Archive for the ‘Beck’ Category

Rain with Beck

Wednesday, November 1st, 2017

I wasn’t washed away in the typhoon last week, so I guess I got that going for me. Funnily enough, I actually got to work early, with every single train running perfectly on time somehow. Of course, once I got there, my sole student for the day canceled and I just had to head back home.

Doubly of course, that’s when all the trains decided to shit the bed and leave me stranded halfway between my work and my home for half an hour.

Who could’ve predicted that? Oh yeah, that’s right – me. I predicted that.

I’d like to say that “making your employee trudge to work in a motherfucking typhoon for a customer who surely won’t come” is a specifically Japanese business trait, but we all know that fucking over the working man is an international tradition.

Beck
Mixed Bizness (Cornelius remix)
Mixed Bizness (Nu Wave Dreamix by Les Rythmes Digitales)
Mixed Bizness (DJ Me DJ You)
Mixed Bizness (Dirty Bixin Mixness Remix by Bix Pender)
Dirty Dirty
Saxx Laws (Night Flight to Ojai)

I posted a lot of these tracks before, eons ago and on a substandard vinyl ripping setup. These versions are taken from a CD-single I bought last week. So if you happen to have to old versions I shared back in 2011 and 2012, respectively, you’re gonna wanna download these regardless.

Beck is coming to Tokyo next month, but I will be skipping that show. I’m sure his new album is fine, I think it’s gotten good reviews, but I just don’t care. Until he announces a Midnite Vultures anniversary show where he plays that album from start to finish, count me out.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again and again), Midnite Vultures is Beck’s best work ever. Neo-funk classic. Sea Change? Fuck that shit. That’s mopey sad bastard bullshit for mopey sad bastards.

The Klaxons
Golden Skans (Sebastian Remix)
Golden Skans (Surkin Remix)
Golden Skans (Erol Ekstra Special Remix)
One day I am going to buy another album by this group I mean it. Judging on how quickly I’ve moved on these impulses in the past, I suspect “one day” will come by approximately 2028. Give or take.

Posted in B-sides, Beck, Klaxons, remixes | 1 Comment »

Beck Sucks I Love Beck

Tuesday, February 24th, 2015

Sorry for totally breaking my one post a week rule. Life has gotten very interesting as of late.

Interesting in a good way! But interesting in a way that has made it difficult to dedicate time to writing. Still and yet, I did manage to get one more installment of my Scrunged series up, this time looking at Bush. Take a look if you’d like to read my thoughts on one of the most forgettable multi-platinum rock bands of all-time.

Beck
Jack-Ass (Butch Vig Mix)
Devil’s Haircut (Remix By Mickey P.)
Okay, I need to rant about Beck winning album of the year at the Grammys. I know I’m late but I need to Kanye this shit.

That Beck album is garbage. Hot garbage. It’s sad bastard bullshit music for sad bastards. I’m sorry. I tried to listen to the entire thing but I just couldn’t. It’s boring, musically, lyrically, thematically, just about in every damn way imaginable. It has to be Beck’s worst album since Sea Change, another overrated piece of trash that critics have needlessly gone gaga over ever since its first release.

Beck’s best album is Midnite Vultures. I mean it.

What the hell is so special about Sea Change and Morning Phase? Both records could just be renamed Sad Man Sits In Front Of A Microphone And Whines.

Whoop.

De.

Shit.

Midnite Vultures, on the other hand, is a work of a wondrous genius. It’s Beck taking Prince and doing Prince better than 90% of Prince’s output for the past 20+ years. Taking funk and injecting it with an utterly leftfield production style and some of the strangest lyrics ever committed to tape. “Sexx Laws,” amazing. “Nicotine & Gravy,” funkified masterwork.” “Peaches & Cream,” down and dirty funk of the funkiest funkitude. And don’t even get me started on “Debra,” easily one of the greatest slow jams in history.

Midnite Vultures remains an entirely unique record not only in Beck’s discography, but in popular music. It’s a damn tragedy that it’s fallen to the wayside. First to Sea Change and now to Morning Phase.

Fuck sad beck. Funky beck for life.

Nirvana
Smells Like Teen Spirit (AV8 Remix 1)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (AV8 Remix 2)
Bootleg hip-house mixes from 2009. The first is rather standard, and just injects some added beats and an inane MC. The second is far more…well, I was going to say “interesting,” but maybe I should just be honest and go with “stupid.” It’s not even a remix as it is an entirely original rap track with the backing track of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” haphazardly plastered over it.

I mean, I love it, but I think Morning Phase is bullshit and Midnite Vultures is one of the best albums of the 20th century, so I’m obviously not one who should be trusted in the slightest.

Posted in Beck, Nirvana, remixes | 22 Comments »

Satellite Of Dumb

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Toledo trip delayed by two days! Thank [insert fictional deity here]!

