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Who2 Biography:

Beck

, Rock Musician
Beck
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  • Born: 8 July 1970
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
  • Best Known As: Creator of the 1996 album Odelay

Name at birth: Beck David Campbell

Beck mixed folk, blues and hip-hop into a crowd-pleasing sound that made him one of the hotter pop musicians of the 1990s. His 1993 single Loser was an alternative radio hit, and a few years later he scored his first gold record with Odelay. That 1996 album won him a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance and also made him a big-time star; he soon won Best Artist awards from publications as diverse as Spin and Seventeen. His album Midnight Vultures was nominated for a 2000 Grammy as Record of the Year. His other albums include Sea Change (2002), Guero (2005) and The Information (2006).

Beck's mother, Bibbe Hansen, was a crony of pop artist Andy Warhol... Beck took her last name of Hansen after his parents split up.

 
 
Artist: Beck
Beck

Born:
Jul 08, 1970 in Los Angeles

Representative Songs:

"Where It's At," "Devils Haircut," "Loser"

Representative Albums:

Odelay, Mellow Gold, Sea Change

Similar Artists:

Jens Lekman, Scissor Sisters, Ill Lit, Nik Freitas, Cripples, Gorillaz, N.E.R.D., DJ Me DJ You, Jamie Lidell, Will Oldham, Cornelius, Russell Simins, Stephen Malkmus, Dan the Automator, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Butter 08, Eels, Super Furry Animals, Dr. Octagon, Hayden, Folk Implosion, Sam Jayne, Cibo Matto, Garbage, Cornershop, Sean Lennon, Built to Spill, Supergrass, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Money Mark, Calvin Johnson, Guided by Voices, Silver Jews, Liz Phair, Luscious Jackson, Björk, Frank Black, Pavement, Royal Trux, Basehead, Palace, Pulp, Ween, Sebadoh, Mercury Rev, Vic Chesnutt, Boss Hog, Morphine, They Might Be Giants, Camper Van Beethoven, The Breeders, Beat Happening

Influences:

Gary Wilson, Thurston Moore, Serge Gainsbourg, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pussy Galore, Ric Ocasek, Nirvana, Mark Mothersbaugh, Meat Puppets, The Cars, Willie Dixon, Big Bill Broonzy, Mantronix, Ice Cube, Beastie Boys

Followers:

Squank, Company Car, Electric Laser People, Terry Matsuoka, Velella Velella, Simplicity, Kristoffer Ragnstam, Black Fiction, Dead Heart Bloom, Sexton Blake, ActionReaction, Mika, Mixel Pixel, Harlan T. Bobo, AM, Bumblebeez 81, Applied Communications, Vicious Vicious, Bumblebeez, Shelby, Mississippi Cactus, Ill Lit, Hot Chip, Panurge, La Naranja China, Miranda Lee Richards, El Hombre Burbuja, Cloud Cult, Jim Greer, Dan Bryk, Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi, A Halo Called Fred, Buzz Poets, Enon, John Oszajca, Badly Drawn Boy, The Beta Band, The Getaway People, A, Jimmy Ray, BS 2000, Cornelius, Getaway Cruiser, OMC, Self, Sean Lennon, Gomez, 22-Pistepirkko

Performed Songs By:

John King, Karl Stephenson

Worked With:

Joey Waronker, Tom Rothrock
  • Birth Name: Beck Hansen
  • Genre: Rock
  • Active: '90s, 2000s
  • Instruments: Vocals, Guitar

