Guero

This list loves Beck - is this album 3 or 4? - but I don’t quite get it. There’s a few cool tracks but nothing really moves you or stands out.

Hard to follow up to the very popular Maiden album. I suspect this one might not catch as much. This is one of my fav albums by this artist. I’ve listened to it a hundred times and there might be a spectrum of “growing on you” with repeated listenings. I had pirated a leak of it back in 2005 and listened to it a lot. When the final album dropped, it was enhanced by all sorts of production accents and small tweaks to the mix. Beck is good at finding cool sounding combinations of sounds and words (I love when he says “cliche wasted hate taste tested in Hell Yess). You may recognize the artwork on the album; it was done by winnipegger Marcel Dzama who also did the art for Reconstruction Site by the Weakerthans just a couple of years prior. Musically, I think beck is at his best here imo. I really like when he goes the pop/rock route and this album has something for everyone. A lot of the songs are danceable. Epro has a badass riff that’s fun to jam along to. A good amount of nonsense lyrics which I respect beck for. I really like the song Missing because it is lovingly melancholy, something that Beck can do very well in previous records like Sea Change. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more beck on this list!!

10/10 I seriously love how Beck is just doing whatever he wants constantly jumping between all these amazing different styles it’s amazing

This album is pretty sweet. The style is all over the place and really keeps things interesting. Starts off with a Rock Band classic that's pretty decent if a bit repetitive. Very catchy chorus of course. He sounds like he attempts to sing while using as few facial muscles as possible, perhaps he is a ventriloquist on the side. I'm less of a fan of the rap tracks but honestly they're still pretty good. For some reason I really jive with the chorus to Hell Yes, for example. Great bass line on that song too. A highlight for me is Farewell Ride which is a pretty awesome song that just puts me on a worksite building a railroad in the wild west. I would not be surprised if this track was part of the inspiration for the Breaking Bad theme song. Honestly not a lot to say. No major lowlights. Just a solid album through and through. Maybe I'll check out more of his stuff.

More Beck. Just meandering, wishy-washy alternative bleh that goes forever. This is a problem with the 1001 albums list: the complete lack of imagination. Beck had one semi-hit in the 90s, so the author latches on and includes a bunch more albums. It's really noticeable with those Gen X darling alternative artists - Beck, Bjork, Fiona Apple etc. None of them are particularly good songwriters, they never have albums that make for an enjoyable 45min or whatever, they've never done anything of note beyond the 1-2 things they're well-known for, but here they are. They're a step above one-hit wonders, but not by much. 2/5.

One of Beck's best and most consistent albums. I actually think the weakest tracks are the first 2. E-pro is by no means a bad song but after playing it for years on guitar hero and the fact that the song doesn't really go anywhere makes it a strange and not the best opener. Guero is a better song imo but sometimes I'm just not in the mood to hear all the constant background noises. They do lend the song it's vibe though. I think every other song on this thing is a banger. The styles vary from crazy silly Beck to chill and serene Beck to experimental and melancholy Beck. Everything is on here and I honestly think this is a good place to start if you've never heard his music before. Love this album Score: 90 Art: 70

Beck is just awesome. I scored Odelay high, and I'll score this high. Great album all in all.

Tre ord. In te kul.

This hits all the same eclectic alt/electro/hip-hop notes that early Gorillaz does for me. In other words, i fucking LOVED this.

Excellent on first listen, new and varied sounds. Great mix between hip/hop, rock, and electronic. Will definitely listen again

great stuff

Absolute ear candy. More than anything it just sounds so good

Beck has been getting crazy with the Cheez whiz for as long as I can remember

Fun album that is definitely of it's time. Beck can be an acquired taste with his spoken vocals and arrangements. When it hits, it hits. Earthquake Weather and Farewell Ride are highlights. This sounds like the soundtrack to living in a Motorola Razr with inflatable furniature.

That rich kid from high school who acted weird because he has the money to get away with it. I do like early Beck but this began to drag

I had this album in college but I probably haven’t heard it since. Favorite song is “Earthquake Weather” least favorite is “farewell ride.” 4.5

Loved this album. Goldilocks zone of weird.

My kind of jam

Big fan of this album.

Play that funky music white boy

This album has a lot of ideas that I usually really like, but, somehow, the way that Beck has combined these ideas has resulted in an end product that I can't stand in any way.

