I met you...at JC POLLney - ILM Artist Poll #97 - BECK - the Results Thread

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40. Soul Suckin' Jerk
From: Mellow Gold
Released: March 1, 1994
182 Points, 6 Votes

meh

Mutherfucker was top 5 for me, pure anarchy

mellow gold getting a collective TOO LOW right about now, although I'm aware half of it will place higher. didn't actually vote for this one but it's great fun

Agreed with Alfred about soul suckin jerk

He was to improve on it massively on Odelay

(albeit without a carnival breakdown)

I love the sound of Beck's downpitched voice

Motherfucker is the only Mellow Gold track that I don’t love tbh, always felt a bit too much like a genre exercise to me. Soul Suckin Jerk on the other hand - junkyard rap about burning down your shitty fast food job - what’s not to love?

When dat BEERCAN gonna hit doe

hopefully in the top five

I gave it a bunch of points for sure

in need of a left turn

https://i.imgur.com/ltuSmgr.jpg
39. Get Real Paid
From: Midnite Vultures
Released: November 23, 1999
189 Points, 6 Votes

one of my last cuts, just couldn't squeeze it in.

I want to know if I'm worth your time
There's so much to do before you die

Placed sing it again high. Arresting feel.

https://i.imgur.com/v5K6C1D.jpg
38. Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)
From: Mellow Gold
Single Released: March 1, 1994
191 Points, 7 Votes

From Wiki:

The song begins with a sample of a fight that Beck recorded of his two abusive neighbors. Beck recalls,

When I was recording the song in my living room and they were out front screaming at each other and I couldn't...I had to stop recording my song. And it was strange because I was recording the music for the song; I hadn't written words yet. And I couldn't record anymore because they were too loud and I just left. I had to leave 'cause it was too hectic. When I came back I had all this...I had the song and then after they had this argument...it's too bad I lost the tape that has the original argument 'cause the argument went on for 40 minutes. It was unbelievable. I put 2 seconds of it on there. Pretty classic. But somebody out there has it.

Beck also called it "a special tape, filled with horrible things that will destroy your destiny if you know what it is."

He also said: "I was so shook up by the thing that I pulled over on the freeway and I just wrote the lyrics out and then the next day came back and sang the lyrics over the song. It was one of those experiences where life writes the songs. Which is good.

Why don’t you call your mommy?

I wonder if anyone voted for “bad energy.”

downpitched beck and uppitched beck in a duet for the ages here

love the agreeing yeahs in the first chorus

“get real paid” was in my top three. a throwback kraftwerk jam that is also at least two other things

junkyard rap about burning down your shitty fast food job - what’s not to love?

otm

https://i.imgur.com/JYV5fLB.jpg
37. I Won't Be Long
From: I Won't Be Long single
Released: July 8, 2013
One vote for the Extended version
192 Points, 7 Votes

Beck also called it "a special tape, filled with horrible things that will destroy your destiny if you know what it is."

Beck looking at his future from the vantage point of 1994.

This was my favorite of those 3(?) singles, nice to see this place

this sounds like MGMT! in a nice way

no need to be insulting

One vote for the Extended version

i didn’t specify but i voted for this

this was cool but I liked the long "Gimme" even more

I wonder if every song from Mellow Gold is gonna place... I could see "Nitemare Hippy Girl" getting the shaft.

This was my favorite of those 3(?) singles, nice to see this place

same, and the only one of those that i voted for.

xp fwiw I voted for that but not any of the others that have placed so far

last one for today, i will start a bit earlier tomorrow. will also do another 15 tomorrow and finish off the Top 20 on Friday.

https://i.imgur.com/TV15NWI.jpg
36. Paper Tiger
From: Sea Change
Released: September 24, 2002
198 Points, 6 Votes

I voted for the extended version of "I Won't Be Long" (as the lowest ranked of the three 2013 extended version singles. . . loved those)

Surprised to see 5 of my top 25 ranked already, all between 43rd and 36th. Thought my rankings were a bit idiosyncratic. . .

