Jeff Beck geekfest: DVD A Man for All Seasons

Read about this in a guitar mag and got it. Swoon. Beck wasn’t directly involved - he’s only featured in past interviews and clips - but he clearly supported the effort given the archive of photos, clips and permissions given. Great interviews with Yardbirds, great context of the emerging UK rock scene. Wonderful insights on Clapton and Page - Clapton as an even-keel blues snob and how much better Beck was as a fit with the Yardbirds (pretty funny); Page as a terribly ambitious multi-threat and leader who happened to also be Beck’s best guitar friend.

As an added bonus, you have wonderful, trenchant commentary from a DJ and rock critic with the most stupendously bad UK teeth I have ever scene, Charles Shaar Murray. But his summarization of Beck “he’s a singer who happens to use the guitar” pretty much says it all.

Covers up through the end of the 60’s - through Truth and Beck-ola, with some foreshadowing about Blow-by-Blow and other work to come. Very warts-and-all, it doesn’t shy away from commenting on Beck’s brittle immaturity and lack of career direction - especially in contrast to Page - while celebrating his playing as the unique voice it is. And if you care about the characters, it’s a bit dishy, too. :wink: It’s well directed, the narrative flows well and the discussion of his work and specific songs is well done - they are discussed, then a clip played which features the bits in discussion.

As a complete Beck fanboy, it delivered.

Thanks for posting about this. As a fan of Jeff Beck, as well as rare footage, it seems like it will be a great DVD to buy. Well, as soon as I pay off all my bills and have some free spending money left over. :slight_smile:

Oh yeah thanks… I was contemplating finding a vinyl recording of Five Live Yardbirds…had one years ago… Beck’s performance at Ronnie Scott’s runs frequently on Palladium… like… everything else on their lol