Odelay

Favourites: Devils Haircut, The New Pollution, Jack-Ass, Sissyneck

strange

Nice album...

Experimentation for experimentation's sake is maybe the most positive thing I can say about this. Boring and repetitive are soem of the less positive things to say.

Apart from a couple of good songs, the album is mostly bland noise.

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

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

There's some decent songs here but it's clear his approach needed more work 2.5*

Brilliant album. Very groundbreaking at the time

I loved one song and appreciate the other - such yalent

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

i knew nothing about this album before hearing it. i assumed it’d be a country album and i’m glad it wasn’t. beck is a person who just makes cool music, idk why i don’t get into it more. great album i love how its kinda experimental, it makes it unique. highlights: devils haircut novacane minus

4.8

Meh

So many gems. Outstanding.

Feels like an extension of that Mello Gold, Loser era of Beck. I like Loser but not that much. Nothing really hit as a result. I prefer the more experimental Beck we got on Sea Change. Not that I’m comparing and contrasting but stating my preference as to why quintessential Beck did nothing for me.

Not a terrible record by any means, just a little too artsy for me. There are some solid songs here, but most are just too out there in my opinion.

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.

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

Some great tracks on here, but also a bit of Beck being Beck.

groovy. 4.5/5

Beck is sorta hit-or-miss with me... He offers flashes of brilliance but then muddles it all up with what can only be described as noise... I can appreciate an artist wanting to mashup genres, but it's always seemed to me that Beck mixes in one part glorious with two parts laborious... I'll give it a 2 because I do enjoy the singles, The New Pollution and Where It's At, but I really must flush the rest of this rackety rot...

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.

Pretty solid album for me. Some nice songs but nothing really stood out to me. Overall it was fine

Strange album. It feels like Beck was so preoccupied with jamming every possible genre, instrument, and sound effect into this record, that he forgot to actually make a cohesive album of good songs. It’s eclectic, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but it feels so random and disorganized that it’s really hard to enjoy it. “Hotwax” is almost offensive in its attempts to capture some kind of backwoods country western sound. I think I can mostly sum this record up as if you took Modest Mouse, made them terrible somehow, and tossed that in a blender with every early 90’s white boy rapper. 1*. No bueno.

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

Why on earth does he keep trying to rap. He shouldn't. Ever. Ruins many a good song on this album.

7/10

Beck's output gets better as he ages, but this is still an early one . Not much else sounded like this back then, although i can see how new listeners would be nonplussed. best tracks: jack ass , new pollution. 3.5

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.

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

A very good well produced album. A little on the long side but I enjoyed it

I don't get it I guess. He try to be innovative and strange, but it doesn't work well resulting boring. Some songs are cool, but I wouldn't relisten this album

Didn't do anything for me.

Cracking album, but I did enjoy Guero more

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

Lovely background music. No single tune grabbed me to make me want to repeat.

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.

Not a fan

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

Wasn't my jam. Not sure why

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.

Not terrible but really a disappointment coming from just having listened to Guero. Devils haircut and Where its at were highlights but you can kinda tell he was going for a couple more radio friendly singles with those.

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

Jack-Ass is pretty good. Most of the songs ending with some weirdass sounds really not my thing tho.

Too stripped back for me

Worse than the other Beck album

Some good, mostly forgettable. ‘Minus’ is a highlight but a lot of it feels like background music. Quite strange how it flips between genres.

Better than Guero!

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)

Pretty good.

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

Typical Beck fare. Has the futurama song on the album but it’s a good easy listening jam for a chilled morning

Mostly good. 3/5

Lil - 7 Eva - 4

For me, the deeper cuts on this album didn't sonically cover any new ground from the singles off of it. It was a little ho hum for me.

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.

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.

Experimental, different sounds, 90’s

Almost a 5

The 90s is my black hole. Neither mine nor my parents era, but you hear of it as a great time for indie/alt rock (depending on if you are British or American). Neither label fits. The bands aren't independent and the only alternative about the rock is that it doesn't rock. This fits the bill for the genre. It has a heavy experimental side and hip hop influence but deep down it wants to be a rock record. But it doesn't rock. It just screams LA bubble

What a banger!

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

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.

