Beck

There seems to be an overwhelming trend in musical criticism to psychoanalyze the artist. There are the troubling artists (see Dylan, Bob; or for a more modern reference, Gillis, Jack) who deliberately attempt to put up a barrier between themselves and their audiences. Then, there are those artists who put everything out there and thus avoid psychoanalysis (see Glitter, Gary. And on the subject of Mr. Glitter, shouldn't we have seen all those pedophile charges coming when he released the song, "What Your Mama Don't See (Your Mama Don't Know)"?). And finally, there are the artists whose creative works are so interesting and consuming that for the most part, they can avoid having to read ink wasted on their mental state. That's where Beck Hansen comes in. Rarely are articles written solely about examining the mental state of Beck; that's why it was so hard for this reviewer to entirely believe that he was a Scientologist - the media cliche is that every single devotee to Scientology is prostelyzing in some way about their religion. And while that cliche exists for a reason (no need to name names here - just run down the street and pick up a copy of US Magazine or Vanity Fair), there's no reason to invoke it in reference to Beck.

Yes, yes, Beck's new album The Information does end with a strange, epic sci-fi odyssey entitled "The Horrible Fanfare / Landslide / Exoskeleton"; but it's both lazy and stupid to assume that this suite is actually seriously about Scientology. Assuming any song with science fiction or apocalytpic overtones is about Scientology means that we would have to indict the MC5, Talking Heads, any band with the word "Starship" in their name, Gorillaz, and the Dirtbombs (though I may be confusing science fiction with furries - oops), as well as P-Funk - and I am barely scratching the surface - into the wasteland to which pop culture relegates Scientology. You may argue that "The Horrible Fanfare / Landslide / Exoskeleton" is a strange, not completely engaging ending to a tremendous album, and I'd agree with you there. But if you wish to psychoanalyze Beck, please just forget about Scientology, turn on the DVD section of The Information, and explain to me: a.) why there are so many men dressed as women, b.) why there are so many bears, and c.) why a Strokes impersonator is constantly bipping and bopping throughout these videos. Okay, thanks.


Now. Let's get on to the good stuff. The Information is one of Beck's most solid albums in a long time. While last year's Guero was fun, it was pushed much too hard as Beck's return to form. Worse, it didn't seem as if even Beck was entirely comfortable with Guero; the months both immediately before and after that album's release saw no less than two compilations of remixes, the Hell Yes EP and the Guerolito album, as well as a ton of additional revamped bonus tracks and B-sides. I am more than a fan of remixes, but it's always unsettling to see an artist release more than just an EP's worth or so within a year of releasing an album. The biggest problem this reviewer had with Guero, though, was it didn't feel as if Beck was challenging himself. The most interesting thing about Beck Hansen the Artist is that he is never the same. From Sea Change to Mutations to Odelay to (the much underrated) Midnite Vultures to Mellow Gold, even if someone didn't entirely like Beck, it could always be argued that he was never stale. But with Guero, one did get the feeling that maybe this path had already been dread. It was good, it was fun, but that supremely Beck feel of innovation and new territory wasn't entirely there. Little did we know, however, that at the same time as all of that, he was also recording The Information.

The new album does, of course, tie back into the past of Beck (there are still tinges of Odelay and yes, "Loser" floating around), but the most important fact is that he and frequent Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich - who I prefer minus Radiohead, actually - have made an extremely engaging record. There are of course the singles, "Nausea" and "Cellphone's Dead"; while "Cellphone" is reminiscent of "vintage" Beck (Funky-ass whiteboy beat? Check. Odd female voice? Check. Layers of that patented Beck flavor of rap? Check.) with an almost security blanket-like intensity, "Nausea" feels as if Beck took the blues influences which resurfaced again on Guero and made them evolve even further. In fact, there are moments in "Nausea" where it sounds almost as if the musician had relistened to the much more simplistic "Black Tambourine" from Guero and decided he wanted to try it another way. I'm not saying these songs are exactly the same, but if there's any indication that the two albums were being made around the same time, it would probably be "Black Tambourine" and "Nausea."


But enough about old sounds; what about the new? There's "1000 BPM," which this reviewer can no longer listen to without rehashing the bizarre bear fight featured on the DVD. With its cacophony of percussion instruments, "1000 BPM" can be off-putting during the first listen. But come back to it. I guarantee that the song will feel cooler and cooler every time. Then there's the lovely "Strange Apparition," which is utterly charming with Beck foghornin' it around above a mothballs and lace piano melody. And of course, don't forget "We Dance Alone," which allows Nigel Godrich to shine in a way which will be completely unfamiliar to most of his fans. Godrich helps Beck create an atmosphere of cool; there will be indie naysayers who won't want to admit that anything about this album is cool, simply because yes, Beck is on a major label, but that's stupid. Why deny an album that's actually fun, especially in a year which has been cluttered with a sea of Arcade Fire wannabes and the boringly obtuse?

Of course, not every song is a gem. There's the aforementioned "Horrible Fanfare," which starts to come off as more of an in-joke between friends than an actual song; there's also "No Complaints," which makes me want to beat up Beck the minute he croons, "We are English." "No Complaints" reveals the main problem with Beck's lyrical style: unless the entire song is interesting and compelling, the listener is allowed to start processing and analyzing the (often limited) scope of the lyrics. There are many times where this is not a problem, but "No Complaints," Beck? I beg to differ.

All and all, though, if you are a Beck fan, you will like this album. And even if you aren't a Beck fan, buy The Information just to decorate its customizable album art. Seriously, decorating my copy was the most fun I've had in three weeks.

- Megan Giddings

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See Also: This guy's cousin was on Beck's DVD!