Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell , July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known by the stage name Beck . With a pop art collage of musical styles, oblique and ironic lyrics, and postmodern arrangements incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and sound effects, Beck has been hailed by critics and the public throughout his musical career as being amongst the most creative and idiosyncratic musicians of 1990s and 2000s alternative rock.
The four time platinum artist rose to underground popularity with his early works, which combined social criticism (as in "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" and "Deep Fried Love") with musical and lyrical experimentation. He first earned wider public attention for his breakthrough single "Loser", a 1994 hit.
Two of Beck's most popular and acclaimed recordings were Odelay (1996) and Sea Change (2002). Odelay was awarded Album of the Year by American magazine Rolling Stone and by UK publications NME and Mojo . Odelay also received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Sea Change was also awarded Album of the Year by Rolling Stone .
Early life
Beck was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell, a Canadian musician, and Bibbe Hansen, a visual artist. His maternal grandfather was Al Hansen, a visual collage artist of the Fluxus school of art. His paternal grandfather was a Presbyterian minister, while his maternal grandmother was Jewish; Beck himself is a Scientologist, as are his wife and his father. Beck's mother, Bibbe, also has Norwegian and Swedish ancestry. When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, where he was influenced by the 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. After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck traveled to Europe and developed his musical talent by busking. In Germany, he spent time with his grandfather Al Hansen. The late 1980s found him in New York City, involved in the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.
Career
Independent releases
In 1988, Beck recorded a cassette entitled Banjo Story , which has since become available in bootleg form. He returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade. He lived in a shed and took a variety of low-paying, dead-end jobs (at one point working as a leaf blower operator), all the while continuing to develop his music. Beck also sought out (or sneaked onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops and busking on the streets. During this time, he met Chris Ballew (founder of The Presidents of the United States of America). They performed on the streets as a duo for a while. Some of his earliest recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.
In 1993 Beck released his first studio album, Golden Feelings , on Peter Hughes's Sonic Enemy label. It was initially released only on cassette (though later on CD in limited quantities). It has been estimated that only between 500 and 750 copies were made, making it a rare artefact. AllMusic.com would later describe the album as "an extremely interesting, entertaining, and humorous document that proves that from the start, Beck had his heart set on making experimentation his only gimmick".
The founders of Bong Load Custom Records, Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf, and Bradshaw Lambert discovered Beck, signing him to their fledgling label. "Loser", a collaboration between hip hop nuance producer Carl Stephenson and Beck, created a sensation when radio host Chris Douridas played the song on Morning Becomes Eclectic, the flagship music program from Santa Monica College radio station KCRW. That exposure and a subsequent live performance on the show July 23, 1993, led to a bidding war among 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. Of all the record labels to offer Beck a contract, Geffen offered him the least amount of money, but the greatest amount of creative freedom.
Mellow Gold , Stereopathetic Soulmanure , One Foot in the Grave , and Odelay
Geffen's official debut release in 1994 of Mellow Gold —culled from sessions with Rothrock, Schnapf, and Stephenson—made Beck a mainstream success. Around 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 in 1994 with a worldwide tour, followed by a spot on the main stage of the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Some critics still panned him as a one-hit wonder, and audiences' familiarity with "Loser" (especially at Lollapalooza), along with their apparent lack of interest in his other work, only reinforced his image as such.
When the time came to record his follow-up to Mellow Gold , Beck enlisted Rothrock and Schnapf as producers and began recording an album of moody, low-key acoustic numbers to showcase his songwriting. Eventually, Beck shelved the album and pursued a more upbeat approach. Beck was introduced to the Dust Brothers, producers of the Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique, whose cut-and-paste, sample-heavy production suited Beck's vision of a more fun, accessible album.
The result, 1996's Odelay, would put the "one-hit wonder" criticisms to rest. The lead single, "Where It's At," received much airplay, and its video was in heavy rotation on MTV. Within the year Odelay received praise from Rolling Stone magazine, appeared on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for "Album of the Year"), and earned a number of industry awards, including two Grammys. Besides "Where It's At", three other singles were released from the album: "Devils Haircut", "Jack-Ass" and "The New Pollution".
Beginning in 1993, "Loser" co-writer and Mellow Gold co-producer Carl Stephenson embarked on an experimental trip hop project which eventually resulted in Forest for the Trees, releasing a self-titled album in 1997 followed by an EP in 1999. Beck contributed to both records, providing spoken word, harmonica, and various other instruments.
Mutations and Midnite Vultures
Odelay was followed in 1998 by the release of Mutations . Though the album was originally slated for release by Bong Load Records, Geffen intervened and issued the record against Beck's wishes. The artist then sought to void his contracts with both record labels, and in turn the labels sued him for breach of contract. The litigation went on for years and it remains unclear to this day if it has ever been completely resolved. Mutations was produced by Beck and Nigel Godrich (frequent producer and collaborator with Radiohead) and is believed to have been intended as a stopgap measure before the proper next album. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced fourteen songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay and shows heavy folk and blues influences. Tracks on the album consisted of older songs, some dating back as early as 1994.
In 1999, Beck was awarded Best Alternative Music Performance for Mutations at the 42nd Grammy Awards.
In November, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures , which was supported by an extensive 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 complemented by a brass section. Midnite Vultures was nominated for Best Album at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. Beck released a number of B-sides and soundtrack-only songs as well, including "Deadweight" from the A Life Less Ordinary soundtrack, "Midnite Vultures" (curiously, not on the album of the same name), David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" from Moulin Rouge! , and a cover of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime", which appeared in two memory-alteration-themed productions: the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the last episode of the first season of Dollhouse . He is also credited on the French band Air’s 2001 album 10 000 Hz Legend for vocals on the songs "Don't Be Light" and "The Vagabond" (as well as harmonica on the latter). He duetted with Emmylou Harris on Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons , performing "Sin City".
Sea Change
In 2001, the Beck EP, which consists of B-sides from the Midnite Vultures era, was released. The EP was only available from Beck's website, and only 10,000 copies were printed.
In 2002, Beck released Sea Change , which, like Mutations , was produced by Nigel Godrich. It became Beck's first US Top 10 album, reaching #8. The album also received critical acclaim, earning five stars from Rolling Stone (the magazine's highest rating) and placing second in the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 2002. Sea Change was conceptualized around one unifying theme: the end of a relationship. The album featured string arrangements by Beck's father, David Campbell, and a sonically dense mix reminiscen
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