Finally, something good!

Not for me.

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

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

Vorige Beck album was dodelijk saai. Deze is dat eigenlijk ook, ondanks de poging om het spannend te maken met een ongevraagde schreeuw tussendoor. Ik ben er van overtuigd dat dat er alleen maar in zit om te zorgen dat de luisteraar niet echt compleet in slaap valt. Novacane is een bizar nummer met rare bleeps en bloops ofzo. Maar ook een soort dikke hiphop kick? Bizar nummer. Maar wel interessant, kan ik van veel van Becks muziek niet zeggen! Maar WAT is het idee om eerst dat bizarre nummer te hebben en dan meteen weer de meest zaaddodende alternative rock aller tijden er vlak achter? Weet Beck iets wat ik niet weet? Dit album is dus eigenlijk toch minder saai dan gedacht, het is zelfs vrij experimenteel. Jammer alleen dat het niet heel goed is... FAVO: The New Pollution, Novacane

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.

Yeah this was not my thing. It felt more annoying than anything.

The heck was that??

Never listened to this album before and I really did enjoy it. Some songs I absolutely loved but others I just couldn’t get into. Spanned so many genres which was impressive but as an album felt a bit inconsistent

Not at great as I remember. Super creative and some good catchy beats, but the use of random electronic sounds kills it for me. Gotta run to turn it down!

Talented but nothing I need

It's not awful, and it has some very interesting parts and nice hooks here and there, but on the whole just isn't something that holds my attention. Certainly better than Sea Change, but I think I just don't like Beck.

I tried liking this, I really did

Such a versatile artist. Not his best album, but still good.

Jagged, kaleidoscopic LP which meanders between Hip Hop, Folk, Grunge, and Pop. Lots of Breakbeats, Scratching, Riffs, Distortion, Samples. Standout Tracks: The New Pollution, Where It's At, Devil's Haircut, Lord Only Knows.

This record holds up! Fun flashback to my high school era.

Not my favorite Beck

Not bad. Not good. Only ended up adding one to my playlist but some others had good sounds and that’s good enough for a 2 for me!

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

ight

This album was fun. Def not my favorite but I enjoyed it. Some people talk about Beck like a guitar god and I'm not sure about that. There are fun guitar licks and parts and it's very good, but this album didn't have me go that far. Anyway, I did enjoy this album. I'm definitely willing to try more Beck. However, what the fuck was "Computer Rock." I hate ending albums with songs like that lolol Liked Songs: "Devils Haircut" , "Hotwax" , "Lord Only Knows" , "Novacane" , "Where It's At" , "Minus" , "Readymade" , "Ramshackle"

liked songs: Derelict Some of the songs were more annoying to me than anything else. There are definitely interesting things happening, but I don't understand how this makes any list of the best albums ever. 2

I would've thought that I liked Beck, but now I've listened to the whole thing. And I still think he's neat, but this mostly isn't good music.

Cool sounding album, but it gets boring really quick.

Ei lain huono, pitäisi kuunnella uudelleen. Yhden kerran perusteella 3/5.

Listened to some later Beck stuff lately and he's fundamentally the same musician as always, he can write a catchy riff and beat, uses a lot of fun samples. It's not something I'd want to listen to a lot, but a beck song now and then is nice

I grew up listening to this album but unfortunately it hasn't aged well. Only the hits have stood the test of time, including: Devils Haircut, the New Pollution, Where it's At, and High 5. Outside of those, the songs were underwhelming or too "experimental" for their own good. 4/14 songs is not a good ratio (1.4/5), however the quality of the good songs bumps the up a tad. 2/5

Paar aardige nummers, het album begint leuk met devils haircut bijvoorbeeld, maar de meeste nummers niet zo interessant.

Probably 3.5 stars. Beck is good at expressing the mood of the country.

Was ok, didn’t wow me

Some absolute classics and clearly a very strong album but I've always struggled a little to really get into Beck. Relistening to this album hasn't changed that view- think it might be my fault though...

Nothing screams 90s louder than Beck. Never got into him.

Beck is Beck. I do like how he plays with genres, but I never seek out his music and it never really sticks with me. I don't think this will be an exception.