Beck
Mixed Bizness (Nu Wave Dreamix by Les Rhythmes Digitales)
Mixed Bizness (Dirty Bixin Mixness Remix by Bix Fender)
Mixed Bizness (Cornelius Remix)
Dirty Dirty
Sexx Laws (Malibu Remix)
Sexx Laws (Wizeguyz Remix)
Salt In The Wound
My first draft of tonight’s post included a huge rant on how I think that Midnite Vultures is Beck’s best work, an underappreciated masterpiece of cheesy funk and fun time silliness that only gets better with age. My words were starting to sound familiar, so I did a quick search through my older posts and discovered that I already said a year ago. Oh well, it was true then and it’s true now. As far as I know I never posted these remixes and B-sides though, which I culled from 12″ singles to “Mixed Bizness” and “Sexx Laws,” so at least I’m not doubly redundant tonight.

Lou Reed
Satellite Of Love ’04 (Dab Hands Retouch)
Satellite Of Love ’04 (Dab Hands Radio Edit)
Satellite Of Love ’04 (Groovefinder Remix)
Beck’s Midnite Vultures is what I would consider to be a great example of “good stupid,” something that’s purposely dumb and works because of it. On the other hand, I consider these remixes of this classic Lou Reed song to be “bad stupid,” something that no doubt seemed like a good idea at the time but ended up making everyone involved look like a dumb-ass in the aftermath.

If you had me write a list of songs I would like to see remixed, I don’t think any Lou Reed tracks would make the cut. And if you made me choose one, I think I would choose “Sweet Jane” “White Light/White Heat” or even “Heroin” over “Satellite Of Love.” I don’t think glam and techno make good bedfellows.

If there is one good thing about these mixes, however, is that they really bring Bowie’ backing vocals out to the forefront. So if you love yourself some sweet, sweet Bowie, then they’re not all for naught. Actually, the “Groovefinder Remix” has some good moments, but still, it’s entirely unnecessary.

(And in case you’re wondering, my list of songs I’d love to see remixed includes “Empire State Human” by The Human League, Fugazi’s “Waiting Room,” and “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill, because why the fuck not?)

 

Posted in B-sides, Beck, Lou Reed, remixes | 4 Comments »

If I Had My Time Again I Would Do It All The Same

Friday, April 29th, 2011

A few months ago I posted a public plea to anyone from Australia, asking for help to procure a limited edition Dreamcast vinyl record. One amazingly awesome individual from down under came through, and I became the proud owner of a record that featured the theme song to Sonic Adventure.

Okay, well maybe proud is a bit of a stretch.

Anyways, a similar situation has now arisen. If any UK readers want to help a brother out, shoot me an email or leave a comment with your email addy (if you don’t want your email published don’t worry, I can edit the comments). I’ll  give you the details there.

Now let’s get funky.

Beck
Mixed Bizness (Transatlantic Remix)
Mixed Bizness (Fernando G. Remix)
Mixed Bizness (Transatlantic Instrumental Remix)
Midnight Vultures has become somewhat overlooked in the Beck discography for some reason. It was acclaimed when it came out, but nowadays most people seem to regard Odelay and Sea Change as classics, neglecting Midnight Vultures to also-ran status.

Those people are high. Midnight Vultures might be Beck’s best album. Sure, it’s stupid as fuck, but that’s why it’s so damn perfect. It came out in 1999, and was the definitive party album of the end of the millennium. It’s certainly better than Sea Change, an overrated, overwrought piece of mopey self-loathing crap that makes me want to slice my wrists every time I hear it. “Deep” does not equal “good” people.

Now, Midnight Vultures, this is an album that has a song with the lines “I think I’m going crazy/Her left eye is lazy/Nicotine and Gravy.” And let us not forget “Debra” a work of classless funk genius that would be played at weddings worldwide if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s, well, about a dude who wants to score with a girl and her sister (whose name may or may not be Debra).

All that wacky shit makes “Mixed Bizness,” a track that has the line “Make all the lesbians scream” seem kind of normal by comparison. Even though it’s a bit tamer than the other bits of insanity on Midnight Vultures, “Mixed Bizness” is still a killer tune, and these remixes, which I found on a weird 12″ promo single, are all excellent.

No Doubt
New (New Doubt Club Mix)
So I’ve been having a serendipitous week with the movie Go. On Sunday I watched the film eXistenZ, which feature a very brief appearance by Sarah Polley, who was in Go. Then immediately afterwards I watched Equillibrium, which has both Taye Diggs and William Fichtner, who were also in Go. Then I go to Jerry’s the following day and find this 12″ promo single, a song that was basically the theme song to Go. Weird. If Timothy Olyphant calls me asking if I want to buy some E I’m going to freak out.

The 12″ promo I snagged this from also has the “New & Approved Remix,” but that’s on No Doubt’s Everything In Time B-sides compilation, so I didn’t include it here.

I love this song, but don’t go hoping for some more No Doubt. I only like two other tracks by the group, “Ex-Girlfriend” and “Spiderwebs,” and I’m fairly certain neither got the remix treatment. So, you’re one your own if you’re looking for “Hella Good” remixes or something like that.

 

Posted in Beck, No Doubt, remixes | 2 Comments »