Odelay

like Cake mixed with Red Hot Chili Peppers, good stuff just not really my thing

My dad raised me on Beck so I’m biased but I can’t help but love it. While the rapping can get a bit corny at times it’s still such a blast. 8/10 Favorite Tracks- “Devils Haircut” “Novacane” “ High Five (Rock the Catskills)

Allegedly a pun on "oh delay" because the album took so long to make, this one still sounds amazing 28 years later with those Dust Brothers on the two turntables. Odelay manages to playfully jump over every existing genre that the late 90's threw before us and it remains a highly listenable work.

Cool music from beck like expected. Good songs throughout nothing incredibly special to me though.

Considers out there when it first came out, this album has held up surprisingly well. Great revisit!

So much sounds the same but it's a fun vibe

The word unique about this album has been said many times already, but this is really an unique album - great mix of many genres in the mid 90s that works so well. I like the sixties sound overall too. The ending falls a bit flat but it's such a great album overall.

This started off so well then got so chaotic haha the overall sound and vocals felt quite unique

bangers

A good album that’s an odd mix of Rock/pop/hip-hop.

Okay, so I really like The Neighbourhood’s “Chip Chrome and The Mono-Tones” and holy cow there’s so much influence from Beck on that album! This is a cool record. He’s got a really eclectic style. There’s a wild amount of almost rap rock on here - very Beastie Boys. I haven’t really heard anything else like this, really enjoyed it.

It always disappointed me that the album was not an indie pop rock classic like Devils Haircut - that kind of put me off for years, but I was wrong this is more than just a 90s hit single . Sounds like the beastie boy, the Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd And Beck where amming and Beck was three to write down all of the good stuff, he dropped his pad and mixed up his notes Genre skipping and idiosyncratic that hits most of the time while mostly staying southern rock with hints of rap - kind of like Kid Rock if he actually had any talent

Heard before, cool album

4.5

I'm historically not that much of a Beck fan though I don't dislike him I think most of his albums either land in the three to three and a half category for me . This might be my favorite album of his at least my favorite one that I've heard so far. Honestly it's mainly for the first half of the album which really not only rocks out but has a great Sonic landscape. Going way way out there to the point where I'm just like going I'm just can't hang with it. Songs like "Sissyneck" or "High 5" or basically just garbage tracks to me . But on the bright side when the album is strong it's really, the first three tracks absolutely kill, and "Where It's At" has always been a favorite of mine, and the closer "Ramshackle" is really strong. Cute vinyl cues are strategically placed on the album, like the sound effects between "Jackass" and "Where It's At" where it has the end of the side silent grovelock followed by the sound of a needle drop on side two. They also do i kind of nod to *Sgt. Pepper's* with a strange audio lock groove at the very end. Those were definitely nice touches. 8.25 ★★★★

Very cool and experimental. I love the bass sound especially. 4.5 stars

Very eclectic musician. This is a great album. So much going on. Gotta go back and listen to his whole catalog.

Now this is the kind of white boy rapping I can get behind

I went back and forth on this album. At first I found it to be a bit too nihilistic. The slacker / stoner too cool for school vibe was my absolute jam at a younger more impressionable age. Now that approach rubs me the wrong way. I also felt like there were glimpses of a softer melodic style but just when I started to enjoy them they were yanked back and replaced with some jarring vocals - to great effect. The second time I listened to it, it felt completely different. The mix of sounds and styles, and the complexity felt like they came together to be super effective and artsy. Like a neon sign buzzing in a window. This time around I was up for it, the fuzz of the vocals, the sharp synth sounds and nonsensical lyrics all felt perfectly in place. I suppose a third listen would be in order to settle the score but unfortunately I don't have time so will have to go with my gut. This album was good, maybe even very good, but it is shoved in you face and if you're not in the mood it just feels a bit sour.

I just got done whining about the dull and depressing Scottish electro-pop of CHVRCHES. I stand by my description of that as a fistful of downers at a rave. This is somehow the opposite: somewhere among the samples and real instrumentation, psychedelic textures and nonsensical lyrics, this is a bong rip on a sunny day. Is the little bit of rapping all that great? No, but the flow is fine -- it's just laidback and mostly meaningless. That can be fine, in my judgement: Yes got by on pure emotion despite a purely word salad approach to lyrics. The feel of this record is all Southern California relaxation. Your grass might be burnt but you've got a cold beer and a lawn chair. And, again, probably a joint. You don't have to like Beck and there are plenty of reasons not to (you may have feelings about his family's role in spreading Scientology around). It's worth listening to a few of his albums, though: the laid-back-yet-propulsive rhythms, the open-sounding drums but sample and effects-heavy recordings, the disaffected but precise vocals -- this was all heavily imitated through the 90's by people who wanted to break big (and A&R assholes who thought they'd cracked the code). Are the horns samples cheesy or perfect? Can they be both? Why does this sound like I'm outside in Bakersfield, cooking in the sunshine? I'm giving this 4/5. You should be cautioned that I'm an elder millennial and some of that score is nostalgia. I think that the 90's are worth understanding and this is a record that'll help you. Plus, it's pleasant if not groundbreaking.

So many different genres, and Beck does em all. Dancy and melancholic, some Folk, some Rock, Electro and HipHop. Great one. Fav: Devil's Haircut

This is the Beck I first heard back in the day and what I mostly still associate him with. The whole wacky, unorganized, goofball aesthetic lyrics, with a pile of genres mashed up together via samples or just noodling around is his calling card to me. The album as a whole does go off in to a more nonsensical direction and is definitely free form. I have to wonder how many times a sample or an instrumental clip was recorded, smashed in to a song, and Beck or his producer just decided "eh it's good, just go with it" because there are some really jarring breaks in these songs. It's still a fun listen though. The singles are obviously singles, and even though the lyrics don't make much sense you can tell they are more "traditional" songs in the sense that they maintain a beat and don't stray too far outside of the "alternative" genre of rock than the others. I did like the non singles too, but maybe less so than the others. All that to say that it's pretty good. I like that Beck exists and I like that he writes all sorts of shit and I like this album.

Fun, cool album! I love the sound of this.

Some classics on here. Goes a bit experimental and almost improv sounding with the beastie boys rip offs

So bizarre. Some songs definitely didn't meet my taste, some others I absolutely loved! I really wanted to listen to the whole thing just to see what would come up next — and yet it still felt surprisingly coherent as a whole. Cool.

Bought this, actually his fifth album, when it first came out and really love it. It feels quintessentially 90s but has a freshness missing from many of its contemporary albums. Interestingly I didn’t really buy much of his after this, only Midnite Vultures, which I also highly rate. Perhaps because the album is totally a 90s album and seems stuck there or because though there are not any obvious samples the album takes a fair bit from the group Them.

Decent background music

Impressive song writing

I liked this a good amount. Beck’s baseline rap rock style is definitely not my favorite, but there was a lot of variety here that held my interest. “Where It’s At” and “Ramshackle” were highlights.

Me & Beck go like Leather & Beck

Solid album.

I really enjoy the energy this album gives, it’s reminds me of my own energy, Idk I feel like I reflect allot with the music, I enjoyed how experimental it sounded but it didn’t sound boring, overall just a great album

I enjoy Beck's more commercial songs and try to understand his more obscure work. I fail, but I enjoy the process.

