Odelay

Odelay is the fifth studio album by American musician Beck, released on June 18, 1996, by DGC Records. The album featured several successful singles, including "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution", and peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard 200. As of July 2008, the album had sold 2.3 million copies in the United States, making Odelay Beck's most successful album to date.[1] Since its release, the album has appeared in numerous publications' lists of the greatest of the 1990s and of all time.

Odelay
Studio album by
Beck
ReleasedJune 18, 1996 (1996-06-18)
Recorded1994–96
StudioConway Studios, G-Son Studios, Sunset Sound (Los Angeles), The Shop (Arcata)
Genre
Length51:26 (without hidden track)
54:13 (with hidden track)
135:00 (deluxe edition)
Label
Producer
Beck chronology
One Foot in the Grave
(1994)		 Odelay
(1996)		 Mutations
(1998)
Singles from Odelay
  1. "Where It's At"
    Released: July 11, 1996
  2. "Devils Haircut"
    Released: December 11, 1996
  3. "The New Pollution"
    Released: February 28, 1997
  4. "Sissyneck"
    Released: June 17, 1997
  5. "Jack-Ass"
    Released: August 26, 1997

Recording

The sessions for what would become Odelay originally began as a subdued, acoustic affair. In 1994, Beck started to record tracks for his follow-up to Mellow Gold with Bong Load producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Only the tracks "Ramshackle", "Feather in Your Cap", and "Brother" from these sessions have been released, all of which are acoustic, sparse, and melancholic. He would eventually abandon work with Rothrock and Schnapf, opting to work with the Dust Brothers instead. The Dust Brothers' production style was hip-hop-focused yet more layered; their résumé included notable work with Beastie Boys, Tone Lōc and Young MC.

Title and artwork

The title is a phonetic English rendering of the Mexican slang interjection "órale", which translates roughly to "listen up" or "what's up?" The phrase "odelay" is repeated in the lyrics during the outro of the song "Lord Only Knows". According to Stephen Malkmus, the title is a pun on Oh Delay, since the album took very long to record.[2] The album's cover is a photo of a Komondor, a rare Hungarian breed of dog with a heavy, corded coat. The original photo was shot by canine photographer Joan Ludwig (1914–2004) for the July 1977 issue of the American Kennel Club’s Gazette.[3]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Chicago Tribune[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
NME8/10[8]
Pitchfork9.8/10[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]
Spin10/10[12]
The Village VoiceA−[13]

Upon release, Odelay received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Odelay was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Where It's At". It was ranked 16 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005". Odelay was awarded Album of the Year by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll, and also in NME's annual critics poll. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time. The album was ranked number 306 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2013, and later ranked number 424 in the 2020 edition,[14][15] and number 9 on its list of the 100 best albums of the nineties. Voters in Channel 4's 2005 "100 Greatest Albums" poll placed it at number 73. The music website Pitchfork ranked it at #19 on their top 100 albums of the 1990s. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[16] In 2000 it was voted number 54 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[17]

Rob Sheffield in an AllMusic review feels that, like Mellow Gold, Odelay incorporates elements from various genres, including "folk and country, grungy garage rock, stiff-boned electro, louche exotica, old-school rap and noise rock."[4] Additional influences include punk rock, bossa nova, Latin soul and mainstream R&B.[18]

Track listing

Original issue

All songs written by Beck, John King and Michael Simpson, except where noted.
Produced by Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Devils Haircut" 3:14
2."Hotwax" 3:49
3."Lord Only Knows"Beck Hansen4:14
4."The New Pollution" 3:39
5."Derelict" 4:12
6."Novacane" 4:37
7."Jack-Ass" 4:11
8."Where It's At" 5:30
9."Minus"Beck Hansen; produced by Beck Hansen, Mario Caldato Jr. and Brian Paulson.2:32
10."Sissyneck" 3:52
11."Readymade" 2:37
12."High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" 4:10
13."Ramshackle"Beck Hansen; produced by Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Some copies include a hidden track called "Computer Rock"7:29

Deluxe edition

On January 29, 2008, Odelay – Deluxe Edition was released.[19] The two-disc set contains the original album, plus 19 B-sides, remixes and previously unreleased songs. The liner notes feature complete lyrics and artwork as well as an essay from Thurston Moore and the transcript of 15 high school students interviewed by Dave Eggers. The cover art was deliberately edited to appear as if it was a personalized copy of the album, with stickers carelessly half-ripped off and various doodles on it (such as a face drawn on the dog and rainbows behind it) and including the phrase "Property of Michael" written on the back. The exclusion of "Diskobox" may have been done as a deliberate nod to the cover art having the 'strictly limited edition bonus track' sticker partly torn off.

"Diskobox", which appeared on the original UK and Japanese pressings of Odelay, was not included on the deluxe edition for unknown reasons. The Odelay sessions version of "Debra" (later re-recorded for Midnite Vultures) is also absent, despite initial statements to the contrary.

