Album Summary
Guero is the ninth studio album by American musician Beck, released on March 29, 2005, by Interscope Records. It was produced with John King and Mike Simpson of the Dust Brothers, who had worked with Beck on his 1996 album Odelay, as well as Tony Hoffer. The album was promoted with the singles "E-Pro", "Girl", and "Hell Yes", and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. To date, it is Beck's highest-charting album and had sold over 868,000 copies in the United States as of July 2008. It received positive reviews from critics. 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. More than 15 songs were considered for the final running order of the album.
Keywords from Reviews
Rating Over Time
Reviews
(5/5) Beck is a musical chameleon. The colors and tones he takes on from song to song, and album to album, are so wide and varied he honestly defies easy categorization. I respect that mercurial nature and his vast talent makes even the stuff I don't like at least musically competent. This album, however, is my second favorite of his. The dance-y, hook-heavy beats on the best tracks elevate it so high the filler still sounds good. There's tracks that see **heavy** rotation for my casual listening. "Black Tambourine", "Hell Yes", "Scarecrow", "Go It Alone", & "Farewell Ride" are top constant favorites, but the ear-wormiest song that will live rent-free in my mind for all eternity is "Girl". It's such a beautifully crafted pop song with fun, intentionally cryptic lyrics. Is it 'cyanide' or 'sun-eyed'? Absolute classic album.
232. Guero - Beck (2005) 10.12.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 4 = 4.6 rounded up to 5 "TJ cowboys hang around/ Sleeping in the sidewalk with a Burger King crown" Beck is one of the handful of musicians that have been around long enough to now be considered an elder statesman of sorts. Dude started releasing albums and had four under his belt before he finally got some critical love with Odelay. Mellow Gold sold well, but largely on the back of "Loser" which I think most people saw as a fluke and he was quickly written off as a one hit wonder. That's pretty much how I saw him, though I was aware he had done other stuff. It wasn't until Odelay came out and melted some faces off ( mine included) that I decided to dive into his back catalogue. It was... ok. There were quite a few bits to like, but none of his albums before Odelay would get any higher than a 3 from me, and possibly less. Mixed bags at best, with nuggets of gold that hinted towards better things. But Odelay fast became a favorite, and his single in between albums "Deadweight" made it into heavy rotation and felt like it could have been a track off of Mutations ( insane this is not on the list!), which I also loved. The streak continued into Midnight Vultures ( also crazily not on the list!) and abruptly halted with Sea Change (on the list), which I remember liking quite a bit, but being disappointed that the highs were not as high as they were on the previous three. After that I did listen to Guero, and liked it a lot, but felt pretty simarly and did not buy it. And then after that I think I maybe have heard one or two singles off each subsequent release, and a combination of a step back from new music and a feeling that I could just go back and catch up at anytime took over. I ever did. The biggest dive I did back into the man's work was when I found out about his Record club project where he would cover a classic album in it's entirety with a rotating group of other superstar musicians and friends. Some of those were great ( Velvet Underground), while some were perplexing (Yanni Live at the Acropolis) or just boring ( INXS's Kick). It's probably been a good 15 years or more since I last listened to Guero, but I recall at the time thinking it felt like Beck was settling into a mode and was making the slightly different versions of what had come before, with slightly diminishing results. Granted, those diminishing results were less than some all-time classics, so... I'm curious to see if I might be able to appreciate it any more now with a good two decades of listening experience under my belt. Maybe I'll pick up on some influences I didn't notice before or notice a melody that sticks in my head longer. THE TRACKS "E-Pro" - Ok. Right away we've got a chorus that I'm sure will be stuck in my head for at least a week. It's no accident this was given the most creative music video of the bunch ( that I recall) to get the word out. Beck takes the, at this point, tried and true catchy as hell, but oddball flavored pop sensibility he honed on his last few albums and gives us more of the same. This time with maybe even a bit more whimsy, and straightforwardness. The rhythm track of the Beastie Boys' "So What'cha Want" is sampled here, but everything around it is so chunky and charmingly distracting that you might not even recognize it at first glance, even if you live that one ( this guy did not). We get the nonsense lyrics of Odelay mixed with the danceable playful rhythms of Midnight