Beck

Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell, July 8, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Biography

Beck Hansen was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician, Scientologist and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a visual artist of half Norwegian, as well as Swedish and Jewish descent). When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from hip hop to Latin music—and his mother's art scene – all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work. He didn't have many friends in his childhood, which gave him time to develop his musical talent. Like his father, Beck is a Scientologist. (See below for a longer discussion of the role Scientology plays in Beck's life.)

Beck's music--with its pop-junk culture collage of musical styles, obtuse, ironic lyrics, and post-modern arrangments incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and heady sound effects--was among the most idiosyncratic of 90s alternative rock. Although Beck's work defies easy description, his eclecticism and genre experiments have sparked comparisons with Prince, though Beck was undoubtedly a less prolific artist, and drew on an absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style totally original when first exposed to mainstream audiences (indeed, some critics labeled him and his breakthrough single "Loser" as novelties-see below). Despite this individualism, Beck's music was very much a product of the '90s and the media age in general, with hip hop, indie/underground rock, electronic music and genre-benders like the Beastie Boys as notable touchstones; in addition, some critics could not resist likening his head-spinning lyrical aesthetic to a post-modern Bob Dylan sensibility.

After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck educated himself and traveled widely. In Germany, he spent time with his maternal grandfather, fluxus artist Al Hansen. The late-'80s found him in New York City as part of the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.

Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade, destitute but motivated. To support himself, he took a variety of low-paying, dead-end jobs, and even lived in a shed, all the while continuing to develop his music. During this time, Beck sought out (or sneaked onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops. In the spirit of an artist struggling to make a name for himself, his shows were memorable for their mix of humor and eccentricity. Some of his earliest and most thought provoking recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.

In this atmosphere of heady creativity the founders of Bong Load Custom Records discovered Beck. Their 1993 12" vinyl "Loser", from an initial run of 500 copies, created a sensation on alternative radio that led to a furious bidding war between labels to sign Beck. Eventually, he chose Geffen Records, who offered him terms that included an allowance for the release of independent albums while under contract.

In 1994, Geffen's official debut release of Mellow Gold made Beck a mainstream smash success; it also led to his iconic status as the "slacker" representative of the alternative rock scene.

At the same time, he released Stereopathetic Soulmanure on Flipside Records and One Foot in the Grave on independent K Records. Beck took his act on the road with the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Still, some critics panned him as a one-hit wonder. Audiences' (especially at Lollapalooza) familiarity with "Loser" only, and their general disinterest in his other work only reinforced his image as a one-hit wonder.

The one-hit wonder label was put to rest with the release of 1996's Odelay, a collaborative effort with the Dust Brothers, producers of the Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique. The lead single, "Where It's At," received heavy airplay and its video was in constant rotation on MTV. Within the year, Odelay had received perfect reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, having been listed on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 'Album of the Year'), receiving double-platinum status, and earning an impressive number of industry awards, including two Grammies.

Odelay was followed in 1998 by Mutations. Produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame, it was intended as a stopgap measure before the next album proper. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced 14 songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay, and was filled with folk and blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some even dating back as far as 1994. Track 10, "Sing It Again", was written for Johnny Cash, but Beck never submitted it, considering it "rubbish." Cash would go on to record "Rowboat," a song that originally appeared on Beck's Stereopathetic Soul Manure.

During 1998, Beck's art collaborations with his grandfather Al Hansen were featured in an exhibition entitled Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches and showcased solo and collaborative collage, assemblage, drawing and poetry works. The show toured from the Santa Monica Museum of Art to galleries in New York City and Winnipeg, Canada. A catalogue of the show was published by Plug In Editions/Smart Art Press.

In 1999, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures, an orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo supported by a world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza. The live stage set included a red bed that descended from the ceiling for the song "Debra" and the touring band was supplemented by a brass section.

After Midnite Vultures came Sea Change in 2002, another airy and emotional album with producer Nigel Godrich, which became Beck's first U.S. Top 10 album, reaching # 8. The album was also met with critical acclaim, earning five stars from Rolling Stone and later placing second in the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 2002. Sea Change was conceptualized as an album with one unifying theme—the stages following the end of a relationship. The album also featured string arrangements by Beck's father David Campbell and a sonically dense mix reminiscient of Mutations. Although some radio singles were released, no commercial singles were made available to the public. The Sea Change tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band.

