-On Tuesday, January, I was leaving work and was on my phone while waiting for the car to warm up when I saw news that Guitar Legend JEFF BECK had passed away. At first, the posts were being reacted to as a hoax, but then it was posted on his official Facebook page, followed soon after by major news outlets. I was stunned.

-The first time I’d heard anything from Jeff was from the song “Heart Full of Soul” from THE YARDBIRDS. It was during the 80s and I was headlong into guitarists like Randy Rhodes, George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen as well as the guitarists of KISS (Specifically Ace Frehley, Bruce Kulick and even Paul Stanley) and I loved how this song had an “Ace-like” feel to it, not realizing, at the time, that it was more the other way around. I would eventually learned that Jeff paved the way for a lot of musicians through out the years. I initially thought he was more of an Ace / Eric Clapton type player until I saw the music video for the song “Ambitious” and heard that Jeff could easily hold his own with those 80’s cats. Funny video too, with that iconic line from that guy watching Jeff ripping it up “…Great…Great Sandwich…” 🙂

-Then I get into my college years and get access to the records in the library as well as headphones (!). Yes, I’d never really listened to music with headphones before, so you can imagine how warped my fragile little mind became when one of the first albums I listened to, with headphones, was Bold as Love by The JIMI HENDRIX Experience – specifically the first song “EXP” :O (“Little Wing” being my favorite from this LP).

-After listening to the first two Hendrix albums for awhile, I went on to an album from a guitarist I also wanted to hear more about – Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow – which hit me just as hard, but in a different way -especially the song “Cause We Ended as Lovers” – there was just so much feeling in his playing.How the hell did he do that?

-To me, it’s like you can just hear the anguish coming from those beginning lines. I was very surprised to hear that, not only was this a cover song (STEVIE WONDER), but it was originally a song that had lyrics and vocals, as well as a haunting quality…

LYRICS

Sneaking kisses in the hall
Parting love notes are on the wall
Been each other’s all and all each day
Lovers walking in the rain
So close we felt each other’s pain
But now you say that love has died away

‘Cause we’ve ended now as lovers
Doesn’t mean that we each other can’t be friends
‘Cause we’ve ended now as lovers
Does our love for one another have to end

I remember teaching you
On piano ‘Tea for Two’
And how playing it wrong I kissed your hand
But when our love has gone and passed
Why does the good exceed the bad
Well that’s one thing I’ll never understand

‘Cause I remember us at class
You were always the one to pass
And gave me answers right to see me through
But that was more than years ago
And who will love me I don’t know
It’s sad for sure but true it won’t be you

-Which leads us to the video clip at the start. It’s from a show from 2007. Just a three piece; Tai Wilkenfeld on bass, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Jeff on bass. A great performance. I never got to see Jeff perform live and I wish I had.

R.I.P. Jeff…