So somebody posted over on Stewoo that today is Guero‘s second birthday. It is no big secret that Guero is not my favoritest of Beck’s albums. I think it suffers from Beck trying too hard to sound like Beck, which is crazy because he does not have a set “sound.” He’s always changing, and that’s how we like it. Also, in spite of the number of cool blues songs on the album, there is, in my opinion, a lack of emotion and the level of work that are normally associated with Beck’s music.
But while I think these things are true, I do enjoy a number of the songs individually, and even more so, live. (“Broken Drum,” “Scarecrow,” and “Emergency Exit” are my favorites.) Because of that, I am not sure how Guero will figure in historical terms of Beck’s oeuvre. It is a popular album, for sure. “E-Pro” was a surprisingly big hit, and in the end, Guero probably served its purpose of bringing Beck back into the spotlight a bit (esp. after the style of Sea Change). Some of Guero‘s songs will probably be played live for a long time.
But what is it as an album? Did the album have the impact of Odelay? The charm of Mellow Gold? The brazenness of Vultures? The craft of The Information? Not at all. What does it have? I’m not sure, to be honest, even two years later…
It has absolutely every ingredient necessary, yet doesn’t overdo it. the album is perfect (in my eyes). Every track feels like it was carved of wood, not butchered with too many extra sounds or unnecessary atmospherical effects. The simplicity of songs such as Go It alone and Black Tambourine bring out the perfect mix of timbres. The heavier songs are so diverse in the colours of sound that my ears are serenaded each time.
Some, like Hell Yes and Que Onda Guero, feel so naturally, almost like they were written down and played on the spot. The tonality of the songs of this album feels so clear and cutting. I feel that it was mixed in a much more cutting way, where the samples were percussion was REALLY shining, and the samples were at a perfect level to shine.
On a final note, I believe that all the songs come together to form a perfect selection, varying with tempos, colours, and moods. They all are a world within themselves, yet are linked together by a similar mission and sound, putting them in the orbit the galazy of Guero. That is a perfect album to me.
But yeah, I guess it wasn’t his most popular =(
Ciao!