Beck is about to do something sneaky. Having spent the past few months holed up in the studio with producer Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, he’s getting ready to drop his 10th studio album, Modern Guilt. But since there isn’t a release date attached to the project, fans can pretty much expect the album that Rolling Stone claims has “an overall 1960s British vibe” to hit digital outlets guerrilla-style in the coming weeks, much like recent releases by Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs. So while we wait for the big day, we thought we would look back at some of the 37-year-old’s career highs via magical YouTube technology.
“Loser” (1994)
The handmade quality of his debut video nicely matches the freewheeling lyrics and slack guitar chords of its accompanying breakthrough hit. While Beck’s white-suited high-kick is pretty impressive, we’ve got to admit that however many years later, this clip pretty much just looks like a lunatic’s home video.
(Watch on YouTube)
Director Mark Romanek did an incredible job with this widescreen clip, portraying Beck as a mysterious boombox carrying urban cowboy. He’s probably never looked this tough, before or since this clip was made.
Beck as a used car dealer? Cheesy lounge singer? Country line-dancing MC? Sure, why not?
From the Beatles homage at the beginning to the Austin Powers studio scene, and unexpected nods to Motley Crue and Kraftwerk, plus the girls dancing with lawnmowers–it’s hard to imagine a more lucid insight into the mind of the artist.
The frankly under-appreciated Midnite Vultures included a bunch of gems, but the ridiculousness of this video quite possibly destroyed the whole thing. We would like to explain, but we don’t even know where to begin–the tassles, the capes, the pirates?
Beck’s most low-key gets Beck’s most low-key video, a color-saturated clip that basically serves as a slow motion light show for artist Jeremy Blake. Psychedelic!
In this brilliant Al Jaffe tribute, Beck is set loose on downtown Los Angeles with predictably weird results–and perhaps some subtle Scientologist sloganeering?
“Think I’m In Love” (2006)
This one looks like it was produced in a booth at the local mall, using whatever wigs/props were at hand. It also looks like there’s some cross-dressing going on, we’re just not sure in which direction.
(Watch on YouTube)
The fantastic Michel Gondry made this high-contrast, high-concept clip. What more could we possible say, other than watching it will most likely feel like your head is floating off your body.
