Press Release

Beck has also confirmed details of the long-gestating BECK HANSEN’S SONG READER, to be released December 2012 by McSweeney’s:

In the wake of Modern Guilt and The Information, Beck’s latest album comes in an almost-forgotten form—twenty songs existing only as individual pieces of sheet music, never before released or recorded. Complete with full-color, heyday-of- home-play-inspired art for each song and a lavishly produced hardcover carrying case (and, when necessary, ukelele notation), the Song Reader is an experiment in what an album can be at the end of 2012—an alternative that enlists the listener in the tone of every track, and that’s as visually absorbing as a dozen gatefold LPs put together.

The songs here are as unfailingly exciting as you’d expect from their author, but if you want to hear “Do We? We Do,” or “Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard,” bringing them to life depends on you.

BECK HANSEN’S SONG READER features original art from Marcel Dzama (who created the imagery for Beck’s acclaimed Guero), Leanne Shapton, Josh Cochran, Jessica Hische, and many more, as well as an introduction by Jody Rosen (Slate, The New York Times) and a foreword by Beck. The package measures 9.5” x 12.5” with 108 pages comprising 20 individual full-color song booklets—18 featuring original lyrics, and 2 instrumentals—with covers from more than a dozen different artists.

Readers’ (and select musicians’) renditions of the songs will be featured on the McSweeney’s website. Check back at http://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/song-reader and BECK.COM for further information and updates as they are available.

I don't understand.... :(
Edit: NVM I get it... I just don't like it at all. I want an album not a do it yourself music lesson.

Originally Posted by jdr277

I don't understand.... :(

Me neither....

Very interesting! Youtube will be full of song interpretations.

It's not recorded songs, it's sheet music. Way back when musicans didn't have the ability to record, so their music was shared through sheet music.

It's like the ultimate throw-back.

Too bad nobody can read sheet music anymore.

Hooray!

yeah youtube will be flooded. but cool idea. and i totally dig it..... I can read sheet music.

Originally Posted by SuNDaYSTaR

Too bad nobody can read sheet music anymore.

a lot of amateur and professional musicians, including myself (in a limited capacity), can read sheet music and do so on a daily basis in order to do their jobs. those are the people who will be bringing these songs to life if all goes as he has planned for this release.

super super interesting idea for a way to release music...

wow what a cool idea, very impressive. That said, if I were waiting for my favourite band to release new material and instead put out sheet music I would probably explode

Great. Instead of new Beck we get to hear poorly done covers of unheard songs on youtube. This is really dumb without an album of music accompanying it.

If nothing else, it might inspire people who don't know how to read sheet music to learn something new.

Personally, I took piano lessons for years and played bass in school and I always just learned stuff by ear. My piano teacher used to try to go over something for half an hour with me and finally just figured out that if she played it for me I could figure out how to play it. Someday I want to learn how to actually read, though, and not rely on that.

It's turning into a bit of a lost art. There are millions of people who can still read, though.

Originally Posted by incognitojones

Great. Instead of new Beck we get to hear poorly done covers of unheard songs on youtube. This is really dumb without an album of music accompanying it.

This.

Originally Posted by jimmyeatsboys

a lot of amateur and professional musicians, including myself (in a limited capacity), can read sheet music and do so on a daily basis in order to do their jobs. those are the people who will be bringing these songs to life if all goes as he has planned for this release.

super super interesting idea for a way to release music...

I know that true professional musicians can read sheet music, but I mostly had in mind most ''scene'' bands.