I really like this. Had a lot of Beck on here and this is the best I’ve heard so far.

Great album

nice

I remember some of the music from this album. Beck is already a powerhouse prior to this album -- in the 90s. So am I surprised this is here? No. It should be here. The music video for E-Pro is creative -- poking fun at video games. You can also hear some 90s beats in the music in like Que'Onda Guero (Salt-n-Pepper - Shoop). Record scratching. :)

I absolutely love Guero. I've been a fan of this album since high school, so nostalgia is definitely helping there. I used to love the upbeat songs most (E-Pro, Hell Yes, Rental Car, Black Tambourine), these days I love the slow, melancholic songs most (Missing, Earthquake Weather, Broken Drum, Go It Alone). My taste has changed yet this album still delivers.

This is Beck's "fuck it, you want a largely radio-friendly record from me again? Ok sure, but I'm also gonna keep it way more sonically interesting than my old shit because that's what I do now" album. I am not complaining! This is, as of this writing, my favorite Beck album, and my rating reflects that. This album blends the sometimes cocky, high-energy, goofball vibes of Odelay with Beck's later experimental instruments and sounds that he experimented with in Mutations, Midnite Vultures and Sea Change...and it's a brilliant marriage of auditory goodness that is mostly super upbeat with some somberness mixed in. Not surprising given when it was recorded and the loss Beck experienced in his life (see the note from Wikipedia below). Random observation alert: I was pretty surprised that "Hell Yes" has as few streams on Spotify as it does at the time of this review ("only" 4.5M compared to the two other singles: Girl's 28M and E-Pro's 48M streams) given it was also a single and it's a fun jam. I'm sure one day a random ad will give it new life. "Guero" es cerca de perfecto y muy, muy bueno. Interesting Wikipedia factoids: *Güero (pronounced 'wero') means "blond" in Mexican Spanish, but can also refer to a light-skinned person. *Beck was raised in a prominently Chicano area of Los Angeles. In an interview with ABC's Nightline, Beck said the term "guero" was "something that I'd hear growing up. Something I'd hear on the street, walking to school or something, I'd get called a 'Guero'. ... It's just a word that stuck in my head and I wanted to do something with that at some point. ... I ended up, in the end, just kind of doing this almost journalistic kind of look at that whole time." *The title of track 2, "Qué Onda Guero" (or "¿Qué onda, güero?"), is Mexican slang for "what up, whitey? *The album was recorded over a period of nine months, following a year and a half of touring in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Several other events contributed to the writing of the songs, including the suicide of Beck's friend Elliott Smith and Beck's impending child with wife Marissa Ribisi. The song "Broken Drum" is dedicated to Smith. *"Hell Yes" features spoken contributions from Christina Ricci, who happened to be in the studio at the time of recording...Jack White of the White Stripes plays bass on "Go It Alone". Standouts: E-Pro, Girl, Missing, Hell Yes, Broken Drum, Scarecrow, Go It Alone

Tremendous album all the way through!

This is another one that takes me back to my teenage years, I was a big Beck fan back then. I've cooled on him a bit since then, but this album was always one of my favourites of his. I had "E-Pro" set as my ringtone for a few months at one point, so it always has me looking for my phone if it comes on unexpectedly. Overall there's some great songs on here, especially "Girl", "Missing", "Earthquake Weather", "Scarecrow" and "Go It Alone". It's nor a perfect album, but I'd give it a solid 9/10, possibly due to a heathly dose of nostalgia.

This is basically Odelay Part 2, and that makes 8th grade me really happy. For me, everything he's trying to do just works. Best track: Qué Onda Guero

The album is very cool and unique, and it incorporates many different samples and styles. Beck is the bomb.

I loved and listened to this album so much the summer it came out. iPods were new and I remember loving being able to listen to it as I walked around town that summer with nothing else to do. That being said, this is not the first Beck record I think to listen to, and likely not even the fifth or sixth, and it's been a long time since I have heard it. What a jolt of nostalgia this was and I had a blast revisiting it. I remember at one point having a huge issue with the way this record is mixed, and it still bugs me, but not nearly as much as it used to. Great record.

It’s been a while since this list has served up a real gem I’d never heard of. Becks Guerin is one.

Love this. I only knew Beck radio hits. My bad. This is excellent rich grooves. Every song is better and better. A keeper.

