Odelay

Beck

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 1996)
• Original Release Date: June 18, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000003TBP
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (179 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,521 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Beck brags here that he's "got two turntables and a microphone." He also has a sweeping aesthetic that sees no reason why musical allusions to hip-hop, the Beatles, James Brown, punk, Gram Parsons, cool jazz, and Dylan can't coexist in the same song. Throughout, he rap-sings with sincere irony--I bet he laughs at the sight of a jump-suited Elvis, then cries when the King starts to sing--and Odelay's rich collage of sound may very well prove a prediction of the future. If he ever finds the courage to can the loopy metaphors and just tell a story, he could take over the world. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happiness Is A Wacky Beck CD, June 30, 2003

By	A. Bubul (PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whoa, what a disc. This cd is just great all around. Every track is very, very unique, and several are remarkable. The hits (New Pollution, Devil's Haircut, Where It's At) are all good, but the real treasures are some of the lesser known songs on here. Hotwax is a weird, funk-inflected groove that will really catch your attention. Minus is a quick rocker that is also eye-widening, and Ramshackle is a long, bizarre ballad that is equally interesting. Beck's ingenuity was displayed on a minor scale before Odelay, and after this critically acclaimed award-winner, he's been a household name. Beck's fame is condign, and he is a good example of an artist that hasn't sold out. He sticks to what he does best. And that is writing outlandish songs that coalesce all genres into one fun, blurring album. Odelay could be an album for a party, for reading, for crying, for screaming, for laughing, you name it. It's so flexible and at the same time rigid enough to evoke passion and meaning each time you listen to it. I could go on and on about Beck and his masterful song-writing, but if you kept reading, it would detract from the most valuable time that would be better spent listening to the album. So do yourself a favor and pick this up if you don't have it. It will be a treat and a half.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone, January 2, 2006

By	M. Cryer "Big T-Bone" (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Odelay is one of those albums that leaves you smiling and thinking all at once. There are all kinds of genres crossed in this album. You'll hear funk, rap, bossa nova(he quotes Antonia Carlos Jobim briefly) and rock. The most interesting part of this album is not only the lesser known songs but that it still sounds fresh today almost ten years after it's release(June 18, 1996). There is something for everyone one this album which makes it a popular hit at parties. I'm new to Beck and Alternative Rock and I think I'll buy his Mellow Gold album next.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funky-Fresh Fantasic!, June 3, 2003

By	A. Klein "doomiteash" (New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Beck has to be one of the geniuses in music today. Who else could take so many different genres, stitch them together seemingly at random, and come up with a product that is so easy to listen to? Nothing that I've listened to (and I've listened to a lot of stuff) can make that claim like Beck can. "Odelay" is, in a word: awesome.

Let's take a look at the tracks on this disc. "Odelay" starts out with "Devils Haircut," a good indicator of what you can expect to hear on the rest of the CD: catchy drumbeats and hooks, noise which Beck's songs would almost seem naked without, and of course Beck's trademark lyrics. Next comes one of my favorite tracks, "Hotwax." This one mixes a laid-back beat with just enough feedback, retro keyboard hooks, and even a little accordion to keep things funky enough for the rhymes ("I get down, I get down, I get down all the way...") to seem right at home with. And ya just GOTTA love the ending! ("Who are you? I'm the enchanting Wizard of Rhythm.") "Lord Only Knows" starts out with a scream that hints at a rocker of a song, then abruptly shifts into a straightforward (for Beck) country-type tune that can very easily be "goin' back to Houston." "The New Pollution" is another one of the highlights here, with a groovy late '60s/early '70s vibe and a cool sax line thrown in for good measure. "Derelict" sounds like some Arabic song, which is vaguely seductive in nature. "Novacane" just plain rocks, with a serious truck-drivin', CB radio talkin' jam. "Jack-Ass" mellows thing out with a folky groove that seems to unravel (in a good way) at the end. Now we come to "Where It's At," one of THE songs of '96/'97 and one of the main reasons I got this CD in the first place. "Two turntables and a microphone" indeed. Funky, old-school rap with that great organ hook. "Minus" reminds me of something that Kurt Cobain (RIP) would come up with the music for. "Sissyneck" is a smooth country/blues-tinged tune with a great bassline. "Readymade" is perhaps best-described as "spacey," with enough "elevator music"/organ to keep it somewhat grounded. "High 5 (Rock The Catskills) is another rocker, sounding almost like something Kid Rock would do (check out the reference to "Novacane" in the middle of this one.) And last but not least, "Ramshackle" smoothes everything out with a very mellow, very folky sound. Keep listening after the end of this song for a little noise surprise.

Well, that's it. What else can I say about "Odelay," other than if you have yet to obtain a copy, do so!