Similar thoughts to the previous Beck album, probably needs a few more listens to appreciate. Generally it was very noisy. Devils Haircut is huge 3.5/5

Had 2 beck albums now and enjoyed both, felt this was better listen as a whole. Tailed off a bit but overall great listen

Do you know I’d forgotten all about this album! I used to listen to this all the time way back when. Very clever, very musical and very enjoyable, thanks for the reminder!

Unforgettable innovation

It was a long time ago. I don't remember it, but it was probably good.

I thought I knew Beck based on some of the songs that were released and played on the radio that really doesn’t capture his weird, eclectic style. An enjoyable listen.

Beck is such a weird dude, and I love it. This album is so unique it’s hard to describe exactly what I like about it, but it do. Looking forward to nailing it down in a few more listens.

Forgotten

Another 'whatever' album that I will never think about ever again

People that like this honestly have their head too far up Beck's ass to see that this album was crap. Just all over the place and none of it was really all that great. Pretty disappointing considering that he's a really talented musician and has plenty of awards. 4/10.

Not bad, not something to listen to often, but for once it was a nice record

Love the hits but not a fan of the sings towards the end of the album.

Love the sound

Wowwww this album is all over the place. Hate and love the album but I'm not sure which side I'm on. The mix is amazing on this album but annoyingly amazing? I don't know. Would have picked 2 stars but went for 3 because it's so unique.

Some fun moments and some singles I loved, but felt quite all over the place as a whole album. Possibly didn’t have the optimal listening situation today though.

I'd heard of Beck but never really listened to him. I found this album very disappointing. I couldn't get into it. It seemed very disjointed.

Good god this album is annoying. Before I listened to it I would have said I was a fan of Beck’s based on the singles, so I was surprised to find how much I disliked this onslaught on nonsensical noise. Just awful.

If you’d asked me ‘what style of music Beck is’ I’d have probably have said Indie. So I was quite surprised to listen to this album. Is it erm rap? I’m not quite sure what it is. I sort of appreciate that it’s quite different and complex. But still it wasn’t for me on the first listen. On the second listen I started to like it more from ‘the new pollution’. There are some definite classics. I started to think he sounded like the bloke from Fontaines DC (though obviously the other way round). And that made me like it a bit more. But yeah probably wouldn’t listen again.

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.

I definitely am a bigger fan of other Beck albums, but nonetheless a cool album if not a little chaotic!

Great album reminding me that the 90’s is my favourite musical decade. Beck puts together a broad range of tracks which flow really well as an album. He’s gone on & consistently delivered a great collection of music touching many music genres..thank you Beck 🙏

Oh-Delay, apparently would have been the underlaying meaning of the title of this album. Although it only came out 2 years after Beck's previous album, with the hit single Loser on it. This is a real eclectic mix of style often described as hip-folk, where we can hear Beck's monosyllabic voice rapping and singing. And it's this mix of styles that I couldn't really get on with. I'm glad I listened to it a few times, but this antithesis of Kurt Cobain I could not get on with. Give me Eels, give me Weezer.

For as much as I'm a fanboy of the 90's alternative scene, I never had this album or listened to it. Only the hits that are on Sirius/XM Lithium and Alt Nation from time to time. It's excellent and one I'll be going back to from time to time.

For some reason, despite knowing next to nothing about Beck, I've always been put off by him; or something like that. Doesn't make any sense. This weird preconceived aversion tainted part of my initial listen to Odelay, but I quickly came around to it and gave it an immediate second listen. It's great! Eclectic in a way I wasn't expecting. The hip-hop and turntablism influence was an interesting surprise that I quite enjoyed.

Está bueno, diferentes sonidos, me gusta eso

I listened to this album a bunch. I think Becks biggest flaw is inconsistency, because the good songs on this are incredible. And then Rock the Catskills is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard in my life.

