Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Tal Wilkenfeld

[Brad]

Just saw this, an appearance on Saturday Night Live by Jagger, Beck and one of my favorite bassists (at least in rock), the Presidential Blues.

Thoughts?

[JSngry]

Much preferred him with the Foo Fighters on the same show:

[jazzbo]

Watched it live when it aired, and agree with Jim. I'm not as gaga as many I've read about his work on this show, but the appearance with the Foo Fighters was great. Jeff Beck just continues to not really impress me. I have a guitarist friend who would probably have his baby he loves him so and I just don't see it the same way.

[JSngry]

Jeff Beck just continues to not really impress me. I have a guitarist friend who would probably have his baby he loves him so and I just don't see it the same way.

Same, to all of that. Maybe It's A Guitar Thing And I Just Don't Understand.

[jazzbo]

I get the great control of the string and the ultra-cool vibrato thing and all but it's just not that musical to me.

I'll say no more, Jeff Beck fans have every right to love him to death!

What got me on another board was heaps and heaps of praise for Mick's performances in the skits. I thought he did good but gushing about it I can't do.

[JSngry]

What got me on another board was heaps and heaps of praise for Mick's performances in the skits. I thought he did good but gushing about it I can't do.

He was really good, but "gushing" about it seems a bit much..he exceeded expectations, but...he was still a non-comedian doing comedy, and that never really became non-apparent...but I laughed pretty good anyway.

Then again, I like to laugh in general. A lot!

[Dave James]

I loved early Jeff Beck, with the Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group, but I stopped listening after Beck-Ola. He just started heading down a lot of different musical paths that were not very interesting to me. I sort of reconnected with him via a series of YouTube videos culled from his 2008 appearance at Ronnie Scott's which, co-incidentlhy featured Tal Wilkenfeld on bass. Me? I find Beck to be an extraordinary guitarist with a style that's unique and all his own. Having said that, he still needs a good singer to get him over the top. At Ronnie Scott's, he's joined by the idiosyncratic Imogen Heap who fills that bill nicely and for a three song drive by from Eric Clapton. I don't know. When Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Steve Luthaker and Clapton himself say that Beck is the premier electric guitarist in the history of rock, I tend to pay attention.

BTW, here's a interesting previously-unknown-to-me factoid. The Jeff Beck Group was scheduled to play at Woodstock, but he broke up the band just prior to the festival.

[Brad]

I thought it was a nice performance but the blues licks were pretty standard. Fun to watch though.

The Ronnie Scott concert is an amazing concert in every which way for those who haven't seen it.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Brad

[PHILLYQ]

I saw the band that Beck had with Wilkenfeld/Colaiuta/Rebello and they were outstanding. IMHO, everything Beck does is in service to the song, and his style is unique.

That said, the SNL performance was just OK. Jagger's lyrics were pedestrian(you need something very witty to make this go over)and Beck did what he could with what he had. Wilkenfeld is a very talented bassist.

For another view, check out the Crossroads festival from 2007, it has two tunes with Beck that are fantastic, as well as some incendiary Los Lobos. If that little slice of Beck whets your appetite, get the deluxe version of 'Emotion & Commotion', which has more tunes from the same set.

[JETman]

Much preferred him with the Foo Fighters on the same show:

That being said, Grohl couldn't even shine Beck's shoes (and I'm not Beck's biggest fan either).

[sonnymax]

Although I've always admired Beck more than any other rock guitarist (except maybe Hendrix), I agree that his SNL performance with Jagger was rather ho-hum. Silly to dismiss all of his post-sixties work, however, as there are moments of brilliance on most of his albums. For my money, the best thing he's done in the past decade or so is this cover of the Impressions classic (and that goes double for Rod):

[jazzbo]

I've heard a lot of Beck, and I don't dispute he's a master guitarist. . . he's just not ever really made me a fan. That's fine, he has plenty.

That he and Jagger are still relevant is a good thing.

[JETman]

Although I've always admired Beck more than any other rock guitarist (except maybe Hendrix), I agree that his SNL performance with Jagger was rather ho-hum. Silly to dismiss all of his post-sixties work, however, as there are moments of brilliance on most of his albums. For my money, the best thing he's done in the past decade or so is this cover of the Impressions classic (and that goes double for Rod):

Past decade? That was from like 20-25 years ago!

Beck as player: yes

Beck as lyricist: NO!

Beck is not a lyricist, so how does this comparison hold water?

And Grohl's lyrics reek of disenfranchisement, which, as a movement, got old as soon as it began.

[JSngry]

Much preferred him with the Foo Fighters on the same show: http://www.organissi..._1#entry1197451

That being said, Grohl couldn't even shine Beck's shoes (and I'm not Beck's biggest fan either).

No argument there, but where they were going on that one, shoes were at best optional.