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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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"

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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 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.

I listened to this on repeat when it first came out

Elska Beck þótt hann skuldi okkur tónleika. Mjög weird plata en á góðan hátt. Veist í raun aldrei hverju þú átt að búast við í næsta lagi. Gæti verið tekið upp í einhverjum kjallara í miðbænum. Hrátt, skrítið og töff.

Beck er snillingur. Alltaf frumlegur og með sinn stíl en samt í takt við tíðarandann.

A nice and summery album that feels very at-home in the 1990's.

Such a well constructed album. Love Beck. Love this album.

Next time I'm in LA I'll be listening to this album in stop and go traffic. Really captures the culture

genre: rock pop alternative 90s random. i loved it!

Rad album!!

Really fun and creative album! Pretty all over the place creatively and genre-wise, but in my opinion that doesn’t hurt it. It’s constantly entertaining and inspiring. The Dust Brothers production shows clearly, as many of the songs are reminiscent of the Beastie Boys, in a great way. The album sounds remarkably fresh still, and wouldn’t be out of place if it was released today. The songs are catchy and memorable, with enough dissonance and chaos thrown in to keep you on your toes. Again fun to listen to, and can hear its influence resonating in many indie and alternative albums from the late 90s and 2000s

strange

Love this. One of my favourite albums from my teens. Easy 5.

So many gems. Outstanding.

Day350 - i remember buying this and loving it and now revisiting it really brings it back

This is such an excellent album. Beck's creativity and genre exploration are so natural, and certainly helped me and countless other 90s kids understand that punk, hip hop, folk, country, disco, and any other shape of music can work together and sound fascinating and even beautiful. I whistle the intro to "Sissyneck" regularly.

Going down to Houston, To the house of dance. Going down to Houston, To get me some pants.

I freaking LOVE this. Every track goes a different direction but they're all so seamlessly put together. Drums in the back are awesome, and whatever tf he decides to do with his voice always pays off. The word gruff is a great way to describe this Fav Songs: Devils Haircut, Minus, High 5 (Rock the Catskills)

Love this album, came out the year i graduated and i went to see beck and no doubt at the shoreline not long after. Listening to it again, i was struck by the consistent tone no matter the song.

What a banger!

I remember my friend Peter bringing “Loser” around in our medical school study area (maybe there was subtext?), and it blowing up everyone’s well-coifed Pet Shop Boys-like heads. How do you follow up being so original? Then this messy, groundbreaking, nonsensical masterpiece arrived and cemented him forever as the best poet of slide guitar. And he’s still doing it oh so well. Foundational for him and for all of us listening.

90s classic. This album sounded so fresh when it was released and although it has lost some of that excitement I had when I first heard it, I still think this is an excellent album front to back. The production is rich and the songs sound fantastic. High Five

A pretty great album, probably a five for how much I loved it in the day. Still very strong.

Indisputably one of the best albums of the mid 90s. I remember being quite intrigued by the nonsensical lyrics back then - yes - he actually is singing about his time being a piece of wax that's falling on a termite that's choking on the splinters. Oh, OK then. It's not about the lyrics - it's about how the sound of his voice fits in with the music, and the music is delightful.

Loved this album—the way the genres blend and the diversity of sounds used is incredible. I'll probably have to give it another listen, but man, songs like "Derelict," "High 5," and "Lord Only Knows" were some of my favorites. There were a few tracks in the middle that weren’t as amazing, yet they were still good. I think I’m feeling a 5 on my first listen, might bump it down to a very high 4 though.

Super fun album. It feels like going to a party unstuck in time. There's something for everyone in here

Loved it

i fw this heavy

own

A transcending blockbuster that is like any other. The perfect sophomore album (yes he had One Foot in the Grave) in the mainstream to crush expectations and cement Beck's legacy as an artist that cannot be matched.

No private session used for Spotify. I love this album, I was amazed by what it blends musically. I got into Beck previous albums and became a fan of the Dust brothers. I love every track on this album.

I liked this, but it's not my favorite Beck album.

Didn’t recognize any song titles but I sure knew the tracks as soon as they played! Great mix of styles and sounds, really good album! I didn’t love every track but having a hard time finding negatives, would easily listen again, and therefore giving it 5/5

Unforgettable innovation

One of the best albums of the 90s. So inventive, so melodic, so fun, so different to other popular albums at the time. And just so good.

Still bonkers, still just as creative 30 years later

Epic!

If it ain't perfect, it ain't far off.

Haven’t revisited this one in ages. Still holds up. Not better than Sea Change or most of his other stuff for that matter, but still a fun listen.

I haven't listened to this album in a while and I appreciate it more in the context of this project.

Experimental, genre-bending, playful, and joyous. Easily one of the best albums of the 90s and an all-time classic.

A classic album, though this is the first time I've listened all the way through in one sitting. Beck is a master at smashing together a bewildering array of samples and genres. At times noise rock, country, punk, folk, electronic, it's hard to define. The singles get stuck in my head forever, and even the lesser known tracks are never boring.

