Greg Dona
10/24/06, 08:10 PM
These days very few artists craft truly original masterpieces. Such elusive works of art arrive an alarming infrequency. In fact, musicians struggle just to expand the bounds of their confining genres, much less music as a whole. Artists formerly hailed as innovative and groundbreaking lose themselves in the masses of youngsters laboring to create something altogether new and unprecedented; Beck provides Exhibit A for this claim.
Beck embodies the stereotypical outside-the-box musician with striking accuracy. From a socially awkward high school disposition to restless traveling after dropping out of school, Beck’s youth captured the fight of a fledgling entrepreneur romanticized by many Americans. Days as a street performer molded Mr. Hansen into a strong willed individual more focused on finishing a work of art worthy of praise than cashing in with ungodly large paychecks. Thus, he signed with Geffen Records, the major label offering up him the most creative freedom (as well as least money) after his monumental hit “Loser” took the country by storm. Mellow Gold garnered virtually unanimous critical acclaim for its unconventional approach and undeniable infectiousness. Detractors seemed to only be able to cite a possible novelty act status to discredit the record. The later Mutations exposed a folksy side to the artist. Other discs covered seemingly everything in between. At this point Beck needed to follow his own tracks; where else could he go? Guero did just that.
On 2006’s The Information he again retraces a path left years ago on preceding efforts. Luckily though, this record seems much removed from the less than stellar Guero and more akin to the upbeat nature of his Geffen debut Mellow Gold. The album starts out with a reassuring “one, two, you know what to do.” Such a claim implies both that Beck, somewhat aged now at 36, still knows how to groove and that his listeners, also picking up years at an quickening pace, remember how to rock. A driving beat passively urges fans to dance to Beck’s self-sure but not cocky vocal swagger. As always, his spoken word rapping approach intrigues and soothes listeners, especially as this time around it’s noticeably smoother than on earlier releases. A young, brash rasp has been replaced by a mature suaveness. Still his rhythm and flow seem a bit strained and awkward, but such is the charm of Beck.
Of course The Information utilizes a multitude of electronic and acoustic sources alike to ultimately produce a quirky instrumental. Nigel Godrich, formerly employed by Radiohead, manages on his third go-round with Beck to yet again push limits and churn out thought-provoking tunes one after another. It seems as if the two possess a literally inexhaustible base of noises and sounds from which they haphazardly pluck a few to create impeccable combinations. Of course the beats prove as interesting as any seen as far back as the last Beck CD. No matter how repetitive his style gets, it seems that Beck’s beats will never tire.
Unfortunately, the album is not without its flaws. “Strange Apparition” allows Beck to offer up his worst grungy, borderline Scott Stapp-esque singing and the clanking reminiscent of toddlers jamming on pots and pans during “1,000 B.P.M.” gives even the most patient person a headache. A few junk tracks don’t do the his reputation well, but the standouts more than make of for such pitfalls.
Beck still does a few things even he’s never done before. For example, on his upcoming world tour fans will create their own t-shirts by arranging decals and The Information’s cover featured a sticker sheet for each individual to do the same. On his 2006 tour he found company not only in his tour mates but also in puppets dressed like them and mimicking their every move. Their images were projected on a screen behind Beck. He obviously still brings new things to the table. They’re just coming a little more slowly now musically.
Beck embodies the stereotypical outside-the-box musician with striking accuracy. From a socially awkward high school disposition to restless traveling after dropping out of school, Beck’s youth captured the fight of a fledgling entrepreneur romanticized by many Americans. Days as a street performer molded Mr. Hansen into a strong willed individual more focused on finishing a work of art worthy of praise than cashing in with ungodly large paychecks. Thus, he signed with Geffen Records, the major label offering up him the most creative freedom (as well as least money) after his monumental hit “Loser” took the country by storm. Mellow Gold garnered virtually unanimous critical acclaim for its unconventional approach and undeniable infectiousness. Detractors seemed to only be able to cite a possible novelty act status to discredit the record. The later Mutations exposed a folksy side to the artist. Other discs covered seemingly everything in between. At this point Beck needed to follow his own tracks; where else could he go? Guero did just that.
On 2006’s The Information he again retraces a path left years ago on preceding efforts. Luckily though, this record seems much removed from the less than stellar Guero and more akin to the upbeat nature of his Geffen debut Mellow Gold. The album starts out with a reassuring “one, two, you know what to do.” Such a claim implies both that Beck, somewhat aged now at 36, still knows how to groove and that his listeners, also picking up years at an quickening pace, remember how to rock. A driving beat passively urges fans to dance to Beck’s self-sure but not cocky vocal swagger. As always, his spoken word rapping approach intrigues and soothes listeners, especially as this time around it’s noticeably smoother than on earlier releases. A young, brash rasp has been replaced by a mature suaveness. Still his rhythm and flow seem a bit strained and awkward, but such is the charm of Beck.
Of course The Information utilizes a multitude of electronic and acoustic sources alike to ultimately produce a quirky instrumental. Nigel Godrich, formerly employed by Radiohead, manages on his third go-round with Beck to yet again push limits and churn out thought-provoking tunes one after another. It seems as if the two possess a literally inexhaustible base of noises and sounds from which they haphazardly pluck a few to create impeccable combinations. Of course the beats prove as interesting as any seen as far back as the last Beck CD. No matter how repetitive his style gets, it seems that Beck’s beats will never tire.
Unfortunately, the album is not without its flaws. “Strange Apparition” allows Beck to offer up his worst grungy, borderline Scott Stapp-esque singing and the clanking reminiscent of toddlers jamming on pots and pans during “1,000 B.P.M.” gives even the most patient person a headache. A few junk tracks don’t do the his reputation well, but the standouts more than make of for such pitfalls.
Beck still does a few things even he’s never done before. For example, on his upcoming world tour fans will create their own t-shirts by arranging decals and The Information’s cover featured a sticker sheet for each individual to do the same. On his 2006 tour he found company not only in his tour mates but also in puppets dressed like them and mimicking their every move. Their images were projected on a screen behind Beck. He obviously still brings new things to the table. They’re just coming a little more slowly now musically.