I'm A Man, Yardbirds (1965)

One of the defining features of the British Invasion during the 60s was musicians from the UK introducing the youth of America to seminal blues artists who themselves were American. Given the way our society was at the time, there is reason to believe we might not have found out about them any other way.

A British invader who led the way in this endeavor - Jeff Beck - is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight for his work after he left the Yardbirds in 1966. (The Yardbirds were inducted previously.)

Beck was with the Yardbirds for a very short 18 months or so - the group dynamics weren't his cup of tea - but the way he used the guitar at that point in rock music was so outside the mainstream that it left an indelible imprint on how the group is remembered. While many of the songs that became hits during his tenure were written by group members, the one that got my tail feather shaking today was a Bo Diddley composition, I'm A Man.

I'm A Man is a sterling example of transforming the original by Diddley into something entirely new and accessible for that time while remaining an homage to the sensibilities of the master who created it. Check out the Hullabaloo dancers in the video - I'm not sure you can fake that!

Jimmy Page, who will be inducting his former bandmate into the Hall tonight, was a session guitarist who had been asked to join the Yardbirds when Eric Clapton departed due to creative differences with Keith Relf, Jim McCarty and the others. Page wasn't sure he wanted to take that step at the time and instead recommended Beck.

Beck has always marched to the shriek of his own Fender Stratocaster. He is notorious for not caring what anyone else thinks and for experimenting with the guitar to degrees that others have viewed as risky to his career. He's never been much for boundaries, but has freely built upon his admiration for the players who preceded him in developing his own capabilities.

Beck has related that he got out having to audition for Keith Relf simply by saying that he worshipped at the altar of the blues guitarist Matt Murphy. Never having been to the U.S., nonetheless he knew the work of Booker T & the MGs and wanted to emulate it. Who wouldn't want to rip up the guitar like Steve Cropper if they had even a scintilla of talent in that direction?

You're My Woman, Van Morrison (1971)

I became a rabid Van Morrison fan when he was singing blues-rock with Them in the early 60s with hits like Gloria and Here Comes the Night (especially the latter).

As a solo artist, Morrison, a rock troubadour if there ever was one, is a mesmerizing performer. He commits to his music to such a profound degree you cannot help but be swept away by it. I love two comments over at youtube about him: "Van could sing 'take me out to the ballgame' and bring me to tears," was one; the other, "It's more like a soul with a voice than a voice with soul."

Of all the songs on his 1971 recording Tupelo Honey, You're My Woman is the pinnacle. Rolling Stone called it "one of the genuine masterpieces of Van's recording career." At 6:40, the song builds and builds to such emotional intensity that I sometimes can't stand it but never want it to end. It is a love song of monumental proportions, one of the best I've ever heard.

The accompanying horn, piano and rhythm section arrangements on this are also exquisite. This song isn't anywhere to be seen on youtube, but if you want to witness the Irish dynamo in his element, check out this gem as a substitute. Something else to look for: Martin Scorcese's series on the blues, specifically the Red, White & Blues episode that Mike Figgis directed. Here you'll see an astonishing session with Van, Tom Jones and Lulu, accompanied by Jeff Beck. For anyone who loves the blues, I can't overstate what a treasure it is.