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 offeringsβeverything from hip-hop to latin musicβand his mother's art scene β 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 themeβthe 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.
Walls
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get a thrill
In my brains
Some days I'm trying to turn to my veins
See a face
Into the mirror
Reflecting
Because you know
I'm never better
Than that
Some days are worse
Than you can imagine
How am I supposed
To live with that?
On this train wreck is coming a random
Hey
What are you gonna do
When those walls
Are falling down
Falling down on you?
Hey
What are you gonna do
When those walls
Are falling down
Falling down on you?
You got warheads
Stacked in the kitchen
You treat distraction
Like an instant religion
The battlesticks snap
At the rhythm
You give your best
With the souls
You've been given
Cause you know
You're nothing
Special to them
Going someplace
You've already been
Trying to make sense
Of what
They call wisdom
And this riff-raff
Life ain't with them
Hey
What are you gonna do
When those walls
Are falling down
Falling down on you?
Hey
What are you gonna do
When those walls
Are falling down
Falling down on you?
You're wearing all
Of the years on your face
Turn a tombstone
You roll into place
And your heart
Only beats in a murmur
But your words ring out just
Like murder
The song "Walls" by Beck is a reflection on the struggles of life and the constant battle to stay afloat. The lyrics describe the ups and downs that come and go with the passing days, sometimes feeling like a thrill in the brain, and other times causing pain and the desire to escape through self-harm. The line "some days are worse than you can imagine" highlights the depth of despair that can happen in life, leaving one feeling helpless and lost.
The chorus brings to light the question of what to do when everything starts crumbling down. The walls represent the barriers we put up around us to protect ourselves, but they can also be our undoing if they come crashing down on us. The lyrics suggest that there is no easy answer to this predicament, and we must face the consequences of our actions and reactions to life's trials.
The second half of the song delves into the struggles of living a life with distractions and dealing with the battles that come our way. The lines "you treat distraction like an instant religion" and "you give your best with the souls you've been given" portray the importance of making the best of the given situation, even when it seems bleak. The final lines "your words ring out just like murder" leave us with a sense of impending doom and the realization that life can be painful, and we just have to take it one step at a time.
Line by Line Meaning
Some days
There are instances in life when
I get a thrill
I feel excited and exhilarated
In my brains
Inside my mind
Some days I'm trying to turn to my veins
At times, I resort to drugs to cope up with my problems
See a face
Notice a reflection
Into the mirror
On a reflective surface
Reflecting
Displaying
On the surface of fear
Showing my anxiety and dread
Because you know
As you are aware
I'm never better
I am never at my best
Than that
More than what I'm experiencing right now
Some days are worse
Occasionally, the situation is even more challenging
Than you can imagine
Beyond what you can comprehend
How am I supposed
What is expected of me
To live with that?
To deal with such a situation
On this train wreck is coming a random
Another catastrophe is imminent
Hey
Listen
What are you gonna do
What actions will you take
When those walls
When the obstacles
Are falling down
Are collapsing
Falling down on you?
Having a detrimental impact on you?
You got warheads
You possess dangerous weapons
Stacked in the kitchen
Stored in the cooking area
You treat distraction
You handle diversions or interruptions
Like an instant religion
As a quick and compelling fix to your problems
The battlesticks snap
The weapons make a loud sound,
At the rhythm
In sync with the beat
You give your best
You exert all your effort
With the souls you've been given
With the people you have in your life
Cause you know
As you are aware
You're nothing special to them
You are not exceptional or distinctive to others
Going someplace
Heading to a destination
You've already been
You have visited previously
Trying to make sense
Attempting to comprehend
Of what they call wisdom
Of what is purportedly considered wise
And this riff-raff life ain't with them
This chaotic and disorganized lifestyle is not part of their lifestyle
You're wearing all of the years on your face
You look old and tired from all the life experiences
Turn a tombstone
Become immobile or static
You roll into place
You move to your assigned location
And your heart only beats in a murmur
Your heart only pumps feebly
But your words ring out just like murder
You express harmful or violent thoughts
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul Guiot, Paul Justin Francois Piot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JoΕ‘ko
I was 11 years old when I first heard this song (playing NBA live 09). I was way to young to appreciate it. Randomly came back to this song by listening to the playlist of the game. What a masterpiece. Im glad i can appreciate it now. Interesting I built up the same mental barriers he is talking about in the song
Ronaldo AraΓΊjo
Really cool... keep it going, learning...
Purp Osama
πππ nba live n 2k always have π₯ tracks you want forget
Michael Gill
all Sports games Had the Coolest Soundtracks
Elijah Campbell
U never too young to appreciate music
Michael Gill
@Elijah Campbell Amen Good Sir
Π°Π»Π΅ΠΊΡΠ°Π½Π΄Ρ Π½Π΅ΡΡΠ΅ΡΠΎΠ²
how can you not get addicted to the drums in this song? hail to beck and danger mouse
Well Dweller
dangermouse took it to another level with this one. so many layers there, awesome.
lolita88th
this song is truly-sincerelly,faithfully an absolute masterpiece
Stormy Lovely
To this day this is still my favorite beck song