IMAGI-BLOG
Is Beck Bullshit?
Submitted by ChrisB on August 31, 2008.
I don't want to write too much on this to take anything away from my friend Imaginary Kiku's forthcoming review of Beck's performance last night at Bumbershoot (and I know we're in disagreement already). I do, however, want to put this out there and ask the question that was running through my mind for most of last evening: Is Beck bullshit?
When Beck was on stage, he went mostly through his catalogue of hits - and some of them are very good ("Devil's Haircut", "Loser", "Where It's At") and those were well received. When he closed out his set (before the encore) with 4 or 5 slower, less signature songs, the crowd was indifferent at best. This was also the same performance he could have given at any stop on his tour - there was nothing about this that made it unique. Is Beck becoming an oldies act? One small group in my section was debating the merits of visual vs. performance art late in the set and when I left I overheard a handful of Scientology/L. Ron Hubbard jokes.
Maybe I'm mistaken. I did spend a lot of time listening to Odelay during my teenage years but have only enjoyed a few singles recently and haven't really cared for a proper Beck release in the 2000s. He didn't sound bad or screw up any lyrics or anything. I was disppointed. Am I full of shit? Was I (second-hand) smoking the marijuana that was prevalent throughout the set? Comment below and let me what you all thought.
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Imaginary Kiku said on August 31, 2008:
I won't pretend to understand your experience, but perhaps Beck holds a certain amount of mystery and magic that dissipates over time for a person.
Review coming soon!
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Levi said on August 31, 2008:
Seriously, Sea Change didn't grab you? Then I don't know what to say. I'm not the world's biggest Beck fan - I haven't heard his last couple albums - but no, I don't think he's "bullshit."
To modify ryan3000's statement, I would say that big stadium shows are, usually, bullshit. Not sure what Beck would have done to make this performance unique for Bumbershoot - write a little Bumbershoot anthem? - but it's hard for any performance in a big ol' stadium to feel special. Barring the Pixies' performance at Bumbershoot a few years ago, which was indeed magical.
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Jon Harthun said on September 1, 2008:
I don't really see the need for this to be an entire post and not just a comment on Kiku's review...
Once he pulled out the acoustic and did "Golden Age" and "Lost Cause" I was sold.
Whoever was running the vocals in the sound both screwed up a ton though.
To say Beck is an oldies act is to say you haven't kept up with his catalog. He played stuff from "Stereopathetic Soulmanure" through "Modern Guilt". If it seems like he was banging out all the hits/staples, maybe it's because he's got a huge list of 'em.
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JD said on September 1, 2008:
Are you kidding me? Sea Change? Beck is not bullshit man. You shouldn't be afraid to get high and listen/watch music. Maybe it would help open up your mind a bit to the good shit!
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ChrisB said on September 1, 2008:
Sea Change came out in 2002 and during that period of my life I was 23 and listening almost exclusively to music sung by Jack White and Julian Casablancas, so Sea Change didn't grab me then but I will go back an listen to it again. I was underwhelmed with Guero and The Information. Modern Guilt I've yet to pick up because the last two were disappointing and I've yet to read a review that would convince me I should buy it.
As for the mainstage, I thought Neko Case was pretty great there earlier in the day (and she's someone I've seen play at the Crocodile before). Pixies were pretty amazing on the main stage and so was Public Enemy a few years ago. I don't think Beck was swallowed whole by the mainstage, I do, though, think he could have acknowledged the huge crowd there for him instead of just walking on stage and playing his songs and saying nothing in between.
Yes, I know Beck played those songs and he played "Nausea" and "I Think I'm in Love" from The Information but U2 still plays songs from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb too. I just don't think anyone cared. They wanted "Loser" and the Odelay stuff and discussed art theory when they weren't getting it; that was what I meant by him being an oldies act.
As for the necessity of this post, I wanted to get people talking about this show (which I thought would be polarizing) and there was no review posted at the time (or even as I write this) for me to do so. Jon, you'd think I never questioned the necessity of any of your posts.
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cosby said on September 1, 2008:
the comparison of beck to u2 is apt even though u2's string of hits was much longer before turning into adult oriented radio mush.
can anyone really argue that beck has been in more than a holding pattern for at least the last three albums? he's spent the last five years recycling his trademark sound and (quasi-meaningless) lyrics. nothing he is doing now is innovative, it's more like a 'remember when i did this one time before' retrospective disguised as new music.
ps. if i weren't in middle school when it came out, i probably would've hated 'loser'. listening to 'mellow gold' is like listening to a headache - that album was in my possession for under a year before going to the used bins.
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Imaginary Shrie said on September 2, 2008:
Dude, Beck is not bullshit. His catalog is varied, forward-thinking and fresh.
That being said... are festivals really the best place to experience a band? In the vast number of shows and festivals I've been to I would have to say definitely NO. Sometimes festival shows are spectacular. More often than not they are less than amazing.
Cut him some slack. He is a true musical genius.
IGshr*e
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james said on September 2, 2008:
Modern Guilt is a cool record - well worth a listen. He's still got it.
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jrrrl said on September 8, 2008:
I would not be shocked at all if the next time Beck was in the area he played at the Emerald Queen Casino.
Oldies acts play their newer stuff too, and they get the same reaction as Beck when he plays his newer stuff.
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Cillian said on September 8, 2008:
Beck isn't old, he just doesn't sound like he used to (not as much raping) His image is much quieter than in his early days (listen to the Where It's At live jam from some years ago. He gets a bit... excited).
However, Beck is growing old gracefully. Despite the reviews, Modern Guilt is a great album. Its tuneful and has some real emotion behind it.
'Walls' IS shit though.
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imaginary dana said on September 8, 2008:
I for one am glad to hear Beck doesn't have as much raping as he used to. ;)
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Imaginary Kiku said on September 9, 2008:
I thought Beck always rapped quite successfully! But I agree, Beck has never been about a consistent sound, he changes his sound pretty much each album.
Gamma Rays is genius!
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ChrisB said on September 9, 2008:
Haha! I am ambivalent about Beck's rapping but how much raping did we let him get away with before?
Hehe. (Apparently I am still a 12 year old boy.)
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Reviews
"dave" said on August 31, 2008:
After all those "hits" ("Devil's Haircut?"), I thought it was cool to hear some songs I was unfamiliar with, and some slower cuts. Then again, I was perfectly stoned. Did y'all feel that cool breeze and see the seagulls flying over the stage, etc?