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[ScrambledGregs]

While picking up the new Arcade Fire album today, I decided to get the deluxe edition of Beck's The Information since I didn't have it yet. After giving the DVD a whirl I don't quite know what to think about the album. It's definitely...something.

Ever since Midnite Vultures it seems like Beck just can't deliver a completely great album. All of them seem to be missing something that I just can't quite put my finger on. At first I loved Sea Change and Guero but they are almost like the reverse of an album that grows on you. Even when I'm depressed and in the mood, Sea Change feels like an absolute slog to listen through, like it's two songs longer than it ought to be. Guero is essentially a pseudo-sequel to Odelay but doesn't improve or match that album so much as throw some new tricks and sounds into the soup.

As for The Information...my initial impression is that Beck is on auto-pilot and can't tell what's good or not. For every moment on the album that had me going "hell yes!!" there were just as many where I said "what the hell??" or "weak." Rather than push his music in some new direction, it's as though he's stuck in genre mash-up mode and it's getting boring. Not only that, but the songwriting hasn't been up to snuff. Mutations and Midnite Vultures are so fantastic because they are genre exercises but they also have some fantastic, memorable songs. The only two songs I can remember off of The Information are 'Cellphone's Dead' and 'Nausea.'

Am I alone in thinking that Beck, while not bad today, peaked in 1999??

[SeanBateman]

I disagree with you, scrambled greggs. I disagree so hard.

[SeanBateman]

Because he is doing new and interesting things on all his albums except guero and I am watching South Park, fuck off tommy.

[denialgene]

I halfway agree with Gregs on this one.

The first time I listened to The Information I was thrilled. (One, Two, you know what to do...)
The same was true with Guero as well.

But I am considerably less impressed with each listen.  Maybe it's because I've become so used to and adjusted to his style that it's not as exciting as it used to be.  It's kind of hard to put a finger on. 
It's not that I don't like the albums, I do, but they don't hold the same kick as his earlier albums.

Sea Change, however, is still one of my most favorite albums ever.  I don't really enjoy it unless I feel the mood for it, but it still gives me chills.

Anyways, there's my 2 cents.

[Clara]

Am I alone in thinking that Beck, while not bad today, peaked in 1999??

Not exactly -- I think he's headed in a totally different direction now than he was in 1999, and that makes the comparison troublesome to me in a lot of ways. Don't get me wrong, The Information was no masterpiece: it had some major flaws, it warrants a couple reaches for the "Skip" button (I still cannot get over 1000 bpm even existing at all). But I did find the majority of it enjoyable and, in context with Beck's past couple albums, it seems really evident that he is establishing some sort of new direction. Some of my favorite songs off The Information sound like they're coming straight off a more fully-realized Sea Change, like all that soul-searching is finally bearing fruit. And despite all the world weariness and the identity crises, this album still manages to make me want to dance every time -- for me, that's an incredible balance.

Not only that, but the songwriting hasn't been up to snuff.

This is by-and-large the most frustrating claim -- when I originally picked apart this album a couple months back, or whenever it was it came out, I was impressed with it in part because while he kept up with his staple of writing just really clever, really catchy lyrics (with the occasional moment of clarity or just flat-out beautiful prose), I thought it was his most consistent effort to date to actually say something with said lyrics. Like the majority of it was thematically in sync and definitely on the same wavelength or intended to be heard in the same breath or something to that effect. Can you be more specific?

EDIT: My original post had waaaay more to it, but trying to post it caused some disruption in the time-space-continuum and the internet freaked out and this is all clicking "Back" came up with. And I'm kind of feeling really lazy now. I think my point was that Beck was really cute, or something.

[ScrambledGregs]

Well, I haven't listened to the album enough to expound upon my point. I will say that with a few more listens since my first post, The Information is a huge improvement on Guero. But it still feels sort of...easy. Maybe I just demand too much from Beck and I should just listen to his newer stuff as enjoyable albums you can have fun with rather than meaty texts to dissect, such as Neon Bible and the like.

[kablaaamo]

I think I am an odd Beck fan because I really love (at least parts) of Guero. Midnite Vultures is my favourite. I hardly like Sea Change or Mutations at all. And I have yet to give The Information a proper chance.

I am sort of inclined to agree with Gregs, because I am sure that my fondness for Guero is influenced by associated emotions, rather than objective 'quality', and my indifference to discovering the Information (despite actually having a copy...) is slightly damning in and of itself.

Beck IS super cute though....

[Misereatur]

My feelings towards Beck are the same as my feeling towards Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. As mch as I try, I cant seem to like them.

I do think te single off of The Information, Cellphone's Dead, is kind of cool. But not enough for me to buy the album, though.

[Will]

I think Beck's head did its best work with Bender. That was some classy material, right there!

[Coming Home]

I dislike Beck.
I heard Beck and wanted to carve out my eardrums.
But if you like Beck, that's cool. I just can't stand him.