Jeff Beck is considered by many to be a guitarist's guitarist. I've never quite gotten it; technique is one thing, talent is another. Perhaps I'm a bit too young, but I just don't consider Beck to be in the same league as a Hendrix or a Clapton. He certainly made the rounds, playing with the Yardbirds, Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters, Mick Jagger, and others, even spinning off on a supergroup tangent, Beck Bogert & Appice, with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice from Vanilla Fudge. But, more importantly, Beck helped lay the groundwork for heavy metal in the 60's, and he brought jazz fusion to the rock masses in the 70's.

But aside from his work with the Yardbirds and two seminal albums - Truth (with the Jeff Beck Group featuring Rod Stewart) and Blow By Blow (Beck's instrumental tour de force with Jan Hammer) - his work has been spotty, pedestrian, or overblown. When Beck is "on" no one can touch him, but he is gifted neither as a songwriter or vocalist; without the full support of players like Stewart, Hammer, Nicky Hopkins, Ron Wood, or Terry Bozzio, he falters. Jeff Beck's tone and control are legendary, but highlights of his erratic career should satisfy most collectors. Fortunately, two good choices exist: the single-disc Best Of Beck (perhaps too brief) and the triple-CD Beckology (a tad too long).