Track Listing

1. Loser
2. Pay No Mind (Snoozer) - Beck, Karl F. Stephenson, Rob Schanpf, Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock
3. Fuckin With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock) - Beck, Beck Hansen, Karl F. Stephenson, Karl Stephenson, Rob Schanpf, Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock
4. Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997
5. Soul suckin jerk
6. Truckdrivin neighbours downstairs (yellow sweat)
7. Sweet sunshine
8. Beercan
9. Steal my body home
10. Nitemare hippy girl
11. Mutherfuker
12. Blackhole

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6514 in Music
• Released on: 2002-12-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 47 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Acid casualty with a repossessed car," croaks Beck Hansen. "Vietnam vet playin' air guitar..." Odelay would later herald Beck as pre-Millennial jester without compare, but 1993's Mellow Gold finds Beck slumming in The City of Angels, working in a video store for four dollars an hour. Quite rightly, he's got the blues, but there's plenty more besides. Mellow Gold is a grimy Polaroid of fried white-trash invention. Reconciling the painfully fashionable grunge aesthetic with the drunken verbiage of the Beat Generation, Mellow Gold founded the slacker generation, and "Loser"--the opening track--became its unofficial anthem. A concept album of sorts, Mellow Gold narrated the backdrop of Los Angeles as seen from the bottom of the dustbin, framed with the impoverished strains of fractured, missing-stringed folk and ramshackle white-boy hip-hop. Time would prove, though, that Beck was no slacker; Mellow Gold provided the scrawled blueprint for Beck's next major label album, Odelay which would prove one of the defining albums of the 1990s. --Louis Pattison

CD Description
The definitive outsider, Beck is a lonely voice raging against the stifling winds of conformity and complacency in bothour mainstream culture and in our stock-model counter-culture (check out one of his first indie releases, "MTV Makes MeWant To Smoke Crack"). Growing up in heartland America, Beck dropped out of high school and cultivated his muse on a combination of traditional folk music and Delta blues, not unlike another legendary outsider from the heartland--Bob Dylan.
Already well-known in the New York and Los Angeles folkscenes, Beck's stature as an independent artist was cemented by college radio programmers. While terms like "alternative" came to mean next to nothing, Beck's 12" version of "Loser", released on the Bongload label, became an underground hit. The music he makes on MELLOW GOLD is an unruly synthesis of Americana, completely devoid of cliches as Beck stumbles on one fresh idea after another with a rare sense of discovery. At any given moment you might hear an Indian raga ("Steal My Body Home"), chicken-fried hip-hop ("Loser" and "Soul Suckin Jerk"), a John Lee Hooker/Rolling Stones shuffle ("Fuckin' With My Head"), post-modernist noise ("Mutherfuker") orechoes of down-home blues ("Blackhole").
Beck makes his diverse range of sources on MELLOW GOLD work. Each song sounds lived-in and alive, all run hurdy-gurdy through the meat-grinder of an original sensibility, fashioned with grow-your-own power and spirit on a humble 8-track recorder in his producer's living room. "Soul Suckin Jerk" is a freedom cry for every small town kid working away dutifully in some dead-end job just trying to imagine a better tomorrow. "Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" employs a series of sleazy images ("Give the finger to the rock and roll singer as he's dancing upon your paycheck/The sales climb higher through the garbage-pail sky like a giant dildo crushing the sun...the drugs won't kill your day job") to impale corporate rock upon its own pretensions and decry the malling of America. "Beercan" brings inner-city rap face-to-face with the traditional talking blues ofWoody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, animated by a remarkable series of samples over a percolating dance beat. MELLOW GOLD isa shot across the bow of business-as-usual rock.

Customer Reviews

Winner
You can’t choose a favourite Beck album. I’ve tried many times and failed as many. The man defines mainstream eclecticism. Mellow Gold was Beck’s breakthrough album, and although less famous than the follow-up ‘Odelay’ (a true groundbreaking album), it was the album that had contained a song that defined a generation. From the opening slide guitar riff that was born through an hour of jamming on his guitar with a friend recording, followed by the hip-hop drum beat that the said friend later added, the instant appeal of ‘Loser’ is still relevant today. Despite the fact that Beck reluctantly became the voice of a pubescent stereotyped generation, you can’t deny that this was a great song. The fact that this was one of the first songs Beck ever wrote, and certainly the first he ever rapped on (“Soy un perdedor, I’m a loser baby” was a line born from his embarrassment at his own rapping) just adds to the resume.