Such a great album. Totally captures the time period it comes, and yet doesn't sound dated. In fact, Beck's output predicted the future of music a lot better than most of what was coming out in the mid-90s, imo. This album is also a reminder of one of the best aspects of the 90s - it was a a period when such an incredibly eclectic mix of music got mainstream attention. This album is weird, and so was the 90s, and that's what we love about it. Some of the negative reviews surprise me (but to each their own, of course!) I love the ridiculous variety of songs on this album - I don't find it haphazard, disorganized, nonsensical. It's crazy and weird in certain ways, but also every song is fully composed. And the range of genres and sounds Beck draws from makes total sense to me. Maybe it is that we are essentially the same age? His frame of reference is completely familiar for me, and when I listen to Beck I've always felt like he was connecting a lot of the dots of my musical life and figuring out where it should go next. The music also captures LA in the late 80s/90s extremely well - the sounds and musical techniques on this album were all over LA for sure.

We need more Alt-Rock randomly deciding to not be Alt-Rock for a bit. That's this album. Stays in an Alt-Rock kind of framework but does everything to not completely fit itself in said framework. Some Country here, some Rap there, just random stuff. I love random stuff, so I love this record. Bonus points for the saxophone.

Man, I actually really like Beck and didn't even realize until I started this. This was another big hit for me. Loved Guero and really liked this. Dorky but confident slacker ADHD genre-hopping. I liked this one slightly less than Guero but still good!

i want to say i've outgrown this. i know it's junk food and it's not good for me. but i love it still.

I bought this when it was originally released. I can't remember exactly why I bought it and it's been a long time since I listened to the whole thing. I was happy to find it is better than I remembered. An interesting mix of hip-hop with alternative and I guess "slacker" rock. Devil's Haircut and Where It's At are the hits, but the rest of the album is worth listening to. Overall a good album. +1 for the flying mop on the cover which really is a dog.

Have heard maybe 3 tracks from this before. Never clocked until today that Beck's thing is just hip hop with rock aesthetics and sensibilities. Pretty cool! Love the first half, starts to drag in the back. Update listened second time and was kinda over it.

Liked this way more than ‘Sea Change’, thankfully. Catchy and weird and grabbing from various sounds of its time. Some songs overstay their welcome a little bit. The rhythm section work were my favorite parts.

Great album.

A great album. Three or four strong numbers.

Mostly enjoyable listen.

This site has already thrown Beck's Sea Change at me, which I thought was pretty good. I knew this was an earlier album, but wow I did not expect this. Completely different. Some parts good, some parts not so much, however I was consistently impressed with the variety in this album and likely all of Beck's work.

Fantastic album!

bought it when it came out, been a Beck fan ever since. He changed it up and music is better for it. Listen to Morning Phase it is beautiful

Great album. Unique. Fun. All the things.

...an take a left. Then go down the road right about 2 miles. You'll see a barn. Don't turn there. Go to the next intersection. Don't turn there either. But make sure to look both ways before you proceed. People are crazy. So once you clear the intersection there a billboard that says "THE END IS NEAR AND SO IS SALVATION" - turn right onto the path the runs behind the sign. If you see the all all you can eat Chinese buffet you've gone too far - foods not great but there's A LOT of it. It's easy to miss. The path not the Chinese buffet. Uh -so you travel down the path the runs behind the sign for about 10 minutes. You'll pass basically nothing - and a lot of it. Don't let the deter you. Focus, light a cigarette, crack open an RC cola and look out for the rock. And keep your eyes peeled cause it comes up quick. And you don't want to pass this landmark. There'll be no Chinese buffet to save you. No. If you miss this stop the end isn't near. It's just there. So yeah - that's where it's at. Say hi to Steve for me.

4/8

Great groove, fun lyrics, will definitely listen more.

4 out of 5 One of the best. Almost all bangers and should be 5 stars except for some of the screechy loud noise songs

Pretty good album with some solid songs, but some a little bit more experimental that don't hit quite as hard. Still, an enjoyable listen.

Better than i remember !

Sweet album. Had me going all the way through and ends on a completely different and lighter note, which was pleasant. This is the first Beck album I’ve listened to, and I definitely want to listen to more from him. Great music all throughout.

Really enjoyed this. I haven't listened to Beck very much but I enjoy most of what I hear from them.

I've been listening to the latest Geese album lately, and I only bring this up to express how important Beck is when it comes to weirdo rock. He's got a very identifiable voice but his stuff is so bendy in the genre to pop, hip hop, his acoustic sets. This one is truly just a weird mix of acoustic guitars, electronics, some weird rap singing. A good listen ovearll.

Really good for the most part but a couple of tracks were a bit too samey

Loved this album in high school. Still holds up.

Beck is probably smarter than most of us. Creative album that changes it up with each song.

I've not listened to the full album before. It's so very Beck. I love Where It's At, and I like a lot of the less experimental tracks. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Devil's Haircut, Hotwax, The New Pollution, Where It's At ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Really liked it. Saved a bunch of tracks.

Beck is the right mix of weird and catchy and super-talented. I kinda want to be him.

This American Life's transitions owe Beck an explanation.

Delightful! Only thing stopping me from giving it 5 stars were the random obnoxious electronic sound effects thrown in there seemingly just to kill the vibe…. Otherwise, it’s a ‘90s ADHD gem.

I've always enjoyed this one. Unique in its style, Odelay has a nice mix of music, rhythms, and energy. It's music that stands out from its contemporaries.

You can hear so many version of Beck on here. While some of his other albums dive fully into one sound, Odelay is where he's best at just trying on all of his different personas while nailing each one. 4.5

It's been years since I listened to this album and it was great revisiting it. I really enjoyed it.

p776. 1006. 4 stars. Inventive theft of samples used to enhance some great songs. Point deducted for filler and outstaying its welcome.

Turns out I like beck

Beck is one of those artists whose legacy is everywhere but not by name. Very cool collage sound and totally a progenitor of the indie rock I grew up with. This rocked!

I have a vivid memory of hearing "Where It's At" for the first time. I was driving across the country for my first post-college job in Washington state and had spent a night with a college buddy in St. Louis. I was pulling out of his parents' neighborhood when the disc jockey announced with much fanfare that he was going to play the first single off Beck's next album and I immediately loved it. The album came out a few weeks later and was a big part of the soundtrack of the summer of 1996 for me. Based on this album and Paul's Boutique alone, I think the Dust Brothers probably belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I would give this 4.5 stars if I could.

Beat heavy adaptations of traditional styles.

It's interesting how the generator seems to really like giving me certain artists albums all at the same time. Feel like I got all the Beck albums within like a 100 day span, haha. Generally enjoying this one more the Guero with its more 90s vibes vs the tex-mex vibes of Guero (although still has some of that sound). Weird Beck is on full display here. Really enjoy songs like Lord Only Knows. A little surprised that this album is vibier than I was expecting. Was expecting something a little more rocky, in line with other songs of his like Loser. But yeah. Good album, but still think Sea Change is my favorite from him.

Hadn't really listened to this much, but it has got some fantastic tracks on it.

It's not my favorite Beck album but i do love it. I forgot how well it fits together and how many differ ent directions it takes sonically.

tokig stökig

Now you are speaking my language. Very compelling album.

Considered as one of his best albums, with a clear and consistent opinion as to being one if the best guitar players of the rock era. Also known as a fantastic studio artists which has been known for duets with other bands and people

This really is a mixed bag of experiments. That comes with positives and negatives. The perfect song to describe it: Novacane. The first 3 minutes were amazing I even threw it in a few playlists but then came the most annoying synth solo I’ve ever heard. Straight up sounds like Human Music from Rick & Morty, only blasted to volume 10 and actively making my tinnitus worse. This album honestly had 5-star potential. Tracks like Hotwax, Jack-Ass, and Where It’s At are proof of that. But then some songs drag it down into 3–4 star range. Rating this was tough, but I landed on 4 stars due to having cool album cover art. I respect the creativity, even if I’ll never agree with that Novacane solo. 8/10.