After 'Sea Change' this album saw him go back to a certain sound that his early albums had started but still with the "new" Beck doing it. The result is less weird and abstract, less crazy but still a mix of Alt-Rock with Hip Hop influences, this time often more psychedelic Trip Hop and less actual Rap. I personally prefer the weird Beck but that doesn't mean that this album doesn't have its qualities even if they are not as fully thought out. 'E-Pro' gets things going with a Rap Rock track that also pulls influence from Dance, Breakbeat as well as Trip Hop which will become much more used later on. It's a loud and energetic track which works really well with the more laid back vocals from Beck while still being catchy especially with the chorus. I do like the song but it already shows that the sound isn't fully fleshed out or at least that's how it sounds to me. There is a lot going on but it doesn't fit together all that well. It's just there. Of course, it's catchy and the whole song is great but it could've been so much better. The English/Spanish track 'Qué onda guero' combines Abstract and Pop Rap with Latin Jazz influences and also some recordings which seem to me from a Mexican street or something. The song is really catchy, well produced, well... everything is done well. The song is perfect and a really good listen that sounds like the best of old and new Beck combined. On 'Girl' the Pop Rock mix is combined with Bitpop as well as some Indie which does make it sound very... nerdy. At least at the start. The longer it plays the more interesting it gets with some interesting songwriting and performances that seem to pull from a lot of different influences. I'm not a big fan of the intro but the rest is lovely which results in an incredible song. The mix of a Trip Hop beat on 'Missing' with Bossa Nova and Chamber Pop influences here and there creates a really interesting and psychedelic instrumental that could've been incredible on its own but for some reason Beck decided to sing in a style that does not fit the instrumental at any point. It feels weird and unfitting and destroys the things that the beat does well. I don't get what he thought when he made this but it's not good. The Funk and Dance influences on the still very much Trip Hop track 'Black Tambourine' seems to really figure out the sound the album tries to go. In terms of sound this is pretty diverse and fun but the entire songwriting and the vocals do kind of ruin it a bit. It's not bad but I am a bit bored with it and it doesn't have much going for it except some interesting additions on the beat. The Dub and Electronic ideas on 'Earthquake Weather' are interesting at first but the addition of the guitar seems very weird and unfitting. It feels like these two parts of the instrumental where put together without hearing if it works. The feel out of rhythm the entire time and even if the vocals actually work and create a well done chorus, is the music enough to confuse me the entire time. Either or. Both sounds of the instrumental don't work together. More Abstract Hip Hop is done on 'Hell Yes' which combines some Experimental & Abstract Pop Rap with G-Funk and Dance with a very groovy and weird beat (weird in a good way) that works well with rapping from Beck that's very West-Coast. I also enjoy the electronic vocals that appear at times and remind me of Kraftwerk. It's done well but I do think that everything would've needed a bit more but it's still a good song that is just streched out a bit too much. The Downtempo & Ambient Pop song 'Broken Drum' which adds Trip Hop, Neo-Psychedelia and even some Slowcore to create an emotional and genre experimenting track. Both instrumental and vocals are adding to the sentimental and sad track that is absolutely perfect even if it's out of style with both Beck and the album. Hauntingly beautiful. A return to more Alt-Rock happens on 'Scarecrow' which also plays with Country Soul and of course Trip Hop drums. The combination of sounds and ideas works pretty well here and even the vocals are interesting. There's not much to talk about here because it's a very low-key and diverese song that is just okay-good. I like the guitar, I like the harmonica, I like the drums and the bass. It's a nice listen that isn't too crazy or too dull. If the long instrumental bridges were cut out, it'd be better. 'Go It Alone' does some Blues with the established Trip Hop/Alt-Rock mix. It's not bad but mainly just boring. The hook is pretty okay but the rest is repetitive dullness that isn't bad but not interesting either. I don't care for it, I don't like it, I don't dislike it. It's just there and does not do a thing. I didn't expect it but on 'Farewell Ride' Beck goes all in on Alt-Country Rock that pulls from Gothic and Blues Country to create a darker and haunting sound that still feels like it's Beck. But it isn't the good Beck. The song does some very weird things in the production that don't work. The songwriting has also not that much going for it which is sad because on paper, this could've turned out great but instead it sounds something between dull and annoying but certainly no good. The Rock returns in a very heavy style on 'Rental Car' which again sounds a bit dull and just not that interesting. There are certainly enough qualities that make some parts interesting but there is so much at times thrown together that the result doesn't make sense. It's either okay or annoying which isn't all that good overall. The closing track 'Emergency Exit' combines Trip Hop with some Ambient elements as well as Alt-Country guitar and even some Glitch Pop. It does certainly have a very interesting sound but it does linger on for too long and kind of goes into a weird direction at times that do just feel weird. It's not bad but also not often good. It's tolerable with some okay moments. favourites: Broken Drum, Qué onda guero, Girl least favourites: Missing, Earthquake Weather, Farewell Ride Rating: strong 6 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

