Published on May 2, 1998
Jeff Beck is the best example I can think of when someone says
“acquired taste” in relation to music. Some people swear about his
music and guitar playing, others swear at it, claiming it’s too
disjointed. My first experience with Beck – namely, the album
Wired, fell in the latter category. Someone had highly
praised the album, and said I would love it; I later asked that
person what they had been smoking.
However, in 1989, Beck released an album that just might be his
most accessible work of his whole career.
Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop, a collaboration with keyboardist
Tony Hymas and former Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio, takes about two
listens to really appreciate, but it has some great moments on
it.
In one sense, you can tell that the band is very loose when it
comes to this material. “Guitar Shop,” complete with Bozzio’s
used-car salesman voiceovers, is an incredibly enjoyable piece
that, admittedly, starts off a tad slow. Beck shows why he was
considered one of the three big guitar gods of the Sixties (the
others being Clapton and Page) – flashy without being overbearing,
his guitar work on this one, from rhythm to solo – fits the mood
perfectly.
However, the greatest surprise on
Guitar Shop is on a piece that features only Beck and Hymas,
and is very much a ballad. “Where Were You” is most definitely a
mood piece, but Beck makes his guitar almost sing the melody –
probably the best I’ve ever heard him play. In one sense, I wish
that Beck had included more pieces like this on the album, simply
because it feels like he’s found his niche.
Of course, some of the rockers on this release are quite tasty.
“Savoy” is a syncopated wonder that shows off the talents of all
three musicians, while “Big Block” is a semi-decent song that was
my first experience with this album back when I was in college
radio. Another song featuring Bozzio’s spoken-word overlays, “Day
In The House” is a slightly silly song with a serious message that
we’re not paying attention to the earth around us. One almost
wishes that Bozzio had provided more of a lyric in the song – the
message would have been made that much stronger.
There are a few weak links on
Guitar Shop – the album’s closer “Sling Shot” seems to stop
suddenly, and is far too short. “Behind The Veil” is an okay piece
that, on any other album, probably would have stood out strongly,
while “Two Rivers” just doesn’t hit the mark.
Why
Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop didn’t raise Beck into the
stratosphere of superstardom is beyond me – I also wonder why there
haven’t been followup recordings with Bozzio and Hymas as a
three-piece. On this one, quite possibly Beck realized they had
captured something special, and chose to move on rather than dilute
the magic with other releases.
For anyone looking to discover Jeff Beck’s guitar work,
Guitar Shop is as good a place to start – it holds the most
lingering appeal compared to many other Beck albums I’ve listened
to (and I freely admit I haven’t heard them all… but I’m working
on it). Fans of Bozzio’s work with Frank Zappa should also make a
beeline to grab this one.