Well, I'm drinking off some of the crunch that my classes are giving me. My
mailbox is full of notes saying: Why are you such a jerk? Don't you ever say
anything positive?
So, here I go... I'll try and be a bit positive today: I positively
dislike the new Beck too. (Sorry, Dustin, can't back you up on it!)
And Russ, I agree with you 100% with regards to One Foot, pure brilliance. But
I liked Mellow Gold more than the identity crisis that was the S.S. noise.
But that's not why I'm here. At least, I don't think that's why I'm here. I
am calling in regards to that blatant plagiarism popularly known as Midnight
Vultures! Okay, I dig the Smokey Hormell and whatnot... but what in the hell
is with the rest of that bullshit? I am not fooled!
Okay, if I want to listen to Prince (or whatever he's called) then I'll buy a
g.d. Prince album. If I want to listen to the Stones, I have all their best in
my record collection! And why would I want to hear rip offs of Jazz/Funk riffs
/hooks when I already own the real thing?
Midnight Vultures, despite a few passable tunes, is neither innovative nor
even clever with its reproduction of what has already been done.
And did anyone happen to catch Beck's SNL appearance? Gee, what an
impressive act. Does Mick have grounds for litigation or what? We'll see what
the Jan 2000 release has to offer.
Was that positive enough?
J.
On Tue, 7 Dec 1999, Russ Sweetser wrote:
> here is my rant on beck. many of you will scowl at what seems to follow,
> saying that in one way or another it is closeminded. feel free to think
> of my stance as a boy who is told he is going to disneyworld, only to be
> brought to a burned down factory. ok.
>
> beck sucks.
> he sucks because he had such good promise as something that could mature
> into this amazing sound, something new, against the grain, off the
> rocker. instead he has decided to integrate the "crap" of music today
> into his music, opting for the road of the popular musical man. nothing
> wrong with being in the spotlight mind you, but perhaps he realized that
> he was not going to go anywhere with the likes of the gems on One Foot
> or Stereopathetic Soulmanure. when i find passion in an artist, it lies
> from the knowledge that what they are doing might very well be because
> its something they think will better the world, or something that in
> some way is fulfilling to them. if writing shitty slo-jam shit is
> fulfilling to beck, thats his perogative, but i think it sucks. so sue
> me.
> becks old day ramshackle folky heartfelt crazy tunes will always be
> mint. stereopathetic and one foot in the grave is "choice material".
> mellow gold was a turning point in my musical opinion. odelay saw beck
> take "the road taken many times before" and after that it was a free for
> all at sucktown, 10 dollars off your first horrid 5 minute slojam. uh.
> is it just me or should an artist change his name if hes going to change
> the sound?
>
> everything i said above applies to the smashing pumpkins too. they had
> such promise and fucking sucked out. fuck
>
> russ
>
