‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ by The Beatles, ‘Born on the Bayou’ and ‘Run Through the Jungle’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and ‘Once in a Lifetime’ by Talking Heads all prove that one chord is all you need to create a classic. Everything else is just showing off. The world of rock ‘n’ roll was built on the sage folk tenet of four chords and the truth, and modern pop has never lost sight of that. Even virtuosos like Jeff Beck understand the art of concision.
“This new music is much more primitive in its harmonic language,” the great Leonard Bernstein said in praise of pop. “It relies more on the simple triad, the basic harmony of folk music. Never forget that this music employs a highly limited musical vocabulary; limited harmonically, rhythmically, and melodically. But within that restricted language, all these new adventures are simply extraordinary. Only think of the shear originality of a Beatles tune.”
However, blinding originality wasn’t even needed that much when it came to creating a slice of classic rock. The Rolling Stones have made no secret that they relied on the blues that came before them, but they still managed to spin that simplicity out in a manner that set the world alight. Nevertheless, it is that same creditable simplicity that formed one of two reasons why Jeff Beck didn’t join the band when they were recruiting a new guitarist after Mick Taylor walked away from the band in 1974.
”It’s too slow,” Beck said in a radio interview about his decision not to join the classic band after jamming with them for a grand total of two days in Holland. ”I couldn’t have enjoyed any length of career with just playing three chords, y’know.” Known for flexing his musical chops and credited by many as the most inventive guitarist of his ilk, Beck’s famous outlook was always: ”I didn’t just want to be a strummer”.
A spot in the Stones may well have reduced him to just that. However, he was quick to add that simplicity is not necessarily a detraction from the band. ”Three chord wonders is what Ian Stewart used to call them,” Beck said of the Stones’ keyboardist’s famed remark. Before clarifying that Stewart’s ethos was meant ”affectionately” and ”respectfully”. But also making it clear that he would never have worked out in the outfit because they didn’t ”do anything too challenging”.
The one area where they were challenging, however, was with their wild lifestyle. Beyond the musicality, this was another reason why Beck wouldn’t join. ”The way their lifestyle was – I couldn’t. As much as I’d like to have joined the Stones, I couldn’t deal with that pace.” So, in effect, it was their fast living, slow strumming that ensured Beck avoided jumping aboard their blues bus in the long run.
And he’s not the only one to note the band’s relative simplicity. Speaking to The New Yorker, Paul McCartney famously stated: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are. I think our net [The Beatles’] was cast a bit wider than theirs.”
In a Howard Stern interview, he continued his cutting analysis: “They are rooted in the blues” when discussing the Stones. “When they are writing stuff, it has to do with the blues. We had a little more influences. There’s a lot of differences, and I love the Stones, but I’m with you. The Beatles were better.”
However, as Keith Richards would retort, it’s one thing to be simple, but it takes a master to do simplicity right.