The Beck Oeuvre #15: American Wasteland

OK, sorry for the break–I was out of town for six weeks. Thought I could maybe continue to manage this at nights, but turns out, working for a Presidential campaign takes up all your time. :) Anyway, we’re back. Sort of… “American Wasteland” did not really inspire the BeckFreaks.

Vitamin.Deb:

I don’t remember which one it was, but after one of the L.A. shows earlier this year Groove asked Ghost how it was and he said “Beck played Devil’s Haircut.” I had to laugh, because although I’m sure it wasn’t his intention, in my mind his joke validated my opinion. WHICH IS. That I am sick sick sick of “Devil’s Haircut.” Yeah, I said it. I never tire of hearing Loser or Where It’s At, but for some reason I can just barely stand to listen to DH anymore, recorded or live. It’s the only song I skip on Odelay. ALL THAT SAID – I love this remix. It infuses the song with a megaboost of energy and then when it’s over – as the DJ notes – we’re ready to move on to the next song. Ohhh, yeah.

AlmostAGhost

Ha! Well I guess I have to respond to that. I do have a love/hate relationship with “Devils Haircut.” It is my favorite Beck video! It is the lead-off track on my favorite album of all-time! It is so cool. But I also like to mock it, for Beck playing it at every single show he does, and it always sounds exactly the same. And sometimes I just skip it when I listen to Odelay, just like Deb. It is always there. (“Where It’s At” doesn’t bother me at all; I look forward to it at all the shows I go to.) So I am sometimes unfair with “Devils Haircut.” And then at those Nokia shows I just went to, I’m not exaggerating… “Devils Haircut” was one of my 2-3 favorite songs of the 2nd night! Sounded amazing! Rocked so hard. The riff was so perfect, and all those little bass turnarounds. So I make no sense with the song, I’m inconsistent and a hypocrite. I hate it. I love it. Anyway I should save more of this rant for “Devils Haircut” when it comes up.

“American Wasteland”–I find this remix so mysterious. I don’t know who that is sampled at the beginning. I don’t know whose idea it was to make this song a pure punk rock blast of energy. I don’t know if a band played the song, or if it was remixed somehow on a computer to get that way. I could probably look this stuff up in the liner notes, but I like the mystery.

Ooh yea! “Aphid Manure Heist” is up next!

4 Responses to “The Beck Oeuvre #15: American Wasteland”

  1. mikeC says:

    Yeeeaaaa! Love this remix. Sounds just like a beastie boys song.
    “Beck’s a poser!”

  2. mellow says:

    this next song is called go to hell

  3. breathmint says:

    Amazing pictogram!

  4. breathmint says:

    Oops wrong post :]

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