player to go see him at least once. Just to see that guitar really has no limits...
I´ve seen him 3 times now, and will go again this summer, probably in Berlin with Buddy Guy.

And I came away humbled, exhilarated, amazed and with a huge appetite for playing every time. He´s truly a master.
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:54 pm
by dynaman
Oh my, it's a pity he won't be in the Detroit are with this lineup. I love Becks' stuff, but I'm a drummer and would kill to see Vinny Colaiuta rip through Becks' tunes. In the drumming world, Vinny is a true god and has pushed the boundaries in technique, especially in odd meters and such.
So, how was the rhythm section?
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:03 pm
by Flames1950
Between Vinnie and Terry Bozzio, Beck hangs with some serious drummers....

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:21 pm
by dynaman
Please note that Vinny and Terry both started their careers with Frank Zappa! They're pedigreed!
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:02 am
by MacGaden
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:10 pm
by NY Chief
Flames1950 wrote:Between Vinnie and Terry Bozzio, Beck hangs with some serious drummers....

Yeah, and don't forget Mick Waller, Cozy Powell and that kid who played on "There and Back". What was his name now...oh yeah... the one and only Simon Phillips!! I think Beck is a frustrated drummer. He's never played with a slug.
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:19 pm
by NY Chief
Good review, Mac. Pretty much how I saw it. I was wondering why he flipped the bird. I took a couple of pics with my camera but they came oput like crap.
It was a neat venue. Security let people mill around at the stage and I was actually able to reach past the bins and touch one of JB's Strats! Didn't work, though. When I got home and played it still sounded like my crap. Still not gonna wash that hand though!
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:00 pm
by Flames1950
NY Chief wrote:Flames1950 wrote:Between Vinnie and Terry Bozzio, Beck hangs with some serious drummers....

Yeah, and don't forget Mick Waller, Cozy Powell and that kid who played on "There and Back". What was his name now...oh yeah... the one and only Simon Phillips!! I think Beck is a frustrated drummer. He's never played with a slug.
I remember one interview where he said as much....claimed he was practicing drums a lot until he decided that it was wasted guitar time or something!!