Odelay

I'm going to take a different approach to reviewing albums on Amazon. Instead of going in depth on each album and describe each album in detail, i'm going to simply rate each album with how many stars I feel each album is worth based on the below criteria. I hope this helps you make a better decision on purchasing this album with a simple individual rating. If it doesn't help read another review.
5 stars- Classic, Album goes beyond description, Perfect in every way, Could remind you of a certain time or place, Lifetime replay value.
4.5 stars- Near Classic, Incredible album, Maybe only one song that is skippable or just overall doesn't quite deserve classic status. High replay value.
4.0 stars- Awesome album. Very solid album from start to finish. Met every expectation and more. Maybe only one song or two that is skippable or just doesnt' quite deserve a classic or near classic rating. High replay value.
3.5 stars- Above average album. Solid from start to finish but there are a few songs worth skipping. Met expectations, minimal replay value.
3.0 stars- Average album. Nothing bad but nothing great either. After the initial appeal will collect dust.
2.5 stars- Major disappointment. You had high expectations that were ruined as this album is not good at all. There might be only one or two songs worth listening to. No replay value.
2.0 stars- Below average album. This album doesnt bother you to hear as background music but you would rather not listen to it if you didnt have to. No songs really appeal. No replay value.
1.5 stars- Terrible album. Makes one sick to hear it. No songs really appeal but there might be one song that you could stand to hear. Would rather throw in garbage than even waste space in your collection.
1.0 stars- Makes one cringe and the ears bleed!
*keep in mind, each album review might not be based on opinion of the band but the album itself in the bands discography

Long considered pioneering white-boy, fusion-funkster-extraordinaire Beck's masterpiece, Odelay may in fact be the greatest summation of this man's dirty pop, distinctly reeling in his dance, rock, funk and experimental sides in the most cohesive and accessible disc of his career to that date by far. Some selections might have grown a tad tiresome over the decade, lacking the truly scuzzy heart of another masterpiece of his, the previous lo-fi odyssey Mellow Gold, or the production wit of Midnight Vultures...but in the end captures this influential modern artist at his commercial and creative crossroad best.

If you plan on buying this, be aware that there is a deluxe edition coming out January 29, 2008. This will have the original album plus 2 tracks on the first cd. the second cd will have b-sides and remixes. It will probably cost around 25-30 bucks.

Beck's second album is often called his masterpiece, and I'm not arguing much. Like last time out, he often succeeds in bridging the gap between rap and everything else, most notably rap, surf-rock and techno on the amazing yet stupid "Devils Haircut" (with lyrics that mock death-metal), and rap, jazz, and soul on the brilliant, sample-laced hit single "Where It's At", which to many is Beck's shot at artistic credibility. But it's every bit "goofy novelty" as "Loser". Let us not forget that a lot of samples on the song are from an obscure sex-ed record. Yeah, that's mature. Thankfully, I can't praise the song enough: the samples are amazingly integrated into the song, the organ is beautiful, and every time I hear the song, I pick up on something I previously missed. Plus who can forget that chorus? "I got two turntables and a microphone!" He also pumps out a couple very solid alt-rockers, like the nerdy "Hotwax" and "New Pollution", which ends in an unforgettable sax loop. And just to prove his eclectism, he throws in some odd material like the Eastern drone "Derelict" and the impossible-to-classify, overbearing "Novocain", which has turntables, buzzing guitars, hip-hop drums, R&B horns, bass, electric piano, and vocals all going at more-or-less the same time. To me, that's where the album caves in - it's like he was trying to show us just how much noise he could pack into four-and-a-half minutes. This is redeemed by the ironically beautiful (or should I say ironic beauty?) of "J*cka**", a very lovely song with a title that suggests just the opposite. Confused? So am I. But there are times when I think only Beck knows what he's intending. It contains a deadly accurate Dylan harmonica interpretation, provided by Them (it's a sample of Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" - again, seamlessly incorporated!). Continuing on my "Beck-does-everything!" thread, "Minus" is a solid bit of sludgy hard rock, and the humorous "Sissyneck" is entertaining country-funk. Yes, that's right, country-funk. And "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" is the closest thing to pure rap I've ever heard Beck do. Well, up until that weird classical loop that he throws in just for the sake of throwing it in. And then turns around and delivers heavy guitars. Okay, forget what I said about pure hip-hop. It's a super song, though - that spoken part at 2:40, after those weird samples, is funny, all right. And unexpected. I'm unsure what I think of "Ramshackle", though: it's pretty and well-written, but it's kinda boring and has a kinda crappy hidden track - just a minute of Beck strangling his guitar. Thanks, man! But the songwriting here is exceptional; it's eclectic; and it's packed with all kinds of weird surprises. And Beck's a capable multi-instrumentalist, adding guitars (lead, rhythm, and slide), bass, drums, a wide variety of keyboards, and vocals. "Novocain" is horrible, but most the rest is stellar.

Beck's a pretty eclectic artist. He raps, sings, does folky songs, rock, and a lot of weird stuff. He samples a bunch of artists on Odelay, and puts all the sounds together to create an album that is both wide ranging and still cohesive in the unique sum of its parts. There are a variety of instruments used and no song sounds much like any other. I don't know how much of it can really be attributed to Beck and how much credit you really have to give to the original artists he borrows from so heavily, which is part of the reason I'm not totally huge on it. Even if he's not responsible for some of the music though, he still put it all together, made plenty of instrumentation on his own, and did all the vocal stuff. The songs are transformed to fit into his style, so it's not just like he took a riff he liked and sang or rapped over it.

The album starts with a great guitar part and trademark repetitive-yet-catchy chorus in "Devil's Haircut". The next track, "Hotwax" has an odd mix of country guitar and electronic scratching. "The New Pollution" is a nice song with some eccentric noises and a smooth sax part sprinkled in. "Novacane" tricks you into thinking it's going to be mellow before busting into the cooler, hard center of the song. "Where It's At" is the single everyone knows, a pretty enjoyable rap-heavy song. "Minus" is probably the fastest-paced song, and a pretty good one. "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" is one of the stranger tracks, and fairly wandering. "Ramshackle" is another acoustic, slower song to cap off the album in fine form. There isn't that much about Odelay that's truly amazing, but it's a completely solid and enjoyable record the whole way through.