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He often is overlooked because when people think of Rush they think "best drummer" Neil Peart. And they aren't wrong. Fact is Alex is the third best musician in his own band, so people just don't pay much attention to him, but he is an incredible composer and bests Beck in that category by many a mile.
I don't believe there is another guitarist that can compose and execute solos quite as perfectly as Alex. His solo on Freewill might be the best executed solo of the 70s.
In general his guitar compositions are much more lyrical and textural, and so he rarely stands out in any song except for the solos. He tends to sort of blend in with the song and doesn't really peacock like many others. For the average music fan his solos are a bit "out there" because they are more progressive and less shredding, although he has his share of shredding especially early on ("Working Man" for example).
A lot of his under appreciation comes from how good he actually DOES blend into the songs. He plays his role perfectly in letting the other two virtuosos in the band shine. His playing sounds deceptively easy, but if you have ever tried to learn any of his songs they are far more complex than you would imagine.
Lastly I think his use of effects may take away from the average person's evaluation of his technical guitar playing chops, but he was very creative and created vivid soundscapes with those effects (see "By-Tor" and "In the End" off the Fly By Night album and "La Villa Strangiato" from Hemispheres).
Last edited by chadgates; 09-09-2016 at 12:27 PM..
Alex Lifeson is an amazing musician. I don't know how I'd compare him to Jeff Beck, but there are some things Lifeson does that Beck never has done (to my knowledge). Lifeson's classical playing on the intros of A Farewell to Kings, The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, and perhaps some others is one example. Now, those parts are pretty basic classical guitar performances, but it is a style of playing I've never heard Beck attempt. Another things is textural chord playing. Beck has never bothered with that, favoring instead a more rhythm/lead combination on guitar, while usually allowing keyboard to cover the textural stuff.
Alex Lifeson is an amazing musician. I don't know how I'd compare him to Jeff Beck, but there are some things Lifeson does that Beck never has done (to my knowledge). Lifeson's classical playing on the intros of A Farewell to Kings, The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, and perhaps some others is one example. Now, those parts are pretty basic classical guitar performances, but it is a style of playing I've never heard Beck attempt. Another things is textural chord playing. Beck has never bothered with that, favoring instead a more rhythm/lead combination on guitar, while usually allowing keyboard to cover the textural stuff.
I think Alex Lifeson had to work within the compounds of 2 virtuosic instrumentalists...and I think the success of Rush lies mostly on Alex giving enough room to Geddy and Neil to just go off....I know that this is a very simplistic way of putting it.
That was another thing, did Beck ever played acoustic? How about the pick? Has he ever used one?
I think Alex Lifeson had to work within the compounds of 2 virtuosic instrumentalists...and I think the success of Rush lies mostly on Alex giving enough room to Geddy and Neil to just go off....I know that this is a very simplistic way of putting it.
That was another thing, did Beck ever played acoustic? How about the pick? Has he ever used one?
I think that was a very concise and accurate summation.
I cannot recall ever seeing or hearing Beck play acoustic or using a pick.
I couldn't find any pics that showed him using a pick, at least not clear ones. I believe that when he used one it was a thumb pick which is why you can't tell in the pictures.
I have to admit I never heard of Beck until a rock radio station played the entire Blow by Blow album. I was blown away. I was into Mahavishnu and RTF. I told a school mate about "this new guy I discovered." My friend was a rock guitarist and was so disillusioned by that album he brought it to school the next day and said you can have it. He swore off of Beck forever. I guess rock guitar enthusiast were holding out for Beck because I got Wired and There and Back from another rock guitarist who hated those albums.
Beck does use a pick with The Jeff Beck group and plays all the requisite blues rock licks that would put him on par with any of his contemporaries. He just decided to get out of the fray and not go for technical speed. Let all the rest do that. He did something new. To get his trademark sound you have to keep hold of the whammy bar and pinch like Albert Collins or the Texas blues guys did. The number of major rock groups who wanted him to play for them is a testament to his playing.
I have to admit I never heard of Beck until a rock radio station played the entire Blow by Blow album. I was blown away. I was into Mahavishnu and RTF. I told a school mate about "this new guy I discovered." My friend was a rock guitarist and was so disillusioned by that album he brought it to school the next day and said you can have it. He swore off of Beck forever. I guess rock guitar enthusiast were holding out for Beck because I got Wired and There and Back from another rock guitarist who hated those albums.
Beck does use a pick with The Jeff Beck group and plays all the requisite blues rock licks that would put him on par with any of his contemporaries. He just decided to get out of the fray and not go for technical speed. Let all the rest do that. He did something new. To get his trademark sound you have to keep hold of the whammy bar and pinch like Albert Collins or the Texas blues guys did. The number of major rock groups who wanted him to play for them is a testament to his playing.
Yes, I've read that the Rolling Stones wanted Jeff Beck back in 1969 when they fired
Brian Jones. Possibly he was also in the running in 1975 to replace Mick Taylor, not sure,
they were looking at a few guitarists, including Harvey Mandel, Jeff certainly would not
have been interested in 1975....that was right in the middle of he peak period,
Blow By Blow/Wired.
Yes, I've read that the Rolling Stones wanted Jeff Beck back in 1969 when they fired
Brian Jones. Possibly he was also in the running in 1975 to replace Mick Taylor, not sure,
they were looking at a few guitarists, including Harvey Mandel, Jeff certainly would not
have been interested in 1975....that was right in the middle of he peak period,
Blow By Blow/Wired.
They were also pursuing Shuggie Otis. He turned them down. None of those guys would have been a good fit for the Stones.
I have to admit I never heard of Beck until a rock radio station played the entire [i] The number of major rock groups who wanted him to play for them is a testament to his playing.
In Jeff Beck's Wikipedia page there's a statement by Nick Mason saying that Pink Floyd wanted to recruit Beck once Syd Barrett departed but they didn't have the nerve to do it. I wonder if it was before considering Gilmour, or in addition to. That's something to think about; imagine Floyd with Beck instead of Gilmour....
In Jeff Beck's Wikipedia page there's a statement by Nick Mason saying that Pink Floyd wanted to recruit Beck once Syd Barrett departed but they didn't have the nerve to do it. I wonder if it was before considering Gilmour, or in addition to. That's something to think about; imagine Floyd with Beck instead of Gilmour....
Yeah I'm beginning to think that when too many people want you their band it's a good sign you need to put together your own band.
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