Odelay

I loved this period in the 90s when the floodgates were temporarily opened to allow for truly unique and idiosyncratic music to make it's way into the mainstream. Record labels were taking chances again, trying to find the next unpredictability big thing in the wake of Nirvana's success and the creation of the "Alternative" classification. Is Alternative still a thing or has that simply evolved into Indie? Had Beck come up in any other time period I think he would have remained a fascinating sort of semi-outsider artist that was beloved in hip circles, but because he came up when he did, he was able to really let his musical ideas run wild and we're all the better for it. As a lad, I really identified with Beck's whole approach. His melding of genres, his surreal lyrics laced with humor, his thrift store hodgepodge aesthetic, his back catalog of smaller indie records that revealed his true range and depth, and then of course records like this one that showed he was capable of practically creating a genre of his own. In my opinion this record temporarily broadened the palette for pop music in the 90s and early 2000s; loosening genre barriers, interweaving samples more fluidly, allowing for more esoteric material, and essentially popularizing a sort of free wheeling collage aesthetic outside of a purely hip hop context. Though "Mellow Gold" is great and "Loser" was, and still remains, his biggest hit, I fear Beck would have remained a one hit wonder had he not met up with The Dust Brothers. They were able to give his musical vision the scale, flow, and shine it needed to cement his appeal with a mass audience. Together they made something that was not only unique and innovative and fresh, but something that was fun as hell. One of the first real big shows I ever went to was seeing him play on the "Odelay" tour with The Roots as the opener. Man, it was a good time. Almost as good a time as I had blasting this album on repeat from a boombox in the backseat of my friend's car during the summer of '96.

People say this album is ahead of its time and groundbreaking. I say its a pretentious mess of experimentation that doesn't work.

Everybody's gonna throw rocks at me, but... I never got into Beck's music. All the songs seem to me a collage of somewhat haphazard ideas. There's a lot of work and pretty innovative stuff, but unfortunately it never becomes memorable or catchy (at least for me). It was like 52 minutes of "oh yeah, we're gonna put a tambourine there, oh and a robot voice here... And a sampling of that song at this moment", but it remains irrelevant at each time. Sorry. :(

This was very obviously a Beck album from the first song. He seems to skip from genre to genre in a care-free manner but he manages to keep a consistent theme through the album as well. Hotwax is country and High 5 is hip hop and other songs are blues. I see where he got his reputation as being able to master any musical genre. Fav songs: Devils Haircut, Hotwax, Ramshackle

A bizarre yet unique trip through the imagination of alternative rock and hip hop. Not always spot on, but a darn good experience. Favorites: "Devils Haircut", "Where It's At", "Ramshackle"

A somewhat strange album in the sense that I don't get the hype. A couple tracks are pretty good but a lot of them are just nonsense. Album felt scatterbrained even though I normally like eclectic albums.

beck has some good ideas and there must be a reason for him being so liked but oh my god i find him so fucking irritating i feel like there's a kid next to me trying to tell me the plot to their favourite video game that they can't remember properly when I listen to this music. for that reason fuck this album its a 1

This truly was a huge disappointment for me. A Grammy winning album that is jumping from genre to genre with each song, each time in a worse manner while sounding awfully a lot like Kid Rock

I had picked up this album a while back, and at the time I did not really care for it. Think I sold it back. It's interesting how my taste has evolved, because listening to it now I am really enjoying it. Maybe it's the wide range of songs, or my larger appreciation of Beck in general, but it's just got something to it. Call it a swagger, call it what you will. It reminds me a lot of Beastie Boys' "Ill Communication," but in a good way. The big hit songs are great, but the other tracks stand by themselves, too. Really surprising to me.

How in god's sacred secretion's name, does BECK have a SECOND album on here? And what in the most insidious of infernos is Beckerton trying to do here? This album has less direction than Columbus with a broken compass. Hold this sympathy 2, and may I NEVER have to listen to this confused man ever attempt to rap or speak Spanish ever again.

Yes

Beck rules, no idea how he does it but I look forward to every song as they come next. This album is so good and has so many hits on it, but even the non singles are great. Will listen to again

Alternative rock, 1996. Despite the fact this record was released in the 90s it still sounds really fresh and actually good. Since the first tracks it's clear that in this album Beck is very inspired and the tracklist is really well balanced between the different moods of the songs. Maybe this is not a masterpiece, but it's definitely a cult.

Exceptionally creative and unique; a genre-hopping, one of a kind album that was as much of a breath of fresh air in 1996 as it today, in the midst of partaking in this challenge.

