First, a quick note for the next month these will be coming a little bit slower. I’m busy, working some insane hours for a good cause; I won’t be as quick to the trigger as I might otherwise be on these.

The next one up is a beautiful song from Sea Change:

AlmostAGhost:

I love the sound of this song–the echo on Beck’s voice, the comforting acoustic guitar licks. But seriously, how about the way he sings “measured”? The songwriting too–superb. Look how “measured” alludes to “pleasures” and “treasures” from way back in the song. I don’t have any particular personal connection here, but I think all around it is one of Beck’s best.

As you can tell from my part of the site, I’m big into the message of songs. What does it say? How does it speak? This one is strong: a simple look at the end of love. What’s more heartbreaking? The loss of love? Or after that loss, the good memories falling off the edge, into nothing more? Time wearing away the pleasures.

Vitamin.Deb:

I think I’ve been in a happy relationship far too long to be able to fully appreciate emo-Beck. There are a few songs I like on Sea Change but overall I am not a fan of the record. This song in particular is one of my least favorites. Talk about a major bummer downshift from Allegretto. Dang. I mean, it’s a good song I guess. I’m listening to it right now and it’s very pretty but it kinda makes me want to stay in bed all day and I have way too much to do. C’mon emo-Beck, the past is a cancelled check. Move on. I’ll buy you an ice cream sundae.

Newt:

I like this song very much. And I like the rhymes.

Mellow:

the other day i was listening to beck’s 1998 modern rock live show (date:1998-11-08 – check hub for that) anyway one of the questions he was asked was about books. and he talked about that he was reading a book called Already Dead and it just kinda stuck out, i had heard the show before and i just then said to myself. hey he named a song off sea change that. not that they have any more in common; i don’t know. but anyway

as for the song itself. it’s ace.

I did have some live versions I liked and wanted to share, but am unable to at the moment (on a hard drive not with me). Maybe one of the readers can megashare or whatever some–the Philly 08-17-2002 is a favorite of mine, or perhaps one with The Flaming Lips?

Next up the old obscurity, “American Car”!

Today, we turn our ears to one of Beck’s golden oldies, “Alcohol.”

First, a video for the song via YouTube. It is, quite cleverly, just a video of a pile of beer cans.

Cato:

Alright, so I am finally getting around to doing one of these. I have intended to take part in this Oeuvre since the beginning, but it seems that a lack of memory and an abundance of things to do has prevented me from being part of this project.

Anyway, so alcohol. Alcohol is a good friend of mine, but it is also a song I have not visited in quite a while. Dot (my iPod) says it has a play count of 3. So let’s revisit.

I really enjoy the simplicity of this song. There’s not exactly a lot to it. I had forgotten pretty much all of the lyrics to this song, in addition to the end of the song, that came as a surprise at first, but I quickly remembered. This song brought back memories of my first year in university, which was also the year I became of drinking age here, as did all of my roommates. Needless to say, there was a lot of alcohol flowing around our place that year.

This song also reminded me of the following sign my roommates made for me after I was trying to convince them that alcohol helps solve problems, especially math problems. None of them had ever taken calculus or any university math course for that matter, so they still do not understand this concept.

Note the misspelling of ‘alcohol’.

Homer Simpson:

Alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”

Bebo:

This is a nice little song. My favorite part of this tune: The music. The chord progression is simple, but poignant. I love the strumming with the integrated finger picking. Its one of those good ol’ folk songs that Beck wrote so many of during this period. I’m so laid back listening to this one. Favorite lyric from this song: “Now it is time for pie.” MMMMM. Pie. Love it. Listening to this song for the first time in a while. Ending just kicked in. Distortion and drum beat is kinda heavy and isn’t my favorite ending to the song, but cool none the less.

AlmostAGhost:

The very first Beck album I heard was the “Loser” single, back in the day. There was something hypnotic about this song. Who was this Beck figure? I was hooked. “Loser” and “Corvette Bummer” were so much fun. But this? This! He does folk songs too? Beautiful, hypnotic, calming folk songs. And about pie?! I can remember playing this CD single in my first university apartment: cheap furniture, video game system, pictures from magazines taped to the walls. I loved the turn into some weird noisy squall then, and still do now, even though it is almost like a whole another song to me (or at least, “Alcohol, Part 2”). I don’t care if this guy is a one-hit wonder with songs like these to back him up. I must hear more.

Momma:

Newt:

“Alcohol” is one of the first few Beck b-sides I got, and it remains one of my favourites. There’s nothing fancy or gimmicky about it, it’s just a clean, cool song. It reminds me a lot of high school, both because that’s when I first heard it and because of the content. It just perfectly captures that alochol-induced feeling of, if you’ll pardon the cliché, being halfway between the gutter and the stars. Who hasn’t had a night like this? (A: Bebo)

The two released version of the songs have very different moods for me. The freakout at the end of the Loser b-side version, and the higher production values, give it a more upbeat and wild feel to me. The Golden Leftovers version comes across as far more weary, haggard, and sad. The two takes are much like the highs and lows within the song.

Now it is time for pie:

And now it is time for a cool live version, Beck playing the song in Minneapolis on June 29, 1994 with Ray & Glover.

Download it here.

Cheers, Beck!

(update: newt’s pie photo links now work)