beck.

please allow me to geek out for a sec.

Last week after the show in Denton we all went out for tacos and Devin from the Poison Control Center asked me what my favorite album was. It took me a while to narrow it down to a couple but I told him my default answer for years and years was always Odelay by Beck. I think I probably stuck by that answer until a few years ago when Guero came out: a poor imitation of a great album that mentally soured the original a tiny bit. Not that I don't like Guero, it was just a small disappointment to have one of my favorite artist retread some old territory taking on an impossible task of trying to live up to an album I love so much. When that came out about two or three years ago I was eagerly anticipating the 10th anniversary deluxe edition of Odelay as my copy has long been scratched in a few spots. It never came. Once the 11th anniversary came around with no sign I kind of gave up. After talking to Devin I started doing some research and sure enough, it comes out TUESDAY! and its going to be great. Two unreleased tracks and a disc of excellent b-sides (most of which I own hard copies of, but a few I've heard and still need)

Here is my pre-review/list of highlights

-it looks like the bsides disc is going to be split with all the hi engery songs up front and the quiet at the end. I.E. great to fall asleep too.
-The UNKLE remix of Where It's At features some sweet Street Fighter II samples
-The Odelay production rerecording of Thunder Peel a song off Stereopathetic Soulmanure is far superior to the original and was only released in Japan.
-The best thing to come out of A Life Less Ordinary: Deadweight
-a full string arranged version and mariachi version of Jackass


They left off a couple good bsides from that era, but you can only fit so much I guess.

Conclusion: If you don't own Odelay I would definitely pick this up. It's an album that flawlessly jumps genres and incorporates samples in a way that surprisingly very few have successfully pulled off, which to me, adds to the mystery of the whole thing. Why can't some one make another album like this?

in non related news MUCH THANKS TO:

I Guess I'm Floating
and
Eyes For Indie

for the props. Go check these great blogs out!