# Beck - "Guero" Released Today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890 "2005-03-30T03:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/1 "2005-03-30T03:54:52Z")
I just picked up “Guero”, the new CD by Beck. I haven’t listened to it much yet, but the few tracks I’ve heard sound great. Just thought I’d give all the Beck fans a heads-up, and start a thread for discussing the CD. So far, it sounds like a return to the kind of music from _Odelay_, rather than the more somber stuff from _Sea Change_. One thing I really like about this release - It’s available in a dual-disc package, which contains a standard CD and a 5.1 mix DVD-Audio high resolution disc with videos, alternate mixes, and all kinds of cool stuff. Plus, the package comes with a thick booklet of art, lyrics, and photos (the whole thing is packaged like a small hardcover book). That’s the way to combat music downloading - provide lots of value to the people who buy. I’ll post more thoughts after I listen to it a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/2 "2005-03-30T04:23:56Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > One thing I really like about this release - It’s available in a dual-disc package, which contains a standard CD and a 5.1 mix DVD-Audio high resolution disc with videos, alternate mixes, and all kinds of cool stuff. Plus, the package comes with a thick booklet of art, lyrics, and photos (the whole thing is packaged like a small hardcover book). That’s the way to combat music downloading - provide lots of value to the people who buy. The DVD package contains a CD AND an audio DVD? Arrrgh. That’ll teach me to trust the folks at Best Buy to know what they’re selling. They said it was just the DVD, so I took it back and picked up the CD instead. As for the record itself, I’ve only heard the first two tracks so far. Not bad. It didn’t blow me away like the first time I heard _Odelay_, but that’s a lot to expect from every new release. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/3 "2005-03-30T04:36:54Z")
I hate it. Totally phoned-in, half-assed “beck by the numbers.” It’s like you can hear the machines of industry in action. “Ok, we’ll take a hip hop breakbeat and then throw a “wacky” banjo loop over it, and Beck, you come in with a sort of joke-flow non-rap about vegetables and stuff.” ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/4 "2005-03-30T04:39:38Z")
Odelay was the first album that I ever owned and is still one of my favourites. I love all of Beck’s work. It’s a shame that I won’t be able to pick up it for about a month or so. I still have to see him live… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/5 "2005-03-30T04:42:57Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > The DVD package contains a CD AND an audio DVD? Arrrgh. That’ll teach me to trust the folks at Best Buy to know what they’re selling. They said it was just the DVD, so I took it back and picked up the CD instead. > > As for the record itself, I’ve only heard the first two tracks so far. Not bad. It didn’t blow me away like the first time I heard _Odelay_, but that’s a lot to expect from every new release. Yes, the Dual-Disc package contains both. I think it’s great - now I have a CD I can keep in the car, and the 5.1 mix can stay at home in my listening room. Still listening… So far I don’t think there are any tracks up to the standards of “Hotwax” or “Where It’s At”, but there’s some solid music here. I suspect it will take a few listenings to really form an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/6 "2005-03-30T04:44:28Z")
I feel like such a phony Beck fan because the only album I own is Sea Change, which I understand to be one of the lesser Beck albums. But I do like it, even if some people find it boring, and I’ll probably check out the new one eventually, but Odelay is next on the to-buy list for me. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/7 "2005-03-30T04:45:38Z")
We pre-ordered from Amazon, then found out about the CD/DVD package. So we are going out tomorrow to buy the booty for us, and Mr. Beckwall’s daughter will be getting the CD for her birthday. I’ve heard “EPro” and “Earthquake Weather”. Can’t wait to hear the rest. Of course we love him, that’s why we are called beckwall. Seen him 4 times in concert. Best show was a small amphitheater in Mesa, AZ and worst show was at Coachella last year (maybe we were just in the throes of heat stroke, but we couldn’t see him or hear him in the tent and a drunk girl fell on top of me and bruised my leg). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/8 "2005-03-30T12:28:40Z")
I’m planning on picking it up today or tomorrow. I’m a pretty big fan. There’s not an album of his I don’t put in from time to time. **Ooner** , I don’t think **Sea Change** is a lesser album. Probably the one I put on the least is **Mellow Gold**. Build your collection up. There’s not a Beck album that I don’t still put on and get something out of everytime. I don’t regret buying a single one of his albums. **Sea Change** and **Mutations** might be less accessible than **Odelay** or **Midnight Vultures** but I think they’re both as rewarding in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/9 "2005-03-30T15:21:24Z")
