Beck's "Guero"

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MK
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Beck's "Guero"

Postby MK » Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:50 pm

Anyone get this? I have the leaked mp3's, I'll probably pick up the DE later.

First off, the leaked mp3's I've been able to find are a mess. Once you find some that are complete without errors, etc., many of them are mislabeled. Not just with rejected song names, but with names of other tracks. Example: For some reason, mp3's of "Send A Message To Her" (a bonus track on the DE) can be found mislabeled as "Rental Car" or "Broken Drum." Just a heads up.

It's all right, but a little disappointing. Too much of a retread of proven formulas, even for the best tracks, but still very enjoyable.

"E-Pro," "Que Onda Guero," "(Summer) Girl" are good, catchy. "Missing" is so-so, I can't get why EW would call it one of Beck's 10 best songs.

"Hell Yes" is much better as the retitled 8-bit 'remix' "Ghetto Malfunction" (Beck only gave them the vocal track and they built up from the ground-up, so it's more like a completely new production than 'just' a remix). Of course even though this was the big, advance single that got the most radio play, the most downloads on iTunes, a hi-profile video, etc. it's not on the DE, nor the video on the DVD. You need to buy the iTunes AAC file, a limited edition 7" vinyl Ep, or find a promo CD to get it, but it's well worth checking out. The album mix is just disappointing in comparison (the other 8-bit remixes, by the way, don't work for me).

"Broken Drum," "Farewell Ride," "Rental Car," "Emergency Exit," and"Black Tambourine" are so-so, "Earthquake Weather" is actually pretty good, "Go It Alone" feels like a throwaway but it's still catchy, and "Scarecrow" is really good, the mp3 I have is 7 minutes, and supposedly it's half that length on the CD - I'm guessing they cut out or fade out the last 3 minutes or so, since there are no words (but still cool to hear the full 7 minutes).

I only have two of the other bonuses, "Chain Reaction" is definitely B-side material, "Send A Message To Her" is much better than the weaker tracks on the album, if Beck really is trying to re-establish himself commercially, I'm surprised he didn't use it for the real deal. It could've been a decent single.

I'd rank this on par with "Midnite Vultures," which was half of a really good party album and half phthbbbbbbbt... (raspberry).

For the record, "Odelay" IS my favorite Beck record, but I also loved "Sea Change." Kind of wish he took more chances with this one.
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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:01 pm

It's available in lossless FLAC form at Pedro's, which is where I grabbed it about a week ago.

It's enjoyable enough, but a bit of a step backwards. I'm not sure what possessed him to make what's more or less Odelay Part 2 nine years later. One of the things that made Sea Change so cool was that it was such an unexpected move.

If you have lowered expectations (and especially if you're getting it for free), Guero is fine. If you've been waiting excitedly for two years and are expecting a masterpiece, just go back and listen to Odelay instead.

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Postby krabapple » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:59 am

For the record, I'm offiically Sick of Beck.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant

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Postby Xenu » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:21 am

This'll sound really petty...and, uh, typical of me, I supopse, but I'm really bothered by Beck's recent public re-embrace of Scientology. He's been doing the Shill Thang, which was--at least in the past--usually below him.

The last thing we need is Beck becoming Kirstie's replacement as Narconon Representitive #1.

As for the album: I like it. I don't love it, and if I weren't getting the deluxe edition for free with a Best Buy gift card I probably wouldn't buy it. It's underwhelming, but servicable. I don't think it'll get on heavy rotation.

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Postby MK » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:17 pm

How can you be sick of Beck? He hasn't released an album since 2002.

I'll probably get the DE from one of the chain stores. If I grow tired of it, I have a friend who'll probably buy it off me for cost.

I heard about that Scientology thing. Yeeeeeesh. First, Isaac Hayes now him...as long as Beck doesn't turn into the Scientology version of Dylan's "Born Again" years, it won't be too irritating.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower



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Postby krabapple » Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:00 pm

Xenu wrote:This'll sound really petty...and, uh, typical of me, I supopse, but I'm really bothered by Beck's recent public re-embrace of Scientology. He's been doing the Shill Thang, which was--at least in the past--usually below him.

The last thing we need is Beck becoming Kirstie's replacement as Narconon Representitive #1.

As for the album: I like it. I don't love it, and if I weren't getting the deluxe edition for free with a Best Buy gift card I probably wouldn't buy it. It's underwhelming, but servicable. I don't think it'll get on heavy rotation.


Xenu, if you're curious about this , there was a huge, sometimes nasty, thread about Beck and scientology on the music 'insiders' forum, www.velvetrope.com


It starts here.

I can be sick of Beck because he and his new album have been hyped, critiqued and profiled for the last few months in media and forums I read. He got a full article in the Sunday NY Times magazine a month ago, for chrissake. And now that the album is actually officially out (it;s been 'leaking' onto the internet for weeks ) there'll only be more beck.

I like his work well enough -- though I've always thought 'Odelay' rather *overray*, and prefer his garbage-can Beefheartesque stuff -- but I 've always been a bit wary of his 'mythology' -- that he was this poor savant/naif/hobo kid who just happened to hit big with 'Loser'. Turned out he had West Coast music biz connections up the wazoo, through his mom and dad...and *Scientology* (with which he has been involved with for *years* -- since he was a teen at least). And now he's considered a weirdo genius. I reserve that for guys like Prince....who belongs to the apparently requisite obnoxious religion (some particualrly idiotic form of Afrocentric mormonism, in his case), but at least doesn't need the Dust Brothers.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant

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Postby dudelsack » Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:09 pm

krabapple wrote:I reserve that for guys like Prince....who belongs to the apparently requisite obnoxious religion (some particualrly idiotic form of Afrocentric mormonism, in his case)


For serious? Jeesus.

