Rolling Stone drops 5 Stars on Beck

[Guest Incandenza]

I've listened to it myself, and I like it. I don't love it like so many critics do, but I've never been much of a Beck fan, anyway.

 

I've always thought Beck was weak lyricist, Kinetic. Personally, I've never found his overly cute, free association rhymes as clever as half the rock geek populace seems to.

[Guest Kinetic]

The lyrics on this album are awful, though, rather than just being goofy and irreverent. It's just one cliche after another.

[Guest Kinetic]

I've reconsidered my stance on this album after listening to it half a dozen times over the last few days. I think it was the Blood On The Tracks comparison that threw me. While thematically similar, these two albums have few similarities beyond that. Blood... is an album of searching or "heading for another joint" as a romantic relationship deteriorates, but there's a lot more to it. It probably has more layers of meaning and interpretation than any other album in Dylan's considerable canon. Sea Change, on the other hand, is pretty one dimensional. There's none of the balladry of "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts" or the raw emotion of "Idiot Wind" or "If You See Her, Say Hello." What it does have, though, is some of Beck's finest songs and undoubtedly his best showing as a lyricist, despite what I said earlier. The songs are probably too lush and orchestral for the type of album Beck obviously set out to make, but once you get past that you find some good songs yearning to break free. A few do, like "Lonesome Tears" and "Little One." Others aren't quite so fortunate, but there isn't anything particularly offensive on the album. I'd probably put it in my top ten of the year. I like it better than Interpol.

[Guest Incandenza]

In spite of not having heard it in months, I feel safe in saying I think it's Beck's best album, meaning it's only okay.

[Guest Kinetic]

I think Odelay is more successful in accomplishing what Beck set out to accomplish. I'll break it down like this, as far as Beck's major label albums are concerned:

 

Odelay>Mutations>Sea Change>Mellow Gold>Midnite Vultures

[Guest LooseCannon]

Odelay>Mutations>Mellow Gold>Midnite Vultures>a lotta stuff>getting shot in the head>Sea Change

 

yup.

[Guest Incandenza]

Okay, I'm no Beck fan, but, being friends with several Beck fans, I figure I could give this a shot.

 

Sea Change>Mutations>Odelay>Midnite Vultures>having all my teeth extracted with electrically charged pliers>Mellow Gold

 

That's about it.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Taking a hearty dump>Beck

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Am I the only person who likes Midnite Vultures? Sure, Prince at his worst does it better but... shoot, there was an ending to that sentence. I don't know, it doesn't mean a damn thing but if you have it's fun to listen to and if you're going to dance like a dorky white boy might as well do it to dorky white dance music.

[Guest Incandenza]

I liked that one song where Beck completely cops Prince's sound. I don't recall the title, but I believe it had that one line about making a garbage man scream.

 

EDIT: Though no other artist/band is better at riding Prince's jock than Ween. "L.M.L.Y.P" and "Roses are Free" being two particular favorites.

[Guest Kinetic]

"Peaches and Cream." The Prince copping lasts about six minutes before segueing into a gospel choir that sings, "Keep your laplight trimmed and burning." It's one of the better songs on the album.