Truth

One of the positive things in the days of lockdown and social distancing is that I have time enough to do things you pushed along. So I started arranging my records a few days ago and I found one of my oldest purchases ever. It was a double-album by Jeff Beck and it contains his first two records. Jeff Beck is a magnificent guitar player and got his first recognition when he joined The Yardbirds and replaced Eric Clapton. In 1968 after leaving the Yardbirds he formed his own band and released his masterpiece Truth with young Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass. I am not a huge fan of blues music but in thi combination I still can get lost in. The most difference to other blues guitarist is that Jeff Beck didn't need to put his technical abilities in front of the songs. As ever is a reduced playing better to the the sound of the whole song. The way he played his guitar prepared the ground for many hard-rock bands that were formed years later. And the combination Jeffrey Rod is still superb. A real forgotten classic record and worth to be featured here.

Jeff Beck - Shapes Of Things
Jeff Beck - Morning Dew
Jeff Beck - Beck's Bolero
Jeff Beck - Ol' Man River

Gregg Allman 1947 - 2017

Remembering last year a lot of great musicians passed away and often I said good bye to them on this sites. I know that this is the way of life and I struggled to write more epitaphs. This morning I read the news that Gregg Allman passed away at the age of 69. Not that I am a huge fan of Southern Rock it was the sound that was surround me in my very younger days and it was impossible to avoid them. Back then they choose the best guitar players in different newspapers. Top of the list was mostly Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page (ok) and Eric Clapton (who lived on his Yardbirds days) but seldom Gregg Alman was named. I enjoyed listening the way he played guitar. Even in this times he played the acoustic guitar on different records when all others tortured their electric guitars. His whole life was a life on drugs and being addicted to alcohol. Wonder myself how long he stayed alive.

RIP Gregg

Twanging Tuesday # 61

Scotty Moore was known as the leading guitarist in the early backing band of Elvis Presley. He played on many songs his unique guitar. After leaving Elvis he came along with a new band and this instrumental. Way back many well known guitar players like Keith Richards and Eric Clapton named him as a main influence of playing guitar. If nothing last from him - his thump-picking playing will.

Scotty Moore Trio - Have Love Will Travel

J.J. Cale 1938 - 2013

Last Friday J.J. Cale died on a heart attack in California at the age of 74. He was well known as the one who wrote 'Cocaine' and 'After Midnight' which was made popular by Eric Clapton. Playing the guitar the way he did had a very big influence to bands like Dire Straits. Not that he was a great guitar slinger at all but if you had seen him once play that rich in variation it seems like unbelievable. Holding his left hand on the guitar board nearly immovable his fingers more quickly moved about the strings. I loved him for his laid back music - partly so laid back that you thought he might fall asleep soon. 

R I P J.J.

J.J. Cale - Low Rider