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Beck

Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell, July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known by his simple stage name of Beck.

With his pop art collage of musical styles, oblique and ironic lyrics, and post-modern arrangements incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and sound effects, Beck has been hailed by critics and the public throughout his musical career as being amongst the most idiosyncratic artists of 1990s and 2000s alternative rock.

Beck rose to underground popularity with his early works, which combined social criticism (as in "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" and "Deep Fried Love") with musical and lyrical experimentation. He first earned wider public attention for his breakthrough single "Loser," a 1994 hit that, at the time, was described as a novelty song. However, Beck was not easily categorized into a single genre. Some have likened the absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style and the lo-fi folk songs of his early career to Bob Dylan, while the Beastie Boys were notable templates for his embrace of hip hop influences. His later eclecticism sparked comparisons to Prince.[4] In several albums beginning in the late 1990s, Beck developed a slower, more melancholy sound, merging his trademark "junkyard" style with psychedelic rock, electronic, Brazilian Tropicalia, and the music of English folk icon Nick Drake and French avant pop star Serge Gainsbourg. He has also cited The Cars, Mantronix, Gary Wilson, Pussy Galore, Willie Dixon, Bill Broonzy, and Sonic Youth among his influences. To most listeners, Odelay (1996) and Sea Change (2002), two of Beck's most popular[5] and acclaimed[6][7] recordings, represent polar opposite musical styles. Odelay was awarded Album of the Year by American magazine Rolling Stone and by UK publications NME and Mojo. Odelay also received a Grammy nomination for Best Album.

Background

Beck was born in Los Angeles, California to David Campbell, a Canadian musician, and Bibbe Hansen, a visual artist.[citation needed] His maternal grandfather was Al Hansen, a visual collage artist of the Fluxus school of art. His paternal grandfather was a Presbyterian minister, while his maternal grandmother was half Jewish[8]; Beck himself is a Scientologist, as are his wife and his father. Beck's mother also has Norwegian and Swedish ancestry. 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.

After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck traveled and educated himself. During this period, he developed his musical talent through the art of busking. In Germany, he spent time with his grandfather Al Hansen. The late 1980s found him in New York City, involved in the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.

Recording career

(1988–1993) Independent releases

In 1988, Beck recorded a cassette entitled Banjo Story, which has since become available in bootleg form.[9]

Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade. To support himself, he took a variety of low-paying, dead-end jobs, and even lived in a shed, all the while continuing to develop his music. During this time, Beck sought out (or sneaked onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops and busking on the streets. This is also when he met Chris Ballew (founder of The Presidents of the United States of America). They even performed on the streets as a duo for a while. Some of his earliest recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.

The founders of Bong Load Custom Records, Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf and Bradshaw Lambert discovered Beck, signing him to their fledgling label. "Loser", a collaboration between hip hop nuance producer Carl Stephenson and Beck, created a sensation when radio host Chris Douridas played the song on Morning Becomes Eclectic, the flagship music program from Santa Monica College radio station KCRW. That exposure and a subsequent live performance on the show July 23, 1993 led to a bidding war among 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. Of all the record labels to offer Beck a contract, Geffen offered him the least amount of money, but the greatest amount of creative freedom.[citation needed]

(1994–1997) Mellow Gold and Odelay

Geffen's official debut release in 1994 of Mellow Gold—culled from sessions with Rothrock, Schnapf, and Stephenson—made Beck a mainstream success.

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 in 1994 with a worldwide tour, followed by a spot on the main stage of the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Some critics still panned him as a one-hit wonder, and audiences' familiarity with "Loser" (especially at Lollapalooza), along with their apparent lack of interest in his other work, only reinforced his image as such.

When the time came to record his follow-up to Mellow Gold, Beck enlisted Rothrock and Schnapf as producers and began recording an album of moody, low-key acoustic numbers to showcase his songwriting. The melancholy musical mood has been attributed to[citation needed] the deaths of several people close to Beck, including his grandfather, one of his acknowledged greatest influences. Eventually, Beck shelved the album and pursued a more upbeat approach. Beck was introduced to the Dust Brothers, producers of the Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique, whose cut-and-paste, sample-heavy production suited Beck's vision of a more fun, accessible album.

The result, 1996's Odelay, would put the "one-hit wonder" criticisms to rest. 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 praise-laden reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, appeared on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for "Album of the Year"), received double-platinum status, and earned a number of industry awards, including two Grammys. Aside of Where It's At other hit singles were released in the album, those being "Devil's Haircut", "Jack-Ass" and "The New Pollution".

Beginning in 1993, "Loser" co-writer and Mellow Gold co-producer Carl Stephenson embarked on an experimental trip hop project which eventually resulted in Forest for the Trees, releasing a self-titled album in 1997 followed by an EP in 1999. Beck contributed to both records, providing spoken word, harmonica, and various other instruments.

