Jeff Beck Stories: The Original Punk: From Yardbird to The Guitar Shop (Tonechaser)

I’m a punk myself … I’m the original punk. I started it all. Don’t you agree? I was the original punk. I was—no doubt about that. There was no theatrics—I was genuinely an asshole going around, jumping up and down and breaking everybody’s heads. —Jeff BeckI played with Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Tony Iommi, Gary Moore, Peter Green, and Yngwie [Malmsteen]. If somebody had put a gun to my head and said pick which artist you’d like to have worked with for your career, it would be Jeff Beck. I think Jeff over his career has been quite fantastic the way he has gone and his direction and the standards of his playing has always improved every year. I’m a great admirer of his playing; he’s just been great. He’s made some fantastic music. I’m a big fan as you can gather of Jeff. —Cozy Powell, drummer for the Jeff Beck Group Mach IIJeff started off the whole beginning of his first tour in the U.S. at the bottom of the barrel. He was opening and Truth just soared up the charts. It went over so well. I read the reports in the papers and when he got back to the U.K., he wanted me to do his second tour with him. I thought Beck-ola was a good album. —Nicky Hopkins, keyboardist for original Jeff Beck GroupUmm, the best period? The most creative period was certainly during Jeff’s period. I think the most enjoyable one was the period with Eric. I think Blow by Blow, Beck’s latest album is incredible; he’s really excelled himself. He’s done exactly what he wanted to do and that’s the great thing. —Keith Relf, vocalist for the YardbirdsGod granted him a gift; he just touched him. I’ve seen him do things, as everybody has, which just lifts the top of your head off and you think, ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ —Anthony “Top” Topham, original Yardbirds guitarist Read more