By: M.J. Brady
eff Beck isn't a household name as a progressive artist, but he surely has to be considered a pioneer for guitar based fusion with hard rock leanings. It seemed as if he was always on the forefront of cutting new ground with such memorable albums as Jeff Beck Group, Blow by blow, Wired, where his personalized sound was opening the ears of a new generation of guitarists, the idea of a hard rock player converting to fusion was something new to everyone, and from that point he never stopped. Now fastforward to the present and Beck is still challenging himself in a guitar diluted market, his sound is still his own. And on Guitar Shop, expect some sonic bliss, as he joins with maniacal drummer Terry Bozzio, and the nimble fingered Tony Hymas, for yet another turbo-fusion affair. The results are very good, What Beck can do with a Strat has to be seen and heard to fully appreciate, while many guitarists are setting their metronomes at frantic paces, or blending modes and scales at breakneck speeds, Beck is conjuring up sounds and tones that fully express his mastery of the electric guitar, making one wonder, "how'd he do that?" After seeing him live in 2000 I was reminded what a living legend he really was, while he had a whole crowd mesmerized by his presence and humble attitude, and of course his vast array of Beckisms that were emanating from his amplifier.
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