If I had to describe the music of Beck Hansen (heretofore simply Beck), I think I'd say it was commonly eclectic (if ever there was an oxymoron...)--he somehow manages to be creative and experimental while fusing multiple musical styles and still make it sound catchy for simple folk like me who grew up on Top 40 radio. And while I haven't followed him every step of the way on his musical journey (Rolling Stone put his Odelay album in their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and I hated it), he's certainly been worth the effort. He's also made quite a career of it--he's released 12 albums (with a thirteenth to be released later this year), been a critical darling since time immemorial, won five Grammy Awards (including album of the year for Morning Phase), numerous other awards (too many to mention), sold millions of records and concert tickets, and still found time to produce other artists as well as collaborate with a who's who of popular music. Not too bad for a guy who for all intents and purposes was homeless when his first single became a surprise hit.
Originally released by Bong Load Records (now there's a name) in 1993, "Loser" originally garnered airplay in Los Angeles (so many cool kids in California), moved on to Seattle (more cool kids), and by the time radio stations in New York (even more cool kids) started requesting it, Bong Load couldn't keep up with the demand. A bidding war ensued for Beck among major record labels, Geffen won, and re-released the single and put it on his Mellow Gold LP. It would reach #10 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 and launch Beck's musical odyssey.
Beck freely admits that the lyrics to "Loser" are gibberish (he's even stated that if he'd known it was going to be such a big hit he would have made the lyrics more substantial), so it'll spare you my half-assed attempt at figuring out the song's "meaning," but I will say this: gibberish or not, the lyrics are unforgettable. And when you add in a wicked slide guitar, funky drums, and a touch of sitar (hello, George Harrison!), you end up with a brilliant slice of pop music pie--and that's even before I mention the We Share the Sentiment sing along chorus, and especially its first incarnation, which Beck beckons (such wordplay!) with a wondrous "Yo...cut it!" Even though it's been almost twenty-five years since it's release, I've spent the last two days singing it over and over, enjoying it as much as when it was still brand new, and my youngest son finally asked, "Dad, what the heck is cheese whiz?" Beautiful...
Fun Fact: Beck came up with the "Loser" part of it because he thought his rapping of the song's lyrics sucked and he was a loser because he couldn't rap better. I know--fascinating, my God...
Rap Sheet: "And my time is a piece of wax/Falling on a termite/Who's choking on the splinters..."
Enjoy (and get crazy with the cheese whiz!):
Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee
No comments:
Post a Comment