Is Jeff Beck the most innovative guitarist ever?

TheBigDipper

I admire the way that Beck is playing an electric guitar these days without using a pick (usually), and the way he uses the whammy bar and volume control to add "musicality" to his playing. At times, his playing really does sound like a human voice. 

Surely that is innovative? Unlike his composition, or his soloing over other people compositions, which can only ever be a matter of personal taste... 

dindude

matt1973 said:

The bulk of the guitarists in this thread are simply culturally significant millionaires. They likely achieved this status by merely, and profusely, playing the right licks at the right time whilst utilising the right technology to do so in combination with excellent collaborative skills, clever personal branding and a stunning feel to predict precisely what their audience wanted. That did not necessarily mean they broke new ground. To proclaim this is a simple misinterpretation of concept of innovation. The true master of innovative guitar playing won't feature on any platinum selling albums, he will likely lack many of the aforementioned attributes and he certainly won't give a flying fuck about your ears. Gentleman I give you Henry Kaiser. 


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I don't think it's as simple as that. If I walk out my house today in a pink floral 2-pice swimsuit, I'm not a fashion innovator, I'm a madman. Without context and without the ability to influence change, inspire, leave a legacy, shake things up, one-person innovation is largely irrelevant.

Jalapeno

Still not heard anything to change my opinion that Charlie Christian, Django and Les Paul were the most Innovative.

Sure the others listed are great guitarists, but standing on the shoulders of Giants and all that !

maltingsaudio

Jalapeno said:

Still not heard anything to change my opinion that Charlie Christian, Django and Les Paul were the most Innovative.

Sure the others listed are great guitarists, but standing on the shoulders of Giants and all that !

Problem with innovation in music is it very soon is forgotten by the players who come after and perpetuate it until it becomes the norm. 

So Jeff Beck has kept up with modern musical trends whilst retaining his signature sound. Other players such as the ones mentioned have come up with a new angle which is now mainstream, I honestly can’t think of a player or artist which has started their career in one musical genre and created the wow factor then came up with something completely innovative and new in another, except may be Rob Davies from Mud who was a glam rock guitarist then did all that club stuff with Coco Star and Spiller etc

Winny_Pooh

matt1973 said:

The bulk of the guitarists in this thread are simply culturally significant millionaires. They likely achieved this status by merely, and profusely, playing the right licks at the right time whilst utilising the right technology to do so in combination with excellent collaborative skills, clever personal branding and a stunning feel to predict precisely what their audience wanted. That did not necessarily mean they broke new ground. To proclaim this is a simple misinterpretation of concept of innovation. The true master of innovative guitar playing won't feature on any platinum selling albums, he will likely lack many of the aforementioned attributes and he certainly won't give a flying fuck about your ears. Gentleman I give you Henry Kaiser. 


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Piss offffff

matt1973

Winny_Pooh said:

matt1973 said:

The bulk of the guitarists in this thread are simply culturally significant millionaires. They likely achieved this status by merely, and profusely, playing the right licks at the right time whilst utilising the right technology to do so in combination with excellent collaborative skills, clever personal branding and a stunning feel to predict precisely what their audience wanted. That did not necessarily mean they broke new ground. To proclaim this is a simple misinterpretation of concept of innovation. The true master of innovative guitar playing won't feature on any platinum selling albums, he will likely lack many of the aforementioned attributes and he certainly won't give a flying fuck about your ears. Gentleman I give you Henry Kaiser. 


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Piss offffff

Hehe - I was wondering if that would be taken seriously.

Beck is king for me.

boogieman

Johnnyseven said:

Lodious said:

Johnnyseven said:

I watched a Jeff Beck doc over Xmas. When he started his fusion/instrumental journey he sounded like he was ripping off John McLaughlin, surprised he's not been mentioned.

Really? I don't think he's ever sounded like John McLaughlin?

The clip they showed to demonstrate the style he was evolving to sounded to me like he was doing his version of what the Mahavishnu Orchestra were already doing. Granted this is based solely on what they showed in the doc.

That could just be because Beck had Jan Hammer playing keys with him. Personally I don’t think Beck and McLaughlin have any similarities in style, apart from the fact they both played jazz fusion. 

Trude

stickyfiddle said:

Innovative? Yes, undoubtedly. 

Had he written anything interesting since Hi Ho Silver Lining? The jury's out...

Um, yeah - except he didn't actually write that one.  He wasn't the first to record it either:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Ho_Silver_Lining

stickyfiddle

Trude said:

stickyfiddle said:

Innovative? Yes, undoubtedly. 

Had he written anything interesting since Hi Ho Silver Lining? The jury's out...

Um, yeah - except he didn't actually write that one.  He wasn't the first to record it either:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Ho_Silver_Lining

I rest my case