Mellow Gold [Explicit Lyrics]

Beck | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 1, 1994)
• Original Release Date: March 1, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000003TB2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,916 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Lo-Fi

Track Listings

1. Loser

2. Pay No Mind (Snoozer)

3. F---in With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock)

4. Whiskey Clone, Hotel City 1997

5. Soul Suckin' Jerk

6. Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)

7. Sweet Sunshine

8. Beercan

9. Steal My Body Home

10. Nitemare Hippy Girl

11. Mutherf---er

12. Blackhole

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Far more than a novelty jester, Beck is a musical anarchist and bummed-out street prophet whose audience will squirm and thrill to the slacker delta blues of "Whiskeyclone" and urban nightmares like "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs." --Jeff Bateman

Product Description

Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) pressing includes one 'hidden 'bonus track. Universal. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beck's Best, April 19, 2000

By 

S. R Robertson "crap basket" (Oh Henry?) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mellow Gold (Audio CD)

An early member of the straight-to-tape lo-fi marathon that is artists like Guided By Voices & Ween, Beck established his own style in addition to being quirky & reminiscent of those artists. Beck is sort of like a story-telling enigma, Bob Dylan to the next level, you might say. His songs can either be ironic & narrative or slapstick & bizzare. This is definitely evident in "Mellow Gold", which, in my opinion, is better and more artistic than "Odelay". A mixture of Dylanesque folk("Pay No Mind", "Whiskeyclone Hotel City, 1997", "Truckdriving Neighbors Downstairs", "Blackhole"), ambient psychadelic explorations("Steal My Body Home"), quirky hip-hop("Loser", "Soul Sucking Jerk", "Beercan", "Sweet Sunshine"), and a small touch of rock("F****ing With My Head", "Mother****er"). If you are interested in getting into Beck, "Mellow Gold" is the place to start.

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Bizarre, March 18, 2003

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mellow Gold (Audio CD)

I enjoy artists like Beck. When he created this CD he clearly didn't care what was popular and what would sell. Instead, he did his own, often quirky, sometimes amusing, and nearly always enjoyable, thing. The range of styles is interesting. On this CD are elements of thrash ("Sweet Sunshine"), blues ("Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997" and "Pay no Mind", where he also sounds a bit like Dylan), progressive ("Blackhole"), and grunge ("Loser"). There are even hints of pop, hillbilly and folk. Beck chooses elements that fit his concept for a particular song and I suspect he cares little whether a particular listener likes or doesn't like a particular song.

I can see how some listeners might not like this CD. The styles are too broad for people with a narrow range of tastes, or for those whose definition of cutting edge music is limited to one genre. Beck has a relatively mellow style on this CD, as the title suggests, that might also put some listeners off. However, while the overall style is mellow, there are enough changeups in pace that this CD held my interest from beginning to end.

The lyrics owe more to blues than to pop or rock. Beck nearly always seems to want to tell a story or make a point. That doesn't mean the lyrics are sung in a blues style, only that Beck likes to have a purpose to his lyrics, which is a characteristic of blues. The only objection I have to the lyrics is personal, in that the CD I have is the explicit lyrics version, and I really didn't need the four-letter words to enjoy the music.

The music itself is wonderfully bizarre. The range and combination of instruments I can barely begin to guess at because Beck combines electronic effects with various combinations of instruments and frequently bizarre vocal effects to create a complex mix of sound that challenges my ability to decipher. Beck combines this mixture with the previously mentioned combination of styles to synthesize quirky, yet interesting sounds. For an example of what I'm talking about, listen to "Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)". The principal instrument in this song is an acoustic guitar, but the vocals range from a falsetto to a bass in a bizarre combination. This last song might have been something that Frank Zappa might have sung, though without the four-letter words.

Perhaps the best-known song on this CD is "Loser", which received a fair amount of video airplay on MTV and VH1. The video was every bit as experimental as the remainder of the CD is musically. With elements of grunge and no real plot or theme, the video is impressionistic, and has more of a theme than a story. However, given the range of music on this CD, do not judge the CD by "Loser", because it is the only song like it on the CD.

"Steal My Body Home" sounds like psychedelic rock. Cool song, very slow, interesting electronic effects. Turn on the black lights! I had to mention this song because I like its combination of retro-psychedelic sound with grunge and other elements. The next song is "Nightmare Hippy Girl", which seems to fit with the psychedelic song just previous, but the styling of "Nightmare Hippy Girl" is more folk-rock than psychedelic rock. Yet, it fits.

My favorite song is "Blackhole". The progressive elements have tinges of The Moody Blues from the time of "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and "Seventh Sojourn", but of course Beck has made this in a style all his own. At about five and a half minutes into the song, the music stops, and when it restarts it is no longer music, it is a bizarre combination of sound effects a la King Crimson, but sped up and with a greater range. It sounds weird, but interesting.

This CD is so weird that it may be inaccessible to some listeners. However, it is exactly this wonderfully strange and weird music that drew me to progressive music in the first place. Beck is a music artist, experimenting to create the unusual. He certainly does that here. I recommend this CD to those who like music as art, particular for those who like mellow progressive rock.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mellow Gold by Beck never seems to get stale, November 27, 1999

By 

John Stephens (Guerneville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mellow Gold (Audio CD)

While the musical styles on this album are diverse they share annoyingly catchy tunes, interesting arrangements and thought-provoking lyrics. Unlike some albums that fade with time, when I return to listen to Mellow Gold it always sounds fresh. On some tracks it feels like a trip to Lowlifesville and you will find yourself humming these tunes unable to explain to anyone why you like them. Beck is one eclectic artist who makes his diverse influences merge in a satisfyingly original sounding manner. Anyone who can write Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs is one twisted individual - I love it.