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Odelay Deluxe Artwork

Thursday, January 3rd, 2008

Pitchfork is claiming that the above is the artwork for the upcoming Odelay Deluxe (which I’ve taken to calling Odeluxe).

How rad is that cover? It is impossible to improve on the awesome simplicity of the original cover, and the only way to even try is to go crazy doodling all over it.

UPDATE: They also claim to have the official tracklist now. Pretty much what we had before, but with Computer Rock added and a slightly different order.

DISC ONE

  1. Devils Haircut
  2. Hotwax
  3. Lord Only Knows
  4. The New Pollution
  5. Derelict
  6. Novacane
  7. Jack-ass
  8. Where It’s At
  9. Minus
  10. Sissyneck
  11. Readymade
  12. High 5 (Rock the Catskills)
  13. Ramshackle
  14. Computer Rock
  15. Deadweight [short version]
  16. Inferno
  17. Gold Chains

DISC TWO

  1. Where It’s At (U.N.K.L.E. Remix)
  2. Richard’s Hairpiece
  3. American Wasteland
  4. Clock
  5. Thunder Peel [New Pollution single version]
  6. Electric Music and the Summer People [New Pollution single version]
  7. Lemonade
  8. SA-5
  9. Feather In Your Cap [subUrbia / Stray Blues version]
  10. Erase the Sun
  11. .000.000
  12. Brother
  13. Devil Got My Woman
  14. Trouble All My Days
  15. Strange Invitation
  16. Burro

UPDATE 2: noknowncure has pointed out in the comments below that 1) there is a UK release, and 2) play.com (a UK site) lists an unnamed bonus track. This could very well mean that the UK version will have Diskobox on it.

UPDATE 3: Ham points us towards the full art:

Posted in Art, Beck, Odelay, Releases | 12 Comments »

EW’s Top Fan Sites!

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20165619_20165621_20167049_25,00.html

Clearly, Whiskeyclone is #26.

Posted in diss, lists, Whiskeyclone | 1 Comment »

NPR interview with Jack White

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

NPR has a short audio interview with Jack White about the single/songs that the White Stripes released recently that Beck produced in his living room.

 You can buy these songs at iTunes now!  It’s the “Conquest” single, with the b-sides “It’s My Fault For Being Famous,” “Honey, We Can’t Afford To Look This Cheap,” “Cash Grab Complications On The Matter,” and a mariachi version of “Conquest.”

Posted in Beck, White Stripes | No Comments »

International Fresh Meat And Old Slabs Week

Monday, December 17th, 2007

So, the other day I played Fresh Meat And Old Slabs for the first time in ages.  And I immediately declared it International Fresh Meat And Old Slabs Week.What does that mean?  I don’t know.  But if you are newer to Beck, it is a good time to download this old gem of a tape.  (You can do that at the BeckHub, instructions here–though use this address instead of the one listed: dc://becktabs.homelinux.org:1411 ).

These old tapes were what really made me a Beck fan.  Back in the day, you could easily get all the CDs, but what joy it was to get on old Beck fansites (Truck’s and Slo-Jam Central and Comat0se’s disco) and read about these tapes and songs.  There was a Beck mailing list too that made connecting with people and actually getting a copy of these tapes.  This spirit has definitely carried on to Whiskeyclone.net here and the group of us who regular the hub.

Fresh Meat itself is a very good collection of songs. Culled from a bunch of sessions/tapes such as Golden Feelings and Don’t Get Bent Out Of Shape, Beck reportedly put together this bunch of songs as a collection for his mother for her birthday. A few copies were distributed–I believe by Bibbe herself–and copies quickly spread among collectors.As a collection though, the tape is fantastic. It runs the gamut of weird tape experiments, hilarious folk songs, heartfelt blues, and lots of little sound interludes. Most of all, Beck shows his early folk/blues mastery with many of his early favorites: “Mexico,” “Heartland Feeling,” and different versions of “Satan Gave Me A Taco,” “Leave Me On The Moon” and “Hollow Log” than you’re probably familiar with. Fun! Not to mention my personal favorite Beck blues, “Going Nowhere Fast.”