There’s more to this album than ‘Loser’ though. Knowing what Beck went on to produce, it’s interesting to hear the earlier incarnations of his interpretation of the genres he later went on to utilise. ‘Pay No Mind’ arrives as a welcome, mellow acoustic tune, already ruining any listeners attempt at putting a label on albums style. ‘Mountain Dew Rock’ follows on in the hook-heavy acoustic affair, like “Nitemare Hippy Girl”, with a big sing-along chorus. It’s at this point that the album takes another unexpected turn. It’s hard to describe ‘Whiskeyclone’. Each individual part of the song is pretty weak. A downbeat vocal line, a bizarre guitar part, with many vocal harmonies, you just couldn’t imagine it working. However, this form of alchemy is what Beck is most famous for. As his grandfather did with aesthetic art, Beck has an uncanny knack of making masterpieces from samples that most would discard. The song itself is a gem. Changing the mood again with morbid lyrics and a twisted sound, the last thing you’re expecting next is ‘Soul Suckin’ Jerk’. The second ‘rap’ song on the album, this dark number balances gently on the line of genius/pretentious wank. Being one of the highlights of the album, in my opinion, I think you can guess which side of the line I think Beck’s on. If ‘Whiskeyclone’ was an example of alchemy, then this is alchemy gone mad! Two heavily distorted vocal lines scream across a tribal drum beat and some interesting samples. This song used to be the one that I skipped whenever listening to this album, but give them time! They may be unlike anything you’ve ever heard before, but both songs as worth the persistence and you’ll be rewarded with your hard work with what I believe to be the album’s greatest song, ‘Beercan’. Starting with a heavily effected vocal sample, you’d be reasonable to assume another inaccessible, but within seconds, the bass, drums, sampling and rapping kick in with a song catchier than SARS. I challenge you not to love that chorus! “Steal My Body Home” couldn’t be more laid back if it tried as is ‘Blackhole’. Both going for a more eastern style with sitars and a slow, mesmerising vocal, that you allow you to lie back and feel one with the world.

This album doesn’t give you a chance to get bored. I wouldn’t recommend this album to someone who has never heard Beck before, since it is pretty heavy going (For those, I recommend ‘Odelay’ instead), but if you are a Beck fan and don’t own this album, then shame on you!

Stand-out tracks : Beercan, Loser, Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997

Winner
You can't choose a favourite Beck album. I've tried many times and failed as many. The man defines mainstream eclecticism. Mellow Gold was Beck's breakthrough album, and although less famous than the follow-up 'Odelay' (a true groundbreaking album), it was the album that had contained a song that defined a generation. From the opening slide guitar riff that was born through an hour of jamming on his guitar with a friend recording, followed by the hip-hop drum beat that the said friend later added, the instant appeal of 'Loser' is still relevant today. Despite the fact that Beck reluctantly became the voice of a pubescent stereotyped generation, you can't deny that this was a great song. The fact that this was one of the first songs Beck ever wrote, and certainly the first he ever rapped on ("Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby" was a line born from his embarrassment at his own rapping) just adds to the resume.