I’m a Beck fan, but this is a middle of the pack album from him. Starts off strong, then loses steam about midway through. It’s not surprising it was removed from subsequent editions of the book. It’s a good, enjoyable album, but it doesn’t rise to the level of his best work.

Couldn’t really finish it. Sounds a lot like Gorillaz I guess. First song was pretty good

I was never a big fan of beck

Beck seems to pick a genre, and do an album in that style. Consequently, I have no idea who Beck is or if he is any good. I assumed this had the Dust Brothers involved somewhere, and indeed it does. Nice Dust Brothers album you have there...be a shame if someone came along and messed it up.

Hit after hit. Beck never disappoints.

Oooo baby what a banger of an album, full of interesting tracks to spruce up an afternoon. Someone cooked up some groovy flows and I'm eatin' them up. 5/5 - "So good I listened to it twice."

This is probably one of my favourite albums. It’s got interesting variation, good vocals, and a lot of bangers. Easy 5/5

This album is cheerful tour through hell, led by a nonsensical and charismatic narrator—doomsday music I can get behind. I appreciate the eerily poetic lyrics as well as the overarching theme of revenge. Favorite Track: Que Onda Guero Least Favorite:

Stellar album throughout. Really excited when this popped up because I hadn’t listened in quite a while.

Brilliance

Love Beck and this has several great songs

Strong start with an familiar jam. Second song sounds like a more upbeat Gorillaz track - groovy, weird, and creative.

I loved the utilization of a plethora of instruments. The influence from Latin music throughout the album was phenomenal. Truly an amazing record.

Love Beck

Loved this!

Wow. I forgot how much I like Beck. Great album. Super groves. Recommend for sure A+

Excellent--Beck at his prime..

Fab. Would listen to the whole thing again. Enjoyed it very much while in Key Largo

I need to revisit it because I was doing other things, but this is my kind of shit

good stuff

I love me some Beck. Does not disappoint

I did not have the impression that Beck could satisfy my tastes this much. I am totally surprised and pleased by this record.

Yeah, this is my favorite Beck album. Thank you for another excuse to spin it.

E-Pro, Girl, Go It Alone, Farewell Ride. Beck all over the place on this one - some electronic songs, some dirty acoustic bangers with a harp, crunchy rock songs.

I love bilingual Beck but for a very white guy he leans a little too heavy into it on this one. Still love his grooves though.

My favorite Beck album, probably slightly preferred to Odelay due to the cleaner production and accessibility. It's fun and silly and representative of 2000s culture. In a lot of ways reminds me of the Gorillaz in terms of the reliance on electronica and diversity in genres. There's a different style in every song, and nearly all of them work. Tons of energy and very catchy. 2nd side slows things down, and I would argue half the songs don't leave much of an impression. For example, "Farewell Ride" and "Emergency Exit" sound far too similar, and I wasn't crazy about either, especially for long they dragged, but I think he could have combined both into one really good song. Giving it 5 stars because I really do love this album, and I was invested in it all, which is a very rare thing from me.

Everything you love about Beck in one album. Which is funny because I thought I knew Beck, but now I'm not certain I ever did. This was a easy win, go-buy-the-vinyl, album. Hints of Gorillaz, Cake, Sublime. Loved the album.

Great Beck. 5/5

Eu me surpreendi demais! Que álbum bom de ouvir

Звук гораздо менее странный,чем в прошлом альбоме, который я слушала, но всё равно очень-очень круто

1. 4.6 2. 4.5 similar to the Gorillaz sound 3. 4.2 4. 4.8 Best song thus far 5. 4.4 6. 4.8 7. 4.9 8. 4.3 9. 4.2 10. 4.5 11. 4.7 12. 4 13. 4.2

Beck - Guero I never really listened to this album by Beck. I was familiar with Mellow Gold and Odelay. So I was happy to see this pop up as my album for day 9. I've been listening to it all morning and I'm loving it! I might even go as far as to say that I think this is my favorite Beck album. I didn't find myself wanting to skip any of the songs at I listened. My favorite being Que' Onda Guero. It's just so fucking good. 5/5

Already heard but will re-listen to

A great one!

