What's Beck's problem?

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This depends on your perception of which of his records are "good" and which are "bad", but does Beck run into problems when he's got no one to copy and re-imagine? Of his "good" records: One Foot In The Grave, Mellow Gold, Odelay = Dylan-bop; Midnite Vultures = Prince/Bowie circa Young Americans. Of his "bad"(ish) records: Stereopathic Soulmanure [admittedly, a fuck-around], Mutations, Sea Change, Guero = influences unclear? I am/was a huge Beck fan (less so since he's put out a great record), but it's pretty clear he's been in a slump (and I even liked Guero). Any chance it has something to do with the fact that he's got no one to copy and tweak? Or is he not even in a slump? And will The Information be any good?

treechewer (Maximillions), Monday, 2 October 2006 03:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Sea Change is a tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.

and the answer is X3nu, obv.

Zwan (miccio), Monday, 2 October 2006 03:43 (eighteen years ago) link

he's like prince in that he is easily influenced by silly religion and his records are only as good as the people he surrounds himself with when he makes them. smokey hormel and roger manning are his wendy and lisa.

chaki (chaki), Monday, 2 October 2006 03:55 (eighteen years ago) link

he's got this horrible interview in l.a. weekly this week

gear (gear), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Paraphrase some of it for us, if it's not online.

Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:18 (eighteen years ago) link

I would like to read that one too....

Glen Goetze (GlenGoetze), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:30 (eighteen years ago) link

found it:
http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/citizen-beck/14534/

Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:32 (eighteen years ago) link

sea changes is one of the most beautiful, and tragic peices of work peroid, in the last ten years

anthony easton (anthony), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:34 (eighteen years ago) link


When I moved here 10 years ago, Beck’s Odelay was a constant companion, like the sun, the smog and the Tapatío sauce in which I’d drown my tacos.

Being a newbie, it seemed necessary to me that I digest Odelay, in the same way that other arrivistes feel like they have to read City of Quartz. It wasn’t that I loved all the kitchen-sink sampling and polyglot cultural poses so much; sometimes, as with the city itself, I wondered what, if anything was at the center of all that shiny stuff. But Odelay was such a part of the landscape, I felt like I needed to understand it if I was going to understand my new home. What’s that reference? Who’s he talking about? Am I supposed to understand this?

Then there was the matter of Beck himself: the young, flaxen-haired waif; the wide-eyed, backpack-kid-turned-improbable-boy-wonder who had pockets full of fairy dust and eyes that pierced your heart. The smart chicks wanted to take him home, and the smart guys all had stories about knowing him, you know, before. Everybody loved what he seemed to represent. He was an icon for the new, golden age of discovery.

*barf*

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:40 (eighteen years ago) link

yep that's the one

gear (gear), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:46 (eighteen years ago) link

the interview part was ok, but oy that writer

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 04:56 (eighteen years ago) link

LA weekly interview, in brief:

Interviewer asks flaxen-haired waif about da old days. f-hw misses dem days. Lots of tedium ensues. Dude says a couple of interesting things about making modern music and "Loser", more tedium ensues. Questions get worse, Beck gets annoyed, I started skimming at that point.

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:01 (eighteen years ago) link

nyc antifolk part of his career conveniently glossed over

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:05 (eighteen years ago) link

What do people ask you about being a Scientologist? It seems like there’s a tendency to think there’s an inherent contradiction between being a Scientologist and an artist, like those can’t equate.

Well, that’s just a misconception. It’s like saying somebody who is Jewish can’t be a sailor or something. I don’t know. The two have nothing to do with each other.


Seems like people have trouble wrapping their heads around that.

Well, I don’t encounter any of that on a personal level.


You haven’t come across any...

Just journalists, usually.

OH SNAP

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:05 (eighteen years ago) link

haha remember when beck being jewish was the thing journos would harp on?

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:07 (eighteen years ago) link

omg

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:10 (eighteen years ago) link

he threw the shankbone in the moshpit

x-post

Zwan (miccio), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:11 (eighteen years ago) link

And this little snippet wins the wtf award for the day:

Were the Beastie Boys important to you?

Yeah, I remember in the circles I ran in they were more of a college, sort of frat-rock thing on that first record. And when the second one came out, I think I was living in New York and all the kids living on the Lower East Side would have never admitted in a million years that they liked the Beastie Boys. But I remember at one point people saying that they loved that record, that that record’s amazing, their second record [Paul’s Boutique].


