Beck

Odelay

rock, alternative, soul, funk, hip hop, dance (5 STARS)

Review Score:

(10/10)
Wow. Putting a finger on a single point of "Odelay" may be as difficult as catagorizing it's genre(s). But if I hold anything against Beck Hansen it won't be his genre-hopping. His maddening talent, quircky nonsensical lyrics, broad musical stylings, and a head rooted in good old rock and roll all come together on "Odelay." Critics hail this as his best, and for once they agree with the fans. Getting into Beck-- I mean REALLY getting into Beck-- was really more of a recent thing, and I enjoyed "Midnite Vultures" the best. I found the lyrics hysterical and his talent comforting. But it wasn't until I re-discovered "Odealy" that I really understood how deep Beck's musical roots ran.

Boasting a handful of singles, riding the momentum of 1993's "Mellow Gold," and thanks to "Where it's At," the single that seemed to be in the right place at the right time, it's no wonder that this album turned some heads. But the way that Beck tore the listener back and forth through the album from high waves of pop tunes to underwater soul and hip hop, the fact that critics hailed this as one of the 90's most essential records isn't much of a mystery either. Beck flexed muscles of rap ("Hotwax," "Where it's At," "High 5"), rock ("Devil's Haircut"), pop ("The New Pollution"), and coutry western ("Lord Only Knows," "Sissyneck"), among others. And the non-conforming styles makes you wonder, if Beck was so busy experimenting, did he even realize that he had put a masterpiece to tape?

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