Some of the bonus tracks on the Deluxe Edition (specifically "Deadweight" and "Clock") appear to be from lossy (e.g. MP3) sources. Some of the tracks included have been altered beyond simple remastering.[20] No official explanation for these changes has been given. Some of these alterations are listed below:

First CD:

  1. "Hotwax" has a more double tracked vocal during the verses
  2. "The New Pollution" has the same synthesized beeps from the original version, but played at a different pitch
  3. "Sissyneck" has a slightly extended 'breakdown' part at around 2:00

Bonus CD:

  1. "Thunderpeel" is folded down to mono from the regular stereo version
  2. "Electric Music And The Summer People" is an alternate mix
  3. "Erase the Sun" runs at a faster speed (the original release may be slowed down)
  4. "Trouble All My Days" is folded down to mono from the regular stereo version[21]
Cover Art for Odelay – Deluxe Edition

Disc 1

  1. "Devils Haircut" – 3:15
  2. "Hotwax" – 3:49
  3. "Lord Only Knows" – 4:15
  4. "The New Pollution" – 3:39
  5. "Derelict" – 4:13
  6. "Novacane" – 4:37
  7. "Jack-Ass" – 4:12
  8. "Where It's At" – 5:30
  9. "Minus" – 2:32
  10. "Sissyneck" – 3:57
  11. "Readymade" – 2:37
  12. "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" – 4:11
  13. "Ramshackle" – 4:47
  14. "Hidden Track (Computer Rock)" – 0:43
  15. "Deadweight" – 6:12
  16. "Inferno" (previously unreleased) – 7:03
  17. "Gold Chains" (previously unreleased) – 4:59

Disc 2

  1. "Where It's At" (U.N.K.L.E. remix) – 12:26
  2. "Richard's Hairpiece" (remix by Aphex Twin) – 3:19
  3. "American Wasteland" (remix by Mickey P.) – 2:42
  4. "Clock" – 3:17
  5. "Thunder Peel" – 2:40
  6. "Electric Music and the Summer People" – 4:38
  7. "Lemonade" – 2:21
  8. "SA-5" – 1:53
  9. "Feather in Your Cap" – 3:46
  10. "Erase the Sun" – 2:56
    • Sped up from the originally released length of 3:16.
  11. "000.000" – 5:25
  12. "Brother" – 4:47
  13. "Devil Got My Woman" – 4:34
  14. "Trouble All My Days" – 2:25
  15. "Strange Invitation" – 4:06
  16. "Burro" – 3:13

Personnel

Musicians
  • Beck Hansen – vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 1–4, 6–12), slide guitar (track 2), acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 7, 13), bass guitar (tracks 1–4, 6–12), organ (tracks 1, 4–6, 8, 10), clavinet (tracks 2, 4), electric piano (tracks 6–8), moog synthesizer (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 12), harmonica (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7), drums (track 5), percussion (tracks 5, 10, 12), thumb piano (track 5), rhumba box (track 5), xylophone (track 7), turntables (track 9), echoplex (track 12)
  • Dust Brothers – turntables (tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 12), drum machine (tracks 6, 12)
  • Joey Waronker – drums (tracks 3, 6, 9, 13), percussion (tracks 3, 9, 12), chimes (track 9)
  • Mike Millius – scream (track 3)
  • Mike Boito – organ (tracks 8, 10, 12), clavinet (track 6), trumpet (track 8)
  • David Brown – saxophone (track 8)
  • Money Mark – organ (track 8)
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar (track 10)
  • Charlie Haden – upright bass (track 13)
  • Ross Harris – "(The Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm)" (track 2)

Production

Artwork
  • Beck Hansen, Robert Fisher – art direction, design
  • Al Hansen, Manuel Ocampo, Zarim Osborn – collage images
  • Manuel Ocampo – inlay painting
  • Joan Ludwig – cover photography
  • Nitin Vadukul – photography of Beck

Charts
Charts (1996) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] 20
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] 30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 27
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] 27
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] 27
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 36
French Albums (SNEP)[28] 39
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 30
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 16
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] 23
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 14
UK Albums (OCC)[34] 17
US Billboard 200[35] 16

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[37] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[38] Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[41] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Ask Billboard". Billboard. 2008-07-18. Archived from the original on 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  2. "Q&A: Stephen Malkmus on New LP, Beck + More". Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  3. https://thefutureheart.com/2016/06/18/odelay-dog-akc-kennel-ludwig-komondor-beck-cover/
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Odelay – Beck". AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  5. Kot, Greg (June 27, 1996). "Beck's Whimsical 'Odelay' A Musical Smorgasbord". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  6. Smith, Ethan (June 21, 1996). "Odelay". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  7. Scribner, Sara (June 16, 1996). "Beck Takes Quirkiness to New, High-Tech Level". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  8. Cameron, Keith (June 22, 1996). "Beck – Odelay". NME. Archived from the original on October 16, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  9. Schreiber, Ryan (June 1996). "Beck: Odelay". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  10. Kemp, Mark (June 13, 1996). "Odelay". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  11. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Beck". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 55–56. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. Morris, Chris (July 1996). "Beck: Odelay". Spin. 12 (4): 87. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  13. Christgau, Robert (September 17, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  14. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  15. Rolling Stone (2020-09-22). "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  16. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  17. Colin Larkin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 60. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  18. Bob Sheffield (2008-02-07). "Rolling Stone 2008 Review". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  19. Beck's Odelay Given Deluxe Reissue Treatment Archived January 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. Beck Forum – View topic – Odelay Remastered ??? (or something) Archived February 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  22. "Australiancharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  23. "Austriancharts.at – Beck – Odelay" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Beck – Odelay" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  25. "Ultratop.be – Beck – Odelay" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – Beck – Odelay" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  27. "Beck: Odelay" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  28. "Lescharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  29. "Officialcharts.de – Beck – Odelay". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  30. "Charts.nz – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  31. "Norwegiancharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  32. "Swedishcharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  33. "Swisscharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  34. "Beck | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  35. "Beck Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  36. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  37. "Canadian album certifications – Beck – Odelay". Music Canada.
  38. "Japanese album certifications – Beck – Odelay" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  39. "New Zealand album certifications – Beck – Odelay". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  40. "British album certifications – Beck – Odelay". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 August 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Odelay in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  41. "American album certifications – Beck – Odelay". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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