(1998–2000) Mutations and Midnite Vultures

Odelay was followed in 1998 by the release of Mutations. Though the album was originally slated for release by Bong Load Records, Geffen intervened and issued the record against Beck's wishes.[10][11] The artist then sought to void his contracts with both record labels, and in turn the labels sued him for breach of contract. The litigation went on for years and it remains unclear to this day if it has ever been completely resolved. [1] Mutations was produced by Beck and Nigel Godrich (frequent producer and collaborator with Radiohead) and is believed to have been intended as a stopgap measure before the proper next album. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced fourteen songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay and shows heavy folk and blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some dating back as early as 1994. "Sing It Again" was written for Johnny Cash, but Beck never submitted it. He has stated this to be because he considers the song "rubbish."[citation needed] Cash went on to record "Rowboat", a song that originally appeared on Beck's Stereopathetic Soulmanure.

During 1998, Beck's art collaborations with his grandfather Al Hansen were featured in an exhibition entitled Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches' and showcased solo and collaborative collage, assemblage, drawing and poetry works.[12] The show toured from the Santa Monica Museum of Art to galleries in New York City and Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada. A catalog of the show was published by Plug In Editions/Smart Art Press.

In 1999, Beck was awarded Best Alternative Music Performance for Mutations at the 42nd Grammy Awards.

Later that year, in November of 1999, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures, an "orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo"[citation needed] that was supported by an extensive world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza. The live stage set included a red bed that descended from the ceiling for the song "Debra" while the touring band was supplemented by a brass section.

Midnite Vultures was nominated for Best Album at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Beck has a number of B-sides and soundtrack-only songs as well, including "Midnite Vultures" (curiously, not on the album of the same name), a cover of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" which appeared in the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" from Moulin Rouge!. He is also credited on the French band Air’s 2001 album 10 000 Hz Legend for vocals on the songs "Don't Be Light" and "The Vagabond" (as well as harmonica on the latter). He duetted with Emmylou Harris on Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons, performing "Sin City".

(2001–2003) Sea Change

In 2002, Beck released Sea Change, which, like Mutations, was produced by Nigel Godrich. It became Beck's first US Top 10 album, reaching #8. The album also received critical acclaim, earning five stars from Rolling Stone (the magazine's highest rating) and placing second in the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 2002. Sea Change was conceptualized around one unifying theme: the end of a relationship. The album featured string arrangements by Beck's father, David Campbell, and a sonically dense mix reminiscent of Mutations. Although some radio singles were released, no commercial singles were made available to the public. In August 2002, prior to the release of Sea Change, Beck embarked on a solo acoustic tour of small theaters and halls, during which he played several songs from the forthcoming album. The post-release Sea Change tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band.

A song Beck co-wrote with William Orbit, "Feel Good Time", was recorded by pop singer Pink for inclusion on the soundtrack of the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

(2004–2007) Guero and The Information

In 2004, Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label studio album. The record, 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 2005 and enjoyed critical acclaim from most mainstream press, earning four stars from Playboy and Rolling Stone, as well as a "Critic's Choice" recognition from The New York Times. The album received a less enthusiastic response from Beck's dedicated fan base; the album received a relatively low 6.6 (out of 10) score by Pitchfork alongside a lukewarm and disappointed review. Nonetheless, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, pushing 162,000 copies in the first week and giving Beck his best week ever in terms of commercial sales and chart position. Since the release of Guero, the album's first single, "E-Pro" (which samples the drum track from the Beastie Boys hit "So What'cha Want"), has been well received by the mainstream rock community, receiving significant play time on mainstream radio. The second single, "Girl," received decent play time on mainstream radio and heavy airplay on college and independent radio. The third and final single of the album was "Hell Yes".

On February 1, 2005, Beck released an EP featuring four remixes of songs from Guero by independent artists who use sounds from various early 8-bit video game devices like the Nintendo Game Boy. The EP, GameBoy Variations, featured "Ghettochip Malfunction" [Hell Yes] and "GameBoy/Homeboy" [Que' Onda Guero], both remixed by the band 8-Bit, and also had "Bad Cartridge" [E-Pro] and "Bit Rate Variation in B-Flat" [Girl], the last two being remixed by Paza {The X-Dump}. The EP cover art shows a long-haired person headbanging to his Game Boy, which is plugged into an amplifier like an electric guitar. This EP was featured in an issue of Nintendo Power. Also, a music video for "Gameboy/Homeboy" was made by Wyld File.

Beck plays at the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington. The screens show puppets that emulated the band throughout the show.

Beck performed at the music and arts festival Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee on June 17, 2006, with a set that featured many songs from Guero. In addition to his band, Beck was accompanied by a group of puppets, dressed as him and members of his band. Live video feed of the puppets' performance was broadcast on video screens to the audience. The puppet show was included throughout his 2006 world tour.

Beck's seventh major-label studio album, The Information, which again reunited him with Nigel Godrich, was released on October 3, 2006. The release marked the first time in seven years that Beck released studio albums in consecutive years. The album reportedly took more than three years to make and has been described as "quasi hip-hop". It came with a sheet of stickers, which were to be used to "make your own album cover." Because of this, The Information was disqualified by the Official Chart Company from entering the UK albums chart, but in the US the it gave Beck his third straight Top 10 studio album peak on the Billboard 200, reaching #7. [13] The lead US single, "Nausea", officially went to radio on September 5, 2006. In the UK, the first single was "Cellphone's Dead".[14] On September 27, 2006, Beck released a Yahoo! Music Unlimited exclusive track, "Think I'm In Love", before the album was released. His latest 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.