Vultures here, and if you want to say that Beck has found a formula and is doing his best to put that ultra radio-friendly foot forward, than he's doing at the highest level here. It's got a shambly, crunchy, rough texture to it that contrasts SO well with the super poppy chorus. A++. "Qué Onda Guero" - Full of sound effects, and almost, but night quite as catchy as the previous track, this one is charming as a motherfucker, and let's Beck play around with his ( probably) poor Spanish skills, over top of a funny little, simple funky hip-hop beat. Light as air, and pretty danged delightful. "Girl" - Beck pulls in some electro vibes with com bleeps and bloops and mixes them together with some folky guitars and joyous toe tapping beat to create some more top tier melodies in both the verses AND the chorus. It's bouncy and fun in the instrumentation, and ambiguously dark in the lyrics, with death imagery throughout. There's a really fun Mad Magazine fold-in inspired video that's worth looking up for this as well. Three for three. "Missing" - Beck manages to fuse together the sound of the improvised bit "Can You Take Me Back?" from the Beatles White Album with some Latin flavor, and ends up with a very cinematic piece that has more than a bit of an echo of the Tropicalia inspired stuff from Mutations. The strings add drama, and the lyrics are a bit more comprehensible, if still very impressionistic, and this one feels like a more serious, but still pretty funky song about relationship troubles. "Black Tambourine" - The funk dial gets turned up ever so slightly, and we get some massive bass lines built around a break beat and, yes - plenty of tambourine. Simple, but effective. The scratchy fuzzed out guitar just ties it all together into a tight, catchy package. Guy is showing no signs of slowing down yet. Might I like this even more than I thought I would? "Earthquake Weather" - Some more Latin rhythms, this time with a bit more of a dark tone, and filled with doubt and paranoia and the smell of death. It's still funky as hell though, and filled with some great melodic hooks. When the mic of psychedelia and turntablism comes in at the end it feels just as natural as any of the other weird blends we've gotten, and it ends with a sound like some horrible robot dying as it loses power. Maybe it's one of the robots from the music video for the next song. "Hell Yes" - We get much more of a hip-hop track hear that would have been right at home on Midnight Vultures, full of some speak-singing not-quite-rapping that Beck pulls out occasionally. This thing was a blast from tip to toes and is maybe all the proof you need that Beck's not taking any of this too seriously. "Broken Drum" - This one opens all slow with what sounds like distorted violins off some lost ELO track, and Beck dropping into his romantic mode, and laying some pretty vocal melody on us that's doubled by a piano, and has a more melancholic vibe, similar to the stuff from Sea Change that I remember. Beautiful and atmospheric, and full of more emotion than you normally get from the man's vocals, though I think his instrumentation more than picks up the slack in that department throughout. "Scarecrow" - The spacey, dreamy vibe carries over here a little with some screeching, seagullesque synths that sound right out of an early Pink Floyd album, but then the folky guitars kick in and bring the tone back up into something a little more optimistic sounding. There's some folk-blues vibes here that seem like he's reaching WAY back into his pre-Odelay days, and it mostly works. It's just a bit too middle of the road compared to everything else on here, and is lacking any real dynamism. The harmonica that comes in near the end mad me think for a moment we'd get a return of the braying donkey from "Jack-Ass". "Go It Alone" - Easily the grooviest track on the album, with an awesome handclapping beat, and a funky, fat jazzy bass providing the fuel here. We also get another VERY hummable chorus that doesn't quite make it up to "E-Pro" levels, but is fine just the same. Just try not to nod your head to this one I dare you. It ends with a "Where It's At"-ish drum loop that is very satisfying. ( edit: just read that Jack White played bass on this one!) "Farewell Ride" - Beck's a bit of a musical magpie himself, and certainly no slide guitar innovator, but I wonder if the composer for Breaking Bad ever had this track in the back of his mind when coming up with that show's theme and score. It's a big bayou blues vibes, and chugs along with the kind of stomp-clap that actually does not annoy me. It was pretty good, but it did feel like Beck's audition for the theme song to some supernatural western tv show. I', guessing premium cable. "Rental Car" - More handclaps, some twangy fuzz guitar, and even what sounded like organs gave this a very swinging 60s feel, and made it seem like a cousin to "The New Pollution" off of Odelay. There's a kind of sludgy guitar solo followed immediately by some campy vintage vocal samples that further reinforce this comparison. This one was