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.
Modesto
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind it got a dent
I couldn't make my rent
Cos all my cash was lent
This town is filled
With thousand-dollar-bills
Laminated songs
Well we eat about fifteen times a day
Starin' through a bag of Frito Lay
And I play with the fire in the stove
When my eyes peel out and my fingertips get cold
Well it's real and it's fake
And it's flamin' like a steak
And she's puttin' out my face with the rake
Oh honey you knew
That you were my one and only blur
Unglued, depressed
The meatloaf in my chest
Personality test
I failed with the best
And I stomped and I stormed
And I passed out in your dorm
Then you hustled me outside
I couldn't catch a ride
But the subway trains speak to me now
I'm browsing through the supermarket town
And the girls don't talk when I'm around
And I'm feelin' bad even though nothing's wrong
Chokin' on a breath-mint
That's cool
Yeah, that's cool
The song “Modesto” by Beck is a reflection of his experiences and emotions during his visits to Modesto, California. The lyrics reveal personal struggles with depression and financial problems. Beck compares the laminated songs with the “thousand-dollar-bills” present in the town, suggesting that the pursuit of wealth has taken priority over creative endeavors. The line "Well we eat about fifteen times a day" might reflect the consumption-driven culture where people constantly eat as a source of comfort. Beck also talks about playing with the fire in the stove; this could be a metaphor for taking risks, while the lyrics "When my eyes peel out and my fingertips get cold" suggest that he feels exposed and vulnerable.
Beck reveals feelings of love and anxiety through the lines “Well it's real and it's fake, And it's flamin' like a steak, And she's puttin' out my face with the rake, Oh honey you knew, That you were my one and only blur” The persona seems to be struggling with the fear of rejection while satisfying his love interest's demands. He further portrays his hopeless state of mind when he says "Chokin' on a breath-mint," suggesting that he is trying to keep his breath fresh as he considers his future.
Overall, "Modesto" is a song about a common theme; struggling with identity, self-worth, and depression. Beck paints a picture of a town driven by materialism and consumption, leaving little room for creativity, and personal connection.
Line by Line Meaning
You came, you went
Someone left, and it left a lasting impact
My mind it got a dent
The person's departure had a negative impact on my mental state
I couldn't make my rent
The emotional toll was so great that it affected my monetary situation
Cos all my cash was lent
All of my financial resources were already allocated elsewhere
This town is filled
The setting is a town or city that is full of contradictions
With thousand-dollar-bills
There is wealth and excess all around
Laminated songs
The culture is artificial and manufactured
Contaminated lawns
The beauty is superficial and masking deeper issues
Well we eat about fifteen times a day
Consumerism and overindulgence are rampant
Starin' through a bag of Frito Lay
The person is engaging in mindless consumption to fill the void
And I play with the fire in the stove
The person is doing risky or self-destructive things, possibly to feel something
When my eyes peel out and my fingertips get cold
The person is pushing themselves to the brink of their limits
Well it's real and it's fake
The experience is both authentic and manufactured
And it's flamin' like a steak
The intensity is high and dangerous
And she's puttin' out my face with the rake
Someone is purposely causing harm to the person
Oh honey you knew
The person is addressing someone who took advantage of them
That you were my one and only blur
The person was so consumed with this person that they cannot see clearly
Unglued, depressed
The person is coming apart at the seams and feeling hopeless
The meatloaf in my chest
The person is experiencing intense anxiety or stress
Personality test
The person has been evaluated and found wanting
I failed with the best
The person wasn't even able to succeed at failing
And I stomped and I stormed
The person is expressing their frustration and anger
And I passed out in your dorm
The person is recalling a specific moment of weakness
Then you hustled me outside
The person was treated poorly and left exposed
I couldn't catch a ride
The person is stranded and alone
But the subway trains speak to me now
The only source of solace is through impersonal, artificial means
I'm browsing through the supermarket town
The person is aimlessly wandering, looking for something to fill the void
And the girls don't talk when I'm around
The person is isolated and cannot connect with others
And I'm feelin' bad even though nothing's wrong
The person is overwhelmed with emotion, without an identifiable trigger
Chokin' on a breath-mint
The person is struggling to breathe, possibly due to anxiety or emotional distress
That's cool
The person is trying to maintain a facade of nonchalance despite their struggles
Yeah, that's cool
The person is reassuring themselves that everything is alright
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Beck Hansen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dick Gozinya
These are the kind of Beck songs that I love the most. The dance stuff does not do it for me as much. “I am feeling bad even though nothing’s wrong.”
Dick Gozinya
Searching for “Beck albums ranked” will likely get results that this is both his best and his worst album. I think it is one of his best.
Dick Gozinya
@FatherTime Stereopathetic Soulmanure. Great songs on this album and other songs that you may only like if you are a big Beck fan.
FatherTime
What album is this song on?
D B
This takes me back to the mid to late 90s...me and a few buddies had this album and One Foot In The Grave, used to play them endlessly
quichenight
This is the Beck I like
David Kolmer
Old-School Beck is that rad deck jam.
George Jackson
This, Schmoozer, and Atmospheric Conditions have to be my favorite beck songs of all time
disco quebrado
Goddamn the way his voice sinks at 1:01 and 2:39 is incredibly nostalgic and saddening. I really hope Beck sticks around for a long time, I would never be able to deal with him passing away.
IRHONLINE
song was inspired by a shitty time he had following some chick up to washington, being totally broke and instantly breaking up with her. bummer subject, bummer song