Hammerhead (Jeff Beck song) explained

Hammerhead
Type:instrumental
Artist:Jeff Beck
Album:Emotion & Commotion
Genre:Hard rock, instrumental rock
Length:4:15
Label:Atco
Composer:Jeff Beck, Jason Rebello
Producer:Steve Lipson

"Hammerhead" is the second track from Jeff Beck's 2010 album Emotion & Commotion. The instrumental track features Beck on guitar, Jason Rebello on keyboards, Tal Wilkenfeld on bass guitar and Alessia Mattalia on drums. It was written by Beck and Rebello and was produced by Steve Lipson. It won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Overview

Beck credited composer Jan Hammer for the inspiration for the track.[1] Whereas much of Emotion & Commotion contains orchestral accompaniment,[2] "Hammerhead" is an uptempo rock track reminiscent of Beck's work with The Yardbirds[3] and his 1974 album Blow by Blow.[4] He employs wah-wah pedal and whammy bar effects on his guitar and Wilkenfeld’s bass is distorted.[5]

Grammy Award

In February 2011 "Hammerhead" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, he had five previous Grammy Awards in this same category.[6] The other nominees were "Black Mud" by The Black Keys, "Do the Murray" by Los Lobos, "Kundalini Bonfire" by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, and "The Deathless Horsie" by Dweezil Zappa.[7] It was one of three awards Beck received that night also winning Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Nessun Dorma" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for his contribution to "Imagine" from Herbie Hancock's The Imagine Project.[8]

Personnel

Beyond original version

Two live versions of the song have also been commercially released. It is the second track on Beck's Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum. On this version drummer Narada Michael Walden and bassist Rhonda Smith join Beck and Rebello.[9] The other live version was recorded live by Beck at the June 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival and is available on the CD and DVD Crossroads Eric Clapton Guitar Festival 2010.[10] He also played the tune with The Who's touring band at the Killing Cancer benefit concert at the Hammersmith Apollo on 13 January 2011.[11]

Notes and References

  1. News: Jeff Beck’s Emotion & Commotion. Wood. Mikael. 13 April 2010. Los Angeles Times. 23 March 2011. 1 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100701214316/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/13/entertainment/la-et-0413-albumreviews-20100413. live.
  2. Web site: Jeff Beck – Emotion & Commotion. Marx. David. 6 April 2010. Consequence of Sound. 23 March 2011. 18 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120918174340/http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/album-review-jeff-beck-emotion-commotion/. live.
  3. News: Blow by blow, guitar god as brilliant as ever. Emery. Patrick. 30 March 2010. The Australian. 23 March 2011.
  4. Web site: Review: Emotion & Commotion. Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. Allmusic. 23 March 2011. 7 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120607082038/http://www.allmusic.com/album/emotion-commotion-mw0001963659. live.
  5. News: Emotion & Commotion: Jeff Beck stirs up a lot of both. Gundersen. Edna. 12 April 2010. USA Today. 23 March 2011. 27 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110127222529/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2010-04-13-jeffbeck13_VA2_N.htm. live.
  6. Web site: Legendary rock guitarist Jeff Beck coming to Grand Rapids for April concert in DeVos Performance Hall. Kaczmarczyk. Jeffrey. 18 January 2011. MLive.com. 23 March 2011. 26 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110126101058/http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/01/legendary_rock_guitarist_jeff.html. live.
  7. Web site: Nominees And Winners. Grammy Award. 23 March 2011. 23 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150723231045/http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2010&genre=31. live.
  8. News: 53rd Grammys Award Winners. Danton. Eric R.. 13 February 2011. Hartford Courant. 23 March 2011.
  9. Web site: Jeff Beck Live From The Grammy Museum. Landers. Rick. Guitar International. 23 March 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110306091841/http://guitarinternational.com/2010/10/25/jeff-beck-live-and-exclusive-from-the-grammy-museum-review/. 6 March 2011. dmy-all.
  10. News: Up & Down Beats: Clapton’s ultimate guitar jam. New Straits Times. 23 March 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110131054143/http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Up_DownBeats_Clapton__8217_sultimateguitarjam/Article. 31 January 2011. dmy-all.
  11. Web site: The Who, Jeff Beck, Richard Ashcroft unite at London charity gig. 14 January 2011. NME. 23 March 2011. 17 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110117105009/http://www.nme.com/news/the-who/54562. live.

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