Customer Reviews

Odelay

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

...and tell us, Beck does, in this sublime mix of hip hop, alternative, country, jazz, rock and pop, with even a Beatle-ish Sgt. Pepper homage tacked to the very end.

Critics of Odelay accuse Beck of being overly indulgent and WAY-overly derivative, but isn't that the whole point of the CD? Beck has stolen the key to Fun Factory and is determined to play with every toy in the building before security throws him out.

Over 13 tracks, Beck (with a big assist from the Dust Brothers) treats us to a music mixer's wet dream, from the chronically hook-y ("Devils Haircut," "The New Pollution," "Where It's At") to the startlingly touching ("Jack-Ass," "Ramshackle") to the just plain silly ("Sissyneck").

Odelay holds its place as one of the essential CD's of the 90's. Years later it still continues to entertain and excite. This is a joyous celebration of music, period . . . and Beck's best album by far.

Its pretty hilarious how Beck pulls off rap, or a sort of pseudo-rap. His early attempts at it in his early days, like in the Loser song, are hilarious, but you end up laughing but liking the song too. Well Odelay shows how Beck got better and better at his very diverse unique style of music.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

I waited a long to buy this (I always loved "...and a microphone"), but what a HUGE disappointment. If you are over forty-four years old and were aware of music since you were ten, don't waste your time on this. This album is the DEFINTION of derivative. I will only listen to it once, because I got tired of writing down each song's obvious original infuence: Strawberry Alarm Clock, Zappa, Country Joe and the Fish, oh my goodness, this guy should be paying these groups royalties for this rip off! What a joke. Album of the year? Puhlease. The original stuff was good... thirty years ago. Why can't we all just move on?

Ah, Odelay! the scrap-pile/loser album of the decade (minus the "loser" single, of course.) It was 1996 and dreary-eyed masses were coming off their 5-year grunge hangover, desperate for anything other than alt-rock. Beck proved the perfect fix, with an ecletic style and some funky music. The critics drooled and all summer long you could here an impossibly distorted "Where it's at" blasting from every car stuck at a stoplight. Or the New Pollution. Or Devil's Haircut. It didn't matter; this was good stuff.

In fact, the entire album is filled to the brim with good stuff: good hooks, good bass lines, good atmosphere. But it's absolutely drenched in schizophrenic details that distract rather than complement. The cell phone blips at the end of Novacane, the 3 or 4 "breakdowns" littering Where It's At, the scream introducing Lord Only Knows...Buried somewhere beneath all of these obscure, smart-@ss samples and off-key freakout flourishes are some great songs, but Beck keeps himself and his listeners too focused on how brilliant he is.

The diversity of genres and decades he pulls from is certainly impressive, but he has no business declaring on the back of the cd cover "je suis un revolutionaire" when he knows Todd Rundgren did this is in '73 and the Beasties in '89. Conclusion: Killer party music? You bet! 90's masterpiece? Move on...

The best way to describe Beck is to say that his songs are music for music's sake. They dont' always (or usally, really) make sense, and I suppose you could say they arent' "real music", in the sense that most music is (like the Beatles or Van Halen or most music that you hear, really). But it IS "fun music", I suppose you could say. Odelay is like..PURE Beck. It's Beck at his best. One Foot in the Grave was interesting, in it's own folky way, as was Stereopathetic Soulmanure, and "Mellow Gold" was way cool, of course, but "Odelay" is all of the best qualities Beck has rolled into one. You dont' know what the lyrics mean all the time (usually it's just like poetry - there is no real meanign - it's just words that paint pictures in your head), but you make the songs yours after a while - and that, perhaps is the best thing about listenign to Beck - there is plenty room for interpretation. "Devil's Haricut" is a good rock number - it starts off the album nicely. "Hot Wax" is just..genius, really. Just a nice groovy song. It makes Beck look cool, for such a little guy he is. It's a nice song and whatnot. "Lord Only Knows" is good for like..some long night drive that you are on alone, or some long walk on your own (I used to take long walks and listen to Beck), and it's night, and..it's just a nice song. "Derilect" is the worst sogn on the album - to be honest, it kind of sucks. "Minus" (kind of an ode to..the feeling of being a teenager or something, I geuss. That's my interpretation atleast) is a good one - has a nice manic energy to it. Novicane is also pretty cool. The others I would list as best songs on the album are "Jack-ass" and "Ramshackle", which are kind of..introspective songs, I suppose is how you could describe them. WHo knows what they wil remdind you of - that's the way it is with Beck songs. The others are okay. "Where It's At" is the one that was always on the radio back in the summer of 96. MOst people would most likely say that it's THE best song on the cd, and they'd probably be right, but after hearing it for a long time, the other songs seem more appealing, imho. High 5 (Rock The Catskills) is also pretty cool - it's kind of funny when the "do you like designer jeans?" part comes along. Sissyneck is intersting - good lyrics, like "writing my will on a three-dollar bill". Readymade is so/so. "The New Pollution" is also pretty cool - it was on MTV all the time back then, but not the best song, imho. Dont' get freaked out when you have your cd player on highest volume and Jack-Ass has ended, becuase there is "bonus noise" on this cd, and it's kind of a shock (epecially if you're stoned or something). Anyway, that's all I have to say about Odelay. Go and buy it and you're pretty much guarenteed to like it. Keep in mind that it grows on you.