(2008-present) Next studio album

In February 2008, Beck said in an interview with Rolling Stone that he has been working on a new album "with an unnamed producer" and that he expects it to be released by the end of the year. In early March 2008, the unnamed producer was revealed to be Danger Mouse.

Personal life

From 1991 to 2000, Beck was in a relationship with designer Leigh Limon. Their breakup is said to have inspired his 2002 album, Sea Change.[15] He wrote most of the songs for the album in one week in 2000.[16]

Beck married actress Marissa Ribisi, the twin sister of actor Giovanni Ribisi, in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen. Ribisi gave birth to another child in 2007.[17]

Beck has been involved in Scientology for most of his life. His wife, Marissa, is also a second-generation Scientologist. Both Marissa and her twin brother, Giovanni, were delivered by Beck's mother, Bibbe.[18] Beck publicly acknowledged his affiliation with the Church of Scientology for the first time in an interview published in the New York Times Magazine on March 6, 2005. Further confirmation came in an interview with the Irish Sunday Tribune's i Magazine on June 11, 2005, where he was quoted as saying, "Yeah, I'm a Scientologist. My father has been a Scientologist for about 35 years, so I grew up in and around it." When questioned by the interviewer about Scientology's core beliefs, he replied, "What it actually is is just sort of, uh, you know, I think it's about philosophy and sort of, uh, all these kinds of, you know, ideals that are common to a lot of religions. . . . There's nothing fantastical . . . just a real deep grassroots concerted effort for humanitarian causes. I don't know if you know the stuff they have. It's unbelievable the stuff they are doing. Education . . . they have free centres all over the place for poor kids. They have the number one drug rehabilitation programme in the entire world (called Narconon). It has a 90-something percent success rate . . . When you look at the actual facts and not what's conjured in people's minds that's all bullshit to me because I've actually seen stuff first hand."[19]

Discography

Main article: Beck discography

Major label studio albums

Album Release Date US UK RIAA Certification
Mellow Gold March 1, 1994 13 41 Platinum
Odelay June 18, 1996 16 17 2x Platinum
Mutations November 3, 1998 13 24 Gold
Midnite Vultures November 23, 1999 34 19 Gold
Sea Change September 24, 2002 8 20 Gold
Guero March 29, 2005 2 15 Gold
The Information October 3, 2006 7 N/A -

Other appearances

Television

Beck has performed on Saturday Night Live six times; these shows were respectively hosted by Kevin Spacey, Bill Paxton, Christina Ricci, Jennifer Garner, Tom Brady and Hugh Laurie. During his 2006 performance in the Hugh Laurie episode, Beck was accompanied by the famous on-stage puppets used during his world tour. He has made two cameo appearances as himself on Saturday Night Live: one in a sketch about medicinal marijuana, and one in a VH1 Behind the Music parody that featured "Fat Albert & the Junkyard Gang".

He performed a guest voice as himself in Matt Groening's animated show Futurama, in the episode "Bendin' in the Wind".

He performed in episode 10 of the fourth season of The Larry Sanders Show, in which the producer character Artie (Rip Torn) referred to him as a "hillbilly from outer space".

He made a very brief voice appearance in 1998 cartoon feature film, The Rugrats Movie, and guest-starred as himself in a 1997 episode of "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" entitled "Edelweiss".

Other musicians

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.tv.com/beck/person/48794/summary.html
  2. ^ http://www.jewsrock.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=words.view&wordid=3FC1DBF2-9A54-4545-B7F31CC252768881
  3. ^ Silvertone Model Review
  4. ^ Samudrala, Ram (1998-10-10). "I got two turntables and a microphone..." Ram.org. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  5. ^ {{{ Beck > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums }}}
  6. ^ {{{ Odelay > Overview }}}
  7. ^ {{{ Sea Change > Overview }}}
  8. ^ Davis, Vaginal (1999). "Bibbe Hansen, 1999". Indexmagazine.com. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  9. ^ "Beck Biography". VH1.com. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  10. ^ http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/12/Ent/music.html
  11. ^ http://www.villagevoice.com/music/9847,smith,1349,22.html
  12. ^ http://stewoo.net/beck/gallery/hansen_art/
  13. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1535009/20060623/beck.jhtml?headlines=true
  14. ^ ""Beck Reveals More Information"". "FMQB". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Guess I'm Doing Fine". Template:2002-10-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Beck Gets (Kind of) Blue". Template:2002-09-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ http://accesshollywood.com/news/ah2442.shtml
  18. ^ "Scientologists Beck & Marissa Ribisi Expecting Second Child". Template:2006-06-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "A Sort of Homecoming". Dublin: Sunday Tribune. 2005-06-11. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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