My compass is spinning like a gambling wheel
It takes a hideous misfortune for to tell how I feel
Goin’ nowhere fast

I’m sick to my skin with silence and doom
I’ll break my back, I’ll cry on the moon
Goin’ nowhere fast  

What great verses!If you do have this tape, give it some play this week. Post your thoughts/rememberances/feelings below.

Posted in Announcements, Beck, Fresh Meat, Old Slabs, tapes, Week | 3 Comments »

Wounded Cougar: Lick The Holidays!

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

I know this is a Beck blog but screw it, Wounded Cougar–the greatest band of all-time–Beck even thinks so*–has t-shirts for sale, and you need one.

 http://woundedcougar.bigcartel.com/product/eye-patch-bikinis-white-t-shirt

 Also, buy their CD here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/woundedcougar

It’s the holiday season!  WUCU your friends and family with these gifts.  The more you buy, the more likely the band will be to record a second album!

 *He hasn’t said this, but can you prove he disagrees?

Posted in Brian Lebarton, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Wounded Cougar | No Comments »

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!

Posted in Allen Ginsberg, Awards, Beck, Brian Lebarton, Cougar, Mellencamp, Paul McCartney, Springsteen, timebomb | 1 Comment »

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.

Posted in Beck, Jason Falkner, Joey waronker, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, live show, Nigel Godrich | No Comments »

It’s My Fault For Being Famous: Beck & The White Stripes Collaborate

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

So a few weeks back, The White Stripes announced an upcoming single with a “special guest,” and yes, as any good Beck fan thought, the possibility of it being Beck had to have been high. 

 And we were right!  Pitchfork has the story… Beck produced the b-sides for the upcoming White Stripes’ “Conquest” single, and played on a couple of them.

A recap of all the times Beck and the Stripes have worked together (this is from memory, so I make no promise for it being complete):

1. Beck appeared in the Stripes’ video for “The Hardest Button To Button” (see it here).

2. Beck showed up to play bass on “The Denial Twist” at the Stripes’ show in LA in August 2005.

3. Jack showed up to play guitar with Beck & Smokey Hormel at their show in Detroit in August 2002.  They played “99,” “Last Fair Deal Gone Down,” and “Cold Brains.”

4. Jack plays bass on “Go It Alone” on Guero, and they reportedly did a few other songs together then too (but it’s the only one that’s out yet).

5. In a photo gallery on beck.com, Meg was pictured, hanging out with Beck and his band on a boat in Australia (I think in 2003).

6. Beck covered “Black Math” once on stage (a bootleg surfaced of this show, but it has not fallen into the hands of Beck collectors yet).

7. Jack White interviewed Beck once, read it here.

That’s all I got. 

Posted in Beck, News, Releases, White Stripes | 3 Comments »

Night Flight To Rio

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

Beck is reportedly opening for The Police on their South American tour this December.  All the reports I’ve seen are in Spanish, and I don’t know Spanish.  But some quick Google searches seem to say that Beck is involved at both shows in Argentina (Dec 1 & 2) and the show in Chile (Dec 5).  I’d assume also the show in Rio on Dec. 8 for now.

Will Beck play “Tropicalia,” “Deadweight,” and “Missing” all back to back?  I hope so!

UPDATE:

Again, I don’t know Spanish, but from what I understand some fans in Chile have started a petition to get Beck to do a solo show separate from The Police while there. Go here if you want to sign:

http://beckenchile.blogspot.com/

Posted in Beck, Deadweight, Missing, South America, tour dates, Tropicalia | 1 Comment »

Shirley Manson = FAIL. Sia Furler FTW.

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

There was a media report or two back not long ago that Beck was working on a song with Shirley Manson for her solo album.  I had added it as “Unknown Shirley Manson Collaboration” on Almost A Ghost.

Turns out, this rumor is not true.  The media lies!  Don’t believe everything that you read!  Get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve!

Beck’s right-hand man, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, does and has worked with Shirley and he debunked it.

Beck is, however, going to be on Sia Furler’s upcoming album, so look for that!

Posted in AlmostAGhost, Beck, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Releases | 2 Comments »

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