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Source Material: Beck, 'Odelay' playlist.Perhaps the finest and weirdest sonic collage of the '90s, Beck's Odelay pierced its way into the hearts of alternative, hip-hop and pop kids alike when it came out in 1996. By then, he'd convinced the world he was a loveable "Loser" -- which also meant many had him pegged as an inevitable one-hit wonder. But with what was actually his fifth album, he proved himself a master of smart, genre-smashing songwriting, thanks in part to The Dust Brothers, the production team behind The Beastie Boys' iconic Paul's Boutique.
How to explain this album? It ain't easy. It's got funk, punk, folk, jazz, country, bossa nova, hip-hop, pop and rock; it's got a mix of Beck's irony-tinged monotone and all-out guttural yells, plus his metaphorical musings, witty commentary and occasional nonsense talk -- and we're just talking about the first few songs here. But most noteworthy is the sampling: Beck and The Dust Brothers did some serious crate digging, excavating beats from Pretty Purdie; riffs from Them; funk grooves from Sly & the Family Stone, Mandrill, Rare Earth and Freedom; sound clips from Mantronix ("I got two turntables and a microphone") and The Frogs ("That was a good drum break"); even a symphonic snippet from Franz Schubert in "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)." Beck also nods to experimental troubadour Gary Wilson ("Let the man Gary Wilson rock the most") and Musical Youth's "Pass the Dutchie," for starters, in "Where It's At," whose video included a quick shot of him impersonating Captain Beefheart.
These, of course, are just a few of the influences behind the weird, wild and wonderful Odelay. Below, dig into the artists and albums Beck sampled, referenced or likely just adored during the making of this classic.
Gary WilsonYou Think You Really Know Me
Gary Wilson is a strange one, but like everyone else, he's just searching for love. He's fond of the word "groovy" and, apparently, making out ("your love goes on like a make-out party"); his guitar riffs trade off between crunchy psychedelia and smooth lite rock; he sometimes inflects with Lou Reed flippancy, though at other times he sounds like he's being swallowed by Satan ("Loneliness") or at least strapped into a straitjacket ("6.4 = Make Out"). Most of the groovy grooves are lit in lava-lamp luridness, thanks mostly to the synthesizers. Perfect for Love Boat lounging, or maybe a '70s softcore flick. [Stephanie Benson]
Beastie BoysPaul's Boutique
Arguably their best album, the Beasties' sophomore effort was commercially ignored when it was released in '89 and hailed as a classic years later. The production (much of it by The Dust Brothers) is out of control: an unrelenting barrage of ridiculously funky samples and thick breakbeats. Lyrically they step it up as well, with ill wordplay and sick metaphors galore. [Brolin Winning]
MantronixThe Album
Originally released in 1985, Mantronix's first album bridged the gap between hip-hop and electro, with super-futuristic beats akin to Bambaataa's and Arthur Baker's supporting straightforward Run-DMC-esque rhymes from MC Tee. Though only seven tracks deep, The Album spawned three hit singles: "Bassline," "Needle to the Groove" and "Fresh Is the Word." [B.W.]
Sly & the Family StoneLife
Following the 1968 breakout hit "Dance to the Music," the Bay Area-based funk group was seemingly on top of the world. This, their third album, tries to replicate that song's freewheeling funk with considerably less success. "Dynamite!" actually quotes their hit in the song's coda, while the acid-warped "Plastic Jim" quotes The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." "Chicken," well, quotes a chicken while taunting an unsure tripper. Yep, it's that kind of party. [Sam Chennault]
Captain BeefheartShiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
King of all genius weirdos Don Van Vliet and his Magic Band first released this album in 1978. At the time it was considered a critical return to form, following a four-year hiatus and a pair of records that had been poorly received. For fans of the Magic Band's pre-post-punk angularity and shambling defilement of jazz, Shiny Beast blows the mind as effectively as the "rock" songs off Trout Mask Replica, with a streamlined quality that can come only with maturity. They even go Jimmy Buffett -- and it works! -- on "Tropical Hot Dog." [Mike McGuirk]
MandrillBest of Mandrill
Top-flight, extraordinary funk throwdowns from this ahead-of-their-time Brooklyn outfit. Best of Mandrill draws from their first five albums, and includes such well-known singles as "Fencewalk" and "Hang Loose." Mandrill have influenced multiple generations of artists, from P-Funk to Ice Cube and beyond. [B.W.]
Sonic YouthDaydream Nation
Sonic Youth deserve every compliment that's been thrown at them for making this album. Youthful empowerment, suburban malaise, punk rock noise, beatnik bliss and artful overindulgence are just a few of the areas touched on in this unbearably tuneful and explosive release. Gerhard Richter's painting for the cover is the icing on the cake. [Jon Pruett]
(Note: Beck would go on to produce Thurston Moore's 2011 album Demolished Thoughts; here's a clip of the pair in 1994.) [S.B.]
Os MutantesOs Mutantes
These acid-damaged high-society youngsters took Sgt. Pepper as their bible and Brazilian popular music as their hymnbook, releasing what still ranks as one of the freakiest, most experimentally joyful debuts ever. Government censors didn't know what to make of them, but Tropicália leading lights Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil adopted them, feeding them songs ("Panis Et Circenses," "A Minha Menina") and championing their utter insanity for what became, briefly, not just a way of recording but a way of life. [Sarah Bardeen]