Lo-Fi, Distorted, and Difficult: Beck Missteps With This Pathetic Album
May 22 '03
Pros Early look at Beck...
Cons Bad production, almost zero humor, impossible to enjoy...
The Bottom Line Like Beck? Don't ruin your appreciation with Stereopathetic Soul Manure.
Full Review
It goes without saying that Beck is a unique entity even in contemporary alternative music. He has never followed trends. And while his music generally sells well, it is generally indescribable and always experimental.
From his earliest fame, Beck was quite simply a Loser and he didn’t much care what you and I thought of him. The inexplicably talented Californian-born auteur made his official debut on DGC in 1994 with Mellow Gold. That album catapulted him to fame first in his home state followed by clubs and eventually radio and MTV. The album contained much more worth mentioning than just that self-affirming single. Songs like Pay No Mind, Nightmare Hippie Girl, and Beercan made the album a must-own disc that year.
Beck followed his debut with a string of impressive albums. Odelay (1996) marked his true breakthrough while Mutations, Midnite Vultures and Sea Change solidified his place in the annals of great alternative music men. But strangely enough as he rose to the top of music with his debut, Beck also released two independent records in 1994, Stereopathetic Soul Manure and One Foot in the Grave.
Stereopathetic Soul Manure, released by Flipside, collected five years worth of Beck’s earliest recordings. As such it lacks the focus and production of his later uber-popular releases. The disc makes for a challenging listen as most of what is contained wholly lacks the artistry and humor that Beck is best known for. Considering it was released on the heels of the successful Mellow Gold it is clear that he was trying to prove that he was more a struggling artist than a MTV-made one hit wonder. Whatever the intentions, the album fails miserably. This, my friends, is the worst of Beck’s back catalogue. Though, with that said it also proves that in the matter of a few years he was able to come into his own and find his own voice.
With twenty-six incredibly brief, lo-fi, gravelly recordings Stereopathetic Soul Manure hops around like an inebriated kangaroo. Whatever goodness may otherwise be apparent is buried beneath layers of distortion and feedback. The first “song” of the disc, Pink Noise (Rock Me Amadeus) is pretty representative of what follows with only the occasional exception. Beck yowls uncontrollably while a instruments back him sans direction and melody.
Rowboat follows in a completely different vein. The track sounds exactly as one would expect from Beck. Alt-folk-country crunchy goodness permeates the soul. But even if the track is good, it does not quite match his later work. It may sound fine and the singer-songwriter actually enunciates but it isn’t enough to make this a album worth owning except for the most dedicated Beck fans. It slides into the brief Thunder Peel with ease. Though as the third track takes form it is clear that nothing there is worth hearing. Beck turns again into the howling beast he is throughout most of Stereopathetic Soul Manure. Even worse is the fact that he plays with his voice to the point it not just sounds bad, but also alienates any audience.
The album continues in this difficult, nonsensical vein. A few songs here and there are moderately palatable--The Spirit Moves Me, Crystal Clear (Beer), Satan Give Me A Taco, One Foot In The Grave, Jagermeister Pie--while most aren’t worth exploring in any depth. Tracks Aphid Manure Heist, Dead Wildcat, and Modesto are trash. What is left is essentially a collection of repeated lyrics, loud rants, sound bites, and samples.
Stereopathetic Soul Manure is a strange, wild, and inaccessible anti-album. It cannot be compared to Beck’s later work as his later work has intent and smacked of revolutionary talent. This collection is anything but revolutionary and appealing. It goes to show with a little tweaking, a little money, and a whole lot of inspiration even the most annoying and allusive talents can bring together all of the elements and eventually get it right. I can appreciate the honesty and integrity Beck injects into the disc but I cannot recommend it to anybody except for completists. Stereopathetic Soul Manure is an appropriate title for a disappointingly bad look at early Beck.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. Pink Noise (Rock Me Amadeus) - 2:57
2. Rowboat - 3:45
3. Thunder Peel - 1:48
4. Waiting for a Train - 1:08
5. The Spirit Moves Me - 2:10
6. Crystal Clear (Beer) - 2:29
7. No Money, No Honey - :05
8. "8.6.82" - 2:07
9. Total Soul Future (Eat It) - :37
10. One Foot in the Grave (Beck) - 1:48
11. Aphid Manure Heist - 1:57
12. Today Has Been a F*cked up Day - :17
13. Rollins Power Sauce - :31
14. Putting It Down - :57
15. "11.6.45" - 2:34
16. Cut 1/2 Blues - 1:54
17. Jagermeister Pie - 2:23
18. Ozzy - :30
19. Dead Wildcat - 2:37
20. Satan Gave Me a Taco - 1:07
21. "8.4.82" - 2:05
22. Tasergun - :25
23. Modesto - 3:46
24. - :26
25. - 3:51
26. - 20:07
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