I hate finding something like this that I should have gotten 25 years ago. I really love it. "Devil's Haircut" and "Where It's At" played pleasantly in my background in the 90s, and I suspected that I might like Beck, but I never pursued his music as I ought to have. I love this whole thing lots. Its trip through genres is a trip I loved. Although I would like to share my affection for each track, I will just share my favorite pants-related lyrics from three different songs: "In the chain-smoke Kansas flashdance ass pants" "Going back to Houston/To get me some pants" "Okay, now do like designer jeans [...] ooh, la la Sasoon"

Wait, this is where I meant to put the Quintessential Beck comment. It's a dope ass album, and like most Beck albums are pretty solid even over 20 years later.

Ah Beck. I love Morning Phase and Seachange so much, you'd think I'd know this album back to front and inside out by now. But that's the magic is Beck - always something different every time. I've never really bothered to listen to this one. But that's my problem, because this is joyous, chaotic, and masterful.

Odelay blends a lot of genres and sounds into an album that doesn’t feel cohesive and can border on obnoxious. I really don’t get Beck.

This shit is weird, but not like in a fun way. It’s more in a concerning “are you okay?” way. It’s got some captivating rhythms, but some songs definitely gave me the creeps when I listened through the album. Something just sorta felt off throughout it. Overall, it was not an enjoyable experience.

8/13, 62%

Stone cold classic

That distorted screaming at the end of Devil's Haircut isn't made in anger, and it's not felt in anger. It's an expression of the joy of expression itself, and it makes you want to smile and scream along too. It's the removal of the shackles of genre. Does anyone remember the "anything but rap or country" saying? Surely this album killed it. I'll take rock in my rap in my country in my samples in my hip hop if it makes me smile like this. If you start to wonder whether he's serious, the penultimate heartfelt Ramshackle is a highlight. Capped off by the fart of Computer Rock, as if to say, I'm serious, but not *that* serious.

Manic and experimental, wild and weird, there’s nothing quite like it. So many of these songs (and the entire album in general) feel haphazard and randomly stitched together and yet everything clicks. Every sudden genre switch, every vocal effect and every sound effect feels like it’s right where it’s supposed to be. I’d love to learn more about the editing and mixing of this album. It’s perfectly paced and sequenced. Beck knows when to push it and when to reward the listener. The easy, country vibe of “Jack-Ass,” for example, feels like a cool breeze after the chaos that comes before it. Fun, playful and insanely entertaining.

Although I had owned Beck's Mellow Gold, for some reason I didn't listen to Odelay back in the day although I was familiar with the big hits ("Devil's Haircut," "The New Pollution," and "Where It's At"). Beck uses distortion, samples and effects quite a bit on Odelay. This was front-of-mind after struggling to cope with The Jesus and Mary Chain's heavy use of distortion. I never struggled with Beck - I enjoyed the gritty distorted parts, the donkeys braying, distortion on the instruments and vocals, the record scratches and the other unique sonic touches scattered throughout. They worked well here and mostly enhanced the listening experience. I love the laid-back nature of Odelay. Lots of eclectic styles to discover: the exotic sounds of "Derelict," the driving "Devil's Haircut," the down-homey "Hotwax," the harder edged "Novacane," the dreamy "Jack-Ass," the punk-like "Minus," the twangy "Sissyneck," the out-there-sample-laden "High 5 (Rock The Catskills)," the quiet "Ramshackle." All the songs feel really unique, interesting and still coherent together as an album. Beck's music is really unique and at times weird and wild while still managing to be cool, unassuming and surprisingly approachable. It didn't immediately demand a 5 from me, but I'm happy to give it a 5 'cause I got nothing but praise for it. Odelay is doing its own thing and doing it really, really well.

still sounds fresh.

Really great. He messed around with synths alot on this album and I loved how chill it was.

Still awesome and bonkers.

Fuck yeah what a freaky little album beautiful sax flutters throughout (especially Where It's At) excellent outros on Hotwax and Novacane (and a Daft Punk sample?), all the weird little dial tones, big cuica time in the bridge of High 5 (sick track overall).. heaps of cool little moments that culminate in an overall excellent listening experience.

Noise jams, reminds me of childhood.

A bit too noisy for my preferences. I like melodic Beck a lot more, and that only shows up on a song or two here. This still has a lot of famous songs, but they aren't my favorite songs. Liked it, didn't love it.

