Jeff Beck: 'music kept me alive'

Jeff Beck will perform at the Olympic Hall of the Olympic Park in southern Seoul on April 27.

Guitar legend talks about Yardbirds, evolution of rock and new album ahead of Seoul concert

By Kim Young-jin

Legendary British guitarist Jeff Beck may not have achieved the commercial success of some of his contemporaries. But the 70-year-old who emerged in 1965 with the Yardbirds says music had a more profound impact on him than most.

“Music has kept me alive,” said Beck, who will perform on April 27 at the Olympic Park in Seoul. “In the face of all those things that had happened … I’m still here.”

These days, the musician is reflective about his career, during which he has racked up superlatives such as being ranked fifth on Rolling Stones’ list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

The ride may have been bumpy, including a serious car accident in 1969 that set his career back. And over the years, he developed a reputation for being a perfectionist and for working on his own terms, often to the chagrin of the music industry.

“I don’t know how I’ve survived it _ the business side of it all,” Beck said in an e-mail interview.

Beck was virtually unknown to the public before joining the Yardbirds, the blues-based outfit that became a key part of the “British Invasion” of the 1960s. The band recruited him to replace Eric Clapton on the recommendation of Jimmy Page, who later went on to form Led Zeppelin.

During his stint, the band racked up hits, and Beck became increasingly experimental, honing a psychedelic, fuzz-laden style.

His time with the band was short-lived, a fact attributed to his inconsistency in showing up for band functions.

However, that led to the launching of an illustrious solo career in which he has dabbled in various genres from blues to metal to jazz fusion to electronica.

During the decades that followed, he solidified his standing as one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, an impact perhaps best measured by the musicians who collaborated with him _ a list that includes the likes of Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and Stevie Wonder.

Asked about becoming a septuagenarian, the legend reiterated his personal relationship with music.

“More recently, music has become more omnipresent in my head. It has become clear how important it is, not just to people, but to me.”

We spoke with Beck about coming to Korea, the explosion of British rock in the 1960s and the new album he is working on.

Q: How does it feel to be coming back to Korea?

A:

All I remember about Korea is just the hotel, the airport and the gig. There really wasn’t much time for anything else. But at the gig, I remember everybody was really enthusiastic and I just can’t wait to get back.

Q: You were part of an amazing period in the 1960s, when the boundaries of music were really pushed. What works changed your perspective on what rock could be?

The thing is, every day from the time I joined The Yardbirds, my life changed. Not because of the band itself but because of the business side of it that I had entered.

Everyday there was a new band coming up – Jimi Hendrix came up in 1966, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, etc. and there were so many things in between, including so many great players. It just exploded. Just about from 1964 to the 1970s it was just non-stop.

Q: You collaborated with some amazing musicians during that era. Who did you enjoy playing with most and why?

I think this would probably have to be The Yardbirds. It was really amazing and it really was a chance where I was totally free and experiment in any way I pleased with my guitar.

Another memorable one was with Jan Hammer back in 1976 with his band. His band was truly amazing and 25 years ahead of everybody else.

Q: How do you assess the evolution of the rock guitar? Is there still more room for innovation?

Absolutely. I don’t think we’ve probably even scratched the surface of it really. There’s no limit to the combination of notes and songs that can be had.

The thing I regret and am sad about is that electronics have taken over, almost obliterating real playing, but I’m glad to say that there are younger guys coming up now that are not having it.

They are not prepared to sit there and watch machines do what they want to do. If they did, if it was all like that forever, I probably wouldn’t play and I wouldn’t be touring. But I still believe that people want to hear people play their instruments and not just lip sync and stuff.

Q: We read that you’re working on a new studio album. Can you give us any hints about what to expect?

We were supposed to have finished the album before our tour started on the first of April. But unfortunately, we didn’t. I haven’t performed with some of the solos properly and right now we don’t have time to complete it because we are getting ready for the tour.

But without spoiling the surprise, it’s about 12 to 14 tracks. The closest I can describe it is that it would be like if you went around to a CD shop and just grabbed a handful of randomly selected CDs. There is also some heavy influence from the Middle East as well. There are some very heavy stuff and some very beautiful stuff. That’s how I like it, the variety.

Jeff Beck plays at the Olympic Hall of the Olympic Park on April 27th at 6 p.m. Tickets start at 88,000 won at ticket.interpark.com.