lush and very packed full of ideas, but never felt too busy. "Emergency Exit" - We close things on a bit of ... industrial electro-folk? A pounding four on the floor beat, and some mechanical sounds interweave with some bluesy acoustic guitar ( nylon strings?) for a nice finish that isn't to fancy. I was reminded quite a bit of the Beta Band, who in their turn seem to have been influenced by Beck more than a little. HIGHLIGHTS - "E-Pro" - "Qué Onda Guero" - "Girl" - "Missing" - "Black Tambourine" - "Earthquake Weather" - "Hell Yes" - "Broken Drum" - "Go It Alone" - "Farewell Ride" - "Rental Car" - "Emergency Exit" MIDLIGHTS - "Scarecrow" LOWLIGHTS - Is the man capable of a truly garbage song, post-Odelay? FINAL THOUGHTS Of Beck could be considered the best possible version of a AI, taking in influences from pop, folk, hip-hop, dance, funk, R&B, and world music and more, then this album is the BECK AI scraping his own back catalogue ( the more radio friendly stuff anyway) for content, mixing it all up and spitting it back out in what is a very familiar sounding, yet still very entertaining and convincing bit of slop. If only AI music could be this good though. Maybe a better analogy would be that he's created a sort of liminal Backrooms type space ( to horribly date this review) where his old sounds have all been scanned and recreated, but they all came out weird, and fucked up but still pretty awesome. Production wise I'm not sure this guy has never not hit it out of the park, and has made very smart choices on who he works with after he blew up. This one sounds just as warm and impeccably recorded as everything since Odelay, and had just the right amount of grungy film laid over top of things. I came into to this one ready to give it a solid 4-star review, based just on my memory, but I'll be damned if coming at this with fresh ears hasn't paid off for Mr. Hansen incredibly well. It was entertaining, full of a ton of variety, well performed, and packed with plenty of great hooks and melodies. It wasn't necessarily bold or innovative, and looked backwards for all of it's ideas, but that didn't really bother me too much. More of what I like? Yes please! Possibly against my better judgement, I think I gave to round this one up. That messes with my rankings slightly as I still like Mutations and Midnight Vultures as my 2nd and 3rd after Odelay. But if Odelay is a perfect 5 ( it is) then those are 4.8's at the lowest, and this one just scrapes by. I could see myself liking it even more with a few more listens under my belt. Possible turn-Offs might include: - a very schizophrenic infusion of influences - lots of deadpan vocals - some recycled ideas You Might enjoy this if you: - loved his last four albums and want more of the same - are folky in the streets but funky in the sheets - could use some high caliber pop music that's still a bit scruffy around the edges PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nah FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Os Mutantes by Os Mutantes - Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg - All Directions by The Temptations - Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited by Love Unlimited - The Concept by Slave - Gate of Dreams by Claus Ogerman - "Shack Up" by Banbarra - Computer World by Kraftwerk - Check Your Head by Beastie Boys Contemporaries: - Demon Days by Gorillaz - Get Behind Me Satan by the White Stripes - Good News for People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse - Gimme Fiction by Spoon - At War with the Mystics by The Flaming Lips - The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian Descendants: - Oracular Spectacular by MGMT - Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem - Made in the Dark by Hot Chip - Omnium Gatherum by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Three by Phantogram
Beck is an absolute genius, and this may very well be his magnum opus. The beats and hooks are some of his catchiest, his nonsensical lyrics some of his most endearing to date, and the flow and composition of the album as a whole mark an artist at the peak of his craft. It's an easy 5/5 that I've revisited at least a few times a year since its release.
Great album. Beck is one of those singers that I always enjoy listening to but it’s quite rare that I take a notion to do so. E-Pro, Broken Drum and Go It Alone were all cracking songs. The rest of the album was strong throughout as well. It’s one of those hard ones to score where it’s hard for me to find a fault with it but it’s missing some element that makes me give it top marks. Top Track - E-Pro
interesting album, lots of good songs
Blimey RGP, this is the 3rd Beck LP you’ve given us and we’re still yet to get anywhere near his best work. I love Mr. Hansen but this album was new to me, there were some good songs, I enjoyed “Broken Drum” very much but there was quite a lot of “Beck by Numbers” too, which is much more listenable than most music ever written but not as interesting as the most interesting music Beck has written. 2 stars. Tom.
