Beck and Clapton: A Review

Two legendary guitarists, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, played Madison Square Garden this past Thursday and Friday evenings. Getting ready to attend double billing reminded me of growing up in Copiague, late 1960’s, when many of us would congregate on a Friday afternoon at the Copiague station. There we awaited the arrival of trains from New York City so we could “hawk” the weekly train tickets from the commuter who would not need it any longer. That train ticket would be good until 3:30 in the wee hours of the morning. Good for our "free" round trips. So off to “the city” we would go, more often than not to various music venues like Fillmore East, Second Avenue and Sixth Street. That is where I first experienced the guitar mastery of Jeff Beck, live with The Jeff Beck Group which featured a singer who performed mostly with his back to the audience, Rod Stewart.
Forty one years have passed since that Independence Day show. While awaiting the train out of Copiague this past Friday I felt like the same kid of years ago, wildly anticipating Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. However, this time I paid for my train ticket and wasn’t wearing bell bottoms. Seated in the nose bleed seats of the cavernous Garden, I knew the sound system in The Garden has improved over the years and the huge video displays would help my eyesight which has not improved over the years
The house lights dimmed, the roar of the crowd, I was seventeen again. Well maybe not. Having doubled stepped the last two floors on the escalator to my seats I was a bit winded. Jeff Beck , now 65 years old, with his band, hit the stage opening with ETERNITY’S BREATH, as I was catching mine.
For the uninitiated, Jeff Beck is a master technician of the guitar. And this show was no exception. Having dropped vocalists in his bands years ago, he concentrates on a jazzier, experimental approach to the guitar. This tour includes a 12 piece orchestra on a few new songs including a beautifully executed version of Puccini’s aria NESSUM DORMA (None Shall Sleep) from Turandot which he closed his set with.
After a short intermission, Eric Clapton took the stage. Seated with guitar, “Slowhand” did four acoustic numbers before strapping on his Stratocaster. A few early solo and some Derek and The Dominoes numbers prevailed, before ending this portion of the set with COCAINE, a tune which was “retired” years ago. Jeff Beck joined the ensemble for the next 25 minutes (eight songs) which included a wonderfully strange rendition of Moon River, Outside Woman Blues, (I Want to) Take You Higher, and Crossroads as the encore.
Now back down the steps to Penn Station which has the best pizza (in any train station) money can buy, a cold beverage, a newspaper maybe, and the long, local train ride back to Copiague. No longer were there any safety gates, ringing bells and flashing lights at each and every station. There and then I wondered where has the time gone. Yet,for a few brief moments that night I was able to magically “time warp” back courtesy of the music. Yeah, some things do change while others remain the same.


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