From Black Metal to Alt Pop, the Odyssey gets around. This time we return to Beck, which I haven't reviewed since Disc 150 (The Information).
Disc 187 is...Mutations
Artist: Beck
Year of Release: 1998
What’s Up With The Cover?: It's Beck from the waist up, sporting an odd combination of T-shirt and cling wrap. Oh, and a vacant stare.
How I Came To Know It: As I noted when I reviewed "The Information" at Disc 150, I've known Beck since my room-mate and friend Greg brought home "Mellow Gold" in 1993. "Mutations" came fairly late to the collection - it came out in 1998, but I probably bought it around 2005.
How It Stacks Up: I have to admit, not that well. It is an OK album, but of the eight Beck albums I own, I'd have to put it 8th...er, someone has to be last, right?
Rating: 2 stars.
"Mutations" is my least favourite Beck album, but it still has its moments. On this album I noticed Beck composes relatively simple pop songs, and what makes them interesting is his willingness to use odd arrangements, and strange sounds as musical instruments. He also has a talent for composing catchy songs in minor keys. There is an art to this, not easily mastered, but Beck is a skilled practitioner. Stylistically it reminded me heavily of another of his album's "Sea Change" which I absolutely love.
About a third of the time, I enjoy Beck's quirky quirky sounds and innovative production. About a third of the time, I only notice it when I'm looking for it, and about a third of the time it is annoying.
On this record I found him experimenting with traditional music, while putting his own twist on it. "Tropicalia" has a kind of latin dance beat and "Bottle of Blues" and "Sing It Again" have country and western sounds mixed into their sound. I admire the effort, but none of these songs particularly grabbed me.
Also, like "The Information", "Mutations'" last track is a rambling eleven minute time waster called "Static". Know when to say when, Beck! I'd have rather listened to the first five minutes of this song and then six minutes of actual static. That way I'd know when to push 'stop' instead of vainly waiting for something good to happen later in the song.
There are a couple of tracks that rise above this album's mediocrity - so much that I was seriously tempted to give it 3 stars (but did not give in to temptation). In particular, the record opens with the best song by far, "Cold Brains." The song starts with an alien-sounding reverberating synthesizer. Classic Beck, and in the third subset of this stuff that I like. The opening lines:
"Cold brains, unmoved
Untouched, unglued
Alone at last
No thoughts, no mind
To rot behind"
set a bleak tone that had me excited for what was to follow. The second track "Nobody's Fault But My Own" is a decent, if inferior follow up to "Cold Brains", which still had me hoping for better things to come.
Unfortunately, the rest of the record doesn't hold up for me at the same level. The talent is unmistakeable, but for the most part I wasn't emotionally moved.
Best tracks: Cold Brains, Nobody's Fault But My Own, Canceled Check (sic).
Disc 187 is...Mutations
Artist: BeckYear of Release: 1998
What’s Up With The Cover?: It's Beck from the waist up, sporting an odd combination of T-shirt and cling wrap. Oh, and a vacant stare.
How I Came To Know It: As I noted when I reviewed "The Information" at Disc 150, I've known Beck since my room-mate and friend Greg brought home "Mellow Gold" in 1993. "Mutations" came fairly late to the collection - it came out in 1998, but I probably bought it around 2005.
How It Stacks Up: I have to admit, not that well. It is an OK album, but of the eight Beck albums I own, I'd have to put it 8th...er, someone has to be last, right?
Rating: 2 stars.
"Mutations" is my least favourite Beck album, but it still has its moments. On this album I noticed Beck composes relatively simple pop songs, and what makes them interesting is his willingness to use odd arrangements, and strange sounds as musical instruments. He also has a talent for composing catchy songs in minor keys. There is an art to this, not easily mastered, but Beck is a skilled practitioner. Stylistically it reminded me heavily of another of his album's "Sea Change" which I absolutely love.
About a third of the time, I enjoy Beck's quirky quirky sounds and innovative production. About a third of the time, I only notice it when I'm looking for it, and about a third of the time it is annoying.
On this record I found him experimenting with traditional music, while putting his own twist on it. "Tropicalia" has a kind of latin dance beat and "Bottle of Blues" and "Sing It Again" have country and western sounds mixed into their sound. I admire the effort, but none of these songs particularly grabbed me.
Also, like "The Information", "Mutations'" last track is a rambling eleven minute time waster called "Static". Know when to say when, Beck! I'd have rather listened to the first five minutes of this song and then six minutes of actual static. That way I'd know when to push 'stop' instead of vainly waiting for something good to happen later in the song.
There are a couple of tracks that rise above this album's mediocrity - so much that I was seriously tempted to give it 3 stars (but did not give in to temptation). In particular, the record opens with the best song by far, "Cold Brains." The song starts with an alien-sounding reverberating synthesizer. Classic Beck, and in the third subset of this stuff that I like. The opening lines:
"Cold brains, unmoved
Untouched, unglued
Alone at last
No thoughts, no mind
To rot behind"
set a bleak tone that had me excited for what was to follow. The second track "Nobody's Fault But My Own" is a decent, if inferior follow up to "Cold Brains", which still had me hoping for better things to come.
Unfortunately, the rest of the record doesn't hold up for me at the same level. The talent is unmistakeable, but for the most part I wasn't emotionally moved.
Best tracks: Cold Brains, Nobody's Fault But My Own, Canceled Check (sic).
2 comments:
Hmmm...I guess I won't be uploading any of these songs. "Cold Brains" seems very Alice Cooper!
Don't listen to him! This is one is easily one of my favourite Beck albums.
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