I only knew Beck as the head from Futurama before this. Becks throwing a load of shit at the wall with this album and it almost all sticks for me. Love the use of sampling in this which I don’t always. Just really enjoyable for me, will have to listen to more Beck

Love this album. Beck is a weird dude with weird lyrics and sometimes I don’t know what he’s saying, even if I know what he’s talking about. Just great music that was a product of and driver for the other quirky, alternative stuff that was happening at the time. He’s a unique artist that is instantly recognizable. While I like a couple of his albums a little better, but this is still a classic and one I will return to many more times.

Thoughts before listening: One of my absolute favorite albums from my high school years. Not only is this full of catchy songs, but the production and sampling throughout makes it a truly unique listening experience. This is a poppy alt-rock take on the style that the Beastie Boys created on Paul's Boutique (Odelay was produced by the same people...the Dust Brothers). Review: I have always liked the variation in styles on this album. There is definitely an undercurrent of hip-hop beats and samples, but this isn't rap, with sounds across the board from alt rock to country to lounge. This is a 5-star record if for no other reason than nostalgia purposes, but the high quality of these songs justifies that high rating.

Becks best album. Ground breaking sound.

this was unexpected, love it!

An unlikely masterpiece. Every song is a wonderful adventure. The music wins out which is great because Beck is not a great lyricist. Here his dadaesque slacker songwriting works well Enough to ensure the album travels from party to contemplative surrealism.

I forget how weird Beck can be. He's so popular and his songs just sound normal because that's the way they've always been, but when I sit and listen, a lot of his songs aren't all that normal. And that's a good thing. I need to slow down and listen to Beck be weird more often. The chill songs (Jack-Ass and Ramshackle) are just as great as his let's move around songs (Where It's At and The New Pollution). It's a 90s album I forget about too often. "Loose ends tying a noose In the back of my mind" Jack-Ass might be my favorite Beck song, but I haven't thought about it hard enough. I guess after someone sweeps up my lazy bones, I'll figure something out.

I have a lot of nostalgia around this album, it was one that was played constantly by my mum growing up. So it's hard not to like it, even if I probably wouldn't choose to listen to it otherwise. That said, I think it is an objectively cool album and one of Beck's best

10/10 spectacular

i hvent listened to thi record all the way through in so long. Its still a banger. Lots of parts I forgot about are better than some stuff coming out now.

I was surprised by how much I started to get into this album, so many bops on here!

9/10 Fantastic album. This came out at the same time my musical horizons were opening up, I remember loving it. Beck was very much (rightly) regarded as a visionary at the time. There is something magic about the songs where he & the Dust Brothers blend hip hop, folk, grunge/garage rock, electronic. Shouldn’t really work but very much does. There are at least 6 total bangers on here, although maybe the album is just one song too long? Best: Jack-Ass

I love this album so much, I got married on the 20th anniversary of it's release. That's Where it's At!

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT that was LEGENDARY. My fav ones include, but are not limited to: Devils Haircut Novacane Where It's At High 5 Diskobox

An incredibly talented original. Love his vibe.

Heavyweight. Nobody sounds like Beck because he’s carved out his own sound.

He might sound like a slacker, but Beck is for serious.

I like the the best reminds me of gorillaz

Boy is this album genius. Don't think I've ever heard this type of mix of rock, rap, and sampling before Beck. You'd never think this is the same guy that made Sea Change. What a legend

Definitely an essential. I find something new in this album every time I listen to it.

Beck. This is a reminder for me to listen to my 90s discs again. Genius and experimentation. Uneven but yields some true gems. That's okay with me. ....and Gladly - Beck is prolific (I like maybe 10-20% of his stuff. But when I do- I really like it.) I was delighted to see this here as I have a copy I haven't listened to Inna decade or more.... I like this album for its very 90s vibe and fun, upbeat GROOVY music (even if I have to skip 60% of the tracks as they represent his depressing tinny grating grind). So, if we're listening for a reminder of that 90s swinging, grooving guitars and smile-inducing feel good tracks, the Best tracks - obviously - are: "Where it's at”; "Devils haircut”; "hotwax”, and to a lesser degree.... “the new pollution” and “Jackass” (for the donkey bray at the end ). I literally skip the rest of the album. RATING: A 5 for some of the best tracks of the entire 90s, but it really should be a 4 if taken as a whole... DOES IT BELONG HERE? yes. **** As a side note... As well as eye catching, I always found the cover art has a fair bit of symbolism (which could be taken to represent emotions or ideas) in relation to artistic performance. It's not too far a "leap" to see the dog performing a tricks as analogous to the artists performance. What do you “see” when you look at the components of the photo? I see a funny rope dog looking even more interesting as it flies over the hurdle which is on invented human performance obstacle for animal performance of its natural talents. Its is funny and cute too. But why? It also looks fun and interesting because of some juxtaposition (playful & decorative versus assessment & artificial). It could also be a metaphor for so many things. What do you see?

As near perfect as you can get. I absolutely love this album. I’m not sure how he made it work: there’s a mix of garage rock, electronic, hip hop, rap, the lot in this record, and it all sounds very organic. None of it forced, and totally unique. Beck is cool as fuck. This album is cool as fuck.

An all-time favorite and an easy five

Love the first song

This album really strikes an amazing balance between poppy and weird. It's experimental but not too experimental. It surprises you and you never really know where things are going to go. They could go anywhere at any point which is very fun. It has fun melodies and hooks mixed in with the weirdness too which is honestly my favorite. I also love the genre fusion on this album. It keeps things really interesting.