Yeah, and Paul's Boutique seems like it couldn’t have happened anywhere except in L.A.

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:12 (eighteen years ago) link

i think it was recorded in l.a. but yeah, wtf

gear (gear), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Sea Change is also my favorite Beck record. I never warmed to Midnight Vultures, although I expected to love it.

i'll mitya halfway (mitya), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:17 (eighteen years ago) link

under the May 12 area, a snippet from Thom Yorke's (lead singer of Radiohead) visit to the official radiohead message board is noted. Yorke is asked if he is friends with Beck. Yorke replies, "yes through Nigel ~Godrich. but we[Godrich and Yorke] hold up our hands and say NO! when Mr Scientoligy [Beck] wanders in, strictly C of E as we[Godrich and Yorke] are.."

Yorke demonstrates that Beck, as a scientologist, has attempted to convert both him and Godrich (an influential and renowned music producer).

Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:37 (eighteen years ago) link

New publicity shot for The Information.

http://alansands.com/images/hypnotist.jpg

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Beck comes across pretty well in that interview.

Bob Six (bobbysix), Monday, 2 October 2006 06:39 (eighteen years ago) link

and we say OI! BECK! NO! You are an entertaining presence with your cross referencing of musicalstyles and magpie like appropriation, but when you COME IN 'ERE...

yeah, I know. Fill in the rest yersel.

mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 2 October 2006 06:39 (eighteen years ago) link

i heard 'no complaints' off of 'the information' and the main guitar lick sounds like it's from an Everclear song. not cool. the chorus isn't bad, though.

am i the only one who's not surprised he's a scientologist? usually i have no idea why people buy into that sort of thing but for beck it kinda makes sense to me. if he wrote a song describing the xenu story, i think it would fit in pretty well with the rest of his lyrics.

adam j (In Place of Something Clever), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:11 (eighteen years ago) link

There is nothing wrong about Beck except he likes a good melodic song, something which may be seen as a problem by those of his fans who are mostly into hip-hop. Particularly when occasionally he lets hip-hop rest for one album or two.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:33 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.fahrlehrerfachschule.ch/images/Head/ffs-Logo.gif

eh (fandango), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:51 (eighteen years ago) link

Hungover and tired, I bought the new album, which seemed really experimental when they were playing it at the store. It now seems a bit bland, but maybe I'll warm up to it.

Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:57 (eighteen years ago) link

I love Beck's more melodic material. But it seems like his voice is veeeeeeeery tired on Sea Change and Guero. And, to a certain extent, Mutations. Like he's just phoning it in--it's all very one-note. I have a theory that it's the production, but maybe that's just the apologist in me. Also, pointing out that antifolk stuff is good. I sort of took it as part of/leading up to the early records. In any case, it's still Dylan-bop to me. Which I like.

treechewer (Maximillions), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Also, thanks for the Gordon Lightfoot clarification. Maybe it throws the whole theory out the window.

treechewer (Maximillions), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Okay, Joe Donnelly, if you google this and read this -- for those opening paragraphs alone, you too should be drowned in Tapatio sauce. (Among other things because you don't DROWN your tacos in such stuff, you add it to enhance the flavor rather than roughshod over it, ya flipping dip!)

And stop eating records because it's doing things to your digestive system.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:22 (eighteen years ago) link

i've been on a fairly hectic seachange kick lately. i'd hesitate before calling it his best release though

and yes, donnelly, that was a profoundly inappropriate metaphor (where no metaphor was required in the first place)

Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Okay, Joe Donnelly, if you google this and read this -- for those opening paragraphs alone, you too should be drowned in Tapatio sauce. (Among other things because you don't DROWN your tacos in such stuff, you add it to enhance the flavor rather than roughshod over it, ya flipping dip!)

ned speaks truth.

real savage-like (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't understand this "dylan-bop" thing you speak of.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Me neither
and Mellow Gold = Dylan??

If anything I see more of a Beefheart thing going on, maybe because of the L.A Times review that called it the Trout Mask Replica of the 90's. I though that was a pretty good comparison but I'll prob be flamed for this.

Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:47 (eighteen years ago) link

slightly too much rapping on the new album but the last track is pretty stunning. its a good album overall. i wouldnt say its weak or that beck is in a slump with this one or an auto pilot like on guerro. nigel godrichs production can be a bit 'flat' (sounds like indie rap sonics strangely) but theres quite a lot of interesting things happening musically.

tigertiger (tigertiger), Monday, 2 October 2006 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link

I loved Sea Change. If he'd kept making party records, it would have gotten boring.

thank you for shopping at wal-mart (section241), Monday, 2 October 2006 14:08 (eighteen years ago) link

'stereopathetic soul manure' is one of my favorite beck albums, its not bad by any means. just lo-fi and a bit ragged around the edges

6335 (6335), Monday, 2 October 2006 14:57 (eighteen years ago) link

I hear Beck is a Scientologist.

Eppy (Eppy), Monday, 2 October 2006 14:58 (eighteen years ago) link

new record is enjoyable. sounds pretty raw compared to guero

held tony (held tony), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link

smokey hormel and roger manning are his wendy and lisa.

otm. smokey is a nice guy also.

sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Mutations, one of his bad records?

You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Shouldn't you be in school?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Again, maybe you're more right with the Beefheart comparison than the Dylan one with Mellow Gold. It's hard for me not to see that record as a strange update on the antifolk stuff, though. Sorta like when Dylan plugged in...work with me on that. This thing is falling apart.

And by "Dylan-bop" I guess I mean "Dylanesque", but with the hip-hop fringes--a half-assed portmanteau. Also sort of a play on "diddy-bop", though not much relation beyond the aural there.

treechewer (Maximillions), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:25 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost: I've just finished a 90-minute exam on Horace's Odes and met my new Director Of Studies for the first time; this is but a brief comfort-break before I repair to the bar. Freshers' Pub Crawl tonight and I have newbies to inebriate; can't stay too long. Sorry about that.

(you can get down off the ceiling now)

Out of interest, don't you work in a university as well?

You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Horace's Odes? I mean Satires, whoops.

You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 2 October 2006 15:32 (eighteen years ago) link

listen the answer is simple. he fucked winona ryder. an act that has been historically proven time and time again to kill music career dead.

sunny successor (katharine), Monday, 2 October 2006 16:44 (eighteen years ago) link

when did this supposed Winona boning go down??!

i dunno, it's hard to say beck w/o the Scientology angle coming up.
i feel bad for him, like he's talented but been led astray...
oh, well, good thing that i'll never have to worry about that stuff.

edde (edde), Monday, 2 October 2006 17:59 (eighteen years ago) link

I loved Mutations... and Midnite Vultures sucked. I can't really get into him since the scientology thing came out. Feel funny about saying that - it shouldn't make a difference but it just does.

Treblekicker (treblekicker), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Winona boning was in between whats-her-face and Ribisi.

Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 2 October 2006 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link

The fact that people still recognise his albums as individual entities and can still argue fiercely about which one - or which Beck - is good or bad, means that Beck still = artist.

Personally, I can't listen to him anymore because of the voice - when he's trying to croon it grates so badly. ('Nausea' good though).

Huey in Melbourne (Huey in Melbourne), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 03:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Also, I read this: he's like prince in that he is easily influenced by silly religion
As: he's like prince in that he is easily influenced by his silly region

Which is far more appropriate.

Huey in Melbourne (Huey in Melbourne), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 03:57 (eighteen years ago) link

all religion is silly

gear (gear), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 04:03 (eighteen years ago) link

beardo carpenter as son of unseen being, aliens + volcanoes, it's all a little wacked

gear (gear), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 04:05 (eighteen years ago) link

the anarchist cookbook is one of the biggest pieces of shit i have ever sat through in my life.

OTM. Also, he was the "male lesbian" in The L Word, ugh.

Marmot (marmotwolof), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 05:36 (eighteen years ago) link

"all religion is silly"

truer words have rarely been spoken...
religion=the downfall of humanity.

edde (edde), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Beck's biggest problem is that he is boring. Mind-numbingly, all-consumingly boring. I haven't listened to a Beck album with the slightest bit of enthusiasm since Odelay.

Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:01 (eighteen years ago) link

oh, mark...some good historical figures does little to erase the permanent damage that religion's inflicted on the entire globe.
for something that's to bring us together, all it does these days is factionlize us more and more...no unity/no community.
sad, those 2 you have on those images might be some of the LAST good religious leaders (MOther Theresa not pictured)this place's seen in a while.

edde (edde), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:07 (eighteen years ago) link

I dunno, I kind of thought monotheism paved the way for the Enlightenment and Humanism. I hardly think religion is the "downfall of man."

