Beck: Midnite Vultures (DGC 1999)
One of my all-time favorite artists, Beck performs best when he's at either extreme. When he plays it serious on "Sea Change," he can bring you to tears, but "Midnite Vultures" is the polar opposite: fun, sexy, and nothing short of complete insanity. The retro-funk base of each track is counterbalanced with loopy, space effects and moon-bound lyrics. On one song he moans, "I'll feed you fruit that don't exist; I'll leave graffiti where you've never been kissed; I'll do your laundry, massage your soul; I'll turn you over to the highway patrol." On another he slurs, "Sex in the halls, Niagra Falls; local shopping malls receive anonymous calls; hot like a cheeta, neon mamacita; eat at tacoria, pop lockin' beats from Korea." It's Beck at his dirtiest, craziest, and most brilliant. When we grow old and the next wave of musicians crest through, Beck should be remembered for his infinite versatality, but if people end up overlooking that, they better at least think he was a lot of fun.
[iTunes]