Two turntables and a microphone!

Rounding up from a 3.5.

Great album too many throw away songs to rate a 5, wish there was a 4.5

It’s an intestine fusions of genres done well… from the literal ass sounds in jackasss to the rap cut which sounds like rakim cut it has a lot of fun quirks and moments

Хороший альбом, определенно звук 90ых, бум бэповые и хип-хоповые корни в сэмплирование и барабанах вместе с смешными звуками и мелодями. Нечего больше добавить кроме того что это хороший вайбовик альбомчик из 90ых с несколько коми приколами. 7/10 Highlights: Hotwax; The New Pollution; High 5; Diskobox

Banger, would listen to this again.

Innovative use of layered samples thanks to the Dust Brothers, paired with Beck's nonsense rhythms. Works for me

solid, fun, varied

It's an album I've listened to many times in the past, an album I like a lot so much I own it on CD, but it's been such a long time since I've listened. So getting this I was kinda worried I wasn't gonna like it as much as I first fully heard it around 10ish years ago. But I was wrong. It's pretty fucking good. It's very unique and Beck at his best is when he is interestingly unique. It's an album that's a hodgepodge of different genres, sounds, and feelings. It shouldn't work and honestly it doesn't a few times, but it's the uniqueness that kinda pulls you in a little bit. I don't think this album is for everyone because of that, but I still recommend it just to hear the unique sound of Beck.

I feel like this album is really good up to Readymade; the last few songs are kinda throwaway. I do appreciate that it was fairly forward-thinking for its time and still sounds good decades later. It’s really like a 3.5 for me, but I’ll round up for 90s nostalgia purposes.

Funky, baby.

Lots of different sounds, punk, hip hop, folk, but most of the time it feels faithful at the minimum and innovative at best

I never actually gave this a full listen but it’s just as good as I expected it to be.

I think I must have owned this album because every track is super familiar to me, but in a distant way. Like I definitely haven't listened to it since the late 90s. It's a solid album and it holds up. Beck is showing off and having fun and the listener is rewarded with bops. Despite me not having listened to it since the 90s, Odelay doesn't feel beholden to that decade. There's a weirdness that feels fresh decades later.

Denne likte jeg! Rock, jazz, køntri, samples, litt av alt. Føles eksperimentelt. Jeg syntes det var ganske kult.

I like the chaos. This album is fun, unpredictable, and packed with weird energy. The funky, sample-heavy tracks speak to me most, and Beck’s playful approach makes it an interesting, entertaining listen.

More confident and unapologetic than it has any rights to be -- and it's pretty decent anyway.

A solid post-grunge rock album with plenty of Beck’s quirky fingerprints all over it. I have never been a huge fan of his work, but I also do not dislike it, and Odelay makes a strong case for why so many people do love him. “Where It’s At” instantly takes me back, a definite nostalgia hit for anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s. The mix of rock, funk, and offbeat samples gives the whole album a loose, unpredictable energy that somehow still holds together. Even if Beck is not your go-to artist, Odelay is packed with enough personality and creativity to make it worth revisiting. It is a snapshot of the 90s alternative scene at its weird, confident peak.

Never heard of it. I listened to it a half times because it's quite interesting.

Nice variety with that unique Beck secret ingredient.

he just be doing everything i love ts.

He beckin

If I had to choose 20 albums to best represent the 90s, this would certainly be on the list. Doesn’t mean it’s one of the 20 best of the decade, but it definitely is peak 90s. 4 may be pushing it on the rating. I think the album would actually be better with two less songs.

I'm weirdly attached to this album. It's one that gets thrown at me a lot on shuffle. Also, Beck really reminds me of Dan Stevens in Legion.

3.5 - Good

Some cool beats and interesting use of synths. A breakthrough album for weird core artists to follow. Melancholic 90s delivery from Beck are great for a don't care kinda day. UGHN🤖⚡🔌👩🏻‍💻🛸UGHN🤖💿💾📠🔌🔋UGHN🤖🎚️🎛️📟🔊📳

I was quite surprised by "Odelay". It stands out from much of the alt rock of the time with a genre bending style and sound.

great listen all the way through. 90s albums are a little too long.

I think this was the first album where we saw Beck coming into his own in terms of what he was looking for in music - which is a bit of everything as evident through his subsequent elements over the years following. It has am ix or rock, electronic, jazz, country. Novacane is funky and Fresh and experimental and then straight into Jack-Ass, which is more traditional and slower (which he focuses on more in future albums), then straight into the funky Where its at. sissyneck, he explores some country elements. Finishes beautifully with Ramshackle. what a wonderful diverse album that keeps you entertained. 4 stars

after seeing beck live, i wish i knew more about his discography. I really enjoyed him live and really enjoyed the different sounds of this

Actually I liked it. It felt it very special and different at the beginning. I do like derelict. Especially the instrument arrangement around 2:00. But it also pushed me a bit too hard. After derelict, my brain was completely switched off and can’t really take more “novel” stuff. And then the fire alarm sounds later on in the album just sounds terribly annoying. It’s a hard one. It almost worked for me. I’d say it’s four for me. At some point I did feel I was in the middle of some sort of channeling process, which was very good. But then the fire alarm went off, shite, terrible😣

I feel like I say this a lot, but this album felt like the epitome of the 90's. That like basketball screech noise, the entire album sounded like the Bully soundtrack, mixed with limp bizkit. Having only heard one Beck song (Loser) listening to this album made me change my views on their style of music, I really liked this album.

90s Skrillex and his weird noises meet the one-man version of several group acts, many of which didn't exist until after this album came out. I guess that means Beck's really a visionary, although based on what I've read about him and the creation of this album, he's probably the kind of genius that smears himself with cake and films himself doing interpretive belly dancing to an internet dial-up sound (I mean... he ends this on "Computer Rock"...). The songs are all over the place, and I don't know how I feel about the whiplash going back and forth between styles between each track, but I didn't hate it all. I actually like a few of the songs. Personal standouts were "Derelict" (reminded me oddly of Muse if Muse did anything with sitars) and "Jack-Ass" (but I guess I'm too smooth-brained to get why it's called "Jack-Ass"). This is definitely one where my rating went up over time.

+1 for being a nice dude

The rhythms of the universe

Beck - odelay 1996 год. Жанр: альтернативный хип хоп (без рэпа, чисто сэмплирование), экспериментальный рок, авангардный поп. Музыкальное мнение: альбом крутой, прям реально прикольный, но не равномерный, с 5 по 7 треки не запоминающаяся, первые 4 хиты, после 7 глубокая сторона альбома. Музыкально здесь опора на сэмплы, и атмосферные звуки, но второе это уже продакшн. Мне нравится музыкальная сторона альбома, я поставлю за нее 4,5/5. Продакшн: а вот здесь офигенно, объёмный звук, перетекает из одного наушника в другой, альбом слушать строго в двух наушниках. Постоянно интересные выборы в продакшне, и ему я поставлю 5/5. Смысл: ироничный альбом, с ироничными текстами ради прикола. Влияние: показал важность сэмплов не только в хип хопе или электронике, а также в роке. Был революционным в конце 90, за влияние ставлю 4,5/5. Плюсы: офигенная работа с сэмплами, очень хороший продакшн, интересные решения, запоминаемость. Минусы: затянутость, вырезать бы пару треков (jack-ass, sissyneck). Лучшие треки: **where its at** (лучший на альбоме), lord only knows, diskobox, ramshakle, novacane. Худшие треки: **jack-ass** (худший на альбоме), sissyneck. Итог: хороший крепкий альбом, пока лучший из списка, но переслушиваю я открыл его для себя, все таки я поставлю 4,5/5, очень хороший альбом, буду возвращаться к нему.