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 15:37 (eighteen years ago) link

I dunno, I kind of thought monotheism paved the way for the Enlightenment and Humanism.

The Greeks might have thought differently.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 15:37 (eighteen years ago) link

I just blew my mind:
Yeesh

"STUDENT HAT" ROFFLE

you win again, gravity! (tissp), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 15:48 (eighteen years ago) link

I HEAR BECK IS A SCIENTOLOGIST

Eppy (Eppy), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Eppy, if you have a problem with the endless references to Beck's affiliations, may I suggest a course you could take?:

HOW TO HANDLE PROBLEMS Celebrity 220 1988-08-01

Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

I HEAR BECK IS A SCIENTOLOGIST

Eppy (Eppy), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:04 (eighteen years ago) link

"I hardly think religion is the "downfall of man." "

what have 95% of history's wars been based (at least on top) on?

(other 5%=land, resources, politics)

edde (edde), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:48 (eighteen years ago) link

cite statistic

deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Waht about teh Soccer War and teh Battle of teh Bands?

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:01 (eighteen years ago) link

sorta weird news from his publicist:

BECK
THE INFORMATION
RELEASED MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 IN THE UK
DENIED ENTRY ON UK CHARTS

Beck's The Information was released Monday, October 2 in the UK (and was released yesterday in the U.S.).

Come next week, no matter how high its first week sales, The Information will not be charting in the UK due to a bizarre ruling by the UK's Official Chart Company.

According to the OCC, The Information's packaging innovations--which have drawn early raves such as "Bonus points for the accompanying DVD and stickers that let CD buyers create their own customized covers" (WIRED)--render the record ineligible to chart in the UK.

Ironically, the DVD of homemade videos for every song on The Information and the four random sticker sets designed by artists handpicked by Beck have been construed by the OCC as an "unfair advantage"--rather than what they actually are: unique and forward-thinking additional facets that expand the album experience beyond the purchase of a plastic disc.

Beck is currently on tour in the U.S. through late October.

that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link

IT'S A ANTI-SPACESHIP CONSPIRACY AND THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD IS BEHIND THE WHOLE THING. THEY CAN KEEP BECK OFF THE CHARTS BUT THEY CAN'T STOP THE SPACESHIPS!!! it's true. i read it on the internet.

scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"Waht about teh Soccer War and teh Battle of teh Bands?"

well, these wars are obviously based on athletic and musical prowess, crowd draw, beer sales, and general hooligany.

edde (edde), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link

is Devendra a scientologist yet?

()()()---()()() (internet), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 18:37 (eighteen years ago) link

"what have 95% of history's wars been based (at least on top) on?"

what you mean like the Peloponesian War or the American Civil War or World Wars I and II or the Napoleonic Wars or all the wars the Romans started or the Mongol invasions of the 13th century or the Russian Civil War or the Vietnam War or or or...? Come on man, be reasonable.

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:12 (eighteen years ago) link

(all wars started by evil body thetans, obvy)

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:13 (eighteen years ago) link

(seriously history's real lesson is that people have a remarkable capacity for killing other people, but the rationales for doing so are fluid and contextual)

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

sounds hot

s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:16 (eighteen years ago) link

oh, fine then!
but, there has been plenty of 'killing in the name' since the BC's thru the AD's. i'd love to see the tally's of relgious wars VS. non-religious wars. not only that, but i have a really bad feeling about religion as a whole.
consider it strange

edde (edde), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Consider this whole thread strange.

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Battlefield Earth!

Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Awesome Beck albums:

Stereopathetic Soulmanure
One Foot in the Grave
Mellow Gold
Midnite Vultures


Middle of the road Beck albums:

Odelay
Mutations


Shitty Beck albums:

Sea Change
Guero
The Information

Lee is Free (Lee is Free), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:49 (eighteen years ago) link

What? People hate Sea Change? I dunno, I think Beck Plays Space-Country actually works. Either way, it doesn't bore me like it used to.

cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Awesome Beck Albums:
Sea Change

Great Beck Albums
Odelay
Mutations
Mellow Gold

Good Beck Albums
Midnite Vultures
Stereopathetic Soulmanure
Mellow Gold
Guero
The Information

Shitty or Middle of the road Beck Albums:
None yet.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Is edde Squirrel Police?

Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 5 October 2006 02:15 (eighteen years ago) link

(seriously history's real lesson is that people have a remarkable capacity for killing other people, but the rationales for doing so are fluid and contextual)
-- Shakey Mo Collier (audiobo...), October 4th, 2006 8:17 PM. (later)


Most of the time it's over abstracts and intangables like "freedom" and "terror" and "God."

But usually those are just code words for money.

Period period period (Period period period), Thursday, 5 October 2006 06:13 (eighteen years ago) link

So what about "A western harvest by Moonlight" then?

mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 5 October 2006 09:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Is edde Squirrel Police?

no, sir.
i am edde.
i go on badly informed diatribes.
sometimes they maintain a point, usually not.

edde (edde), Thursday, 5 October 2006 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Just bought "The Information", really diggin' it.

His best since "Mutations", I'd say, which also happens to be my favourite Beck record (along with "Odelay")

Erock Lazron (Erock Zombie), Thursday, 5 October 2006 23:54 (eighteen years ago) link

What's Beck's problem?

Idiot fans.

Arno Oliver Bedder (noodle vague), Thursday, 5 October 2006 23:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Luckily, I wouldn't consider myself a fan, per se

Erock Lazron (Erock Zombie), Friday, 6 October 2006 16:19 (eighteen years ago) link

c'est la peine d'etre fan en fait. il est tres bien, beck

Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Friday, 6 October 2006 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Idiot fans.

-- Arno Oliver Bedder (noodle_vagu...), October 5th, 2006.


nah, man, that's Malkmus's problem!

edde (edde), Friday, 6 October 2006 19:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Listening to "The Information", I cannot hear any problem at all. But I guess some people have a problem with Nigel Godrich, IMO the world's most brilliant producer right now.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 October 2006 20:39 (eighteen years ago) link

X3nu is still the problem. I don't mind Beck so much, I just wouldn't buy any of his albums new.

LC (Damian), Friday, 6 October 2006 21:19 (eighteen years ago) link

I just wouldn't buy any of his albums new

If you don't buy "The Information" new, then you will not have the opportunity to design your own cover. So there! :)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 October 2006 23:44 (eighteen years ago) link

i hear beck's a scientologist

latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 6 October 2006 23:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Which is bad, but doesn't necessarily harm the quality of his music. Prince has converted to scientology too, no? and "3121" is his best work since "Sign "O" The Times" no less.

Speaking of music, I still prefer Rob Hubbar to L. Ron Hubbard though. :)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 7 October 2006 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link

So despite being a bit demeaning, the cover gimmick is kind of nifty to fuck around with. My copy could be mistaken for a Boredoms album, which is no bad thing. Too bad it doesn't sound like one, but hey. At least it's better than Guero.

xpost: I think Prince had a brief flirtation with Scientology, but it didn't take (thank god).

Telephonething (Telephonething), Saturday, 7 October 2006 00:05 (eighteen years ago) link

Come to think of it, he was probably infected by Kirstie Alley while she was busy ruining collaborating on the Love Symbol album.

Telephonething (Telephonething), Saturday, 7 October 2006 00:08 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/53655

More Scientology stuff:

B: If you want to know something about it, I wouldn't go on the Internet. I was raised Jewish, my grandfather was a Presbyterian minister; I've been exposed to a lot of different ideas. I have a lot of good friends in Japan who are Shinto, and I've been to a lot of temples. The idea of tolerance is important. I think that's important, to give people the benefit of the doubt. It's like anything that's kind of new or people don't know about: They'll fill in the void. I think people would be surprised. There's aspects of it that go into areas that are very concrete, community-based grassroots kind of stuff—helping with education, and there's a lot of programs in prisons and stuff, drug rehabilitation, humanitarian kind of stuff that you don't hear about.

Marmot (marmotwolof), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 04:18 (eighteen years ago) link

anyway, heard the new album

A bit more solid than Guero, but lacking a distinct hit like on Guero. Not that the latter is bad.. just an observation.

The third song on The Information is really nice... there are a couple of REALLY bad ones, the freestyle sounding one especially, and the one where the percussion tries to be all weird, which instead sounds like it should have been a 30-second interlude instead.. over all, this sounds like Beck going through the motions. It's another immediately gratifying and subsequently immediately tiring Beck record... except the gratification part doesn't reach as high.

(Sea Change is still the only Beck album I go back to... which isn't too often, but it's better than never going back, like the others.)

0xDOX0RNUTX0RX0RSDABITFIELDXOR^0xDEADBEEFDEADBEEF00001 (donut), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 04:26 (eighteen years ago) link


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