3/5. I don't think I really have an issue with this album, and the songs are good but there is a weird sense I get from listening to Beck in general. Nothing to do with the guy, just a vibe like my ears don't like it when I can agree it is very good. Opinions are allowed of course, and my opinion is that I don't like the album even though I do enjoy the listening experience. It's not quite pretention but it's not authentic either. The songs are well-written and unique and the genre changes are wonderful, love that. Just don't think I like the album though, just the feeling. It's getting a 3 because I can't move it either way honestly. Best Song: Devil's Haircut, Lord Only Knows, Where It's At

I have a similar feeling on Beck as with Beastie Boys, especially this earlier stuff. The highs are bonkers high and the mid stuff is pretty mid. It's tough to put together a full album of music that at times is just incomprehensible word salad and strange metaphors--maybe there are too many tracks. As far as a full album I would go 3.5, but Devil's haircut alone bumps it up to 4. I think he gets better after this with Guero (also rated a 4) and Sea Change, but I'm surprised he is never really at a 5 for me.

No strong feelings, some odd tracks

Still bonkers, still just as creative 30 years later

Horrid.

This album and its predecessor, Mellow Gold, really opened my mind up musically in high school. One thing that always captivated me was Beck’s ability to explore numerous musical styles while maintaining his distinct sound. “The New Pollution,” “Derelict,” “Jack-Ass” and “Ramshackle” are favorites of mine from this classic. Sea Change, Mutations and Modern Guilt are my favorite Beck albums but this one is right behind those so I’ll give it a 4.

Beck has only gotten better over time. I was a huge fan of Mellow Gold when it came out. This one was the next evolution for him. This doesn't have some of the gloomy, weird style songs that were on mellow gold, but still has some of the flavor. I think it's more mature, but he's still figuring it out. I like New Pollution as a favorite "hit", and Readymade as the deep cut. Not my favorite Beck album, but I'll give it a solid 4.

It would be fun to write a song like Beck. *hits blunt* *Drum machine and dial-up modem sounds begin* Slipshod ragamuffin tumbleweed Buckshot toilet paper killer bees Defcon one inside mi cabeza Por favor güey, leggo my Eggo *Theremin solo* This irreverent Mad-Libs style of lyrics doesn't bother me from Beck, though it might from someone else. On his early albums, it quickly became established that this was basically his whole deal. Don't look to this album for lyrical insights. But this is still a fun album that pulls from a lot of different sources to end up with something pretty inventive and cool.

A unique, retro sound from a unique guy. Beck always keeps things interesting and original. I like Devil's Haircut and especially New Pollution. I was never a big fan of Where It's At.

It turns out that 54 minutes is a lot of minutes to listen to Beck. I've always thought that I'd love Beck if I put in some effort, but I've always bounced off his music. Here I am, bouncing off it again. Yeah, it should be on this list, but I won't listen to it again.

Epic!

Not even sure what I just listened too. Mostly a mess with a few songs not too bad.

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

Solid 3.7

Not terrible, but not something I’d come back to and listen to again. Made the mistake of listening with AirPods in—the instrumentals are a bit screechy and tough on the ear that way. Probably better on just a regular speaker.

# 346 : Good album, I like it, it has a hit or two. Would not buy this, but would listen again. Favourite track ; Devils Haircut

Not my type of music

Lyrically meh sonically yeah

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.

Nice variety

I’ve always somewhat liked Beck. This album sounds like what Kid Rock would be if he were less trashy. For some reason, that realization makes me like Beck a little less.

So different from other rap/hip hop albums. 3.5 that could be rounded up or down depending on the day.

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

Might be tempted to go 3.5* if it were an option. Enough stuff I don't like on this album, though, to prevent 4*. Some noisy nonsense here and there. I like Beck, but I don't LIKE like Beck.

While Beck has some really iconic songs on here, this still just feels like surreptitious propaganda for scientology.

The best of Beck's joke albums.

Hadn't heard of Beck before so was glad to listen to this artist, particularly the variety of styles and sounds this album contains but a bit too chaotic for me tbh

It takes a lot for an album to wow me... this one did not succeed. Had a few bangers (1).

Not for me

I’ve always liked and enjoyed a lot of Beck’s more well known songs, and I liked Mellow Gold when it came out. Yet after that album I never really listened to any of his releases in full. So Odelay is my first one I’ve checked out from start to finish since Mellow Gold. I’ll be honest, this album started off great, but quickly descends into a bit of chaos in regards to direction. I’d be enjoying a song, and then I would find myself becoming downright annoyed by the next, or from some of the sound effects used. The excitement I had when this pick popped up is gone, and I’m left with disappointment. 2.5 / 5

Sorry but I just don't get his music. Most of the songs on this album are repetitive and a little boring. The only one I liked is Where it's at.

