Freeway Jam

Jeff Beck, 1975, from Blow by Blow. Solo by Jeff Beck.

From Blow by Blow; Beck's playful, bent melody made it a staple of his live shows for decades.

Freeway Jam, a Max Middleton tune from Blow by Blow, is Jeff Beck at his most playful. The melody is catchy and bent into shape, full of slides and whammy wobbles that give it a cheeky, almost humorous character. In the solo he mixes quick runs with sudden pauses and sharp bends, never staying in one idea for long. It became a staple of his live shows for decades, partly because it gave him so much room to improvise. Listen for how he treats the whammy bar as part of the melody, shaping notes with small dips and rises rather than big dramatic dives.

Freeway Jam by Jeff Beck is ranked #237 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Jeff Beck and the song was released in 1975. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #20 (Rolling Stone).

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Fusion Guitar Solos — #5
• The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #24
• Rolling Stone vs. Everyone — #7
• The Best Jeff Beck Guitar Solos — #2

Sources

• Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #20