I skimmed most of the review, but I don't think it was all that bad. Somewhat silly, but not worth getting upset about. This is Pitchfork we're talking about, afterall.

but at the same time, you'd think an "experienced" writer and publication would realize that with a musician like Beck, he's already an interesting anomoly, you don't need a gimmick to tell his story.

though if they DID need a gimmick, they should have pretended that the listener was a white lab rat, and that Beck's catalog was a maze.

bort

no wait, maybe it could be like the music industry started going to the county fair in the early-mid 90's and Beck was the fun house mirror room.

Pitchfork review - gimmick = 0.0

ok i got it. you're coloring your house party with sonic crayons. you reach for the Beck box - what a dazzling array of sounds! ...though some shades look slightly similar to others...

wait, i'm envisioning it now...

you're a young Luke Skywalker, unaware that soon you'll be a Jedi. you walk into a bar with Obi-wan Forkobi. what's all this weird shit in there? why, it's Beck's discography! good thing Forkobi is there to lead us away from trouble.

"I've been a 3-time Grammy winner in seven solar systems!"

Awesome, Bort.

Edit: Also, did Guero come out yesterday or is it next week or what?

Edit again: It comes out today. I thought (wished) today was Wednesday.

I thought Rob Sherffield's review was much better. I actually enjoy reading his reviews. It's a shame he works for Rolling Stone.

yeah, that review sucked.

I'm really digging this album. So much so that a partner at my firm just caught me doing the robot in my cubicle.

i will let you know what i think of the album in 2 hours, haven't picked it up yet. and i usually don't care for pitchfork's album reviews.

I like Pitchfork, but I'll be honest, I skip like 99% of the gimmick reviews.

re: KPH's argument.

maybe it's unfair to ask, but i will anyway. it seems like you know what you didn't want to hear (Odelay Part 2), but at the same time, it's unclear what Beck could've done to please you/his fans. well, you'd like him to be creative, and that's a very fair point, but I'd still argue that Beck has broken enough ground, established his extremely varied craft over a decade and 6 diverse albums, and to ask for an extension of this line is a bit too greedy. the sound of Guero may be familiar, but it doesn't change the fact...err, my opinion that he's written some cool tunes for this album, hopefully with more listens more of it's goodness will be heard by others as well.

and also note: if there's someone who hasn't heard the Odelay album - 9 years old this June (which might be pretty feasible, especially for teenagers of today) any argument made so far against Guero is obsolete. but alas, this is obnerland, where every single member must sing the lyrics to "the new pollution" before being allowed in here.

I'm on my second listen of Guero and I really like it a lot. Nope it's not Odelay and I don't think he's trying for it. I would say that Midnite Vultures is more of an Odelay sequel than this album, leaving temporal considerations aside. It's pretty groovy, the Dust Brothers are involved and he's not soft like Sea Change or Mutations, but the similarities should end there.

For one horrible minute the song 'Missing' reminded me of the first verse of Hall and Oates' 'Family Man'.

I'll be buying Guerro tomorrow. I've liked everything I've heard thus far.