Biography

One of the most inventive and eclectic figures to emerge from the '90s alternative revolution, Beck was the epitome of postmodern chic in an era obsessed with junk culture. Drawing upon a kaleidoscope of influences -- pop, folk, psychedelia, hip-hop, country, blues, R&B, funk, indie rock, noise rock, experimental rock, jazz, lounge, Brazilian music -- Beck created a body of work that was wildly unpredictable, vibrantly messy, and bursting with ideas. He was unquestionably a product of the media age -- a synthesist whose concoctions were pasted together from bits of the past and present, in ways that could only occur to an overexposed pop-culture junkie. His surreal, free-associative lyrics were laced with warped imagery and a sardonic sense of humor that, while typical of the times, only rarely threatened the impact of his adventurous music. Beck appropriated freely from whatever genres he felt like, juxtaposing sounds that would never have co-existed organically (and his habitual irony made clear that he wasn't aiming for authenticity in the first place). If his musical style was impossible to pigeonhole, his true identity lay in that rootless, sprawling diversity, that determination to acknowledge no boundaries or conventions; everything he did bore the stamp of his distinctively skewed viewpoint. Beck caught his big break when the bizarre Delta blues/white-boy-rap pastiche "Loser" spawned a national catch phrase in early 1994. His debut album, Mellow Gold, became a hit, and the official follow-up, the Dust Brothers-produced Odelay, was widely acclaimed as one of the decade's landmark records. Beck followed those touchstones with genre exercises in folk and funk that still managed to dazzle with their variety, solidifying one of the most creatively vital oeuvres in alternative rock -- or all of modern pop music, for that matter.

Beck David Campbell was born July 8, 1970, in Los Angeles, and came from strong creative stock. His father, David Campbell, was a conductor and string arranger (who later worked on his son's records); however, he left the family early on, and Beck adopted the last name of his mother Bibbe Hansen, a regular on Andy Warhol's Factory scene who appeared in the Warhol film Prison. Moreover, his grandfather Al Hansen was an important figure in the Fluxus art movement, best known for launching the career of Yoko Ono. The young Beck Hansen grew up mostly in Los Angeles, also spending some time with both sets of grandparents (Al Hansen in Europe, and his other grandfather -- a Presbyterian minister -- in the Kansas City area). He dropped out of school in tenth grade, and began playing acoustic blues and folk music as a street busker, as well as trying his hand in the poetry-slam scene; in 1988, he produced a cassette of home recordings called The Banjo Story. In 1989, he moved to New York and tried to break into the city's short-lived "anti-folk" scene, a punk-influenced movement of acoustic singer/songwriters that included Roger Manning and Michelle Shocked. Finding the going tough, he returned to Los Angeles after about a year, and attempted to gain exposure at rock clubs by playing a few songs in between the regular sets.

In the summer of 1991, Beck was discovered separately by Bong Load label owners Tom Rothrock (at one of his club performances) and Rob Schnapf (at the Sunset Junction street fair). The two approached him about cutting some folk songs backed with hip-hop beats, and Beck agreed. Gathering in the kitchen of up-and-coming hip-hop producer Karl Stephenson, Beck recorded "Loser" and a selection of other tracks. In 1992, Beck traveled to Olympia, WA, to record for Calvin Johnson's K label, and also inked a publishing deal with BMG. At the beginning of 1993, Beck finally saw his first official releases: the single "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" on Flipside, and the full-length, cassette-only Golden Feelings on Sonic Enemy. In September, Bong Load finally released "Loser" as a 12" single, and it became an instant smash on L.A.'s independent radio stations, so much so that Bong Load had trouble pressing enough copies to keep up with the demand. Combining a funky drum-machine track and Beck's nonsense raps with bluesy slide guitar and a sample of Dr. John's "I Walk on Gilded Splinters," "Loser" sounded like nothing else. Word spread quickly, helped out by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, who raved about Beck after seeing him perform at a backyard party. A major-label bidding war ensued, and Beck signed an innovative contract with Geffen that allowed him to continue releasing uncommercial material on smaller independent labels. In the meantime, another indie album, the 10" record A Western Harvest Field by Moonlight, was released in January 1994 by Fingerpaint.

Beck's major-label debut, Mellow Gold, was released in March 1994, and Geffen also reissued "Loser" on a national level. Instantly labeled an anthem for the so-called slacker generation, the song was a sensation, climbing into the Top Ten and hitting number one on Billboard's modern rock chart. Mellow Gold was a hit, climbing into the Top 20 and eventually going platinum. Initial reviews were somewhat mixed; many critics raved over the album, but others were reluctant to lavish praise on an artist they weren't sure would ever be anything more than a one-hit novelty. Meanwhile, Beck immediately took advantage of his Geffen deal to release two more indie albums in 1994. Stereopathetic Soul Manure, issued on Flipside, consisted of lo-fi noise rock, while One Foot in the Grave -- which included the material from Beck's 1992 session for K Records, fleshed out with new recordings -- was a bare-bones acoustic folk collection. Later that year, Bong Load released another indie single, "Steve Threw Up." Beck's low-budget body of work, especially his indie recordings, seemed to place him as part of the emerging lo-fi aesthetic, whose other adherents included Pavement, Sebadoh, and Liz Phair.

In the summer of 1995, Beck undertook his first major promotional tour, appearing as part of the fifth edition of Lollapalooza. For his second major-label album, he entered the studio with producers the Dust Brothers, who'd been a significant force behind the Beastie Boys' groundbreaking masterpiece Paul's Boutique. Odelay was released in June 1996 to massive acclaim, and wound up topping many year-end critics' polls; it was commercially successful as well, reaching the Top 20, selling over two million copies, and spinning off a string of MTV hits that included "Where It's At," "Devil's Haircut," "Jack-Ass," and "The New Pollution." "Where It's At" went on to win a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal, and Odelay also won for Best Alternative Music Performance. Late in 1997, Beck contributed the single "Deadweight" to the soundtrack of the film A Life Less Ordinary, which starred Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz. In the spring of 1998, Beck's artwork was featured in a joint show with that of his late grandfather.

Also in 1998, Beck began work on a new, folk-styled album -- in the vein of One Foot in the Grave -- that was originally slated for release on Bong Load. However, excited by the results and the presence of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Geffen stepped in and released the album themselves that November. Titled Mutations, the record's quiet, gently trippy tone and relatively straightforward approach made it an unlikely progression from Odelay, and indeed both Beck and Geffen made it clear that the record was never intended as the official follow-up. Although everything about Mutations was low-key, it still became Beck's third straight Top 20 major-label album. In early 1999, lawsuits between Geffen, Bong Load, and Beck began to fly over the abrupt release change of Mutations, but were eventually worked out in friendly fashion. That summer, Beck recorded a duet with Emmylou Harris on "Sin City," a track featured on the Gram Parsons tribute album Return of the Grievous Angel.

The official follow-up to Odelay took an exhausting total of 14 months to record. Released in November 1999, Midnite Vultures was designed as a party record, running the gamut of variations on funk and allowing Beck to play the roles of R&B loverman and horny Prince disciple. Reviews ranged from glowing to indifferent, and Midnite Vultures didn't sell quite as well as its predecessors. Mutations won Beck another Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance in early 2000, and he embarked on an extensive international tour in support of Midnite Vultures. In 2001, Beck recorded a cover of David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" with cutting-edge hip-hop producer Timbaland, and also contributed to French electronic popsters Air's 10,000 Hz Legend album.

His next project was another folk-styled album, titled Sea Change, again recorded with Mutations producer Nigel Godrich and released by Geffen in September 2002. Beck promoted Sea Change with a brief acoustic tour beforehand, then announced that he had hired the Flaming Lips as his backing band for the more extensive official tour following its release. For the follow-up to Sea Change, Beck re-enlisted the Dust Brothers as producers; the resulting album, titled Guero, was released in March 2005. Guero spawned hits like "E-Pro" and "Hell Yes" and was seen as a conscious return to the sound and feel of Beck's Odelay days. Guerolito, a remixed version of the album, appeared in December 2005. Godrich was back for 2006's The Information, a hip-hop-influenced effort. The album came with a blank cover and a sheet of stickers that fans could use to make their own cover art. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
 
Quotes By: Beck

Quotes:

"I'm the artist formally known as Beck. I have a genius wig. When I put that wig on, then the true genius emerges. I don't have enough hair to be a genius. I think you have to have hair going everywhere."

 
Wikipedia: Beck
This article is about the musician. For other uses, see Beck (disambiguation).
Beck
Beck in concert, playing his primary guitar, a Vintage Danelectro Silvertone.
Beck in concert, playing his primary guitar, a Vintage Danelectro Silvertone.
Background information
Birth name Bek David Campbell [1][2]
Born July 8 1970 (1970--) (age 37)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Experimental rock
Indie rock
Electronica
Alternative Hip Hop
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, harmonica, percussion, sitar
Years active 1988 – present
Label(s) Interscope
Geffen
DGC
Bong Load
Website www.beck.com
Notable instrument(s)
1962 Vintage Silvertone Danelectro[3]

Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell, July 8, 1970) is a Grammy Award-winning American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known by his simple stage name of Beck.

With his pop collage of musical styles, oblique, ironic lyrics, and post-modern arrangements incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and sound effects, Beck has been hailed by critics and the public throughout his musical career as being amongst the most idiosyncratic artists of 1990s alternative rock.[4]

Beck rose to underground popularity with his earliest works, which combined social criticism (as in "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" and "Deep Fried Love") with musical and lyrical experimentalism. He first came to wider public attention with his breakthrough single "Loser", a hit in 1994, which some described as a novelty song. However, Beck was not easily categorized into a single genre. Some likened his absurd, free-flowing lyrical style and the lo-fi folk songs of his early career to Bob Dylan, while the Beastie Boys were notable templates for his embrace of hip hop influences, and his later eclecticism sparked comparisons to Prince.[5] In several albums beginning in the late 1990s, Beck developed a slower, more melancholy sound, merging his trademark style with psychedelic rock, electronic, Brazilian Tropicalia, and the music of English folk icon Nick Drake and French avant pop star Serge Gainsbourg. He has also cited The Cars, Mantronix, Gary Wilson, Pussy Galore, Willie Dixon, Bill Broonzy, and Sonic Youth as among his influences. To most listeners, Odelay (1996) and Sea Change (2002), two of Beck's most popular[6] and acclaimed[7][8] recordings, represented polar opposites in style. Odelay was awarded the title Album of the Year by Rolling Stone in the USA and by NME and Mojo in the UK. It was also nominated for the award of Best Album at the Grammys.

Background

Beck was born in Los Angeles, California to David Campbell, a Canadian musician, and Bibbe Hansen, a visual artist. His maternal grandfather was Al Hansen, a visual collage artist of the Fluxus school of art. His paternal grandfather was a Presbyterian minister, while his maternal great-grandmother was Jewish; although Beck says he was raised partially in the Jewish religion, he is a Scientologist, as are his wife and his father.[9][10] Beck's mother also has Norwegian and Swedish ancestry. When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from hip hop to Latin music and his mother's art scene—all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work.

After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck traveled and educated himself. During this period, he developed his musical talent through the art of busking. In Germany, he spent time with his grandfather Al Hansen. Beck collaborated with Al Hansen on the Fluxus book, Playing with Matches, published by RAM USA in 1998[11]. The late 1980s found him in New York City, involved in the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.

Recording career

(1988–1993) Independent releases

In 1988, Beck recorded a cassette entitled Banjo Story, which has since become available in bootleg form.[12]

Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade. To support himself, he took a variety of low-paying, dead-end jobs, and even lived in a shed, all the while continuing to develop his music. During this time, Beck sought out (or sneaked onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops and busking on the streets. This is also when he met Chris Ballew (founder of The Presidents of the United States of America). They even performed on the streets as a duo for a while. Some of his earliest recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.

The founders of Bong Load Custom Records, Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf and Bradshaw Lambert discovered Beck, signing him to their fledgling label. "Loser," a collaboration between hip hop nuance producer Carl Stephenson and Beck, created a sensation when radio host Chris Douridas played the song on Morning Becomes Eclectic, the flagship music program from Santa Monica College radio station KCRW. That exposure and a subsequent live performance on the show July 23, 1993 led to a bidding war among labels to sign Beck. Eventually, he chose Geffen Records, who offered him terms that included an allowance for the release of independent albums while under contract. Of all the record labels to offer Beck a contract, Geffen offered him the least amount of money, but the greatest amount of creative freedom.[citation needed]

(1994–1997) Mellow Gold and Odelay

In 1994, Geffen's official debut release of Mellow Gold, culled from sessions with Rothrock, Schnapf, and Stephenson, made Beck a mainstream smash success.

At the same time, he released Stereopathetic Soulmanure on Flipside Records and One Foot in the Grave on independent K Records. Beck took his act on the road in 1994 with a worldwide tour, followed by a spot on the main stage of the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Still, some critics panned him as a one-hit wonder. Audiences' (especially at Lollapalooza) familiarity with "Loser," and their general disinterest in his other work only reinforced his image as such.

When the time came to record his follow-up to Mellow Gold, he enlisted Rothrock and Schnapf as producers and began recording an album of moody, low-key acoustic numbers to showcase his songwriting. The songs were melancholy due to[citation needed] several close deaths in Beck's life, including one of his greatest inspirations, his grandfather. Eventually, Beck shelved the album and pursued a more upbeat approach. Beck was introduced to the Dust Brothers, producers of the Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique, whose cut-and-paste, sample-heavy production suited Beck's vision of a more fun, accessible album.

What resulted, 1996's Odelay, would finally put the one-hit wonder label to rest. The lead single, "Where It's At," received heavy airplay, and its video was in constant rotation on MTV. Within the year, Odelay had received good reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, having been listed on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for "Album of the Year"), receiving double-platinum status and earning a number of industry awards, including two Grammys.

Also, beginning in 1993, "Loser" co-writer and Mellow Gold co-producer Carl Stephenson embarked on an experimental trip hop project which eventually resulted in Forest for the Trees, releasing a self-titled album in 1997, followed by an EP in 1999. Beck contributed to both records, providing spoken word, harmonica, and assorted instruments.

(1998–2000) Mutations and Midnite Vultures

Odelay was followed in 1998 by Mutations. Though the album was originally supposed to be released on Bong Load Records, Geffen intervened and issued the record against Beck's wishes.[13][14] The artist then sought to void his contracts with both record labels, and in turn the labels sued him for breach of contract. The litigation went on for years and it remains unclear to this day if it was ever completely resolved. [3] Produced by Beck and Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame, it was intended as a stopgap measure before the next album proper. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced fourteen songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay, and was filled with folk and blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some even dating back as far as 1994. Track 10, "Sing It Again", was written for Johnny Cash, but Beck never submitted it, considering it "rubbish." Cash would go on to record "Rowboat," a song that originally appeared on Beck's Stereopathetic Soulmanure.

During 1998, Beck's art collaborations with his grandfather Al Hansen were featured in an exhibition entitled 'Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches'] and showcased solo and collaborative collage, assemblage, drawing and poetry works.[15] The show toured from the Santa Monica Museum of Art to galleries in New York City and Winnipeg, Canada. A catalogue of the show was published by Plug In Editions/Smart Art Press.

In 1999, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures, an orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo supported by a world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza. The live stage set included a red bed that descended from the ceiling for the song "Debra" and the touring band was supplemented by a brass section. Midnite Vultures was nominated for Best Album at the Grammys.

Beck has a number of B-sides and soundtrack-only songs as well, including "Midnite Vultures" (curiously, not on the album of the same name), a cover of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" which appeared in the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" from Moulin Rouge!. He is also credited on the French band Air’s 2001 album 10 000 Hz Legend for vocals on the songs "Don't Be Light" and "The Vagabond" (as well as harmonica on the latter). He duetted with Emmylou Harris on Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons, performing "Sin City".