Love beck

"See the vegetable man in the vegetable van" has to be one of the strongest openers yet.

Amazing

A long time I always thought of "Loser" when hearing the name Beck. But in the meantime I realised that there was much more. I like this unusal sound.

Outstanding album--each track, thoroughly listenable. Genius.

play it, own it, love it

I wasn't really familiar with this album so it was a nice surprise. E-Pro and Que' Onda Guero really set the mood. Girl is great too as is Send A Message To Her.

Nice

I loved the different sounds showcased on this album. There is a lot of debate on Beck's lyrcial symbolism, whether there is meaning to be discerned or not, and I think that's one of the greatest parts of his music for me. Some songs do seem nonsensical, but then you catch one that is clearly describing a place you could be present in, or a situation you can imagine. Overall, the grunge/alt sound always speaks to me, and this was expertly done.

9/10 Great ablum Some random hip hop/rock bangers on it

I liked many songs on this album and loved many

I was pleasantly surprised by this album! Although I had heard the song "Girl" before I never knew anything else of this album. It is a very eclectic mix of music. Especially like the song "Missing " I loved the middle Eastern vibe to it! I will definitely be adding this album to my Playlist.

I thought Odelay and Mellow Gold covered me for my Beck listening needs, but here Guero comes along and adds another unique yet unmistakably Beck album to the mix. I really enjoy this album! My biggest surprise is that I don’t know if I knew the songs off this before, and that I have never listened to this before. Fantastic!

I took a little longer with this album, as I wanted to really savor it. It is fantastic. I was not familiar with this album of Beck's or even these songs, but that made me sad I hadn't spent time with it before. I could listen to this lots and lots. So funky and fun, I want this as my life soundtrack right now.

This album is inspired. I’ve have heard quite a few of the tracks by themselves, but honestly I’m mad at myself for not listening to it in it’s entirety sooner. Very creative album, engaging from start to finish. A hard 5.

Beck knows how to use dynamics to enhance a song's impact. Great album! one of my favorites.

Yeahhh! Great one to start with!

Beck can nail so many genres and blend them together seamlessly. This album is no exception. It's no wonder he's been producing so much great music for decades.

Aw hell yeah! Got back into this album recently after seeing Beck live. Solid fun album.

Great album. So many genres and influences coming together to make some slick, fun, great music.

Love the groove in this one. The synthesizers are amazing, love the electronic pop vibe. It brings the Gorillaz to my mind. Very creative with influences from multiple genres. I love it. 5/5

Amazing album, as always!

Oh my goodness. I love this album! So glad it's here!

Wow! I totally loved this one. On first listen, there was one track that I didn’t like so much, but I really didn’t want the album to end. So, I played it again and again and again and… I never again heard that track that I didn’t like though…

I feel the same way about every Beck album. It's just... a lot. If these albums were 30-35 minutes long, I think I'd love every single one of them. But, every time I have to listen to a Beck album from top to bottom, I find myself worn out by the end from the sheer quirkiness of everything. It takes WORK for me listen to a Beck joint. Unlike past Beck albums, however, I enjoyed the work of listening to "Guero" a great deal. It's a great album. The songwriting is great, the performances are fun, the production is solid. There was enough going on here to keep it interesting but not so much (unlike other Beck projects) to drive me to distraction. These songs have a familiar form without being formulaic. "Guero" might be Beck's most balanced album. The only complaint I can find is that it's still just a lot of quirkiness for a single listening session. But that's not enough to overcome everything this album does right. Full marks.

Damn. I really liked this one

Loved it. Funky as heck

Always excited when a Beck album pops up and this didn't disappoint. The man is a musical genius and has an innate ability to keep things interesting. Pretty lazy review that doesn't do it justice but I really loved it.

fun rock

Always thought this was his best album by a mile but even in surprised at this rating

Très bon. Quel artiste ce Beck, je ne serais jamais allé vers lui mais c'est album sont vraiment bon ! 5