John McLaughlin: The musician Jeff Beck called “the best guitarist alive”
The late Jeff Beck stood among the eminent figures of rock guitarists. He profoundly influenced many during the 1960s, forming a trio of exceptional guitarists with friends Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Their musical journey led them through the pioneering psychedelic band, The Yardbirds, marking the culmination of that decade’s musical innovation.
After departing The Yardbirds, Beck honed his skills, crafting a unique finger-picking technique showcased in some of his most cherished works. Among these, ‘Beck’s Bolero’ is an innovative instrumental collaboration with Page. His rendition of ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ further exemplifies his cultural impact.
As a result of such artistry, Beck held a unique position to assess fellow guitarists’ work, often expressing admiration for various players. During a conversation with Music Radar in 2022, he praised British jazz virtuoso John McLaughlin, leader of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, dubbing him “unequalled”. This wasn’t the first time Beck lauded McLaughlin, and in a 2010 chat with Uncut, Beck went further, proclaiming him “the best guitarist alive”.
“Things took a funny turn in the early ’70s,” Beck explained. “It all turned out well when I heard John McLaughlin, because his performance on the Miles Davis Jack Johnson album and with Mahavishnu Orchestra said, ‘Here’s where you can go’. And every musician I knew was raving about them. I thought, ‘This is a little bit of me, this. I’ll have some of that.’ The mastery of the playing, it was unequalled.”
As an influence, Beck’s impact shouldn’t be understated. In fact, Beck’s immense talent was evident in the admiration he earned from Jimi Hendrix, a musician he greatly admired. According to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Hendrix was enthralled by Beck’s guitar prowess and held high regard for his 1968 album, Truth.
As Gibbons explained: “The one I really remember him playing the ass off was the first Jeff Beck Group album, Truth. Hendrix was mad about it, totally OTT about Jeff’s playing. Oddly enough, Hendrix was all too willing and ready to include blues licks in his arsenal of guitar offerings, which had fallen out of favour in the States with most black entertainers.”
Guitar legends such as Beck and Hendrix attained revered status during a period when blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll had reached its pinnacle worldwide. While Beck acknowledged Hendrix as the supreme guitarist of their generation, he held other musicians in high esteem for their distinctive styles and approaches, reflecting his own talent as an absorber of the greats.
