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Whatever criticisms he's faced recently you could never accuse Beck
of being predictable. Who would have thought, for example, that after
Odelay would come a whimsical folksy album such as Mutations? Or that
after Mutations would come a Motown/funk inspired album like Midnite
Vultures? Or even that that album would then be followed by such a
downtempo, folk-country affair as Sea Changes? The man is a veritable
chameleon, trying out different musical styles, to varying degrees of
success, like a different suit for each day of the week.
So which way has he gone with new album Guero then? Well, it's being
touted by some as being a return to the days of Odelay, albeit because
he's teamed up with the Dust Brothers on production duties
again. There seems to be an acknowledgement of this tonight; in a set
principally populated by tracks from the new album there are two Odelay
favourites - Where It's At and Devil's Haircut - which fit snugly into
the new setlist.
From the airing we're given tonight, it sounds like Guero is very
much Beck exploring his fascination with hip hop, with the emphasis
very much on the old school. The new songs reveal a firm nod towards
pioneers like Grandmaster Flash and Beck's rapping is grounded
in a style reminiscent of Grandmaster Melle Mel (albeit through
Beck's slightly skewed take on it). Vintage synth noises are fused with
funk percussion and occasional scratching by Beck himself when the mood
takes him. It's all very much about groove and rhythm - various hand
shakers and maracas feature heavily throughout the gig and opening
track, Black Tambourine uses two drummers.
Speaking of maracas - the old school sound was complimented by one
of his band members (Beck's Bez, if you like) providing some robotics
and body popping-style dance moves. I must admit I laughed out loud
when he first started - but that was mainly because he looks a little
like Dave Stewart in his white plastic shades, white anorak and
white jeans. Once I'd leapt that hurdle he became the coolest person in
the room.
Beck, however, wasn't having a great time of it. The occasion being
a low-key, (not-so) secret gig to preview his new record, he seemed to
be constantly fiddling with his vocal levels, and confessed at one
point to being jet-lagged. By the encore, when his microphone escaped
him just as he was about to launch into the next verse, he was looking
pretty pissed off, and stomped off stage before the song ended, never
to return.
Still, if he manages to be this good on a bad night, he's not got
much to worry about. The slight air of chaos didn't do the gig any harm
at all. Beck has an impressive knack of making all his creations sound
like the result of a haphazard experiment gone right, and tonight was
no different. He may be unpredictable, but whatever he does you know
you're always going to get something worth listening to.
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