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

I’m not super into Beck, but I do recognize the appeal behind his melding of genres (i.e. rock, folk, hip-hop, etc.). I have no strong feelings toward this record. It do be what it be. Favorite track: Where It's At

Not a huge fan of Beck, but an okay album

Beck at his weird and wonderful best

Classic

Always liked beck, this is weird and fun

I love Beck

This album was so annoying and pretentious it was painful to listen to. How this man won a Best Record Grammy I will never know. Almost every time a song sounded like it was going in a nice direction, it diverted in a nonsensical, unpleasant way. I hated this record. I award Beck 1 star, and may God have mercy on his soul. Notable Tracks: - Hotwax - only notable because of how much I despised this song - Minus - a decent punk song 2/10

I never really got into Beck at the time so was intrigued to see if the passing of time would have changed my opinion. I thought this was alright but not spectacular.

4 - a lot of this was really unique and fun, one of the songs (without knowing the artist) I figured out it was the same guys that did loser

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.

нормис из 90-х

Brings back memories of my college years

Mellow Gold was a much better album and meant a lot more to me than this album. Just doesn't suck me in the way the other album did. 3.5

Good stuff. I can see why Jorge loves him, but outside of the hits I wont add him.

I own this album and have no memory of listening to it, which is a very bad sign. A re-listen reminds me why: while singles like "New Pollution" and "Devil's Haircut" pointed to a new, slick 1960s go-go boots stye, Beck is still a very immature artist here, pushing the boundaries of engineering and production in ways that sometimes work and sometimes come across as obnoxious and needlessly provocative. The standout tracks (Devil's Haircut, Where It's At, Jackass, Ramshackle, New Pollution) are simply outstanding, but the rest of the album lacks focus.

Único, atrevido, diferente

Beck is a consistently good songwriter and musician. I’ve owned Odelay since it’s release, and although enjoyable, it’s not something that has gotten much play over the years.

I like this album. It’s not one I listen to much but I still like it. I think it’s fun. There is something to be said about music that’s fun. I think that it coming out when it did in terms of where I was in life at that time makes me rank it higher than I might otherwise but I also think it is pretty decent even apart from that.

I loved this album when it came out. It was so different than anything else on the alternative landscape. Listening to it now there are a lot of hits but also quite a few misses

Bonkers. Bloody bonkers. But brilliant. Beck's best?

Reputation precedes it. Some moments of really good stuff and then some songs that sound more dated now. No doubt influential but nothing I'd be raving about.

Hoe hebben mensen dit ooit 3.5 gegeven, pretentieus. Mijn tweede 1

I was almost willing to give this a 3, but the last three songs all sucked so much it earned a 2

Loser is a bit of tune. But not on this album unfortunately. Nothing really standing out to me here, but still nice enough. Simpsons: Yes and a full on guest star in Futurama

Solid 3 album throughout. High 5 was a strange one that stood out, seemed very different to the rest of the album.

This was like scrambled eggs; it was all over the place. Parts were ok, although some of the songs sounded like what I imagine alien messages from another galaxy sound like.

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

A stonking album, full of killer tracks and complete zaniness, a classic.

As many have pointed out, Beck was in the right place at the right time, and that really allowed his career to flourish, more so than your average white guy-hip hop-rock-electronic-folk album, in which I'm sure there was more than you'd think by 1996. Beck just did it really well, setting the bar pretty high. It's weird, but not bizarre, it's heavy, but not destructive, it's poppy, but not bubblegum. It just is a well rounded 90s album that perfectly shows the landscape of a new era in a post-Nirvana world, and while some of it feels a little too of its era for me, much of the album is at the very least catchy, and I really enjoy the folkier moments hinting towards future Beck endeavors. Just a solid album that has held up very well, and was certainly an inspiration for many artists of the 2000s.

