The new Beck album "Guero"

[lazarus]

Am I crazy or is there no thread yet for this? Beck's new album came out last week and it's a bit of a return to form. While I loved Sea Change, it was a bit too mellow for me to listen to very often. This new album is very reminiscent of Odelay in that it's a hodge podge of different musical styles, and is mostly produced by that album's knob turners the Dust Brothers (who are also famous for the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique). That means funky beats and samples galore.

It's not all fun and games though. There are defintely a handful of slower, more introspective tracks, and some exotic flavors as well. This one just has everything on it. I think my favorite song so far is Track 6, Earthquake Weather.

Anyone else hear this yet? What do you think? So far it's the best thing I've heard in this short year. Unless Bruce Springsteen pulls another great one out of his hat, this one could wind up being my favorite of the year.


laz

 

[If you shout...]

I love the album. I've been listening to it pretty much non-stop since the leak in January. It's a whole hell of a lot of fun, and I don't mind too many of the changes made between the leaked versions of the songs and the finalized ones--sure, I'd love to hear those longer renditions of "E-Pro" and "Scarecrow," but I'm more than content.

While I don't think that it will be the album of the year by the time January rolls around (I just don't think it's THAT good, you know? It's a great album, but not as good as the type that usually assumes my top spot...), it certainly has been, so far. I have no faith in The Boss, these days, but we'll see. I'm sure that somebody will come along and rewrite the rules, you know?

Whatever.

Guero kicks ass and doesn't even bother to take names. Giddyup.

 

[HelloAngel]

Guero is fabulous. A great background vibe party record. "Earthquake Weather" is awesome, and reminds me of this great Meat Beat Manifesto song.

 

[phanan]

I picked this up to, and while I haven't had a chance to hear it all yet, what I've listened to so far has been great.

 

[Jack In The Box]

I didn't liked it! why?! it begins great but then... becomes repetitive or something, I don't know, I need listen to it more

 

[Iskra]

Dude!
Black Tambourine sounds like the Fly!!!
Go listen!!

 

[Jack In The Box]

I prefer songs that sound like new songs

 

[bollox]

Dude!
Black Tambourine sounds like the Fly!!!
Go listen!!

YES!! also, girl sounds quite a bit like hey ya, not that i'm complaining. the whole album rocks my socks. it's getting a lot of flack for being odelay v2.0, but i think i like it better in a lot of ways. the vibe seems more laid back & fun, with some more moody sea change-esque tracks also thrown in for variety.

sea change is probably my favourite beck album, but this one continues his serious/fun/serious/fun pattern for albums.

 

[cujo]

... reminds me of this great Meat Beat Manifesto song.

Great reference.

 

[Saracene]

I've listened to it all day at work today. Reminds me of Odelay a lot and like that album I find Guero slightly tiring to listen to in the long run, probably because it's just so busy with million things happening all over the shop. The first half is amazing and clicked with me immediately; it will be sometime before I get insanely catchy "Girl" to stop playing over and over in my head, . But I find that the songs get less memorable by the album's end, or maybe I need to listen to them more.

 

[Lo-Fi]

Dude!
Black Tambourine sounds like the Fly!!!
Go listen!!

At last, I found someone else that thinks that!

 

[bsp77]

I like it but am still somehow disappointed. Most of the songs are great but get tiring all in a row. Maybe it is because they are all over the place, but Odelay was too and I loved that all the way through.

Something about it makes it easy to appreciate but hard for me to love. I find myself putting on CDs I bought earlier in the year instead (Bright Eyes, Doves, Killers).

 

[elevatedmole]

I am the biggest Beck fan you'll meet, and I still haven't heard it. Damn money.

You're probably wondering why I don't just download it. Well, it's because the entire Internet is cluttered with the bootleg version that has the wrong titles and supposedly unmastered.

 

[babyman]

the video too the single is quite horrible, but the song is good!

 

[HelloAngel]

I agree on the E-Pro video. Boring. I know this has been done, but I wish he'd go back to the types of videos he made for Odelay. They demanded repeat viewings, or at least the desire to turn on a video channel in hopes of the video being on. I'm thinking of the "Devil's Haircut" type videos.

 

[Bono's shades]

I've listened to it a few times. I'm not sure he's doing anything that he hasn't already done before, but I still like it.

 

[Elvis Presley]

Anyone catch Beck on KCRW the other day....nice set.

 

[SkeeK]

the best thing about the album is the boards of canada remix of broken drum

the second best thing about the album is the royksopp remix of Still Missing

 

[~LadyLemon~]

I this album...

 

[martha]

So if I like Guero, I would like Odelay as well?

 

[elevation2u]

not necessarily... personally i dont think theyre that similar but yea its more similar to Odelay than it would be to Sea Change

regardless, you should give it a try, its a good album but you can sense a more mature feel to Guero

 

[martha]

Thanks for the well-thought out answer.