There's more to this album than 'Loser' though. Knowing what Beck went on to produce, it's interesting to hear the earlier incarnations of his interpretation of the genres he later went on to utilise. 'Pay No Mind' arrives as a welcome, mellow acoustic tune, already ruining any listeners attempt at putting a label on albums style. 'Mountain Dew Rock' follows on in the hook-heavy acoustic affair, like "Nitemare Hippy Girl", with a big sing-along chorus. It's at this point that the album takes another unexpected turn. It's hard to describe 'Whiskeyclone'. Each individual part of the song is pretty weak. A downbeat vocal line, a bizarre guitar part, with many vocal harmonies, you just couldn't imagine it working. However, this form of alchemy is what Beck is most famous for. As his grandfather did with aesthetic art, Beck has an uncanny knack of making masterpieces from samples that most would discard. The song itself is a gem. Changing the mood again with morbid lyrics and a twisted sound, the last thing you're expecting next is 'Soul Suckin' Jerk'. The second 'rap' song on the album, this dark number balances gently on the line of genius/pretentious. Being one of the highlights of the album, in my opinion, I think you can guess which side of the line I think Beck's on. If 'Whiskeyclone' was an example of alchemy, then this is alchemy gone mad! Two heavily distorted vocal lines scream across a tribal drum beat and some interesting samples. This song used to be the one that I skipped whenever listening to this album, but give them time! They may be unlike anything you've ever heard before, but both songs as worth the persistence and you'll be rewarded with your hard work with what I believe to be the album's greatest song, 'Beercan'. Starting with a heavily effected vocal sample, you'd be reasonable to assume another inaccessible, but within seconds, the bass, drums, sampling and rapping kick in with a song catchier than SARS. I challenge you not to love that chorus! "Steal My Body Home" couldn't be more laid back if it tried as is 'Blackhole'. Both going for a more eastern style with sitars and a slow, mesmerising vocal, that you allow you to lie back and feel one with the world.

This album doesn't give you a chance to get bored. I wouldn't recommend this album to someone who has never heard Beck before, since it is pretty heavy going (For those, I recommend 'Odelay' instead), but if you are a Beck fan and don't own this album, then shame on you!

Stand-out tracks : Beercan, Loser, Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997

Winner
You can't choose a favourite Beck album. I've tried many times and failed as many. The man defines mainstream eclecticism. Mellow Gold was Beck's breakthrough album, and although less famous than the follow-up 'Odelay' (a true groundbreaking album), it was the album that had contained a song that defined a generation. From the opening slide guitar riff that was born through an hour of jamming on his guitar with a friend recording, followed by the hip-hop drum beat that the said friend later added, the instant appeal of 'Loser' is still relevant today. Despite the fact that Beck reluctantly became the voice of a pubescent stereotyped generation, you can't deny that this was a great song. The fact that this was one of the first songs Beck ever wrote, and certainly the first he ever rapped on ("Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby" was a line born from his embarrassment at his own rapping) just adds to the resume.

There's more to this album than 'Loser' though. Knowing what Beck went on to produce, it's interesting to hear the earlier incarnations of his interpretation of the genres he later went on to utilise. 'Pay No Mind' arrives as a welcome, mellow acoustic tune, already ruining any listeners attempt at putting a label on albums style. 'Mountain Dew Rock' follows on in the hook-heavy acoustic affair, like "Nitemare Hippy Girl", with a big sing-along chorus. It's at this point that the album takes another unexpected turn. It's hard to describe 'Whiskeyclone'. Each individual part of the song is pretty weak. A downbeat vocal line, a bizarre guitar part, with many vocal harmonies, you just couldn't imagine it working. However, this form of alchemy is what Beck is most famous for. As his grandfather did with aesthetic art, Beck has an uncanny knack of making masterpieces from samples that most would discard. The song itself is a gem. Changing the mood again with morbid lyrics and a twisted sound, the last thing you're expecting next is 'Soul Suckin' Jerk'. The second 'rap' song on the album, this dark number balances gently on the line of genius/pretentious wank. Being one of the highlights of the album, in my opinion, I think you can guess which side of the line I think Beck's on. If 'Whiskeyclone' was an example of alchemy, then this is alchemy gone mad! Two heavily distorted vocal lines scream across a tribal drum beat and some interesting samples. This song used to be the one that I skipped whenever listening to this album, but give them time! They may be unlike anything you've ever heard before, but both songs as worth the persistence and you'll be rewarded with your hard work with what I believe to be the album's greatest song, 'Beercan'. Starting with a heavily effected vocal sample, you'd be reasonable to assume another inaccessible, but within seconds, the bass, drums, sampling and rapping kick in with a song catchier than SARS. I challenge you not to love that chorus! "Steal My Body Home" couldn't be more laid back if it tried as is 'Blackhole'. Both going for a more eastern style with sitars and a slow, mesmerising vocal, that you allow you to lie back and feel one with the world.

This album doesn't give you a chance to get bored. I wouldn't recommend this album to someone who has never heard Beck before, since it is pretty heavy going (For those, I recommend 'Odelay' instead), but if you are a Beck fan and don't own this album, then shame on you!

Stand-out tracks : Beercan, Loser, Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997