Odelay was my second Beck CD and since that he has been my favorite artist. Odelay is great all the way through. Don't think twice about buying this album it's definitly worth it.

Beck's Odelay was a big hit in 1996, and it still remains in heavy rotation on the radio as well as in music lovers' CD changers. This album is no ordinary album, however. Unlike most albums, it appeals to more than one or two music styles. This album will capture the attention of country lovers, rockers, hip-hoppers, grunge fans, heavy metal headbangers, and punks alike. Whether it be twangy country boot boogie, DJ scratchin' hip-hop, detuned heavy metal, fast dizzy punk rock, a slow acoustic daze, or just ambient white noise, this album will be sure to please.

The first song starts off in the right direction with a "new-wave" sort of feel. It changes directions many times, going in loops and around the bend, even reaching some hip-hop territory. This is something you'll be guaranteed to hear on every Beck album. Hotwax, probably my favorite on the album is a slow rocker with some country twang, layered on a clipped and distorted vocal line. The album continues on with Lord Only Knows, flip flops to New Pollution, and one of my personal favorites "Derelict". Following through, Novacane hits hard and leaves you numb; while Jack-Ass brings your groove out. Where It's At, the album's big hit is not one to miss out on. As the album scans through, we find "Readymade", a good rocker about leaving this town and being sick of the same old thing. The hip-hop induced High 5 sounds like a Beastie Boys parody, but it is a great tune nonetheless. Ramshackle is the closing song of the album; But wait...what's this? Hidden track #14 is a continuum of beeping white noise. Brilliant.

Beck's Odelay is a timeless classic, but it's also an album to get you laughing as well. Humor is one of Beck's best qualities, and he displays that nicely on this album.

Do yourself a favor and give this one a spin.

Beck is a genius and this cd proves it. It haves everything : rock, hip hop, country, nice melodies...just EVERYTHING. Songs like Devil's haircutt, Minus and Jack-ass (with all the other songs on the album) will make you feel like you're tripping on acid on a magic carpet over heaven. It's one of my favorite cd's of all time(and its my favorite cd from BECK). If you are tired of the same old money loving music, and wanna hear something new, even if you are in the year 3010, this CD will satisfy your hunger for something NEW and FRESH.

It's been over 7 years since Beck released Odelay, one of the most diverse and fun rock albums I've ever heard, and it's still one of the best ever made by anyone, in my humble opinion of course. What amazes me is that the general public doesn't even know who he is, or, if they do, don't appreciate how great his music really is. Most people hear Beck and give one of two responses: 1) "Who?" or 2) "Oh yeah, he's the guy that did that song Loser, right?" Loser is Beck's one and only claim to fame in mainstream America, but everyone else knows that Odelay is his true masterpiece. Each song is so incredibly different and original, it's hard to believe one guy could have so many different musical ideas. Beck draws influences from just about every musician ever to sing a song or play an instrument it seems. This is one you can listen to over and over and never get tired of.

beck's follow up album to mellow gold was another classic. produced mostly by the dust brothers. except for minus done by the man himself. a very fun and fresh album from start to finish. beck had a bunch of hits off here with great videos to back them up (where it's at, devil's haircut, new pollution & jack ass). it was the happiest time i ever had as a music fan. my man was blowing up and living large :) not much to say about this album that others haven't i guess. the only problem i have with this album is it didn't win album of the year at the grammy awards but hey you can't win them all :(