#424 Beck, 'Odelay' (1996)

Previously #306

Beck is one of the most interesting and prolific artists of the past 20 years. In 16 years he has released 14 albums (3 of those were in 1994). I always thought ‘Odelay’ was his second album, but its in fact his fifth. What began as an acoustic record, thanks to the production of the Dust Brothers, ‘Odelay’ became an album so unique in aesthetic. Merging hip hop beats with alternative rock, scratching with slide guitar, and sampling reminiscent of Beastie Boys mixed with alt-country.

‘Where It’s At’ was a song that blue my little 12 year old mind when I first heard it. “Two turntables and a microphone” is still a lyric I reference often. Mixing lounge-type keyboards with hip hop. “That was a good drum break” – another lyric I love. ‘High 5 (Rock The Catskills)’ could really be a Beastie Boys song with a bit of Schubert thrown in for fun. ‘Devil’s Haircut’ is another song I loved as an impressionable pre-teen. ‘Derelict’ changes gears completely giving us a Depeche Mode meets Nine Inch Nails type sound with a bit of classical Indian sitar randomly in the middle. This album is just layer upon layer. So much to explore. Beck played most of the instruments. Real overachiever.

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