The most uninspired, derivative, boring dreck I've heard in a long time. Packed with random bits and bobs that make no sense, nothing is cohesive, lyrics are bad, and no shape to any of the songs. They go nowhere.

I'm editing this rating because I've realized how great this album is. First of all, it may sound weird to people. But I must say I really enjoyed how he break the rules. He has his own style and I really enjoyed it. Between all of them, Hotwax is my favorite. And the only reason why I've changed my rating, it made me see the whole album in a new perspective.

My album before this was 'Play' by Moby. For two artists so superficially similar, these albums could not be more different. Where 'Play' was very "meh", 'Odelay' really holds up and soars. This is an absurdly fun album. It is experimental, playful, absurd, and almost poking fun at itself - but it does so with so much conviction and intention to pass through the realm of being a joke, to coming full circle to being serious art. It includes intentionally absurd samples, nonsense lyrics, or jarring and dissonant instrumentals - but it knows exactly what it is doing throwing them in.

This is my bag. It never settles down into one groove but is packed with great tunes. Novocane -> Jack Ass -> Where It's At is an incredible run of songs.

Yes Beck. All grooves and creativity. An absorbing listen as there’s always something new to discover no matter how many times you play it. A classic of its time, and still fresh today.

Odelay feels like the turning point for Beck. Beck almost shifted from a more rock and guitar based sound to an electric-y feel more recently. This feels like the start of something brand new, while also feeling like the logical next step from Mellow Gold

Classic very eclectic album, every track works and the production is amazing. Beck at his best.

Sehr coole Musik

The summer this album was released, I was doing some serious yard work. As I scraped moss from the driveway cracks, a fuzzy drum heavy The New Pollution to the rambling Sissyneck kept me on my musical toes, or, in this case, knees. Along with DJ Shadow’s Entroducing, Odelay was my favorite albums of the year.

Beck's ability to fuse multiple genres that don't seem to go together into a single track needs to be studied. A pretty insane rise from Mellow Gold and One Foot In The Grave, which are respectable great records, but Odelay is a completely different beast. Hip hop, alt dance, alt-country, electronica, jazz...I know "alternative rock" can be a bit of a blanket name but this is truly alternative. And for a record like this to be a true mainstream breakthrough? Not really sure if you see stuff like this anymore.

Excellent use of sampling combined with real instruments and Lennon-esque lyrical absurdity. The songs do all kinda hit the same vibe, but it’s such a unique vibe and there’s just enough variation that you really don’t mind.

Not a big fan of his but is the one LP I do own.

Highest number of ideas per second ratio of any Beck album, mostly for better

This is what I think of when I think of Beck. I can’t hear the phrases “bottles and cans” or “destination a little up the road” without launching into Where It’s At in my head. This is a great genre exploration album that clearly had a huge amount of influence on the alternative and indie scene for years to come. It wouldn’t be the first alternative album I would pick up, but I would happily groove to it while it plays.

Great intro to Beck's style

A pretty good album, especially if you're a Beck fan. Worth noting that this was (and kinda still is) the Beck album for a lot of people. The three big singles are all great and the album tracks are pretty good too.

J'aime définitivement beaucoup Beck, plein de styles différents et j'adore sa manière de chanter un peu nonchalante. 0 delay sur l'écoute de ses albums

Patikoooo. Beck turi labai įdomų garsą. Mėgsta eksperimentuoti su cypiančiais daiktais.

What a time capsule! I could do without the 40 seconds of noise at the end.

never really listened to Beck, but it’s familiar. Very eclectic, folk, hiphop, Beastie Boys and LCD Soundsystem, I hear a lot of influences/influencees. It’s experimental, weird sounds including static.

Never heard it before but it felt like a 90s-00s stroll through a Southern California movie and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

This feels like ordering the '90s Luxe Cravings Box at Taco Bell. Some really good stuff ("Devil's Haircut," "Lord Only Knows" and "The New Pollution") but some other stuff that tastes like a Gordita Supreme.

Haven't heard this in ages, forgot how good it was. Some fine tunes, and some great samples (esp. Them's Dylan cover underpinning "Jack-Ass"; so well-integrated here that the first time I heard the incredible original, a few years later, driving on a dark Spanish mountain road, I thought I was having a lucid dream). Gets a bit samey (I found myself muttering "two turntables & a microphone" during at least 3 other tracks) but well worth a 4.