When Beck and later this album were popular, I didn't get it. Maybe it was me or the whole Beck / hipster / Alternative thing just ground my gears but I get what he did to music in this period. The 90s were weir man. 3.5/5

This Beck album is decent, but it kind of suffers from having a very late 90's sound in a way that I also didn't like in the late 90's. So even though it has some songs I love, as an album it's kind of just average for me. 3/5

Learned that I never listened to this whole thing before. It's good! I'm not surprised though. I really like Midnite Vultures and a few other of his albums. 4/5

Always respected Beck more than I truly loved him. He’s one of the few artists who’s combined rock and rap near-seemlessly, probably by sticking to college rock instead of metal, and this is probably his best collection. I just never feel like pulling it out. B-

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.

Goede experimentele muziek. Zou het zeker vaker luisteren.

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR (vegan) Artwork: 🐕🧹🪣 Produktion: 🎧😐🆗 Musik: 🤗🤨🤪 Wertung: 🐕🐕🐕/5

Not a fan of the singer's voice or the grunginess of this album, seems too scratchy.

better than i expected! beck is fun.

Good good album

Awesome album, all great songs, except one, but I won't tell you which one I didn't like, it's an easter egg of mediocrity, but the rest is 5-star awesome!

What a fun album. I love the quirkiness of Beck and it is on full display and the music is just downright catchy..

An enjoyable listen that is bookended by its best songs around a desert of mostly average stuff. 'Where It's At' boasts a large Spotify play count, but I rated it as 3/5. Devil's Haircut, Hotwax, Novacane, Minus, Ramshackle and Diskobox were the songs which illicited the best responses from me. All in all, some decent stuff here which I will revisit.

Captures the 90s spirit of everything but the kitchen sink. It's worth listening to at least one time.

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.

Solid alt

Becks best album. Ground breaking sound.

Don't think I really get it. Not bad, just a bit all over the place - some songs work for me, some don't really.

He did a great job in nineties with this album

I really don't know what to feel about this one. There diferent rythms and sounds like some kind of collage idk... I really can't say if it's good or bad, but I really didn't feel it right. I'll leave 2 stars.

Interesting but I don't like it quite enough to buy the album.

I like a bit of Beck but not enough tracks on this album really registered.

this was unexpected, love it!

It's taking me a long time to get into it but I think it'll be worth 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.

This is a really cool and laidback album, with no really weak tracks. However, there are no tracks that stand out and scream that they're awesome, so I can't go any higher than a solid 3. Even though there's almost a new genre for every track, I found the album to be surprisingly cohesive, and I enjoyed listening to it. Won't relisten anytime soon, though.

I’m no stranger to pretty weird and experimental music so was totally open and ready to love this… but I just didn’t. There were a few good and classic “stand out” tracks but nothing I’d ever be gagging to go back and listen to a ton, and as a whole the album just didn’t really flow well or connect. It was actually as annoying as Elton John to me. Brings a lot to the table but not too much that’s particularly enjoyable to listen to. Who knows - maybe it’s a grower. But on first listen it’s a 2.

Awful

Classic Beck album! Listening to this album felt like I was listening to the radio while driving through SoCal in the 90s. The various melding of styles within the same song was reminiscent of the blurring between radio station signals. Beck’s expansive influences incorporated on this album were ambitious with most landing but a couple misses threw off the flow of the record for me. Stand out Track: Where It’s At

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

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.

Meh

8.5/10

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

Some very clever ideas, executed in quite a dull way.

neato

Love his voice

Weird album in a good way when mainstream music was more accessible for interesting genres. Not fantastic in my opinion but a fun listen.

10/10 spectacular

01) Devils Haircut - 10,0 02) Hotwax - 8,5 03) Lord Only Knows - 8,0 04) The New Pollution - 10,0 05) Derelict - 7,5 06) Novacane - 7,5 07) Jack-Ass - 8,5 08) Where It's At - 10,0 09) Minus - 7,5 10) Sissyneck - 8,0 11) Readymade - 7,5 12) High 5 (Rock the Catskills) - 7,5 13) Ramshackle - 7,5 TOTAL: 8,31 (83/100) Current ranking: 82/309

Different and fun. Didn't love all the songs, but enough good ones to keep me interested. 4/5

Прикольный альбом! Необычный. Песни цепляют дисторшн гитарой и лёгкостью звучания.

