Good article, Hunter. Thanks! Beck has always been my fave of the British invasion era players.

Originally Posted by: hunter60His follow up was 1976's 'Wired', another round of jazz fusion that was completed with the help of drummer and composer Narada Michael Walden and keyboard player Jan Hammer.[/quote]
I loved Wired. In my college days, I had a band called "Led Boots". :) But . . .
[QUOTE=hunter60]Recorded sporadically, the result was 'There And Back' in 1980. It was a slight departure from the jazz fusion taste of 'Wired' and 'Blow By Blow' ...

This album still amazes me. The critics favored Blow By Blow, me & all my guitar buddies loved Wired. But to this day I am more fascinated by There & Back. It is the only Beck album I still listen to.

I still remember slowing down Jan Hammer's solos to copy them note for note; wonderful licks & phrasing for days. And the interplay between Beck & Hammer is amazing. Hammer makes his synth sound like a rock guitar from outer space. Then, Beck mimics Hammer's synth so well it's like they morph into each other. And the other half features the equally wonderful Tony Hymas (keys) & Simon Phillips (drums).

I only saw him perform live once, on the Guitar Shop tour with SRV. I have never before or since seen 5000 people at a rock concert in a hockey arena all stop yelling, screaming, cheering, etc. and pay careful, quiet attention to the performer. It was uncanny. People yelled and cheered in between tunes. But as soon as he started playing the next tune, everyone would sit down, be quiet ... and really watch & listen.

Thanks again for the article. :)