Knew all the hits but had never listened to this full album. I see why it gets all the praise! Almost a five but a couple of the tracks are holding me back

Me gusta más Sea Change, pero el poder de este disco es innegable. Solid 4.

A good friend in highschool was a Beck fan, so I know a lot of these songs from our late night cruises in the suburbs. Unfortunately, Beck was a little too avant-garde for me at that time(I was more of a metalhead) and I never made an effort to dig in beyond what I heard in that Volvo. Twenty something years later, I regret that. If Beck wasn’t ahead of his time in a popular sense, he certainly was for me personally.

Beck definitely has his own unique quirkiness that makes him a one of a kind artist. Odelay is full of fun & chill tunes. An excellent album for a nice summer day.

Definately a seminal 90s album packed full of ideas - I probably prefer it's more mature older brother Guero on the whole - I think he would perfect the sound he was looking for here on Que Onda/Hell Yes. That said there is a Beck standard - the lazy midday Tex/Mex heat song - that he nails here with JackAss and Ramshackle.

Massive fan, still sounds great, not quite a 5 but it’s damn good album

20/1001 :: Beck - Odelay Heard before? :x: Would I revisit? :white_check_mark: Rating: 9 Fav Tracks: Novacane, Devil’s Haircut, Minus… Frankly, I think I’ve heard this before? But I don’t know. Feels fresh. All I know is my wife loved this album but I never really listened to the whole thing. Now I need this on vinyl. It’s albums like this that help my stance on the 90’s being the greatest decade in music history. I realize the 70s were great too but this album is so innovative. Beck was infusing, folk, Hip hop, rock n roll, RnB, trash rock and who knows what else to make something wonderful. i could trim a song or 2 here but it’s in masterpiece territory… It has pop appeal but it’s also weird AF. This album is fucking great.

One of my favs

Loved it, never listened to the whole album before. Totally forgot about Jack Ass and how much I love that song. A little too jumbled and quirky for my taste to give it five stars.

This is a really enjoyable sound collage dystopia kinda album from Beck. It's got that perfect 90's grit, and distortion is pulled off thoroughly and immaculately. Devil's Haircut kicks off with fuzzy guitars and a super skippy beat even before the amen comes in. Very tasteful Mort Garson chord in there too, fits the fucked up dream vibe Beck really leans into with this album. Hotwax is a bit more bluesey, a bit funkier in the chip bass too. Beck's vocals are disorienting, dizzying, and extra trippy on purpose. I didn't just smoke 3 bowls but his lyrics can make you feel that way. The New Pollution takes a very comfy neo-psych direction, I mean this whole album is pretty neo-psych but especially here. And it's a bit proggy. And of course you have a very solid break that provides great structure overall. Derelict absolutely feels like wandering around in the desert for weeks. You can feel the sun on this album. Everything is fried, the sun is intense, im high and dehydrated. And then you get a breeze like Jack-Ass, what a pretty dreamy lounge jam. The sound explorations that proceed are incredible. Very strong 90s alternative album, filled with all kinds of influences but mostly big beat, desert rock and lounge, and grungy distortion. Nowadays I can hear the particular influence in Father John Misty and Viagra Boys and similar acts.

Now this album deserves to be on this list. It feels way ahead of its time. If you told me this was some genz bedroom producer into 90s nostalgia, folk, early hip hop and hyper pop, i'd believe it. The chaotic production, the genre fusions, the beats, the rap-rock... it's very 2020s. The fact this came out in 96 is wild. Now i get why he won a late career "we're sorry we ignored you in your prime" grammy. The production and instrumentals are a strong 4 from me. I love the variety, the energy, the agression, the grooves. Beck is mashing together so many influences, it shouldn't work... but he pulls it off. It's punk, it's folk, its r&b, its funk, its hip hop, its psych rock, its dance music. Its more. The elephant in the room is... beck's vocal performance. Sometimes it matches the energy and creativity of the production, sometimes it feels lazy and lifeless. I dig his singing and screaming, anything where he puts energy into it. I'm not into his lazy rap/spoken word shit... it's kind of boring and gets overshadowed by the production. Highlights where the vocals and production came together: Minus - love the dance punk energy and the screams High 5 - is 90s meets 2020s rap rock in the best way - i love the chaos - getting a good rapper to help beck adds so much Ramshackle - a really pretty little acoustic song. Great almost closer Sissyneck: feels like a mix of 60s country rock and hip hop, so cool. Also makes me think of elvis? There are more great tracks but i must sleep. Ultimately i'm torn on how much to punish the score because of his vocals. I think they will gorw on me, but right now i'm feeling a 3.5. Because of the inovation and influence, i'm gonna round up.

Fuck yeah Highlights: devils haircut, the new pollution, derelict, NOVOCAINE, sissyneck Album just has such a great vibe throughout. Great album. 4/5⭐️

Although there’s some experimental stuff I didn’t enjoy as much, Beck's sound is always great and unique. Overall, this was a great listen and a solid album.

I've always enjoyed Beck, though his lyrics seem like he is trying too hard to be irreverent. But I always like the tempo of his albums and how he always brings something unique to his songs.

Classic album start to finish. Even the non-singles are great.

Great album, though the end dragged a bit. I think if 3 or 4 tracks had been cut, I'd probably be giving this a 5

I truly enjoyed this wild messy hectic ride. Not a perfect album but one I did enjoyed quite a bit.

Had this CD album on heavy rotation in the early 2000s. I enjoyed listening to this again. Great album to play on a walk or road trip drive. With streaming becoming my main source for listening to music, I haven’t found myself itching to stream this one in its entirety like I would with a CD. Still has some great gems and unique grooves.

Good stuff. Not quite sure why it doesn't quite feel like a 5 to me, but here we are.

This was such an interesting window into a specific point of time. Beck hit at the perfect moment; a great combination of right place, right time, but with the talent and ambition to back it up. It's easy to dismiss Odelay as "weird" but it's a unique triumph. Beck was able to take all these seemingly disparate sounds and entire GENRES and cobbled them together into a distinct sound that actually resonated for the moment.

Devilish

It's a collage of everything Beck ever experienced and made his own thing.

Really good album, with the exception of Derelict and Computer Rock. Just leave both of those off and that's a 5 star album. It's been a long time since I'd heard this all the way thru and it was amazing how good it was.

Really solid. Not sure why I didn’t give this more of a listen when it came out. Will listen again.

8.5

My favorite Beck album

It's interesting to get a few albums close to each other that I've owned a long time and really enjoy listening to, and also wondered when they'd arrive in the generator sequence. This album is how I (along with a few million others) became familiar with Beck's musical stylings, and even though it was relatively early in his career, I still feel like it encapsulates a lot of what makes him so distinctive and also enjoyable, even though he's moved in various directions since then. And nice to read that he enlisted the aid of the multi-talented Dust Brothers for the album. Listening again to the album, I'm really struck at how strong this album is throughout, and I also enjoyed seeing the videos to his singles for the first time (Drugstore-cowboy-evoking "Devils' haircut", Monkees'-esque "New pollution" (with a fun appearance by Mary Lynn Rajskub), and the somewhat uncategorizable video for "Where it's at" (but kudos to Beck for including William Shatner and Captain Beefheart tributes)), as well as how *young* he looks from this album's era. The only tracks, in fact, that seem a bit weaker than the others are "Novacane" and "Minus", and each are followed by some of my favorite tracks ("Jack-ass" and "Sissyneck", respectively). Well done, Hansen!