Honestly excellent. Will listen again, still sad Mathew influenced me to leave his concert after his first song (it was loser so I was okay because it was 1/2 the beck songs I knew at the time)
Dope
3.5/5
After the first 2 singles, this reeeeeeeally drags until ya get to "Farewell Ride."
Favorite songs: E-Pro, Girl, Earthquake Weather, Broken Drum, Scarecrow
Overall Rating - 2.85/5 (5.69/10). Forgettable mid 2000s alt-rock.
Decent album. Could have gotten 4 stars if it had held my attention throughout
I love this album and cannot judge it subjectively. It doesn't sound like other rock or alternative albums. It's unique without being outlandish or weird. I don't know how else to describe it. It puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it.
Beck tiene tantos discos con buenas canciones que uno no sabe qué escuchar de él. Luego te pones con uno entero así seguido y lo mismo se hace pesado. Empieza bien con E-Pro. También me guardo Girl y como siempre esto es más bien un 2,5, pero le daremos 3.
Beck es el artista moderno con mayor número de discos en este listado. Aquí tras Mutations (1998), Midnite Vultures (1999) y su obra maestra Sea Change (2002) retornó al estilo caleidoscópico de Odelay (1996) junto con los Dust Brothers. No está al nivel de su otra obra maestra pero se acerca. E-Pro lo deja bien claro. Qué onda Guero ya no suena tan novedosa como haría 10 años atrás. Girl sigue lanzado y Missing es una de las mejores del disco. Broken Drum es la joya. Rental car es una ida de olla. Send a message to her remite a la inicial y a los propios Beatles. Además recomiento su apéndice de remezclas Guerolito con excelentes remixes a cargo de Air, El-P o Boards of Canada. Y aún quedaban Morning Phase (2014) , Hyperspace (2019) y Ride Lonesome (2026
This was an amazing album, no notes. I dont know what to say that hasn't been said, the whole album is fun to listen to, with hardly a weak track on the list. I really like this album, an easy 5
So freaking groovy. Amazing for casual background music, a lil dance after a shit day, or calming rock. Love that every song sounded so different.
3/5. Something I’ve realized throughout my journey on this generator so far is that I like Beck’s music far more than I thought I did. That being said Guero feels like a step down to me from a few of Beck’s previous albums like “Sea Change” or “Midnite Vultures.” Though not without its highlights such as the groove machine that is “Missing” or “Black Tambourine” which features in the David Lynch film Inland Empire. In some ways it feels like Beck revisiting everything he’s previously done up to this point whether that be tracks akin to his 90’s alt-rock/rap fusions or some tracks that are slower and more meditative like the ones found on “Sea Change.” Not his strongest work, but still a solid enough listen.
Fuckin' groovy, super hard to not dance too, good amount of variety going on. Def gonna be revisiting this one
2.5
Terzo album di Beck presente nella lista.
#483 Beck probably has too many albums to mention but among those that I know this and The Information probably struck the biggest chord with me, although Odelay deserves a mention too. Guero has a great mix of what makes Beck great, with the off the wall lyrics and humour coupled with great hooks, and songs, particularly in the first half, that are upbeat and a lot of fun. There are slower more reflective songs too and those quieter moments produce some of the highest quality songwriting here. My only very minor criticism would be that I always feel like it’s a bit too long and could be even better with a trim, not that any of the songs are out of place. Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): Missing; Qué Onda Guero; Broken Drum Rating: 8/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
nice sounds. i see why he is special. but something deeply boring about his voice. i suppose the work is important given the chicano influence. unfortunately for him, this stuff sounds like music made for Apple commercials. I guess the Cali upbringing is no accident there.
Beck at the height of his pop powers in a way that kinda made him uncool for all future albums. Still great.
loving the combo of noisy Latin street vibes + indie pop? rock beats. the sound of Eminem's rock-leaning cousin visiting Comuna 13 in Medellin and then making a solid album out of it. 3.5/5
Capa foda, disco credível
White boy goes Latino, with questionable results.
Een paar heerlijke nummers, plaat heeft lekkere vibe
Boring. Does nothing for me.