I love it but it’s no midnite vultures

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 didnt really like the first half of the album and novacane is one of the worst songs i have ever heard. the second half of the album was really good which surprised me favorite song: High 5 (Rock The Catskills)

Very good! 4/5

Solid

solid record. had few great joints but as a album it was not a constant enjoyable listen for me.

Meh.

I think I enjoyed?

Bonkers - liked it.

Bought this on CD and played it to death. Still think it's great, but maybe not quite as much as I once did. A high 4 stars. Some days I'd probably give it 5.

Its beck.

11/09/2024 I found it a bit boring.

Anyway Odelay is as dull as Guero was to me when it came up in June, it's pretty boring stoner music, trying a bunch of stuff that doesn't work in isolation or together, mumbled vocals, just a rubbish 2 that'll never appeal to me.

A bit more creative than Guero, I think, but still not really my cup of tea. It's basic bitch indie singer songwriter with a handful of samples thrown in without much obvious thought. The songs are fine, not particularly catchy or interesting, but not bad, the samples and other stuff tend to be quite jarring. 2/5, not for me.

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

Big fan of Beck over here. I find this album less approachable, it's one of his weaker ones for me personally. I take the point that this album shows a deviation in style and highlights the range of the artist, but I don't like the songs too much, with the exceptions of Lord Only Knows and Where It's At. Those are both on my hit list. Learned today that's a dog on the album cover! I always read it as some sort of hay bail..

Music for wedding receptions. I've never listened to this album all the way through because I'm just not a Beck fan. I'm still not. Jack-Ass and Ramshackle are pretty good songs but overall this is way overrated.

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

Super fun album!

Pretty darn good album.

This is so good.

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

No songs here do much for me. The three that've received all the attention the last 30 years are overplayed and worn thin. There were two or three tracks I was greatly enjoying and then....rotary phone tones, or fax machines in the background haha like, I won't want to jam to that. Ever

Really great, experimental, a bit weird, quite good. Not as good as the 2 other beck albums I've had so far. Starts really strong, maybe loses it's way a little, but still good Scratches a 4

Considered giving this one a 1. More of a clash of styles than a blend. Can’t figure out what kind of person would love this, maybe wealthy suburb cali guy who knows a couple words of Spanish? Idk not for me

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.

A couple songs anchor this—catchy, weird, and classic. Some of the rest feel like switching channels on a stoned TV, which is kind of the point.

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

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

Like Most Beck albums, it's good but I don't find it absolutely amazing.

Just a bit meh really

The mix of genres grew on me over time as I listened to this album, but I did find it a bit grating towards the beginning. My favorite track from this album was "Ramshackle," but ultimately there are other works from Beck which I enjoy more.

I like the the best reminds me of gorillaz

Not for me track 3 and track 10 goes into my playlist but aside from that not something id listen to, voice doesn't do it for me but quite like moments in songs, with different instruments and riffs, a lot of the songs were just noise

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

would be a 5 but too many songs decided to end with like 49 seconds of just annoyingness could i write poetry to this? y

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

Just enough irritating moments to prevent me from giving a 5.

I love Beck. Fun and experimental. There's enough bits to counteract his misses.

Thought this would be better, disappointing

While listening I keep thinking, “oh, I bet people who like x would really like this”, or “this reminds me of y”, but then I was thinking about it, and *I* really like x and y, but I never really liked Beck. Hmmm. It’s like all the parts are there but something’s off with the glue that’s holding it together. Yes, Beck, you are weak glue.

I like it. Glad to have friends that listened to it, back in the day, and shared it with me. At the time I thought, Beck - sure - but WE had JEFF BECK! Nobody can come close to that. But this was just ... different, and I'm glad to have it in my history.

It was pretty nice. I liked the singer's voice

I understand the hype (genre bending!) but can’t really enjoy Beck on an emotional level.

