The Redeemer Of The World

Blessed Easter is a wild blend of vintage vocals, warm piano chords, a casio bassline, and an electric snare. Yet it all flows. A beautiful frequency collision.

I posed nearly an identical question to my friend at the Fiery Furnaces/Dios show last night in Greenpoint, though I wasn’t speaking directly about Beck. Can’t we just hold our focus for a little while with a record (aside from those put out by Radiohead)? Can’t we simply let a band’s sound mature without it either being deemed 110% hott or lame?

By the way, if you don’t know, the Furnaces have taken a turn for the Zappa. They’ve even added a percussion player, complete with bongos. It suits them well.

How was that Furnaces show? I was going to go, but then made other plans. The last show I saw them play had the same line-up, but I understand that they are playing a totally different set now, based around “Nevers” and “1917.” I’ve had a really busy weekend of moving, and I just wasn’t up for a trek to Brooklyn yesterday.

I *totally* forgot about the Beck album.
Information to me is an unfinished [not completely thought-out] Guero and redundant; I’d probably have paid more attention [and loved it] if it came out chronologically, but it didn’t and I was already past that so there you go. I still listen to Guero though.

See, I don’t get that! To me, Guero is the tossed-off album. I mean, a lot of that record is quite good, but that record just seems kinda shrugged off.

I totally adore The Information; it’s my favorite Beck album in forever–it may even be my favorite Beck album, after One Foot In The Grave.

I got the version with the bonus DVD–I like to put it on while I putter about the apartment.

Off subject, but I’m dying to know what you think of “Zeitgeist” now that it’s leaked.

i’m glad you mentioned the fiery furnaces, matthew, because i was hanging out for your monday morning report/set list/trivia and was bummed when there wasn’t one!
i’m pretty sure the set list was very similar, if not identical, both nights - as were some of eleanor and matthew’s comments, introductions, etc. i haven’t looked for a setlist yet but apart from a few new songs, it reminded me of that last show at north six: a long bitter tea medley and a few songs each from the first two albums and EP (the return of “here comes the summer”). no “slavin’ away” though and still no sign of “chris michaels”! as usual, “teach me sweetheart” and “police sweater blood vow” were highlights. the crowd was more vocal and their response more positive, at maxwell’s.

I agree and disagree with the whole thought-out entirely concept. Being a musician myself, It is easy to understand that a lot of the time you don’t really ever know what you’re doing, and most of anything that comes out sounding phenomenal is accidental. These things are hit or miss, regardless of the planning. But for the most part, I enjoyed this album much more than Guero, which seemed a bit lackluster and more incomplete feeling in terms of a “new” sound. The Information has a definite “sound” that can differentiate it from the other albums. It is somewhat dark, ominous, paranoid, and yet mellow at the same time; Unlike Sea Change, which is mostly mellow and sad the whole way through, or Guero, which doesn’t seem to have the emotionally charged tracks on it (minus Missing).

I haven’t forgot about “The Information”; it was No. 9 on my Top 10 Albums of 2006 list. I agree that it seems a lot of people have, though. It may well end up being the lost album in Beck’s catalog.

I listened to The Information a lot when it came out but it was one of those on/off albums–on all the time, then shelved for a few months. I liked it a lot more than Guero, though, which was very hit-or-miss.

My dream, however, is for the Mae Shi (who did the great Guero remix) to produce the next Beck album. I have a lot of “it will never actually happen” album ideas like this, like Kelly Clarkson doing an album w/ MSTRKRFT, Ratatat, etc. or the Arcade Fire and Clinic swapping covers. All I need to do is become obscenely wealthy so I can get this done.

The Information is great. I listen to it more often than Guero.

The character in “Think I’m In Love” is so removed from himself that he can’t even be sure whether he’s in love, or if he’s just playing at it. His neuroses dull down his heart, and the thrill is replaced by the perverse comfort of paranoia.

That is what Scientology does to you. Such a shame.

I love “The Information.” Although I still find myself going back to “Sea Change” too. I don’t think most people liked it though, however there is so much emotion and feeling present that you can’t help not love Beck all the more after listening to this album.

I didn’t forget him. His religion seriously creeps me out, so I avoid him.

Scientology creeps me out, too. I enjoy his music and I’d pay for his albums, but the thought of that evil cult using my money for nefarious purposes just isn’t that appealing.

I didn’t listen to The Information as much as Guero, but it was weird how little press it seemed to get (you know, minus the whole sticker art aspect). And “Think I’m In Love” is a great song.