Beck was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a former dancer for The Velvet Underground, founding member of the satirical band Black Fag, and visual artist). When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from hip-hop to latin music—and his mother's art scene – all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work.
Although Beck's work defies easy description, his eclecticism and genre experiments have sparked comparisons with Prince, though Beck was undoubtedly a less prolific artist, and drew on an absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style totally original when first exposed to mainstream audiences (indeed, some critics labeled him and his breakthrough single Loser as novelties - see below). Despite this individualism, Beck's music was very much a product of the 90s and the media age in general, with hip hop, indie/underground rock, electronic music and genre-benders like the Beastie Boys as notable touchstones; in addition, some critics could not resist likening his head-spinning lyrical aesthetic to a post-modern Bob Dylan sensibility.
After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck educated himself and traveled widely. In Germany, he spent time with his grandfather, fluxus artist Al Hansen. His artistic relationship with his grandfather may have influenced both his album art and sense of musical collage. He began the musical activity in 1988. The late-80's found him in New York City as part of the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.
Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade, destitute but motivated. During this time, Beck sought out (or snuck onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops. Some of his earliest and most thought-provoking recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.
In this atmosphere of heady creativity the founders of Bong Load Custom Records discovered Beck. Their 1993 12" vinyl Loser, from an initial run of 530 copies, created a sensation on college and alternative radio that led to a furious bidding war between labels to sign Beck. Eventually, he chose Geffen Records, who offered him terms that included an allowance for the release of independent albums while under contract (he may have owed Bong Load another album or two).
In 1994, Geffen's official debut release of Mellow Gold made Beck a mainstream smash success; it also led to his iconic status as the "slacker" representative of the alternative rock scene, although the title of the song had been ironic.
At the same time, he released Stereopathetic Soulmanure on Flipside Records and One Foot in the Grave on independent K Records. Beck took his act on the road with the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Still, some critics panned him as a one-hit wonder. Audiences' (especially at Lollapalooza) familiarity with Loser only, and their general disinterest in his other work only reinforced his image as a one-hit wonder. It's been said said that Beck released Stereopathetic Soulmanure and One Foot in the Grave to shake the Gen X-ers that associated themselves with him and made "Loser" their slacker anthem.
The one-hit wonder label was put to rest with the release of 1996's Odelay, a collaborative effort with The Dust Brothers, producers of Paul's Boutique. The lead single, "Where It's At", received heavy airplay and its video was in constant rotation on MTV. Within the year, Odelay had received perfect reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, having been listed on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 'Album of the Year'), receiving double-platinum status, and earning an impressive number of industry awards, including two Grammys.
Odelay was followed in 1998 by Mutations. Produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame, it was intended as a stopgap measure before the next album proper. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced 14 songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay, and was filled with folk and blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some even dating back as far as 1994.
In 1999, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures, an orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo supported by a world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza.
After Midnite Vultures came Sea Change in 2002, another airy and emotional album with producer Nigel Godrich, which became Beck's first U.S. Top 10 album, reaching # 8. Sea Change was conceptualized as an album with one unifying theme—the stages following the end of a relationship. The album also featured string arrangements by Beck's father and a sonically dense mix reminiscient of Mutations. The Sea Change tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band.
In September 2003, Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label album. Guero was produced by the Dust Brothers and Tony Hoffer and features a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes; it marked a return to Odelay-era sound. The album was released in March of 2005 and despite critical acclaim, the album received a more lackluster response from Beck's indie-oriented fanbase.
Beck married Marissa Ribisi in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen. 2004 also saw the release of "10 Years of Mellow Gold," a short documentary about Beck's first album.
Beck's next album, The Information was released on October 3, 2006. It is a largely electronic and ambient, filled with blips and beeps. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, who worked on "Sea Change" and a longtime Radiohead and Thom Yorke producer. The first single was Nausea, an acoustic rock hip hop song. The next single was Cellphone's Dead, and the third single was Think I'm In Love.
His next single, Timebomb, was released on iTunes on August 21, 2007, and the limited edition vinyl 12" was released on November 2, 2007, with an instrumental version of the song on the B-side. In December, 2007, it was announced that Timebomb had been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.
Modern Guilt was the eighth studio album by Beck. It was released on July 8, 2008. The album fulfilled Beck's recording contract with Interscope Records. Outside of North America, the record was released by XL Recordings. Its three singles were Chemtrails, Gamma Ray, and Youthless.