Man it's been a long time since I heard this album all the way through. I loved this one back in the day. I feel like music has gotten less and less experimental since this came out and we're worse off for it. A weird album but also a great one. This record still holds up pretty well for being almost 30 years old. And it makes me feel ancient to think that this album came out 30 years ago. As for the songs - Devils Haircut and Where It's At are classics from this time. And I always loved New Pollution, that's probably my favorite from this album. It's just got such a great vibe. The whole album does really. This is a fantastic record to throw on at like hour 3 of a day-long drive. It does kind of fall off for me a little towards the ends but it's a great album and well worth listening to multiple times. 4/5

Yeh it’s alright

The only beck album you need. Loser is one of the great singles of the pop era and this album is pretty solid. So between them you have the essential listening for Beck if you’re a casual fan or are unaware and are looking to find out about him. You can of course if you like go to the rest of his work. And I enjoy it. I hope you do too. But with only 1001 albums this is the one.

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?

I have this cd but, having played it through a few times lately, I realised that really there are only 3 tracks here that I was really familiar with : Devil’s Haircut, a great track that I think I knew from seeing the clip on Rage; The New Pollution, also probably from the clip on Rage; & Where It’s At, which I always loved because of the Mantronix sample from their Needle To The Groove single. The 2 other tracks that I really enjoyed from finally listening to the whole album are Jack-Ass - & I didn’t even realise until I saw on Wiki that, musically, it’s based on Them’s version of Dylan’s It’s All Over Now Baby Blue; & Sissyneck, a wonderful country piss-take - I like any song that mentions “good old boys”. Then I find that these are the five singles released from the album. How appropriate. And it is a really good album.

I saw Beck at the Metro in Sydney in 1994. A friend had seen the tour a few days earlier in Canberra and said I _had_ to go, to see the support act; the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. So I went, and JSBX were incredible, as advertised. But I was surprised by Beck. I had been expecting a guy out of his depth, with a guitar and backing tapes to half-arse his recent hit single and some stuff that sounded like that. But he trotted out on stage with a tight and surprisingly muscular band, and they bashed out an energetic and raucous set of rock and roll. I was sold. I bought a few of his records over the years, including Odelay. The singles are absolutely top notch. Originally , Beck had planned an acoustic folk album, which he largely discarded to work with the Dust Brothers (of Beastie Boys, Ton Loc, Young MC production fame), and their sound is all over this record. And what a great, exciting, fun sound it is. Beck Hansen is probably the least hip hop human being who ever lived, but the post modern collage approach works really well for his material. I reckon you probably could have trimmed a few songs of this album to make it a tighter 40 minutes, but pretty damn enjoyable overall, especially the singles.

Never really understood the fuzz about Beck. Interesting album ok, but good, hmm not really

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.

This is more like what I was expecting from Beck compared to the last one we had. Stoner garage rock. Lots of it reminded me of the fun lovin criminals too. Loser would have fit perfectly alongside the other tracks but that's an older album so pretty sure this is his default sounds. I enjoyed it, loads of good songs. A touch too long but could definitely listen again.

Ah this is decent. Devil's Haircut, Derelict, and Ramshackle were my favourite tracks. I like the approach on the album, throwing in instruments wherever he likes. Keeps it interesting. His lyrics are often bizarre too.

Enjoyed this, this it what I expect Beck to sound like, as opposed to the sad Beck album we've had previously (which was actually very good). I knew quite a few tracks from this album too, was never a huge Beck fan to be honest but I quite enjoyed this. Actually a bit more eclectic than I was expecting too. The first 4 tracks are really strong, where's it at and ramshackle too. 4

Devils Haircut I was digging it until the last 15-20seconds And that goes for the screeching thing throughout some of the songs. 3 stars

difficult day yesterday, was rly nice to wake up and revisit and Old Friend. its no longer one of my favorite albums, but i rolled it in the dying days of summer which is pretty much the absolute best time to do so...beck in this period runs on pure Form As Content, nonsense lyrics chosen for their vibe and cadence spouted in west coast deadpan over songs that are constructed out of Literally Whatever is laying around in beck's head and mixing board. very fun album to listen 2 for obvious reasons, and maybe its just cuz im so familiar but i think its ability to pull all the parts into something instantly recognizable, on a track-by-track and album-wide level, is a testament to craft and intuition and also just the weight that those seemingly hyper simple hooks are pulling

Aside from the fact that it's a goddamn crime that this album is nearly an hour, this music still isn't good.