Those four adjectives (No, and is not an adjective) could be easily applied to Beck's Odelay, along with a ton of others. But the bottom line on Odelay is that it is one of the most satisfying albums ever recorded. Some people may think that's too hasty a judgment to pass seeing as the album itself is only 5 years old. Yet the freshness and invention prevalent on Odelay has not aged a second since I first bought the album back in 1997, not long after it had won the Grammy for album of the year (the absolute LAST time the Grammy people got it right I might add).
With this album, Beck set out to beat the "novelty" tag he'd been plastered with after the radio/MTV success of the single "Loser" in 1994. In the process he created a masterpiece of creativity and fun. Let's get into the album so we can see what is good about it.
The album opens with the funky "Devil's Haircut" The song is driven by a wham-bop-bam type drumbeat and flourishes of synthesizer here and there. Beck sings his metaphorical lyrics which include lines like "Heads are hanging from the garbage men trees/Mouthwash/Jukebox/Gasoline/Pistol are pointed at a poor man's pockets/Smiling eyes in an endless socket/Got a devil's haircut in my mind".
"Hotwax" begins with a slowly strummed guitar riff that turns into a sort of folksy hip-hop groove. Beck sings the lyrics in a rather rhythmic style that is not quite rap. Again, the lyrics are far more humorous, involving and just plain more entertaining than a lot of the junk cluttering the airwaves today.
"Lord Only Knows" has a sort of rolling on the river type groove to it that recalls CCR or the Stones "Dead Flowers". Beck sings in a southern type drawl that may surprise a few people at first. Yet his lyrics are emotionally striking and you can tell that he was being sincere in his tribute.
"The New Pollution" is driven by an almost techno backing with bits of guitar mixed in. The music sounds good for dancing to. The lyrics are quite funny with lines like "Riding low in the drunken rivers".
"Derelict" has a sort of hip-hop groove to it musically that works well with his deadpan lyrics which are once again quite inventive: "Dropped my anchor in the dead of night/Packed my suitcase and threw it away/Fell asleep in the funeral of fire/Gave my clothes to the policeman".
Musically "Novacane" is a sort of techno track ala the Chemical Brothers, while Beck continues with the rhythmic singing that he demonstrated on "Hotwax". The lyrics are kinda hard to describe. The song is a good choice for parties as it's fun to sing along with and dance to.
For the people who were ready to tag Beck as simply a novelty artist, "Jackass" is proof that he isn't. The song is an almost folksy number that sounds like something off of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" album. The lyrics are about a drifter who's looking for his place in the world. Beck demonstrates this with the lyrics "When I wake up/Someone will sweep up my lazy bones" and "Put it together/It's a strange invitation".
"Where It's At" is the song off of Odelay that got the most attention and it's a good one. The song has a funky hip-hop groove to it, complete with good use of a vocoder. The lyrics have a sort of early Beastie Boys feel to them, only a little smarter.
"Minus" has a nearly punk feel to it musically and in the way the lyrics are sung. The lyrics are crazy with lines like "When the cup is full you can run and be killed".
"Sissyneck" sounds like fun from the beginning with the silly whistle that kicks off the song and the lyrics are perfect for singing along. The humor is apparent on lines like "My neck is broke and my pants ain't getting no bigger" and "I'm writing my will on a three-dollar bill". Those lyrics are only a sample; you must listen to the whole song to hear it. Musically the song has a backbeat similar to that on "Devil's Haircut".
"High 5 (Rock The Catskills)" is similar musically and lyrically to "Where It's At". Just simply a good party song.
The album closer "Ramshackle" has a folksy almost gospel feel to it. The song has a slow acoustic backing to it that works well with Beck's lyrics. I can't really describe them that well in the context of the review, they have to be heard and this review currently lacks a sound system (Damn Epinions).
When it comes to deciding whether or not an album is classic, it can be a tough choice as that opinion is more or less subjective. Odelay by Beck is a classic however. There is not one bad track on the album and the CD is one that requires multiple listens to fully enjoy. Although Beck has made some great albums since then, he has not yet topped this one. If you have not yet immersed yourself in the pleasures of Odelay, what are you waiting for?
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