Modern Guilt features two contributions by Cat Power and was produced by Beck and Danger Mouse.
The album entered both the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart at number four, and gave Beck his first ever Top 10 placing on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number nine. The album has also been Beck's best charting album in Australia, reaching 13. It sold 84,000 copies in its first week. Although successful, this does not match the first week sales of The Information, which were 99,000. In December 2008, Modern Guilt was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
Song Reader, a project Beck released in December 2012, is 20 songs presented only as sheet music, in the hopes that enterprising musicians will record their own versions. The idea of Song Reader came about nearly fifteen years prior, shortly after the release of Odelay. When sent a book of transcribed sheet music for that album, Beck decided to play through it and grew interested in the world before recorded sound. He aimed to keep the arrangements as open as possible, to re-create the simplicity of the standards, and became preoccupied with creating only pieces that could fit within the Great American Songbook. In 2013 Beck began playing special Song Reader concerts with a variety of guests and announced he was working on a record of Song Reader material with other musicians as well as possibly a compilation of fan versions.
In the summer of 2013, Beck was reported to be working on two new studio albums: one a more self-contained acoustic disc in the vein of One Foot in the Grave and another described as a "proper follow-up" to Modern Guilt. Beck expects to release both albums independently. He released two standalone singles over the course of the summer: the electro ballad Defriended and the chorus-heavy I Won't Be Long. A third single, Gimme, appeared on September 17.
In October 2013, it was announced that Beck signed to Capitol Records. Beck released his twelfth studio album entitled Morning Phase on 21 February 2014. For the recording of Morning Phase, Beck reunited with many of the same musicians with whom he had worked on the critically acclaimed 2002 album Sea Change. On January 20, 2014, the album's first single Blue Moon was released. Beck released the second single, Waking Light, on February 4, 2014.
4 years later, on October 13th, 2017, Beck released the second album that was supposed to come out alongside Morning Phase. This album was called Colors. Colors is very different from Beck's previous albums, in which he takes a stab at pop music. Beck's expertise, mixing genres, works in this album when he mixes Alternative Rock, hip hop, and a lot of Pop. The album's earliest single, "Dreams", was released in June 2015, and three more ("Wow", "Dear Life", "Up All Night") were released between June 2016 and September 2017. The title track was released as a single in April 2018. The album won the Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classic) at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
After a short wait, Beck released Hyperspace on November 22, 2019. There was little marketing for this album. The whole album is a collaboration with Pharrell Williams, as he produced almost every song on the album. The album's first single was "Saw Lightning" released on April 15, 2019, and had a folk-pop sound to it. It doesn't fit with the rest of the album's synth lo-fi sound. Other singles were "Hyperlife" and "Uneventful Days" on October 17, 2019, and "Dark Places" on November 7, 2019.
2) BECK can refer to a fictional rock band from the Japanese Anime series BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. The fictional BECK's songs feature in the BECK Original Sound Track. BECK's style and members are highly influenced by various different artists. From vocals in the style of Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine, guitar influenced by Tom Morello of the same band, the band is highly influenced by rap-rock.
As the series develops, other influence appear, including guitar in the style of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, and Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante. During the series, the band covers a famous The Beatles song, 'I've got a Feeling'. The name BECK could have possibly been influenced by the first artist Beck, mentioned above. Harold Sakushi, the original author of the series, has confirmed that BECK is generally based around the Red Hot Chili Peppers, being his favourite band.
Hotwax
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a frying pan when the fire's gone
Driving my pig while the bear's taking pictures in the grass
In my radio smashed
And I like pianos in the evening sun
Dragging my heals 'til my day is done
Saturday night in the Captain's clothes
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
I can't believe my way back when
My Cadillac pants going much to fast
Karaoke weekend at the suicide shack
Community service and I'm still the mack
Shocked my finger spicing my hand
I been spreading disease all across the land
Beautiful air-conditioned sitting in the kitchen
Wishing I was living like a hit man
Face down in the guarantees
Jaundiced marshal's getting busy with ease
Because I get down I get down
I get down all the way
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Sawdust songs of the plaid bartenders
Western Unions of the country westerns
Silver foxes looking for romance
In the chain smoke Kansas flash dance ass pants
And you got the hot wax residues
You never lose in your razor blade shoes
Stealing pesos out of my brain
Hazard signs down the Alamo lanes
Radar systems using the souls
You never get caught with the wax so rotten
All my days I got the grizzly worms
Hijacked flavors that I'm flipping like birds
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Who are you
I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm
Why did you come here?