Beck is always a fun listen, hadn’t put this album on in years.

What an experimental journey. Loved most of it. An interesting blend of genres, even in the one song. Saw Beck live in L'Olympia Paris a few summers ago, only getting to listen to a full album now. Got the tickets for free from my boss at the time. Brought the Peruvian fella. Good stuff, and an album I'll definitely return to (even if Beck's voice is a bit annoying) Listened to at Irish Pub by Hotel de Ville and on the way back, on a lovely summer's eve.

nice 90s rock album. enjoyed it as much as I expected. nothing incredible but still really enjoyable. 7,5/10 fav songs : Sissyneck & High 5

Enjoyable. Not my favorite Beck songs but interesting to hear.

I've enjoyed Beck's music since the 90's although this is the first time I've listened to this album from beginning to end. It made me realize I can tolerate country music. If it's diluted with funky beats, rap and jazz. Loved the amazing dog on the cover.

There's a lot of complexity to evaluating Beck. No consistent genre or style, lots of exploratory stuff both lyrically and musically, but mostly good as well. Not everything Beck does is something I'd listen to a lot, but it's always interesting.

Strong album. Need to listen to more Beck.

Big bummer I wasn’t aware of music when Beck and CAKE were releasing bangers

Yeah, I like Beck.

Weird and mostly makes no sense but in a funky cool way

very disjointed, almost industrial, indie garage type music that changes from glitchy to psychedelic to smooth jazz-infused soft rock to breakbeats. Sounds almost like some Gorillaz stuff. Great album.

3.5, but rounding up because this is the only beck i’ve ever enjoyed

Almost a great album that veers occasionally into madness. Where It’s At and Devli’s Haircut are two iconic tracks though.

Listened to this album for the first time at a listening station at Border’s Books & Music, and immediately was completely sucked in by the collage of sounds and lyrics. It felt new and exciting. I’ve listened to the album hundreds of times since then, and though it has lost that luster of newness, still a great album overall.

The creativity of song structures and blending of genres are what make this album so good. I'm all for surrealistic lyrics but the hollowness of them prevents me from giving it 5 stars. Just a fun, ridiculous album from its cover art to its end of the world party vibe.

Beck is a man who can't pick a lane, to glorious results on this one. Love that I can hear the influence of both The Beastie Boys and Hank Williams on this, mixing country and hip hop before it was cool. He hasn't made an album I've cared about in over a decade, but this is prime Beck and its a lot of fun.

Beck created his own genre. It's like the beastie boys on heroin. Good stuff.

Not my favourite version of Beck, unpolished blend of genres, but I can't deny it works

Beck is always cool but never great imo. Most of his work is between a 3.5/4 for me. I'll round up because I'm just happy to be listening to music again after a week off

Beck's jumping from genre to genre is fun and playful in a way that only a few artists can pull off.

loved this album except for the random abuse to hindustani music in the middle. what's up with that ? (looks at crowd, booing). anyway finding out from this list that I love beck

Beck is just what I needed to hear today. If you like odd lyrics with catchy beats, this is the album for you. Not every song is a winner, and that's to be expected from a band that tends to experiment with different sounds. But Odelay overall has more hits that misses. A great album all around. ~ 3.8 Stars "Where it's at", will get the honor for the 1001 playlist, but "Devils Haircut" was a close second.

This is a fun and interesting album. Some of it is rather strange, but enjoyable overall. It drips with 90's nostalgia. Computer Rock was a completely unnecessary way to end the album.

a little grating, but pretty fun and had good vibes 3.5

This is great. I often forget that I really like Beck and listened a lot to him back in the day. This album along with Mellow Gold and Midnite Vultures are a great trio of albums

Liked this a lot more on a 2nd listen. Fun, vibrant, lots of variation and energy throughout. Not my favourite Beck album but I can see why it’s the definitive Beck album.

So good holy wow I loved it it reminded me a lot of pixies maybe

Almost perfect collage of tight beats, hippie-dippy dreams, and folk-hop-edelica. As the immortal Bard wrote: "Going back to Houston / Do the hot dog dance. / Going back to Houston / To get me some pants."

What a highschool throwback for me. Listening today I had a reminder of each song as a new discovery.

Can't believe how many songs on this record I never actually listened to. Actually quite a bit of filler. But the stands outs are so good. And a slam dunk of an album cover.

blander hip-hop, folk, elektronisk, rock, country og funk. Det kaldes nu genre-fluid musik. Det har også en lo-fi agtig lyd til sig som jeg godt kan lide. Det lyder gritty og skarpt. Har inspireret bla LCD soundsystem og Gorillaz som er meget tydeligt at høre.

I feel like this list has too many beck albums but i enjoyed this so not complaining.

Beck's got a unique and distinctive sound that I've always liked. I've never considered him one of my favorite artists, nor have I ever listened to any of his albums straight through outside of this project. But, relatively speaking, this one was pretty enjoyable all the way through two full listenings plus a few select third plays.

What a fun album. There’s a sense of play I really liked about this album; Beck gleefully hops to some unexpected and satisfying sections between its entrancing loops and samples. An example of this happens midway through Hotwax with a really cool guitar solo (I guess you could call it that). It’s like making a sort of new picture with pieces that shouldn’t fit together but somehow work in delightful ways. There are instances where he maybe goes too far between places and feels too jarring, it’s certainly never boring or indistinct. Like at times where the listener may be getting bored, Beck slaps you with a new little weird sound to keep you engaged. Lot of fun pieces he’s playing with here and I was mostly for it. Standouts for me: Hotwax, The New Pollution (also a wonderful music video), Jack-Ass, Where it’s at, High 5, and Ramshackle. I think the last track actually keeps this from a higher score; just a needless nothing loop for like 40 seconds. Fuck off lol.

sympa

*ONLY LISTENED AS FAR AS SISSYNECK* -Interesting mix of musical styles and genres -Songs are all very dissimilar to one another -All the instrumental sections are well written -Best Songs: Devils Haircut, Novacane, Jack-Ass -Worst Songs: Lord Only Knows, Minus

Favorites: Hotwax, Lord Only Knows, Jack-Ass, Sissyneck

Beck has such a distinctive sound. Beck and Cake just make me really nostalgic for the alt rock stations I used to listen to. Some REALLY good tracks but all were decent.

I liked the varied musical influences that Beck incorporated into this album. Not all albums have to have a unifying theme (other than the artist) and you can hear him clearly in all these songs. Standouts were "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution"

I like Beck and I didn’t mind this. I can never get into his other stuff as much as I like Midnite Vultures, though. Heard a few familiar songs here, at least.

Beck's best album. Amazing sampling, the tunes are great, outstanding alt rock album.

83% Best: Devils Haircut; Hotwax; The New Pollution; Where It's At; Readymade; High 5 (Rock The Catskills) Must-Hear? Sure

Forgot how much I liked this album. Different and very fun

A very cohesive record for sure, 14 songs in total, some more memorable than others but all pretty consistent nonetheless. The style is very 90s, laid-back and yet with an urgency all of its own; the guy sings like he has nothing to prove and no-one to impress. And in the process I'm sure he ends up impressing many.

This album was a bit whack but I actually really enjoyed it.

Classic

Low key goodness

Is it doin too much? maybe

90s Saturday bar shift about 4pm. The effects of Friday's lockin hangover have receded but tiredness is kicking in. The place it still heaving, how are people ordering lunch at 4pm? How many times have I polished the entire complement of cutlery in the place? The Celtic supporting staff and the Rangers supporting regulars are shaping up to be either joyful or raging, neither option is quiet. Looks will make every effort to kill. The Tennents barrel needs changed again. I think I've sweated through my deodorant. Oh fuck the new start has been fooled by the alcoholic with psychotic tendencies who lives in the hotel over the road into serving up a half and a hawf. That's all it takes for chaos to ensue. Who's asking him to leave this time before he starts howling at the random sat next to him minding his own business? Someone sticks this on. It bounces just enough to keep you moving, has enough of a fug not to exacerbate your head, melodic enough not to offend anyone too much. Two more hours. I wonder if tips have been enough for a post shift sesh? A situational four stars. I actually find Beck a bit uninvolving in laboratory conditions.

beautiful voice, interesting melodies, cool guitar (and plenty of other instruments) and a large pinch of experimental spirit - surprising and yet somehow down-to-earth. Not bad.

Beck is one of my long time favorites, so I'm going to be a little biased. But listening through the whole album this time, I'm caught up in all the disparate sounds. Also. Clavichord. The tracks are great and meandering and dissonance has a strong presence, but it feels like a country album in weird ways. Listen for traversing liminal spaces, for soundtracking your day.

A very important album for me during a very important time of my life. Cant really describe the feelings when I listen to this album.

Honestly, this was a really fun, innovative listen.

Decent

Definitely some hits here, and consistent throughout.

Good, not great, although hard to replicate the brilliance and success of “Loser”

I listened to this album for the first time ever yesterday. And I really enjoyed it. I feel it was stronger at the beginning than at the end but overall a solid record. Will definitely listen again.

Nice Mix, but few songs sound the same at some point.

Oh, Beck. This is a great album and a must-listen, but I personally believe that both of his other grab-bag releases, Guero and The Information, are better. Still, it’s hard not to appreciate the cleverness and creativity that this album is bursting with. ML #117.

What a classic 90s banger.

Quality man

Devil's Haircut is a good start. Love the album cover. I love Beck but his earlier music has straight nonsense lyrics. New Pollution has a retro feel, like girls in go-go cages should be dancing behind Beck. I don't need all the high-pitched computer beeps on Novacane. And I just realized there is a lot of distortion on this album. A lot of found sound too. Maybe I don't like this album as much as I thought. Jack-Ass is good right up until the braying title character at the end. That is one of the most annoying sounds in nature. Where It's At is the hit, but Jack-Ass is a better song. High 5 (Rock the Catskills) sounds like a Beastie Boys knock-off. And it has a lot of annoying sounds. Ramshackle gives you a sense of where Beck's albums could go. It's a great song. And then Computer Rock ruins it.

fun

Very good album. Too long, if trimmed to about 40 min I think this could have been a 5.

Delightful genre-blending album. Very listenable.

So many interesting sounds and songs on this album but perhaps a better producer would have made that shorter. Could have used some trims. But very much a precursor of things to come.

Indie rock with quirky electronic elements. Soul and blues elements. Cool songs with fun beats and instruments.

One of my personal favorites

Weird guy that Beck

A wacky, playful, and weird but still accessible melding of genres, sounds, and influences - namely 90s alt/indie rock and hip hop. Also drawing from psychedelic, blues, punk, 60s-70s folk and pop, soul and funk, a little noise, and I’m sure plenty of others. Beck does some stonery sing-talk-rapping type stuff with some catchy melodies, while him and the Dust Brothers make groovy, interesting, changing instrumental beats.

This Beck, to me, is the Beck I most like. Sure, Beck IS Beck in a way, but the energy is IDK. For me this one is my favorite Beck album. If I were to introduce someone to Beck, I think this is the album I would have them play up and I am pretty sure they would become at least interested in Beck after that. In a way this is like "essential" Beck. Although that is an unfair stretch unless you are me!

Beck is pretty underrated.

Very laid back mood with a unique weirdness to it. 🥇Ramshackle 🥈Where It's At

This is a fun experimental album. Jack-ass was my favorite and I might have fallen asleep at the end, but I’m not gonna blame that on the album. It’s cool to see how many different vibes beck can hit on after listening to this and guero. Although between the two I’d have to say I prefer guero.

I like this Beck album significantly more than the other one. I think Beck has grown on me a lot and I may have judged the other one too harshly because now I really want to return to it. I really did quite enjoy this one though, it was a fun listen and very interesting the whole way through. Where it’s at was the highlight of the album fs.

A very creative and eclectic album. Hurray. Would be a 5 if I just enjoyed it more.

this is one of those albums that is ACTUALLY worth hearing, even if I don't see myself going back to it that often. Good stuff.

This a fun album that includes beastie boys-esque rap rock and daft punk-like techno beats at times. “Hotwax” gets to work trying to recapture the manic of “Loser” and does it pretty well. The free association lyrics of that kind abound here. They are padded by a raucous sound that contains the multitudes.

Beck throws everything into the mix - there's country, hiphop, blues, indie all poking their heads up randomly. It works well enough to make this stand out.

Not listened to this before but definitely will again. Very stephen malkmus-esque.

Few albums encapsulate 90s alternative music quite like this one. Carefree and catchy.

Thoroughly enjoyed

* I have owned this for a while, but not appreciated it before I listened to it again thanks to this generator.

Overall: 7/10 Every time I listen to Beck I think about the Futurama episode where he helps Bender become a folk singer. I prefer this side of Beck to the slower stuff he started doing around Sea Change. It's sometimes TOO quirky but for the most part it feels like a good mixture of folk, rock and hip hop type beats. Fav Song: Where It's At Least Fav Song: Hotwax

Not sure if it was ahead of its time, but it was certainly ahead of me at the time -- really enjoyed it now, though!

good oneee i always kinda forget how much i like it

I liked this way more than I expected to. Beck doesn’t take himself seriously but still manages to expertly weave together folk, alternative, and even hip hop on a way that feels authentic and organic and has aged exceptionally.

Delightfully weird and all over the place. I'm a very surface level Beck fan, but I could see myself going deep into the catalog.

"Devil's Haircut" and "Jack-Ass" are tops. Sissyneck, Deadweight and Good Chains are amongst top too. "Where it's at" is a classic of course.

I knew a lot of the songs but I'd never listened to the whole album in order. I liked this album a lot more than I'd expected! Every song is a nonsensical homage to a different band or music style, but they can all stand on their own merits.

It is...quite special. I only knew Loser before coming accross this follow up. I appreciate its merits, just the 'lofi', indie and accoustic tracks resonate more with me than the rap ones. (They're still old classic style rap though at least.) Often these are compared to the Beastie Boys which I'm also not a huge fan of but acknowledge theor due credit and influence. Took a few spins but now it has actually grown on me. I fully get why it's on the list.

this is much more in line with what I expect from Beck, in comparison with Sea Change and even Guero. to me, his signature sound is an even blend of hip hop production with psychedelically tinged alt-rock sonics. with the Dust Brothers on co-production duty for nearly all of this material, the resulting album has an unmistakable aural fingerprint. my major criticism is that Beck's not my kind of rapper; I think he's far more compelling as a singer-songwriter, as Sea Change so eloquently demonstrated. strong 7/10.

I enjoyed this one. Was Greta to listen to something I haven’t listened to for a while. 🦻✊

While it at times definitely is an "it insists upon itself" album, it also has a lot of bangers. It just seems like he got to much into his head with some of these tracks and just started added things that don't even make sense.

