Beck One Foot in the Grave
  full reviewuser ratings (38) 
Tracklist:
He's A Mighty Good Leader
Sleeping Bag
I Get Lonesome
Burnt Orange Peel
Cyanide Breath Mint
See Water
Ziplock Bag
Hollow Log
Forcefield
Fourteen Rivers Fourteen Floods
Asshole
I've Seen The Land Beyond
Outcome
Girl Dreams
Painted Eyelids
Atmospheric Conditions

Ranking: #70 for 1994

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3.1
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3.5
great
Thomas Bambaataa Ghidrah Towers USER (67 Reviews)

2006-06-27 | 20 comments | 1,032 views

3 of 3 thought this review was well written

People with one name always seem to be more indulgent than normal two named people. Madonnas gone from making controversial videos, to making porn books, riding on the coattails of the 98 electronica scene, writing childrens books, and whoring Kabbalah. Chers gotten so much plastic surgery, that she once substituted for Michael Jacksons nose at the last minute for a sleepover birthday party. Morrissey well, hes pop cultures drunk, and disgruntled aunt. Finally, theres Beck, who isnt as messed up as the people mentioned before, but his hipster gallivanting of genres has made him worthy of his one name stature. One Foot in the Grave is an early taste of Beck, but its still got that Beck wackiness we all know and love. Or hate. It all depends on ones views of Scientologists.

Becks weapon of choice for this album is folk, a genre that hes played with quite dominantly throughout his career. Though in his later works he casually mixes all sorts of genres on his breakthrough album Mellow Gold, on this final indie release, Beck keeps it fairly simple. Maybe not so much simple, as it is traditional, as Beck grew up listening to folk heroes like Woody Guthrie, and Leadbelly. With these influences pushed up front on the record, most of the songs are steadily paced, lead by Becks out-of-tune guitar. The lo-fi streak of production actually does these rickety tunes justice.

Despite the stripped down edge the album has, One Foot in the Grave shows Becks unique style of nonchalant surrealist lyrics as well as his later works. With the shaky, deadpan delivery of lines like, The world is your oyster/And the trash bags are your kids," its known Becks abstract charm has a strong presence in all of the songs. Though these lyrics may seem about as meaningful as a stoned beatniks poetry, Beck actually gets the themes of his songs across very well with the bizarre motif of his lyrics. A more serious side, though still somewhat playful, is revealed in songs like Asshole and Girl Dreams. Dealing with relationships, they present a more connectable side of Beck, such as the weve all been there" nature of, Shell do anything to make you feel like an asshole". It sounds like Beck actually means it too, unlike the wry, but nevertheless classic line "Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?" that put the Los Angeles native on the map.

Lets give Beck some credit, he has to have some tricks up his sleeve. And of course there are. A couple of noisy freak outs get onto the album, like a small anarchy. Instead of a beat-up acoustic guitar, fuzzy, chaotic electric strings jump out like an ambush. Burnt Orange Peel sound like the party song for an album thats not supposed to let loose at all, complete with out-of-sync guitar and drum collaboration, and WOOHOO!s littered over top the singing. Ziplock Bag is slow-paced, and is really just a dissonant, and fuzzy folk song, with painfully growled vocals by someone who is too manly to be Beck.

Initially, I thought this album was garbage. It sounded like a bunch of half-baked folk songs with two insane breaks of noise, so it might be a grower for a lot of people. Despite not being as varied as Becks more well-known album, theres still variety within these acoustic songs. This includes the porch blues of Hes a Might Good Leader, the country tinged Painted Eyelids, the pensive, subdued Forcefield, and the subtle hip-hop influence of Outcome. Alas, it still doesnt awe like his commercial peak, Odelay!, the masterful folk of Sea Change, or the Prince laden funk of Midnite Vultures. One Foot in the Grave shows another style that Beck can handle fairly well, if not too sporadically. Better than any folk Madonna or Cher could do.

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Comments:Add a Comment 
Two-Headed Boy


Comments: 4506
06.27.06


I have massive respect for Beck. He's one of the best songwriters today. That said, this isn't exactly his best work, but it's alright. Nice review.

Digging: Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

Iluvatar
Staff Reviewer


Comments: 11096
06.27.06

Album Rating: 2.5

Good review yo, but as I said, this is his worst work.

Digging: Animal Collective - Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished

pulseczar


Comments: 2388
06.27.06

Album Rating: 3.5

Yay for real names.

Iluvatar
Staff Reviewer


Comments: 11096
06.27.06

Album Rating: 2.5

I've never heard of "Michael Jackson[/i]s nose at the last minute for a sleepover birthday party. [l]Morrissey" who dat?This Message Edited On 06.27.06

Two-Headed Boy


Comments: 4506
06.27.06


haha Tom Towers, attorney at law.

pulseczar


Comments: 2388
06.27.06

Album Rating: 3.5

:cool:
Iluvatar: oshi major tagging error

The Jungler
Emeritus


Comments: 4828
06.27.06


Nice review. I might listen to this as I like Mellow Gold era Beck almost as much as folky Beck. Once again I say, Nice Review.
P.S. Isn't his last name Hanson?

Iluvatar
Staff Reviewer


Comments: 11096
06.27.06

Album Rating: 2.5

Hansen. So close to bing able to claim he's my cousin...

pulseczar


Comments: 2388
06.27.06

Album Rating: 3.5

Cousins of Beck can't hate this :mad:

Iluvatar
Staff Reviewer


Comments: 11096
06.27.06

Album Rating: 2.5

But I don't hate it its just subpar, particularly compared to mostly everything else he's done. I told him so once over the Turkey at Thanksgiving.

pulseczar


Comments: 2388
06.27.06

Album Rating: 3.5

Is that why you were kicked out of the Hansen family and now have to go to Thanksgiving with the boy band Hanson?

Iluvatar
Staff Reviewer


Comments: 11096
06.27.06

Album Rating: 2.5

I don't like the way this conversation is heading, so I
'm going to derail it.
I quite like Sleeping Bag.

Zebra
Moderator


Comments: 2647
06.27.06


I still haven't heard this but I think Mellow Gold might be Becks best album so I'll look into this.

AlienEater


Comments: 716
06.28.06


Sounds interesting, I love Beck.

Cygnus Inter Anates


Comments: 721
08.08.06


You forgot to mention that Beck is a scientologist.

pulseczar


Comments: 2388
08.08.06

Album Rating: 3.5

The first paragraph hinted at it, silly goose.

Cygnus Inter Anates


Comments: 721
08.08.06


Oh, I didn't see that.

I'm a thilly gooth.

francesfarmer


Comments: 1477
08.08.06

Album Rating: 3.5

I wanted Beck to release a better '94 album. But I suppose this will do...Its still great.

Cygnus Inter Anates


Comments: 721
08.08.06


He should release a concept album about be born from a volcano.

francesfarmer


Comments: 1477
08.08.06

Album Rating: 3.5

He's going to kill himself with a cyanide breath mint.



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