With Understanding Comes Appreciation
Lots of jazz guitarists have veered into the world of rock and roll on occasion, but the number of "raised on the blues" rockers who have had the boulders to step into the high-falutin' domain of jazz-rock fusion can be counted on one hand. Most of us weren't sure it could be done at all until Tommy Bolin spun everyone's head around with his phenomenal work on Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" in 1973. I have no idea if that had anything to do with Jeff Beck's drastic change of direction but it might have. Or maybe he came to the realization that, singer or no singer, his fans just wanted to hear him let it rip more than anything else. No matter the reason, by hiring producer/wizard George Martin and assembling a basic four-piece combo of extremely talented musicians, Jeff created Blow By Blow, a recording for all modern guitarists to drool over forevermore. Simply astounding. With every stinging note Jeff Beck proves he is a Guitar God. Blow By Blow was both a landmark in Jeff Beck's career and a landmark in the history of Jazz-Rock Fusion, period. Jeff Beck brought the Guitar to the forefront in Fusion like no one had ever done before. Blow By Blow is full of one amazing song after the other. Jeff's Guitar sizzles on "Freeway Jam," burns on "You Know What I Mean," flows like a mountain stream on "Cause We've Ended As Lovers," and burns with a subtle glow on Diamond Dust.
The album is a powerhouse of jazzy funk rock fusion with nine strong tracks made all the better by George Martin’s flawless production skills and orchestral arrangements. Unlike previous efforts Jeff Beck executes flawless performances with each track carrying its weight replete with chunky bass grooves, Jan Hammer meets Herbie Hancock styled keyboard workouts and perfectly executed percussive backing. Beck himself delivers some of the tastiest guitar chops in all of the 70s jazz-rock fusion world ranging from behind the scenes rhythmic backup to fully fueled in the spotlight soloing. While not as lightning fast as John McLaughlin or John Abercrombie, Beck rather focused on a diverse palette of tones, timbres and mood setting licks that defined him as a true original.
What makes Blow by Blow such a beautiful masterpiece of music is how everything comes together. Addictive funkified bass grooves and jazzed out keyboard antics are topped off with the perfect triumvirate icing on the cake via Beck’s inventive guitar riffs and daring solos that add all the right tones and sound effects to craft the perfect bridge between full blown jazz-rock fusion and danceable funk rock. Although officially an instrumental album, Blow by Blow is punctuated by moments of vocoder use which adds an interesting underlying element to the mix. Also prominent is the perfect use of percussion which drifts to and fro between the jazz and rock paradigms.