Ye

One of my favorites from Beck, many classic tunes

This was a lot of fun to listen to. Great driving album

The album that made Beck respectable. Absolutely essential, although Midnite Vultures is more fun.

primarily an exercise in creative adventurism. baffling variety of production/instrumental choices. lots of hip hop production, booming percussion especially. some rapping as well, but not as well executed lol. diversions into electronica, country, jazz. i was shook at hearing the tabla and sitar on 'derelict'. interestingly, these genre forays are all relatively well-polished (some, like the rapping are maybe polished to a point of sterility/feeling flat). as such, the ambitious variety feels much more deliberate than chaotic. some of the songs feel like proto-gorillaz. while the dynamically syncretic soundscapes are consistently engaging, the actual substance of the compositions never reaches the highest peaks.

Super instrumentally diverse. Consistently super weird. Creck. The sax in "The New Pollution" too good. Really really love this, except some of the last few tracks, which I didn't find too memorable. 4.5

Good album, very experimental and unique, Beck managed to use Rock and Hip-Hop collectively in a cool way which I think worked well. Favorite Tracks: Devils Haircut, Where Its At, SissyNeck, and High 5.

Truly one of the weirdest and most innovative mainstream musical minds today.

A classic weirdo album, pretty cohesive in terms of the sounds that Beck used while definitely getting out there at times. Fun stuff but not something I can revisit all the time.

Very familiar with this one. Anything Beck is involved in is always unique, as I can't think of too many artists who can genre-bend like he does. He's an alt rock artist through and through, but you also hear some hip-hop in the composition/lyrical delivery/sampling, as well as some folk, country, and elements of psychedelia (with modern uses). I guess in the context of this album's release, Beck had already broken through with "Mellow Gold" a few years prior. "Odelay" can be seen as an extension of this success, but it forges its own path and features the aforementioned genre-fusions all throughout. The singles slap (primarily highlighted by "Where It's At") with some hidden gems here and there ("Hotwax", "Jack-Ass"). It gets a little noisy at some points (call it wasted space or experimentation, whatever), but this is still a strong album that represents one of the more creative works of the 1990s.

Damn this list loves Beck. This one’s a classic though.

I enjoyed this far more than I expected!

Un poco de aire fresco. Posteriormente ha reafirmado su valía en los siguientes discos.

I remember this being released. It's innovative and sounds amazing. I always loved Novocane and Devil's Haircut the most from this album, but I've found the enjoyment in Where It's At much more now I'm "grown".

78/100.

Devils Haircut, i can tell he’s blown out many speakers before. The drums are so good by one min in, groove is lovely. “Coming to town with the briefcase blues” is fab. the alien esq noise is fun. i’m gonna call it the bridge where he muffles his vocals really suits the lines “ Rock ‘n’ roll, know what i’m saying? Everywhere i look there’s a devil waiting.” makes it feel like it’s proper inner thoughts. The outro being so distorted makes a lot of sense, ends up as a scream track. Hotwax, i felt like i’d heard the intro before, looked the samples used and a dodgy site told me there’s 11?! not sure how but it all works if that’s true. The quiet drum break mixed with a synth and trumpet?? very wild. He’s basically rapping, “Sitting in the kitchen wishing i was livin like a hitman” can relate. So he uses the melody of jingle bells to sing “I get down all the way” i like it. Making “I am a broken record, I have bubblegum in my brain” was a choice for sure. There’s a lot happening, i’m kind of getting used to how much shit he mixes together. “I’m the enchanting wizard of rhythm” great way to end a tune to be fair. Lord Only Knows, i didn’t appreciate the mini heat attack as an opener but we continue. This is giving country ish at the beginning. I appreciate that he loves a drum break, they just are cool. I think i understand the screaming at the beginning now, because this is pretty much a solid genre, he needed something to throw you off. He’s a nonsensical straight story teller. This had Odelay repeated, i’ve been saying it wrong. The New Pollution, sounds off the bat like a it could be a tune for a dr. suess movie. I’m liking the groove and the melody of this one, that chorus is great. A sax has entered the tune therefore it’s banging. Then a little synth solo. The scream of the guitar only lasted for a second. I think there could be flute in here too?? I have no idea what he’s trying to say about this woman but i think it’s clear he fancied her??! Derelict, he loves a shocking intro, it’s a choice. Very distorted vocals. Very intense lyrics, “I fell asleep in the funeral fire” is so graphic. Just had to google what a fallow field was so I learnt something. There’s som sitar and chromatic scales going on from like 2 mins in, it’s adding a lot to the tension of this track. The rhythm of how he says “derelict wind” is a small choice but i really like it. Novacane, rock forward. Drums again are strong. He’s rapping again. This feels like he was deffo listening to big American rappers of the 90s. Im thinking there a samples in here too. He’s good at using them. Half way through there’s no more lyrics coming at you. Honestly it’s hard to write rap that fast for long so i get it. The last minute has almost ruined it, the wall of distortion was too much. The drum beat (808 i think?) saved it kind of. Jack-Ass, a ballad? funny name. I like it so far half way along it’s been a break from the fast pace of the album. The keyboard motif is nice. a chilled drum beat has come back for the last minute. Joined with a harmonica. “i remember the way that you smiled” is a beautiful lyric. The animal? noise that the end not my fave choice. Where It’s At, i’m glad this has the intro, it’s a good one. Again he’s built a great groove from the start. This is more spoken word, got like a fun melody to it. The chorus of claps are great. “That was a good drum break” was just said, told you he loved em. “Shine your shoes with your microphone blues” fave line. There’s so many fucking weird sounds all the time, and as much as I don’t love it they work. Two turn tables and a mic area all he needs clearly. The horns he’s adding in and taking out are stunning. This is a party song, even more impressive if it’s someone’s karaoke pick. Good crowd work opportunity. Minus, STRONG bass line. Just said karaoke how funny. This song happened so fast and distorted that it’s hard to pick apart. It’s very tight. He does however end it by saying “frogs, frogs” and I am a lover of that animal. The mix of screaming, distortion and alien noises play out the end of this track. Sissyneck, starts with a loud whistling. I’m assuming this is about being somewhat of a redneck. I like the chorus melody. The backing feels fitting, it’s country with a rap drum beat, something he clearly loves to mix. “Cause nobody knows, When the good times have passed out cold” is a sentiment I understand. He’s not here to comfort you. The ending makes sure of that. Readymade, indie is in my ears. “And my bags are waiting in the next life.” is devastating. The horns that come in feel contemplative like the whole song does. High 5, love the guitar but it’s outshone by a lot going on. This must be a lot of samples. This isn’t my favourite, but i can understand that this is unprecedented as a single track, let alone the album as a whole. “what’s wrong with you man? Get the other record. Damn.” A very fitting sample for this. Ramshackle, this after the last song is exactly what listeners need. It feels like this is as mellow as he can go. “We will go, Nowhere we know, ‘Till we find our one and all.” This feels like he’s yearning for a quiet space. The whole album does feel like a 26 year old has so many ideas that he’s got out but he’s still chasing something he can’t quite find yet. This song feels important and simple. Diskobox, if he ended it any differently it wouldn’t have made sense. The screaming, the distortion, the crazy noises, samples, alien sounds, horns, the mega drums and their breaks are all here to party. I for one cannot even make out a story and it doesn’t matter, this is just a culmination of what all the album is. I’ve never heard anything like this album but i may not be rushing to put it on repeat unless i really neeed a scream, so could be soon tbf. I’m giving it a 4, he intrigues me but im also very slightly scared.

yay Beck! 4/5

Funnnnnnnn

Fun to listen to. Beck is a musical chameleon. I have zero idea what the lyrics are about though.

Wish I was cool enough to listen to Beck in 3rd grade. I really liked this album - though maybe not as much as I thought. It took me a couple listening sessions to finish and found the middle part of the album a little rambling. That said, Ramshackle is a sleeper hit and have been listening on repeat. Giving this a 4.