In my opinion, _Sea Change_ was the second-best album Beck has put out with _Odelay_ being the best. A lot of Beck fans were put off by _Sea Change_ because it was such a radical departure from what came before. But it contains a number of just gorgeous songs. **Lost Cause** alone is worth the price of admission. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/10 "2005-03-30T15:33:49Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > In my opinion, _Sea Change_ was the second-best album Beck has put out with _Odelay_ being the best. > > A lot of Beck fans were put off by _Sea Change_ because it was such a radical departure from what came before. But it contains a number of just gorgeous songs. **Lost Cause** alone is worth the price of admission. I’ve heard that before (that _sea change_ was a radical departure) but I didn’t think it was as different from _Mutations_ than _Mutations_ was from anything that preceeded it. _Mutations_ was a pretty radical change from _Odelay_ I thought. I’m not going to put down a rating of the different Beck albums here, but I will say that I probably drop _Sea Change_ in more than any of the others. I don’t necessarily think that it’s BETTER, but a lot of times, I just in the mood for it. Feeling mellow. . .make a drink. . .get a book. . .chill. Perfect album for that. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/11 "2005-04-26T07:24:45Z")
I’m digging up this thread because, well, I’m digging the album. It took a while to grow on me, but now I can’t stop listening to it. I wish I could get “Girl” out of my head, but the only thing that seems to be able to drive it out is “Missing.” It just flows well, and feels kind of like it builds on _Odelay_, _Midnight Vultures_, and _Mutations_, without sounding like nothing more than a rehash of stuff we’ve heard before. And apparently, he’s stopped using the Becktionary. (“Complete from Bizooty to Whiskeyclone.”) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/12 "2005-04-26T07:32:22Z")
Even the rhyming Becktionary?? The album’s grown on me as well. I still don’t like it as much as _Odelay_, but it’s pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/13 "2005-04-26T15:19:23Z")
I didn’t really care for it at first, but it has grown on me. That’s a sign of a good album. > [@freejooky](#): > > Totally phoned-in, half-assed “beck by the numbers.” It’s like you can hear the machines of industry in action. It’s the first album that “sounds like Beck.” Most of his other stuff has been so weird it seems like music that fell through a time warp from the future. This sounds like Beck doing his thing. Perhaps part of the problem is that now _everyone_ sounds like Beck. Well, not everyone. But he has had a big influence. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/14 "2005-04-26T15:37:31Z")
I’ve liked Beck for about 10 years now. I don’t think there was an album I didn’t like. When you listen to the contrast between Odelay and Sea Change and the fact that he pulls both of them off, you can see the guy can really do practically anything. I just got Guero too, but haven’t listened to it yet. There’s been zero publicity on it, at least where I live. No posters, newspaper ads, anything that I’ve seen. The only reason I knew he even had a new album out was because I saw it by accident while browsing a record store on my lunch break. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/15 "2005-04-26T16:01:59Z")
Is Guero a person’s name? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/16 "2005-04-26T17:03:15Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > Is Guero a person’s name? I read somewhere it’s term for white person that Beck was often called when he was living in a place with a lot of hispanic people. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/17 "2005-04-26T17:06:01Z")
Thanks. Actually, while we’re at it, what does “Que onda” mean? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/18 "2005-04-26T17:13:03Z")
_Odelay_ is one of my favorite albums of all time, one of the few I can listen to over and over and over again. _Mellow Gold_ I got because of Loser but then grew to like every other song as well. _Sea Change_ I love for the car. I’ll get _Guero_ based on the comments here and thanks for the head’s up. Obviously I don’t make it to record stores very often anymore and didn’t realize this was out. So how about _Midnight Vultures_ or _Mutations_? Yea or nay? ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/19 "2005-04-26T18:21:38Z")
I loved Sea Change and I’m digging on Guero now too. I got lucky and ordered the two disc set from the Beck website, and they had a problem so it was slightyl delayed and so they sent an additional disc along with the set. Its called the Nintendo Mixes (or something like that) and its apparently never been released before. I’m bragging, sorry. **SolGrundy** , if you’re a solid gold fan and want to rip it, I’ll loan it to you for a spell. BTW, I think “Que ando guero” means “Where you going, white boy?” ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890/20 "2005-04-26T23:57:59Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > It’s the first album that “sounds like Beck.” Most of his other stuff has been so weird it seems like music that fell through a time warp from the future. This sounds like Beck doing his thing. Perhaps part of the problem is that now _everyone_ sounds like Beck. Or, frankly, that **Freejooky** was saving up his gripes against _Midnite Vultures_ to use against _Guero_. Because none of his/her complaints really apply. There are no wacky banjo loops on this one, no completely non-sequitur raps with made-up words, no “joke” or non-sensical songs. Part of the reason I said it sounds like it builds on the previous albums is because it has the anti-irony feel of _Mutations_ or _Sea Change_, but the sound of _Odelay_ and _Midnite Vultures_. > [@Ghanima](#): > > SolGrundy, if you’re a solid gold fan and want to rip it, I’ll loan it to you for a spell. I’m all over that shit! Of course, I wouldn’t rip it, because that’s illegal and unethical. I would just listen to it as part of a review I plan to do. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beck-guero-released-today/296890.md?page=2)