Archive for December, 2007

Riding On An Elevator, Cold Just Like An Alligator: Grammy Nom. Ticking

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

“Timebomb” was nominated for a Grammy award, in best solo rock vocal performance.  Beck’s competition is Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, and John Cougar Mellencamp!

Let’s play “connect-the-artists”!

It was reported a number of years ago that there was going to be an Allen Ginsburg Unplugged episode, and his band was supposed to include Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Beck.  Ginsburg died before it could happen.  I am not sure if this was a rumor that hit the news or actual plans were under way for it to happen. Also, McCartney has used Nigel Godrich as his producer a few times, like Beck. Beck semi-goofed on the song “Hey Jude” once on stage; and claims he played when he busked as a kid.

At one of Neil Young’s Bridge School Concerts, Beck shared a bill with Bruce Springsteen, ending the night on stage with him (and a million other famous people), singing “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

Both Springsteen and Mellencamp inspired “Heartland Feeling, a song borne out of a meeting with Bruce’s manager who wanted Beck to tap into a “heartland, Mellen-type of feeling.”

I can’t think of much for Lucinda Williams, besides both Beck and she have covered Nick Drake’s “Which Will.”

Have a good day, class!

Buenos Aires DAY 2 (12/2/2007)

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

Again from JMJ, the setlist (songs with links are to youtube videos that have surfaced) for DAY 2 opening for The Police in Buenos Aires :

01. Devils Haircut
02. Black Tambourine
03. Think I’m In Love
04. The New Pollution
05. Fuckin’ With My Head
06. Sunday Sun
07. Paper Tiger
08. Lost Cause
09. Soldier Jane
10. Girl
11. Where It’s At
12. Nausea
13. Minus
14. Loser
15. E-Pro

*Video quality on the youtube videos is not all that great and camera kinda goes everywhere, so frxz who get motion sick watch out. hehe. Sound quality is pretty decent, however.

Buenos Aires DAY 1 (12/1/2007)

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

Here’s the setlist (songs with links point to youtube videos of the performances) posted on stewoo.net by none other than JMJ himself. Looks as if the Echoplex was indeed a warm-up and the setlist here is pretty similar.

Devil’s haircut
Black Tambourine
Loser
Think I’m in Love
New Pollution
Fuckin’ with my head
Information
Sunday Sun
Paper Tiger
Soldier Jane
Where It’s At
Nausea
Girl
Minus
Mutherfucker
E-Pro

Some comments regarding the show from JMJ as found on stewoo.net:

“Oh yeah – the gig? It was fun. Getting our sea legs for the stadiums. I think we rocked, we’ll see what the press says, since their words obviously mean a lot more than what I have to say. Had a great time tho, seriously.”

Beck at the Echoplex: Thoughts

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

I see Newt called me out on my thoughts a few posts ago about the recent warm-up gig at the Echoplex, since I’m in LA and was there.  Sorry for taking so long to get this up, but better late than never, right?

The exciting thing about the show was the new band: Beck’s usual crew (Wounded Cougar) was mostly otherwise committed, and in Beck’s zeal to go to South America and open for The Police, he had to get a new band together.  Justin Meldal-Johnsen, the longtime music director/bad-ass bassist/Leatherman, was there.  Beck’s drummer from 1994-2000 (and sporadically since), Joey Waronker, was back again.  Joey and JMJ are amazing together.  Guitar was played by Jason Falkner, who played on Sea Change and Info, and was in Jellyfish with Roger Joseph Manning Jr.  And finally keyboards/effects/tambourine was provided by none other than Nigel Godrich, producer of Mutations, Sea Change and Info (and the 6th member of Radiohead).

Apparently, the band had only rehearsed three or four times.  The setlist, posted below, was all the songs they knew together (tho I’m postive JMJ and Joey could play anything; not so sure the other guys–including Beck).  The songs after “E-Pro” were not on the setlist, and were spontaneous encore additions.

The music was relatively heavy-sounding, not quite as subtle or diverse as usual Beck concerts.  The band’s chemistry and tightness was good, but nowhere near as strong as Wounded Cougar–who had been Beck’s touring (and studio) band for a number of years and become quite impressive.  But it was the first show (of only 4) and I assume will get even better.

Highlights were the songs pulled from Mellow Gold, and not played in around 10 years, “Motherfuker” and “Fuckin With My Head.”  I really enjoyed Nigel Godrich’s goofy little keyboard break on “The New Pollution.”  “Girl” was played extremely fast.  “Sissyneck” and “Lord Only Knows” were also memorable, but I’m such a sucker for anything Odelay, and may be biased on those.

Anyway, hopefully some of the South American gigs will get recorded too.  This is an interesting lineup for the band, and it would be great to hear them grow.

fun

Sunday, December 2nd, 2007

girl

from cósmica. @ Flickr