This was a very important album of my adolescence. All these years later, it still sounds somehow sent back from the future. Would I love it if I were encountering it now for the first time? I don’t know. I can’t actually imagine choosing to sit and listen to it all the way through anymore. Some of it gets pretty noisy. Still, it holds up—the epic Dust Brothers production, Beck’s off-kilter but weirdly poignant lyrics … and of course, Where It’s At.

I'd put Guero or Mellow Gold above this one but I like being in Beck's atmosphere so 4 stars

Most of the songs are so good that I forgive the others. I love Sissyneck.

Day 85 - Jan 22nd?, 2025 In Beck we trust o7 4/5

Beck was a pretty cool guy

"Who are you?" "I'm the wizard of rhythm" "Why did you come here?" "I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe" I didn't expect this album to be so good. It isn't my usual style but I could see it really growing on me over time. I'm giving it a 4 though because some of the tracks aren't as good as others.

Está bueno! Me recordó mi noventera adolescencia. Varios temazos geniales de los que ni me acordaba. Buen disco, sí lo escucharé de nuevo.

Saw someone describe this as being as if the Beastie Boys made Revolver and I have to agree Favourite Track: Hotwax Least Fav Track: High 5 (Rock the Catskills)

This was a fun listen! I enjoyed the instrumentals, though vocal work was a bit here and there at times. 'Where It's At' was my fave.

Did not love the robot, feedback, aol dial up noises. Did like jackass and where it’s at has such great funk and beats.

3.5-4/5

I liked the sound of this. I listened to it while helping someone with a lettering task, so I wasn’t totally present. However, it was groovy!

Unique, even amongst Beck‘s oeuvre.

It’s great. Some true masterpieces. But not all time awesome

Another solid album from Beck. I liked the blend between country, hip hop and alt. Makes it a very unique record

one of the most experimental albums i’ve ever heard. i actually enjoyed it mostly

Some of the finest from Beck. To this day it still sounds completely different from most other rock that was coming out at this time, in a good way. And the album has some solid songs on it besides the hits that got radio play, like Lord Only Knows (which almost sounds like it could have been on Sea Change) and Sissyneck.

the first introductory notes had that distinct Beck sound, its interesting how that works. Pretty enjoyable album. I'm not much of a Beck fan myself, but I've always been able to appreciate his music. I like how varied he gets from time to time, sometimes its successful, sometimes not so much, but I like the effort (Hotwax has so much going on in it, especially the latter half). I can definitely say I've never been bored listening to a Beck album, he is wholly unique. My only other gripe is that the album runs a bit long, but its still fairly enjoyable.

Love this album. A little too much yelling and shrieking to give it 5 stars but nobody makes music like Beck. This album is a really good example of early Beck

such a mix, but generally really good. some of this feels like trip hop, but some is more rock. Negatives are i dont think the weird distorted screaming works too well, and some of the rap bits are really cringe. Favorite songs: first 2, novacane, sissyneck, high 5. Overall around 8/10

Brilliant album. Very groundbreaking at the time

Beck var länge sen. Världsklass när han är som bäst, men lite för ojämn. Fyra

4.8

This is a great album, definitely the best from Beck. “Devil’s Haircut,” “Hotwax,” “The New Pollution,” and “Where It’s At” are the best tracks. I kept listening to those on repeat because I enjoy them so much, which might be my 90s nostalgia talking, but they’re objectively good songs. The album falls off a little at the end, but overall it’s solid and worthy of its place on this list.

groovy. 4.5/5

Finally an album I’m familiar with. This is an interesting one for me. I had a weird Beck phase when I was younger. So, the nostalgia alone wants me to rate this high. I am reminded that I don’t like all of his work though. When Beck can show restraint he knocks it out of the park. When he doesn’t, I feel I’m getting whiplash. Then the anxiety comes in as I don’t know what to expect on the next track. Hell even on the same track you might be surprised how the song ends. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it becomes irritating. Overall the good outweighs the bad.

I can see why someone would not like this album. It's kind of all over the place and lacks a unifying sound or feeling. It almost feels like someone trying on several different styles to see where they want to go musically. Personally, I like that about this album. It's fun to listen to and I think Beck & co manage to venture into different genres without feeling like they're satirizing or caricaturizing them. Beck has a knack for writing catchy melodies into songs that are overall pretty weird. "Lord Only Knows" is a really fun twangy alt rock jaunt. I love the drums on "The New Pollution" as well as the brief flourishes from horns and woodwinds. "Derelict" makes really cool use of several percussion instruments to give almost an exotica vibe with an awesome tabla interlude halfway through. This was probably my favorite track. My least favorite thing on this album is the annoying almost-rapping he sometimes does on tracks like "Novacane". Beck is a very creative dude. He is a very weird dude. I appreciate that and I like that this album feels like shuffling through a million different radio stations. A couple songs aren't my cup of tea, but overall I find this to be a fun album. 8/10

Enjoyed a lot of this, it was a bit nutty and really fun

Cracking album, but I did enjoy Guero more

I liked it a lot, but I wish it was a bit less quirky.

This album was peak Beck for me, not the biggest fan but this style of alternative rap rockish songs are what I like most from his discography. Favorite songs were: 1. Devils Haircut 2. Hotwax 8. Where it's at 7/10

I was not in the mood for this today, but I could tell I would like it if I were in a different, Beckier mood. Album cover: (B+) I like the mop dog, but not the font.

This is such a strange album. It's all over the place. I don't know anything about Beck but I didn't know he was so hip-hop? Why does this sound like a Beastie Boys record half the time? The other half of the time its soft acoustic music? Did he make this album at two completely separate times in his life? "Where It's At" was my favorite song, and "Ramshackle" was my second favorite song. These songs should not be on the same album. 7/10. Weird stuff. Pretty good though.

Love this album. Such interesting sounds used and great lyrics as well

Beck has an almost poetic way of blending genres and creating wild and creative beats while also throwing in nonsense for lyrics ( catchy nonsense). I think he's trying to influence us all on a subconscious level we don't full understand yet. A true artist.

Hate the cover, but love the originality of the songs.

This was a fun and interesting listen. You get mix of different types of genres that will have you either pondering, intrigued, or turn you into a smooth brain with drool dripping from your mouth. And I love that! I can't ever get bored listening to this guy. Top 3 Favorites: Devil Haircut, The New Pollution, and Ramshackle No bad songs but the second half of Novacane turned me into a retard with all those weird sounds and I'm still trying to figure out if it's the best song or the worst but probably the latter. 3.50-3.75/5 3.50-3.75/5

Beck has always been one of those interesting artists who I never quite fully warmed up to. The talent is obvious, and the music is usually interesting. But something about it never grabbed me. I always thought he was trying too hard to sound like he didn’t care. Maybe that’s because I never took the time to sit down with an entire album. I like Odelay quite a bit with this listening. I’m not sure I’d ever add Beck into my regular rotation, but I’ll be glad to hear these songs when I run across them again. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-odelay-by-beck?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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.

Hell yeah. Great album.

Almost a 5

alr its been awhile but I miss finding new music I like Beck? idk i've listened to him some but never more than like 2 songs lmfao Devils Haircut Hotwax The New Pollution?! Where its At Sissyneck!!! Ramshackle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This album rocked?! it was such an odd mix of rock, punk, hip hop, and then some melodic acoustic comes in from the top rope?! Crazy Work GG Some songs were weird and this wont be a constant front to back relisten but it absolutely deserves a spot in this list

Finally, something good!

3.5.

Beck is one of the rare artists who defies a genre and defines his own music. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5