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…