The essential follow-up to Paul's Boutique (granted it was made with The Dust Brothers), Odelay showcases Beck's ascension from post-grunge slacker idealism to something far more eclectic and less predictable. Without this album, it becomes somewhat strange to envision a music atmosphere where indie rock musicians wouldn't pivot to two turntables and a microphone and remain complacent with their guitars and drums. We'd be doing sad hot dog dances in Houston at the thought of it. Good thing we don't have to. Favorites: Devils Haircut, Lord Only Knows, The New Pollution, Novacane, Jack-Ass, Where It's At, Minus, Sissyneck, High 5 (Rock the Catskills).

Sweet album. So completely unpredictable makes it really fun to listen to, and even with the mix of genres and random noises popping into songs they are still super enjoyable. 7/10

Beck keeps experimenting with new sounds and arrangements, which works often - but not always. Sometimes, this leads to his soungs sounding very fresh and unique (Derelict) and sometimes it sounds like he tuned his guitar to the sound of nails on a chalkboard (Novacane). I could excuse these disharmonious pieces if it wasn't for the last two songs. Ramshackle sounds like an Ed Sheeren song and doesn't fit the punk attitude Beck displays on the rest of the album at all, while Computer Rock doesn't even feel like a finished song. It sounds like the alarm of the most obnoxious person you know. Seriously, did the artist just run out of songs to put in this and sent over an unfinished sample?! Best songs are Hotwax and High 5 (Rock The Catskills). 7/10, I have to respect Beck's will to do whatever he wants.

I love Beck. But this is probably my least favorite of the ones on here, and by a wider margin than I remembered. I get why people don't like his music. But the things people criticize him for generally work for me; the sort of "fuck it, throw the kitchen sink in too" approach to music. It's fun, comical, and for the most part, bangs real hard. I just think he does it better in Guero. Also is he a scientologist?? Fave tracks: - Devils Haircut - Hotwax - Lord Only Knows - The New Pollution - Novacane - Jack-Ass - Where It's At - Sissyneck - Readymade - Ramshackle

Not bad. Ive never been a big Beck fan but I can see his influence.

Never liked Beck, especially this album. Why did it win Grammy and not Mellon Collie? People tend to confuse eclectic mix of genres with talent, like “oh, that guy uses elements from this and that, he must be great“. The hell he’s not. No one needs the combination of various genre elements just for the sake of combination of elements. That alone doesn’t make the music “great”. And here’s the good example, a form without substance.

A studio artifact cataloguing the Beastie Boys’ idea of cool, buttressed by three or four hits, party music that was a chore when I saw them in a field. Not to worry, I didn’t pay.

No. 62/1001 Devils Haircut 3/5 Hotwax 1/5 Lord Only Knows 3/5 The New Pollution 3/5 Derelict 2/5 Novacane 1/5 Jack-Ass 3/5 Where It's At 2/5 Minus 3/5 Sissyneck 3/5 Readymade 3/5 High 5 1/5 Ramshackle 3/5 Diskobox 1/5 Average: 2,14 I liked his more melodic approach on Sea Change way better. This was just too experimental for me. Also I don't like how he handled the inclusion of different genres. There is nothing coherent that binds the songs together. The genre jumps were just too dramatic for me.

I did not enjoy this album at all. It was a bit too electronic for my taste. The hip-hop inspiration felt a bit too messy so I couldn't really find anything to enjoy besides the last song.

Classic

Raro amigo, pero bueno, nunca pensé escuchar hiphop country

Gw banget jir

Álbum excelente! Todos os elementos musicais que Beck experimenta nesse disco soam fantásticos. Obra Prima. Roseselsa Quietsea II.

It’s easy to forget how fresh Beck’s music started, as he has firmly transitioned into being an established artist. Odelay however is the sound of a young Beck tilting at windmills. A lot of credit here has goes go to the production of the Dust Brothers for their production, as well as Beck, matching his songs with more hip hop style beats at times that give the album its distinctive sound. The singles are great, but so’s the album!

Despite loving Where It's At, Devils Haircut and The New Pollution at the time of release, I'd never listened to all of Odelay. It's such a weird mix of alt-rock, bluegrass licks, and hip-hop sampling - just endlessly funky with Beck's sort of disinterested, talky-singy thing pulling everything together. I particularly loved Hotwax, Lord Only Knows, Minus and Sissyneck. Derelict comes across a bit Bjork to me - it reminded me of Army of Me in places. Novacane and High Five (Rock the Catskills) were both a bit Beastie Boys. Readymade felt a bit Eels thanks to the vocal delivery. All the way through I was thinking this was a 4 or 5, but probably a 4, but then I realised I had no real reason not to give it a 5. I basically like every track (most of them I really loved), I wanted to listen to it again as soon as it finished, I intend to come back to it again. So I talked myself into it. 5/5

Innovative. He is incredibly creative. Each song was a different musical experience with surprises around every corner.