Groovy
(4/7) a couple good ones at the beginning
I have listened to a lot of Beck over the years, despite never considering him one of my favorite artists. While I prefer his more upbeat tracks, his slower material is probably the closest I will get to enjoying anything folk adjacent. The thing I appreciate about Beck is his willingness to explore different musical ideas and genres on a single album, and Guero is no exception. From the chugging guitars on E-Pro to the electronic tinted Hell Yes, this record really does try out a lot of different musical ideas while still remianing quintessentially Beck. However, his strong suit is also his weakness, as not everything here completely works, which is the risk you take when trying out so many ideas. I appreciate Beck for his willingness to explore, even if everything doesn't turn to (Mellow) Gold. 7/10
I can't believe it took me this list to finally listen to this album. Really enjoyed it, it's a fun listen with a few boring tracks then and there but many good songs overall and an interesting sound. It starts off strong with E-pro and closes up really nicely with emergency exit, with some great tunes like Girl and Hell yes in the middle.
something cool, something boring, a bit of a mess
Very high highs, and no lows. Some tracks are a bit forgettable, but the album tracks keep things moving along. No skips on this one.
Beck's is best served when listening to Beck.
Amazing album, I've always found Beck to be a creative and talented musician able to produce great songs in several different genres. This album has great examples, and the first three songs are excellent. All around great songs, with each song keeping it interesting.
This is an excellent album with a lot of variety, blending themes like folk, country western, and alt rock. Each song is of high quality and earns its place on the album by providing a strong sense of its own thematic and emotional appeal.
It's fun! A fun album. Not mind blowing, but I had a pretty good timing with it throughout the day
This is not my jam😪
Im in my last 10 albums and its still givinbme gifts like this. Ive always been a Beck fan. but had somehow skipped over this album and I'm glad ive discovered it now as its brilliant I listened three times and was trying to be specific about why it was so good. Firstly, the rhythm section is top class all the way through, especially the base. Secondly, the conposition just works: each track is beautifully structured to lift the spirit and balances between giving you what you expect next and suprising you. Most importantly Beck seems to pull all these elements togther to make a damn good pop song everytime and the little details ontop of the hooks are what make this so fun. I found his voice is quite far back in the mix and is used more as an instrument to set a tone that works really well.
Good I liked it but I didn’t pay much attention I’ve been busy not wanting to do anything ever and hating everything Highlights: E pro (fav) Girl Missing
yeah i really like this. great to work to but also so much to notice when you tune in. title track probably my fav. also was NOT expecting beck to look like that.
I rember enjoying this when I listened
Beck always be doing some random shit that sounds kinda fucking awesome. Loving the Latin influences here
The first artist on my 1001 albums journey that I was very familiar with, although despite owning six Beck albums I don't own this. 13 tracks clocking in at just under 50 mintues. The opener three tracks are great E-Pro is classic Beck vocals and guitar sounds. Qué Onda Guero is fantastic, you can hear the Dust Brothers production, and this is a throwback to the type of tracks all over Odelay. Owes a debt to A Tribe Called Quest which is always a good thing. Girl is a great little polished harmonized pop number filtered through the twisted Beck lyrics and delivery. After this the album starts to meander a bit, it's not without high points but it's not forcing me to listen. Missing is a laid back funky little number, probably not as strong as the opening three tracks and fades out almost as if the artist didn't quite know what to do with it. But it's still important for the pacing of the album Black Tambourine brings back the energy with a hint of menace under the surface. Scarecrow has a nice rhythm with the classic distorted harmonica. Overall I'd give this a 3/5 - maybe feels a little harsh but I don't immediately want to listen to it again and despite some excellent moments there's a fair bit of filler to my ears.
Enjoyable alt rock. I think I enjoy Beck's eclectic-ness.
I like Beck
This is, insanely enough, the third Beck album that I have encountered in the first 123 days of this project. That’s about two too many. This is Ok, I guess. But nothing more.
Not exactly Beck's finest work in my eyes, but it's a fun album with a few songs that I've always personally enjoyed. Girl is one of my favorite Beck songs (post-2000) and E-Pro is some solid stuff, as is Go It Alone.
lo-fi unc beats. Really fun, among the last albums he'd do in this style which is a big shame because this sort of feedback, reverb, rapping Beck is my preferred Beck. Even so, you can sort of see him starting to get lost in the pop production world. Lots of catchy stuff but doesn't feel as errant as Odelay or ambitious as Midnite Vultures. Beck can write a good hook and some songs go off on ambitious detours but only a few of these tracks measure up to my favorite Beck songs.