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Postby krabapple » Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:29 pm

Check out the lyrics to the 'Rainbow Children' album.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant

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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:28 pm

Prince is a Jehovah's Witness now, isn't he?

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Postby Xenu » Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:49 pm

krabapple wrote:
I like his work well enough -- though I've always thought 'Odelay' rather *overray*, and prefer his garbage-can Beefheartesque stuff -- but I 've always been a bit wary of his 'mythology' -- that he was this poor savant/naif/hobo kid who just happened to hit big with 'Loser'. Turned out he had West Coast music biz connections up the wazoo, through his mom and dad...and *Scientology* (with which he has been involved with for *years* -- since he was a teen at least).


Exactly! That particular Beck mythology angle has been played up for years...ever since he hit with "Loser," it's been "wow, look at this talented, eccentric piece of wonderment we found!" Everything seemed to emphasize his (alleged) poverty, his (alleged) lifestyle before hitting it big...very little of that was true, of course, and I'm surprised it hasn't damaged his legacy more.

It's funny you mention liking his more Beefheart-esque stuff...one thing he definitely has in common with Don is his level of personal mystification.

I generally don't like Scientology celebrities. It's like your worst National Enquirer nightmare come to life. Tabloids are full of stories about celebrities, most of them full of shit. But Tom Cruise and Tommy Travolda really do audit space aliens off themselves, because that's what you *do* in Scientology. The entire thing is more than a bit unreal, and it makes me more than a bit uncomfortable when Beck and co laugh it off--and dismiss critics as uninformed--whenever questioned about their affiliation.

I really liked Sea Change. I was one of four people on earth who liked Midnight Vultures. I have nothing against Beck personally. But his bizarre, "poor misunderstood genius" publicity machine and now his re-embracing of Scientology...it's all too much.

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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:14 pm

He's supposed to be a real self-absorbed prick, too. There was a great article about the Flaming Lips in Esquire a couple of years ago that followed them as they toured with/backed Beck on his Sea Change tour. Wayne Coyne didn't pull any punches.

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Postby MK » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:05 pm

Kind of strange because he's really approachable to fans, but he does a lot of primadonna shit. He's got bodyguards, but he'll sign autographs, answer questions, joke around, etc. after shows. But on the Lips tour, he would come in late, didn't want to rehearse, and at one concert, people had to wait like an hour between the opening Lips set and Beck's Lips-backed set because Beck allegedly wanted to eat dinner. Fine, nothing wrong with that, but he wanted a smoked salmon dish, which wasn't up to his standards, and sent it back, demanding another one delivered, even though his set was coming up - he refused to go on until he got his salmon right and finished it.

I never bought that eccentric shit either, it doesn't mean jack. Having said that, I really like most of his stuff. "Midnite Vultures"? Half of it is great, the other half sucks, IMO.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower



"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto

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Postby krabapple » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:08 pm

Ess Ay Cee Dee wrote:Prince is a Jehovah's Witness now, isn't he?



I believe you're right. I'm getting my crackpottery mixed up again.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant

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Postby krabapple » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:13 pm

Xenu wrote:
krabapple wrote:
I like his work well enough -- though I've always thought 'Odelay' rather *overray*, and prefer his garbage-can Beefheartesque stuff -- but I 've always been a bit wary of his 'mythology' -- that he was this poor savant/naif/hobo kid who just happened to hit big with 'Loser'. Turned out he had West Coast music biz connections up the wazoo, through his mom and dad...and *Scientology* (with which he has been involved with for *years* -- since he was a teen at least).


Exactly! That particular Beck mythology angle has been played up for years...ever since he hit with "Loser," it's been "wow, look at this talented, eccentric piece of wonderment we found!" Everything seemed to emphasize his (alleged) poverty, his (alleged) lifestyle before hitting it big...very little of that was true, of course, and I'm surprised it hasn't damaged his legacy more.

It's funny you mention liking his more Beefheart-esque stuff...one thing he definitely has in common with Don is his level of personal mystification.

I generally don't like Scientology celebrities. It's like your worst National Enquirer nightmare come to life. Tabloids are full of stories about celebrities, most of them full of shit. But Tom Cruise and Tommy Travolda really do audit space aliens off themselves, because that's what you *do* in Scientology. The entire thing is more than a bit unreal, and it makes me more than a bit uncomfortable when Beck and co laugh it off--and dismiss critics as uninformed--whenever questioned about their affiliation.


well, maybe they do...or, if you believe the conspiracy rumours, the CoS has the 'goods' on its celebs, from when they are first 'audited' or whatever the fuck it's called. Once you've been stupid enough to reveal your sordid affairs to a CoS 'auditor', they can forever after keep you in line by threatening to make them public. Or so goes the chatter.

I can't imagine what skeleton Travolta must have in his closet, though, to agree to make 'Battlefield Earth'. Did he kill and eat a girl scout or something?


I really liked Sea Change. I was one of four people on earth who liked Midnight Vultures.



I am another ...I know a few others too. So I think there's more like ten of us.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant

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Postby JWB » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:53 pm

I just heard the album and I love it! I think it's his best since "Mutations".

I thought "Midnight Vultures" was lame from stem to stern, so put me in the "hated it" category. "Sea Change" made me want to slit my wrists.