Beck has a number of B-sides and soundtrack-only songs as well, including "Midnite Vultures" (curiously, not on the album of the same name), a cover of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" which appeared in the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and David Bowie's Diamond Dogs from Moulin Rouge

In September 2003, Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label album. The record, Guero, was produced by the Dust Brothers and Tony Hoffer and features a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes; it marked a return to Odelay-era sound. The album was released in March 2005 and enjoyed critical acclaim from most mainstream press, earning four stars from Playboy and Rolling Stone, as well as a "Critic's Choice" recognition from The New York Times. However, the album received a more lackluster response from Beck's indie-oriented fanbase, as shown by the low 6.6 (out of 10) score given by Pitchfork. Nonetheless, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, pushing 162,000 copies in the first week and giving Beck his best week ever in terms of commercial sales and chart position. Since the release of Guero, the first single, "E-Pro" has been well received by the mainstream rock community, and has seen a large amount of play time. The second single, titled simply "Girl", is a bright, upbeat song appearing at first to be about summer love; however, a closer look at the lyrics reveals a darker side to the song. "Girl" received heavy airplay on various college radio stations. The third, and current single, is "Hell Yes".

Beck married Marissa Ribisi in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen.

Beck and Scientology

Many among Beck's friends and family are members of the Church of Scientology, and it has long been rumored he is a member as well. In an interview with the Irish Sunday Tribune newspaper's i Magazine in June 2005, Beck confirmed this rumor, stating "Yeah, I'm a Scientologist. My father has been a Scientologist for about 35 years, so I grew up in and around it." When questioned, he was vague on the religion's core beliefs, but expressed support for its charitable works. Beck commented a little further on his involvement in the Sunday New York Times Magazine around the time of the release of Guero. See the external links below for more information on his involvement as a Scientologist.

Trivia

Beck has performed a guest voice in an episode of Matt Groening's animated show Futurama, playing himself. In keeping with Beck's sense of humor, there is much self-deprecation ("Odelay is a word! Just look it up in the Becktionary").

Samples

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Discography

Official albums

Title	Release	Label	Chart Peaks
Mellow Gold	1 March 1994	DGC/Bong Load	13 (U.S.); 41 (UK)
Stereopathetic Soulmanure	April 1994	Flipside	-
One Foot in the Grave	14 June 1994	K Records	-
Odelay	18 June 1996	DGC/Bong Load	16 (U.S.); 17 (UK)
Mutations	3 November 1998	DGC/Bong Load	13 (U.S.); 24 (UK)
Midnite Vultures	23 November 1999	DGC	34 (U.S.); 19 (UK)
Sea Change	24 September 2002	DGC/Interscope	8 (U.S.); 20 (UK)
Guero	29 March 2005	Interscope	2 (U.S.); 15 (UK)
Guerolito	13 December 2005	Interscope	191 (U.S.)

Unofficial albums

Title	Year	Label
The Banjo Story	1988	Unreleased
We Like Folk...Who Cares...Destroy Us	1991	Unreleased
Beck, Like the Beer	1992	Unreleased
Don't Get Bent Out of Shape	1992	Unreleased
1992 Demo Tape (Buck Fuck Iowa)	1992	Unreleased
Fresh Meat and Old Slabs	Unknown	Unreleased
Golden Feelings	1993	Sonic Enemy Records
A Western Harvest Field by Moonlight	1994	Fingerpaint Records

EPs

Stray Blues (B-Sides) - 2000 (Japan Only)
Beck (Beck.com B-Sides) - 20 February 2001
Gameboy Variations - 1 February 2005

Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Modern Rock	U.S. Main- stream Rock	UK singles	Album
1994	"Loser"	10	1	39	15	Mellow Gold
1994	"Pay No Mind (Snoozer)"	-	-	-	-	Mellow Gold
1994	"Beercan"	-	27	-	-	Mellow Gold
1996	"Where It's At"	61	5	-	35	Odelay
1996	"Devil's Haircut"	94	23	-	22	Odelay
1997	"The New Pollution"	78	9	-	14	Odelay
1997	"Sissyneck"	-	-	-	30	Odelay
1997	"Jack-Ass"	73	15	-	-	Odelay
1997	"Deadweight"	-	16	-	23	A Life Less Ordinary Soundtrack
1998	"Tropicalia"	-	21	-	39	Mutations (album)
1999	"Cold Brains"	-	-	-	-	Mutations (album)
1999	"Nobody's Fault But My Own"	-	-	-	-	Mutations (album)
1999	"Sexx Laws"	-	21	-	27	Midnite Vultures
2000	"Mixed Bizness"	-	36	-	34	Midnite Vultures
2000	"Nicotine & Gravy"	-	-	-	-	Midnite Vultures
2003	"Lost Cause"	-	36	-	13	Sea Change
2005	"E-Pro"	65	1	36	38	Guero
2005	"Girl"	100	8	-	45	Guero
2005	"Hell Yes"	-	-	-	-	Guero

Promotional releases

A Brief Overview - Polydor - 2005

Indie singles

"MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" - Gusto Productions/Flipside - April 1993
"Steve Threw Up" - Bong Load Custom Records - 1994
"It's All in Your Mind" - K Records - 1995

Filmography

Southlander (Directed by Steven Hanft, 2003)

External links