"Blah blah blah blah blah blah"** - Jeff Zwart
On paper, here's how things look: The Polyphonic Spree are a bunch of hippies in robes singing about peace and love in an over-bloated, symphonic, saccharine way. Beck, on the other hand, is a pioneer of alternative music, a man who managed to merge hip-hop and alt-country and indie music into a new art form (what the hell happened to this font?).
Having said that, I should admit that I've never been into Beck in the way that everyone around me has. I always just figured this was a weakness on my part, and sure enough when I put on Odelay and heard that opening guitar riff, my first thought was "Hell yeah, this is it." Besides the fact that I have no idea what a devil's haircut means and why it's on his mind, this is one bitchin (that's right--bitchin) tune. Then "Hot Wax" came on, and I was a little underwhelmed. Hearing it this time, it seemed less like a clever collage of styles, and more like he threw everything he had at it in hopes of making something memorable stick. This feeling more or less stayed with me until "Jackass," even for some of my favorites like "New Pollution". As the album went on, I really started to violently hate just about everything I heard (with the exception of "Jack-ass"). Why? I don't know exactly. Partly, it's his rapping and his lyrics. Sorry, but I think he's a shitty rapper. And although I have repeatedly stated that lyrics don't mean that much to me, Beck has put this statement to the test. When the lyrics are this bad, it has a tendency to ruin everything. In some ways the music and lyrics fit, he's just juxtaposing words and genres but not for any particular reason except that the kids'll think it's cool. Seriously, what the hell is this guy singing about? Nothing, absolutely nothing--although each line could probably be translated as "Look at me. Look at how fucking cool I am. Look at how hip you'll never be." And then I realized, Beck is to blame for all hipsters. He is the original hipster! Just take another look at this guy:
This guy could easily be featured here. And what's up with this album cover? As Steve would say, this makes me want to kick puppies--specifically, the puppy-like thing on the actual cover. The only thing worse than the cover of Odelay is the cover of the deluxe version of Odelay (look it up), which incidentally, I picked up from the library and was going to rip-off, but just forget it now. Anyhoo, I feel like Eric and have been on pretty much the same page so far, but I guess I should have expected things to get ugly towards the end. So, let me say this to Eric: this is the guy you would nominate for best artist of the 90s instead of Lambchop? What?
Okay, now that that ugliness is behind us, let me just say that I now feel justified in never being crazy about Beck. I also feel justified in the fact that when a bunch of us went down to Florida, we all sneaked into the show (Rob and I scaled a wall and jumped over the upper-bar's fence to get in; everyone else got in by literally removing the club's back door with Brandog's tools). Incidentally, when we made it in, Beck's DJ was the most impressive part of the show.
Okay, on to Polyphonic. It turns out that I actually really do dig these guys. They put on a hell of a show, and Tim what's-his-name sure can write a hook. Steve already mentioned the way his voice and the choir's mix together well, and I'd concur. Jeff once described these guys as a mix between Spiritualized and the Muppets, and this I too would agree with. The fact of the matter is that when I listen to this album I feel good and generally positive. So call me a hippie or whatever, but I like it. And speaking of hippies, one more thing in the Spree's favor. Right now, I am actually playing in a band with a bunch of hippies (nine to be exact), and while it's generally fun, the fact of the matter is I'm sick of people constantly missing practices and shows, and then complaining that we don't sound tight enough. I say, screw you hippies, and I also say anyone who can get 23 people to record and put on great shows can't be too into peace and love all the time. And they aren't because not only do the Spree beat Beck--all 23 of them give him the cock-punching of a lifetime. How groovey is that.
* most people who know me realize that when I talk like this I only mean about 25% of what I say. Like Karl, I blame my dad for this. His sense of hyperbolic disgust at something he doesn't immediately like, I feel, has passed on to both me and Jeff. And like him, we think it's funnier than it actually is.
** I realize this review isn't very coherent and just kind of rambles***--kind of like a Beck record!
***Since I'm rambling anyways, I can't believe Odelay took down The Elected. Here's what I propose, Odelay is is the kind of album that sounds fresh once you first hear it, but eventually sounds like the tired garbage it is**** while The Elected's Sun Sun Sun sounds too familiar/derivative when you first hear it, but eventually the sheer brilliance of the song-writing and arranging convinces you of its superiority. Also--since I'm really rambling now--speaking of brilliant arranging, everyone should get Samamidon's new album.
**** Unless apparently, you are Brian or Eric.*