From Wiki:

_The song begins with a sample of a fight that Beck recorded of his two abusive neighbors. Beck recalls,

When I was recording the song in my living room and they were out front screaming at each other and I couldn't...I had to stop recording my song. And it was strange because I was recording the music for the song; I hadn't written words yet. And I couldn't record anymore because they were too loud and I just left. I had to leave 'cause it was too hectic. When I came back I had all this...I had the song and then after they had this argument...it's too bad I lost the tape that has the original argument 'cause the argument went on for 40 minutes. It was unbelievable. I put 2 seconds of it on there. Pretty classic. But somebody out there has it.

Beck also called it "a special tape, filled with horrible things that will destroy your destiny if you know what it is."

He also said: "I was so shook up by the thing that I pulled over on the freeway and I just wrote the lyrics out and then the next day came back and sang the lyrics over the song. It was one of those experiences where life writes the songs. Which is good._

I Won't Be Long made it onto the last revision of my ballot, I do prefer the extended version but it works well as a normal-length song too.

Paper Tiger is very nice to listen to but after I heard Melody Nelson it seemed a bit shameless.

It's about the most overt homage I've ever heard in music--so what's shameless? Haven't read interviews form the era, but I feel like Beck would've practically used it as an excuse to talk up Serge/Vannier?

Looking up interviews, there’s this:

But when we were making the record, I wanted to do something with strings that was very dramatic. And we were listening to that. And (he chuckles) we ended up with something that sounded exactly like it (Melody Nelson). I didn't intend that. But we did it and it came out so good, in my opinon, it sounded like a tribute. But it transcended that. And it was a good song. I remember, my producer is very particular about that kind of thing. I was like: 'I don't know, can we put this out?' And he said: 'It?' fine. It's a good piece of work.' But yeah, I love the way Gainsbourg uses the orchestras. It's not afraid to be dramatic and bold and emotional. There's something really cool about the sound too."

I’m not sure he’s right that it transcends being a tribute. The chorus sounds great on listening again though.

Catching up with today's tunes, magazines and free soda, trying hard not to think.

"Get Real Paid" way too low -- a top 20 Beck song that becomes a top 5 Beck song in its final 30 seconds (if that makes sense).

Recap:
36. Paper Tiger 198 6
37. I Won’t Be Long 192 7 (Extended)
38. Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat) 191 7
39. Get Real Paid 189 6
40. Soul Suckin Jerk 182 6
41. Mutherfucker 181 5
42. Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997 180 6
43. Blackhole 179 5
44. Sing It Again 163 5
45. Sunday Sun 162 6
46. High 5 (Rock the Catskills) 161 6
47. Little One 146 5
48. Chemtrails 140 6
49. Thunder Peel 136 5
50. Peaches & Cream 133 5

Quite clearly I need to revisit Mellow Gold.

a lot of great tracks so far:
-Brad really captured the appeal of "peaches & cream" in the voting thread - a prince song sung over a mellow gold groove - but it's even more than that with the glorious outro with all the overlapping vocals and the horns! way too low
-"chemtrails" is a late period highlight - i love the drumming and bass playing and the guitar solo that fades back in at the end
-"sunday sun" is really pretty and a great arrangement, i love the slow build and the way it sort of falls apart at the end
-"i won't be long" just missed my ballot but i'm really glad to see it show up
-"paper tiger" was in my top 10 - i don't really care if it's derivative but those immense strings over the rest of the track's relaxed groove works wonderfully

also fantastic work on the images One Eye Open!

The thing I love about Beck that he seems like someone who had an extensive run of bootleg Celebrity Bowling videotapes taped off 3 AM showings on the Z Channel or something.

Yeah, Soulmanure's version of "thunder peel" rules. They have it on YouTube if you don't have the CD.

RockTheFuckOut