Jeff Beck’s chops are the stuff of electric guitar legend. A once-in-a-lifetime tonal touch, defined by his trademark fingerstyle approach, as well as a highly lyrical grasp on melody and phrasing, are just some of the characteristics of the late Stratocaster master’s playing style.
Of course, the vast majority of listeners who bore witness to Beck’s generational rhythmic and soloing skills did so either through stage appearances or via record. As such, few people were made privy to the sorts of behind-closed-doors noodlings and warm-up drills that Beck practiced when out of the public eye.
One individual who was lucky enough to get exposed to such intimate and vulnerable playing, though, was Buzz Osborne, who just so happened to hear some of Beck’s pre-show warm-up routine.
Unsurprisingly, what the Melvins maestro heard was really, really good. In fact, Osborne was so taken aback by Beck’s humble practice playing that he went as far as to say he’d “never heard anything like it”.
Speaking in an upcoming interview with Guitar World, Osborne picked apart the 11 guitarists who shaped his sound, singling out Beck – and, in particular, his Wired album from the mid-'70s – as a particularly influential force of inspiration.
“Jeff Beck's Wired era is just really good. I don't know what he's even doing there… but it's amazing, you know?” says Osborne. “I can't figure out what's a guitar and what's not… it's just… I don't know [laughs].
“It's like one of those weird old jazz-meets-guitar albums; that would be the best way to describe it,” he continues. “But I love it because it's just so good.
“Jeff was unreal because he could make this guitar stuff that sounded like it wasn't a guitar. I don't really know what it sounds like, and he wasn't using a pick; Jeff was probably one of the most eclectic guitar players ever.”
But Osborne’s admiration for Beck’s guitar playing spans beyond what was heard on Wired, and indeed any other record, for that matter. As the Melvins leader goes on to explain, he once secretly heard Beck practicing backstage at a festival – and it was unlike anything he’d ever heard.
“I remember the Melvins did a show once at a festival, and Jeff was playing right after us, so we shared a trailer with him with a common wall,” he goes on. “We could hear Jeff playing right through the wall, and he was playing the most incredible shit.”
Now, warm-ups are rarely anything special. The majority of the time, there are some scale movements to grease the grooves, or some off-fretboard stretches to limber up the digits – and (if done strictly by the book) these are usually pre-set movements designed to get the fingers ready to play.
Sure, some improvisation might filter in, but it’s usually nothing too fancy, and oftentimes it is the same melodic patterns players are familiar with, played in order to ground themselves to their instrument. It certainly wouldn’t, say, result in a piece of music capable of leaving a lasting impression on anyone. But, of course, Jeff Beck was an exception.
With all that said, the fact Beck’s own pre-show routine was able to leave such an impression on Osborne speaks volumes of the late guitar legend’s ability to pick up a guitar and… well, play.
“It was total, blues-based insanity; it was nuts,” he remarks. “I listened to 15 minutes of Jeff Beck warm-up, and I'd never heard anything like it. Never.”
That Osborne was so moved by what he heard Beck play during that time is made even more significant given the fact that the Melvins’ own sludge metal sonic universe is worlds away from Beck’s own penchant for blues and rock guitar music. A true testament to Beck's otherworldly guitar abilities.
Keep your eyes peeled on GuitarWorld.com for the full interview with Buzz Osborne.
In other Jeff Beck news, the guitar legend's final-ever recording was recently released, with Mark Knopfler recruiting Beck, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi, Slash and dozens more for an all-star charity single.