Fun unique listen, just wasn’t feeling it during my listen should probs relisten in a better mood.
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. They were a couple of weaker songs for me but all the other ones I enjoyed.
Beck is to me a '90s artist through an through so what do I do with a 2005 album from the guy. Well, I enjoy the hell out of it. I'd never heard most of this one. I think maybe "E-Pro" and that's about it. Also, as ever, I'll never know if he is being intentionally cryptic with his lyrics or slightly absurdist and nonsensical. In the end the truth is I don't care. Now, I preferred the alt-rock sound that Beck was known for in the '90s, but of all the artists that can bring in computer sounding touches and have me on board it is Beck. "Girl" and "Hell Yes" both have that midi-8-32 bit video game sound in their DNA and I kinda love them for it. This was a pleasant day of listening that I'm going to be happy to revisit. 4/5
I have the hardcover book CD edition of this one. 4.5 (wish we had half stars on this site).
This was pretty good but I wonder when we’ll get the one with the sweater song.
Favourite Songs: E-Pro Que' Onda Guero Hell Yes
Love love love this album
Kinda went in the with low expectations but I wound up enjoying the funky off beat sound. Some tracks remind me of Gorillaz of their first album
I enjoyed it but it wasn't ground breaking
Pretty unremarkable. Inclusion on this list is highly questionable.
Beck is an artist who I'm not exactly well knowledgeable on but man this was an amazing introduction. Such a dynamic sound merged in with western themes and rock fused into this high energy jam session of a project. Really loved this one.
I am somewhat new to Beck still. Most of my narrow knowledge comes from a select few songs from his one album I own on CD; Odelay. I don't think I've actually sat down and listened to it in full yet, but I enjoy the songs I do know. I imagine if you're more of a regular listener this ninth album may be more of the same and not rocking the boat, which is the opinion I see often held in reviews. Lacking that depth of knowledge, or at least play-time, I am more judging this as a judgement of Beck's sound and style, rather than ranking Guero compared to every other Beck album. And I like it. Nothing on this album drags, the run-time is well used and on the right side of lengthy for its novelty, something many albums on this list struggle with, songs mix and meld in a way that is pleasing whilst still having individuality, Beck's voice is... peculiar for lead vocals but complement the tone and sound rather than dragging things down, again a struggle for many albums. I felt at peace with this on rather than bored, even with an additional two songs on the version I listened to knocking the runtime higher than Beck originally intended. Maybe on a second listen I wouldn't be as glowing, and Beck still isn't a musician I would want every other song on a playlist to be one of his tracks, but this felt like a solid, reliable outing from an artist I would do well to know better.
no mg
Interesting stuff, but like what feeling is this supposed to evoke in me?
The big singles are catchy, but the rest of the album sounds very same-y to me. It's an interesting sound, but overstayed its welcome for me.
I am familiar with some of Beck’s music. However, I don’t know this album. I don’t really like Beck’s voice. It doesn’t sound good to me. This is a guitar based album. E-pro is a good song. Lots of guitar hooks in the song. None of the other songs stand out for me. Kind of blasé. An average album. Three stars.
More of a 3.5/5
Weirdish album, not in a bad way, I like some other songs by beck but I cant say that this was my favourite, almost like he’s big really singing hug rather just talking hug the songs do have a story to them.
In two words: Very Beck. I've heard better Beck albums, and there are a few more of his albums on this list. Embrace the weirdness. 6/10 Favorites: - Que' Onda Guero - Girl - Earthquake Weather - Broken Drum - Go It Alone
Different, yet enjoyable. The mix of hip-hop beats with Latin rhythms and guitars all melded together into one cohesive soup of a sound. Favorites: - E-Pro - Black Tambourine - Broken Drum Rating: High 6/10
it is bad album i didn´t like it xd jaja_ apoyo el queso con chocolate jaja_ sniperdestroyer
Beck is another popular artist I never really explored much even though he’s from the era when I was first discovering music. It’s very 90s alt rock early on and then it’s early 2000s alt rock hip hop or electronic. A variety of sound. Girl is a song I know well and has popped into playlists over the years. Really good track. Enjoying this as a whole. Not sure why I never really listened to much Beck. Think it was too out there at the time for me and just never jumped in. Especially the electronic hip hop style, I know that’s not something I would’ve liked when this came out and I was a teenager. Really just a diverse sound the whole way too. It gets real funky at times. Just a fun album. It’s a bit long and not sure it’s really overly impacting me right now. But it’s at least a 3. Debating a 4. Settled with 3.