I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe
The lyrics of Beck’s song “Hotwax” have a surreal and stream-of-consciousness quality to them, and it’s difficult to discern a cohesive narrative. However, there are some recurrent themes and images that stand out. The opening line – “It takes a backwash man to sing a backwash song” – suggests that the singer is a bit of an outsider or an unconventional character. The following lines juxtapose images of domesticity and mundane routine (“Driving my pig”) with more wild and free associations (“the bear’s taking pictures in the grass”). The reference to a smashed radio reinforces this sense of disruption or fragmentation.
The second stanza shifts to a more romantic and nostalgic tone, with the singer expressing a fondness for pianos and a desire to drag his heels until the day is done. The reference to the “Captain’s clothes” and “tin horns” suggests a carnival or festive atmosphere. The following lines, which are in Spanish, literally translate to “I am a scratched record / I have gum in my head,” and further underscore the theme of fragmentation and distortion.
The rest of the song continues in a similarly disjointed and cryptic vein, with references to karaoke, community service, disease, and hijacked flavors. The song concludes with a dialogue between two characters, one of whom is introduced as “the enchanting wizard of rhythm” who has come to share the secrets of the universe. Overall, the lyrics of “Hotwax” suggest a world that is both familiar and surreal, mundane and magical, and fragmented yet interconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
It takes a backwash man to sing a backwash song
Only someone who lives a rough life can truly express their experiences through music
Like a frying pan when the fire's gone
Feeling useless or empty, like a frying pan without a flame beneath it
Driving my pig while the bear's taking pictures in the grass
Going about your own business while others fool around or cause trouble nearby
In my radio smashed
Feeling disconnected or unable to escape the noise and chaos of the world
And I like pianos in the evening sun
Finding peace and beauty in simple, everyday experiences
Dragging my heals 'til my day is done
Reluctant to face responsibilities, putting things off until the last moment
Saturday night in the Captain's clothes
Dressing up for fun or to escape reality
Tin horns blowing with my jury 'phros
Enjoying the energy and excitement of a lively crowd
Yo soy un disco cabrado
I am a scratched record
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
I have gum in my brain
I can't believe my way back when
Reflecting on past experiences with disbelief or nostalgia
My Cadillac pants going much to fast
Feeling out of control or reckless
Karaoke weekend at the suicide shack
Finding unusual or dangerous ways to have fun
Community service and I'm still the mack
Maintaining pride and confidence even in difficult circumstances
Shocked my finger spicing my hand
Getting hurt or making a mistake due to carelessness or excitement
I been spreading disease all across the land
Negatively impacting others with one's actions or attitude
Beautiful air-conditioned sitting in the kitchen
Feeling trapped or unfulfilled despite outward appearances
Wishing I was living like a hit man
Fantasizing about having power or control over others
Face down in the guarantees
Feeling defeated or overwhelmed, but still committed to one's plans or goals
Jaundiced marshal's getting busy with ease
Government officials or other authorities abusing their power, but seeming to enjoy it
Because I get down I get down
Being confident in one's abilities or successes
I get down all the way
Fully committed and enthusiastic about what you do
Sawdust songs of the plaid bartenders
Stories or experiences shared by working-class, everyday people
Western Unions of the country westerns
Connecting with others, particularly through music or communication
Silver foxes looking for romance
Older individuals seeking love or companionship
In the chain smoke Kansas flash dance ass pants
In a chaotic or unfamiliar situation
And you got the hot wax residues
Being stuck in unpleasant or sticky situations
You never lose in your razor blade shoes
Being prepared or equipped to handle difficult or dangerous circumstances
Stealing pesos out of my brain
Feeling mentally or emotionally drained by stress or anxiety
Hazard signs down the Alamo lanes
Being warned or threatened by others, particularly in dangerous or difficult situations
Radar systems using the souls
Powers or institutions that seem to violate individual rights or freedoms
You never get caught with the wax so rotten
Avoiding blame or punishment for negative or immoral behavior
All my days I got the grizzly worms
Feeling burdened or weighed down by worries or insecurities
Hijacked flavors that I'm flipping like birds
Taking control of or adjusting one's situation or environment
Who are you
Questioning someone's identity or intentions
I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm
Describing oneself in a grand or imaginative way
Why did you come here?
Asking someone the reason for their presence or actions
I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe
Sharing something profound or inspiring with others
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.,
Written by: Beck Hansen, John King, Michael Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind