"Jeff Beck Could Have Been Bigger Than Led Zeppelin" | Steve Rosen

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Jeff Beck was on the original Woodstock poster, but the Jeff Beck Group fell apart just before one of rock’s defining events. Veteran rock journalist Steve Rosen explains why Beck repeatedly walked away from the kind of success that could have made him as big as Led Zeppelin—and why Rosen still considers him the most gifted and innovative guitarist ever.

Drawing on interviews with Beck from 1973 to 1989, Rosen revisits the guitarist’s missed Woodstock appearance, the Rolling Stones offer he declined, his unpredictable band changes, and the music that made him a legend among musicians. Rosen also shares the terrifying moment he realized he had failed to record his first Jeff Beck interview—and the unexpected kindness that saved it.

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Jeff Beck Interview Tape Steve Almost Lost
01:43 Why Jeff Beck Was the Greatest Guitarist
04:16 Why Jeff Beck Never Became a Mega-Star
06:44 Steve’s First Jeff Beck Interview in 1973
12:21 The Recording Mistake That Nearly Ended Everything
21:09 Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and the Yardbirds
27:00 Did Led Zeppelin Borrow Jeff Beck’s Sound?
29:13 Why Jeff Beck Turned Away From Fame
36:33 Why Jeff Beck Couldn’t Keep a Band
44:01 How Blow by Blow Changed Everything
53:41 Why Jeff Beck Blew Off Woodstock
56:13 Jeff Beck’s Temper and Onstage Walkouts
59:28 Hot Rods, Guitars, and Jeff Beck’s Legacy