Sleek piece. Evokes a classy, flamboyant, relentless and interesting man. Very interesting sounds are included in this record too.
Blonde-haired white people.
Opening half was really strong but a lot more filler later on. I like Beck, though - kinda edgy but familiar at the same time.
No longer intimidated by Beck! And that's what it's all about :)
I used to listen to this one when it came out. It's great
que GARCHA, zafan uno o dos temas
No suena mal pero muy aburrido, totalmente skipeable.
Decent I guess
A weak album that never really got its hooks into me. Most of the songs sit in a similar vibe and the instrumentals start to feel interchangeable after a while. Nothing stands out as particularly interesting or necessary. There is a relaxed, slightly dusty groove running through a lot of the record, and Beck sounds comfortable enough, but comfort is about all it offers. The tracks pass by without creating much tension, surprise or emotional pull. By the middle I was already waiting for something to shift, and it never really did. The production is clean and polished in that mid 2000s way. Everything is well recorded and properly placed in the mix, yet the surface quality only makes the lack of stronger ideas more noticeable. It sounds fine. It just doesn’t do much. Guero is an easy album to forget. Competent, consistent, and ultimately pretty dull.
It's interesting to me that Beck decided to go back to this sound after Sea Change, I think it comes across as a weird contrast. That album has such phenomenal writing, but a lot of the songs here remind me of his youth in the worst way. I think Que Onda Guero might be the worst song I've ever heard from Beck, it's just like painfully awkward and silly. There is some great instrumentation on here, you can tell he's trying to meld sounds, but I think it just doesn't work that well. Favorites: Earthquake Weather, Broken Drum, Emergency Exit
Lots of good songs, but Beck could have dropped a few of the weaker ones and still had a full-length album.
Beck
The sound is wildly inventive, but the overall effect leaves me cold.
Super fun album that I feel is going to need a few listens for it to truly soak in. The soundscapes & musicianship Beck creates are varied & interesting throughout, with the record feeling experimental without ever losing it’s place. E-Pro is a killer intro song & there are strong tracks dotted throughout the album. It does have moments where it feels a bit tepid - 3-4 tracks that just fade into the periphery, but overall this is a great listen.
Good
Me encantoooo con un sonido suave
Very god tunes thx!
A few highs on this one. Overall had more range than I expected.
Overall kult album, kult med cowboy western stil, dunlop og sykt nice gitar- grunge og resonator , men funka ikke alltid og i et album på jobb ble d litt masete. Flere av sangene funket mye bedre for seg selv. Top 3 var fete: 1-E-Pro 2-Farewell ride 3-Girl Missing- får litt sting/kurt cobain av stemmen, men var kjedelig. Earthquake weather- litt kul, gir litt Childish Gambino. Hell yes-no men gøy med munnspill Farewell ride- hell yes, Led Zeppelin/peaky blinders Rental car-ok nice. Lalalalalala
Kult. Veldig 2005. Kunne definitivt vært bakgrunnsmusikken på en gopro yt video. Likte earthquake wather. Likte godt at det var så stort spenn i albumet. Det var både den typiske 2005 indie rocken og litt merr alernativt. Likte slutten på rental car. spesi<3 Beste sang: E-pro
I liked this; it's chill and fun and I would listen again. Beck's good.
creative and I can see why people would like it but it's really not for me.
No está mal, pero Odelay me gustó mucho más. Este es más rockero.
Grew on me a lot as it passed. Also I listened to this while reading a new article about how odd Beck is
This is fine, but not really for me. It's catchy, but there's a little too much going on for me on most of it. It's not terrible, but nothing I'd ever choose to listen to. "Rental Car" may be my favorite song. "Hell Yes" is mildly annoying.
I was a huge Beck fan including Midnite Vultures!! This is an ok album but for me this is where I started to feel Beck was either losing it, or I was losing interest.