Odelay

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Odelay
Odelay cover
Studio album by Beck
Released June 18, 1996
Recorded 1994–1995
Genre Alternative rock
Length 54:13
Label DGC
Producer Beck Hansen, The Dust Brothers, Mario Caldato, Jr, Brian Paulson, Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf
Professional reviews
Beck chronology
One Foot in the Grave
(1994)		 Odelay
(1996)		 Mutations
(1998)
Singles from Odelay
  1. "Where It's At"
    Released: 1996
  2. "Devils Haircut"
    Released: 1996
  3. "The New Pollution"
    Released: 1997
  4. "Sissyneck"
    Released: 1997
  5. "Jack-Ass"
    Released: 1997

Odelay is the second major-label studio album by alternative rock artist Beck. After the mainstream success of "Loser", Odelay featured several hit singles, including "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut," and "The New Pollution." The album peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually sold over 2 million copies in the United States. It was also Beck's first hit album in the United Kingdom, making #17; it has since gone platinum in the UK. Prior to the release of The Information, it was announced that Odelay would be reissued and expanded with bonus tracks to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the album's release, though it was not to be released until January 29, 2008.

Contents

[edit] Musical style

Odelay! might have been drastically different in direction and style. In 1994, when Beck started to record tracks for his follow-up to Mellow Gold, he recorded a number of songs with Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf of Bong Load, but then decided to work with the Dust Brothers instead. Three songs from these Bong Load sessions have been released: one, "Ramshackle", was included on Odelay!, and two others: "Feather in Your Cap," which was released on the soundtrack to SubUrbia, and "Brother," which was not available to the public until the release of the "Jack-Ass" single in 1997. All three of these songs are acoustic, sparse, and melancholy, and have a haunting sound very different from the more upbeat, "party" style of Odelay!.

[edit] Reception

Odelay won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997. It was ranked 16 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005". It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 305 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Voters in Channel 4's 2005 "100 Greatest Albums" poll placed it at number 73. The music website Pitchfork Media ranked it at #19 on their top 100 albums of the 1990s.

[edit] Artwork

The album's unusual cover photo, which some people misinterpreted as a mop head jumping over a hurdle, is actually a real photo of a Komondor, a rare Hungarian breed of dog with thick matted hair. This came after Bush released their album Sixteen Stone, which featured a similar looking dog called a Puli being thrown into the air on the inside cover.

The image was chosen at the last minute after Beck failed to decide on an album cover. The image was presented to him by his girlfriend and was chosen almost out of desperation. The typeface was chosen by record company worker.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Original issue

All songs written by Beck, John King and Michael Simpson, except where noted. All tracks produced by Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers, except where noted.

  1. "Devils Haircut" – 3:14
  2. "Hotwax" – 3:49
  3. "Lord Only Knows" (Beck Hansen) – 4:14
  4. "The New Pollution" – 3:39
  5. "Derelict" – 4:12
  6. "Novacane" – 4:37
  7. "Jack-Ass" – 4:11
  8. "Where It's At" – 5:30
  9. "Minus" (Beck Hansen) – 2:32
    • Produced by Beck Hansen, Mario Caldato Jr. and Brian Paulson.
  10. "Sissyneck" – 3:52
  11. "Readymade" – 2:37
  12. "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" – 4:10
  13. "Ramshackle" (Beck Hansen) – 7:29
    • Produced by Tom Rothrock and Tom Schnapf.
    • Includes a hidden track called "Computer Rock"
    • Some non-U.S. versions contain "Diskobox" and/or "Clock" as bonus tracks.

[edit] Deluxe Edition

On January 29, 2008, Odelay - Deluxe Edition was released [1]. The two-disc set contains the original album, plus 19 b-sides, remixes and previously unreleased songs. The liner notes feature complete lyrics and artwork as well as an essay from Thurston Moore and the transcript of 15 high school students interviewed by Dave Eggers.

Strangely enough, an officially released Odelay era rarity, "Diskobox", was not included on the deluxe edition for unknown reasons. It was also rumored prior to the release of the deluxe edition that the Odelay sessions version of "Debra" (later re-recorded for Midnite Vultures) would be included, but it is not featured here.

The Deluxe Edition of Odelay also includes some changes to the original album, including an extended "Sissyneck," an altered "New Pollution" introduction, and a more explicitly double-tracked vocal on "Hotwax."[2]. No official explanation for these changes has been mentioned. Additionally, some of the bonus tracks on the Deluxe Edition appear to be from lossy (e.g. MP3) sources (Specifically "Deadweight" and "Clock").

Cover Art for Odelay(Deluxe Edition], albeit slightly altered
Cover Art for Odelay(Deluxe Edition], albeit slightly altered

Disc 1

  1. "Devils Haircut" - 3:15
  2. "Hotwax" - 3:49
  3. "Lord Only Knows" - 4:15
  4. "The New Pollution" - 3:39
  5. "Derelict" - 4:13
  6. "Novacane" - 4:37
  7. "Jack-Ass" - 4:12
  8. "Where It's At" - 5:30
  9. "Minus" - 2:32
  10. "Sissyneck" - 3:57
  11. "Readymade" - 2:37
  12. "High 5 (Rock The Catskills)" - 4:11
  13. "Ramshackle" - 4:47
  14. "Hidden Track (Computer Rock)" - 0:43
  15. "Deadweight" - 6:12
  16. "Inferno" (previously unreleased) - 7:03
  17. "Gold Chains" (previously unreleased) - 4:59

Disc 2

  1. "Where It's At" (U.N.K.L.E. remix) - 12:26
  2. "Richard's Hairpiece" (remix by Aphex Twin) - 3:19
  3. "American Wasteland" (remix by Mickey P.) - 2:42
  4. "Clock" - 3:17
  5. "Thunder Peel" - 2:40
  6. "Electric Music And The Summer People" - 4:38
  7. "Lemonade" - 2:21
  8. "SA-5" - 1:53
  9. "Feather In Your Cap" - 3:46
  10. "Erase The Sun" - 2:56
    • Sped up from the originally released length of 3:16.
  11. "000.000" - 5:25
  12. "Brother" - 4:47
  13. "Devil Got My Woman" - 4:34
  14. "Trouble All My Days" - 2:25
  15. "Strange Invitation" - 4:06
  16. "Burro" - 3:13

[edit] Samples

[edit] Personnel

  • Beck – organ, acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica, percussion, celeste, drums, electric guitar, keyboards, electric piano, vocals, clavinet, producer, slide guitar, art direction, design, mixing
  • Mike Boito – organ, trumpet
  • Mario Caldato, Jr. – producer, mixing
  • Charlie Haden – bass
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering, photography
  • Mike Millius – screams
  • Brian Paulson – producer, mixing
  • Tom Rothrock – producer, mixing
  • Rob Schnapf – producer, mixing
  • Joey Waronker – percussion, drums
  • Dust Brothers – producer, mixing
  • Robert Fisher – art direction, design
  • Nitin Vadukul – photography
  • Zarim Osborn – artwork, collage
  • Al Hansen – artwork, collage
  • Shauna O'Brien – coordination, production coordination
  • Manuel Ocampo – artwork, paintings, collage
  • David Brown – saxophone
  • Ross Harris (The Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Beck's Odelay Given Deluxe Reissue Treatment
  2. ^ Beck Forum • View topic - Odelay Remastered ??? (or something)

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Beck
Studio albums
Other albums
Singles
See also