Loved this more and more on each listen. Another blind spot for me but great and weird and addictive. Also Geese’s music now makes more sense listening to this.

Marvellous!

A crate digging masterpiece. Beck may have never been better, but the Dust Brother’s production should be hung in the Louvre.

Finally an album that deserves to be on this list. Beck is a generational talent.

Sounds like his previous work, but more experimental. It has more electric guitars and synthesizer and turntables. Really good album. It deserves more credit than it gets for it's influence on modern artists.

Amazing album

Very insane album I had fun with, will be listening again and to more Beck

Yeah still good

Every song on this offers a different experience, concept or vibe, and it all works to some degree. An album as eclectic and weird as this can never get boring.

Who are you? I’m the enchanting wizard of rhythm. Why have you come here? I’ve come here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe. This album makes me very happy. Super funny, completely playful and unhinged. And it’s filled with great songs.

Ah, 1996. "Loser" was still all over the radio and Odelay was Beck's follow-up album. Suddenly "Where It's At" is all over the radio. I don't think I listened to this record in full until a few years later, but I've certainly done so now and then. It's a big mish-mash of a tons of different styles of music. Everything from 70s rock to hip-hop is in there, and it's all really good. A real masterpiece of an album.

I did not know much about Beck before checking out this album. I thought of him as strangely popular, in some left field way, but I didn't know what he was about or how to "get it". I knew the opener of this album (Devil's Haircut) because it was on a triple j hottest 100 CD. I read some of the reviews here, and that gave me hints. The album took me a couple of listens to get into (headphones good), now I'm liking a lot of the tracks, a lot. I dug around a bit more (wondering which riffs were originals that became famous, and which might be samples dropped in from where). If you (dear reader) would like to hear (read) Beck interviewed about his music back in 2005, may I recommend this: https://www.thebeliever.net/an-interview-with-beck/. The album? I think I'll rate it as Quite Wonderful, 9/10. (Rating might go up with more listens :-)

Great Monday morning album

Another great alternative album my ex introduced to me.

I really like the sound of Beck. Its like im on drugs but not. Probably a good album to get stoned too. Favorite: devils haircut Least: computer rock

This record was definitely a fundamental one when I was refining my music taste. It was time to move on from grunge and this was one of the greats from 1996 to push me in a different direction.

Wait this is fire. I never listened to much of Beck but I had heard the name. A lot of great songs, some of which remind me of Pavement. In general, great stuff.

Slightly biased because I remember this, but even with nostalgia glasses I think this is a really good capture of the 90s alternative music at the time. 5*

Odelay captures the zeitgeist of the mid 90s. It's aloof, nostalgic, mildly irreverent, and still sounds cool thirty years later.

Phil

A record that blends styles with ease and energy, shifting from funk to folk while staying coherent. It’s fresh, rhythmic, and playful, which makes it stand out. Still vibrant decades later, it fully earns that 5/5

When Beck released his first album, I hated it. But then I get hit by Two Turn Tables & A Microphone and I've never looked back. This album is one of my favourites.

I don't necessarily love Devil's Haircut or Hotwax, but they are so exciting. The way Beck blends genres on Odelay is groundbreaking, and still sounds pretty unique - its like slacker rock plunderphonics. High 5 sounds like a Beastie Boys song. I don't really think there's a miss on the album, save except maybe those last 43 seconds. But even that repeating electronic bar is so unequivocal that it presents intriguing questions - is there a follow up electronic album coming? (A: no, not immediately at least). Fave Tracks: Devil's Haircut, Hotwax, The New Pollution, Jack-Ass, Where It's At 4.5/5

Fuggin classic.

Fantastic album, banger after banger. Never gets old for me.

A unique artist from the 90s, when alternative rock was mainstream. That’s my generation right there.

Perfect for a Punk Kitchen

A fun Beck album. I don’t know if it’s my favorite or second but it’s a great one and a great listen. No one else like him.

9.0/10 One of my favourite albums…so weird and awesome

Love it!

Totally bullshit lyrics ✅ Every song destructed in the end ✅ If needed also with donkey noise ✅ Weird mix of styles ✅ All songs bangers and still enjoyable after 100 listens ✅ I so love this album. On my all time top 10