I prayed heaven today
Would bring its hammer down on me
And pound you out of my head
I can’t think with you in there
Beck is easily my most played artist. I attribute this both to the enormous volume of work he has output, as well as the musical variety across all of that work. It spans genre and fidelity. It can be traditional or experimental.
In addition to this he’s very much an album-centred artist. I rarely feel like listening to only one song – if I’m in the mood for Beck then it’s an entire album I’m after, in order, as intended. And there’s enough flavours to suit a variety of moods. So the play count adds up quickly.
This didn’t really begin until 2005 when I was 22 and he released Guero. Prior to this, I was familiar with a handful of singles I’d heard on Triple J over the years. I guess I liked them but I’d never looked into who sang them. I might not have even realised all those songs were by the same artist. But Guero grabbed my attention. Is it my favourite Beck album? Well, I can’t say I have a favourite to be honest. I have two or three groups I lump them into. Guero is in the top group, but it makes my key albums list because it opened me ears to his world.
Guero explodes right out of the gate with the punch in the face named E-Pro, which samples the drum loop from Beastie Boys So What’cha Want and adds a crunchy guitar riff (and a whole bunch of na na na’s). It moves on to the bizarre and fun Cali-Mexican-slang-dense Que Onda Guero and the musically bright, but lyrically dark Girl.
It doesn’t let up at any point. The entire work has a very distinct flavour, but every song maintains it’s own place in the mix. It’s like a delicious burrito. It all works together, but you can taste the guacamole, the tomato, and the coriander within.
Some favourite moments:
- Black Tambourine will get me drumming my steering wheel or keyboard every time
- Earthquake Weather is a hot desert breeze on my face that almost makes me wonder if I’m synesthetic
- Broken Drum is 100% feels
- Go It Alone is a GROOVE. A top-notch “fuck you, I’m walking away from this explosion” tune
- Send A Message To Her has one of the most blissful bridges I’ve ever heard
I was also a huge fan of everything that came along with the album. It had great music videos (still a thing in 2005). It had more remixes than album tracks (including some brilliant 8-Bit mixes by Paza and Guerolito, an entire album worth). It also introduced me to Marcel Dzama’s art.
If I ever had to recommend a good place to start to get into Beck, it would be Guero. It sits right at the middle of his career, and depending on your tastes, you can use it to branch off to his other work:
- Like E-Pro and Rental Car or the intricate layered production work of The Dust Brothers? Give Odelay a spin
- How about if you like the album overall but wouldn’t mind more synths and experimental stuff? The Information is for you
- Do you love Missing? Try Mutations
- Is Broken Drum your flavour? Sea Change or Morning Phase might float your boat depending on whether you’re heartbroken or hungover respectively
- Keen for more Hell Yes, with some Prince-inspired sexx rhymes on top? Midnite Vultures is for you my friend
I could go on, but it would only waste time that could be spent listening…