(2001–2003) Sea Change

After Midnite Vultures, Beck released Sea Change (2002), another airy and emotional album with Godrich, which became Beck's first U.S. Top 10 album, reaching #8. The album was also met with critical acclaim, earning five stars from Rolling Stone, the magazine's rarely awarded highest-rating and later placing second in the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 2002. Sea Change was conceptualized as an album with one unifying theme—the stages following the end of a relationship. The album also featured string arrangements by Beck's father David Campbell and a sonically dense mix reminiscent of Mutations. Although some radio singles were released, no commercial singles were made available to the public. Beck embarked on a solo acoustic tour of small theaters and halls prior to the release of Sea Change, during which he played several songs from the forthcoming album. The post-album release Sea Change electric tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band. Since then Wayne Coyne, their lead singer, has criticized Beck for his behavior on the tour.[16]

A song Beck co-wrote with William Orbit, "Feel Good Time", was recorded by pop singer Pink and included on the soundtrack of the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

(2004–present) Guero and The Information

In 2004, Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label album. The record, Guero, was produced by the Dust Brothers and Tony Hoffer and features a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes; it marked a return to Odelay-era sound. The album was released in March 2005 and enjoyed critical acclaim from most mainstream press, earning four stars from Playboy and Rolling Stone, as well as a "Critic's Choice" recognition from The New York Times. However, the album received a less enthusiastic response from Beck's indie-oriented fanbase and a relatively low 6.6 (out of 10) score given by Pitchfork. Nonetheless, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, pushing 162,000 copies in the first week and giving Beck his best week ever in terms of commercial sales and chart position. Since the release of Guero, the first single, "E-Pro", has been well received by the mainstream rock community, and has seen a large amount of play time. The second single, titled simply "Girl", is a bright, upbeat song appearing at first to be about summer love; however, a closer look at the lyrics reveals a darker side to the song. "Girl" received heavy airplay on various college radio stations. The third and final single was "Hell Yes".

On February 1, 2005, Beck released an EP featuring four remixes of songs from Guero by independent artists who use sounds from various video game devices like the Nintendo Game Boy. The EP, titled GameBoy Variations, featured "Ghettochip Malfunction" [Hell Yes] and "GameBoy/Homeboy" [Que' Onda Guero], both remixed by the band 8-Bit, and also had "Bad Cartridge" [E-Pro] and "Bit Rate Variation in B-Flat" [Girl], the last two being remixed by Paza {The X-Dump}. The EP cover art shows a long-haired person headbanging to his Game Boy, which is plugged into an amplifier like an electric guitar. This EP was featured in an issue of Nintendo Power. Also, a music video for "Gameboy/Homeboy" was also produced by Wyld File.

Beck plays at the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington. The screens show puppets that emulated the band throughout the show.
Enlarge
Beck plays at the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington. The screens show puppets that emulated the band throughout the show.

Beck performed at the music and arts festival Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee on June 17, 2006. He performed many songs from his album Guero. In addition to his band, Beck was accompanied onstage by a group of puppets, dressed as him and members of his band. Live video feed of the puppets' performance was broadcast on video screens to the audience. The puppets were part of his 2006 world tour.

Beck's seventh major label studio album, The Information, which again reunited him with Nigel Godrich, was released on October 3, 2006. The album reportedly took more than three years to make and was described as "quasi hip-hop." It came with a sheet of stickers, which were to be used to "make your own album cover."[17] The lead U.S. single, "Nausea", officially went to radio on September 5, 2006. In the UK, the first single was "Cellphone's Dead".[18] The Information in its entirety was leaked onto the Internet in late September. On September 27, 2006, Beck released a Yahoo! Music Unlimited exclusive track before the album was released, titled "Think I'm In Love". Customers who purchased at Best Buy were treated to an exclusive download of an outtake track titled "This Girl That I Know", whereas Target shoppers received "Inside Out", both of which were on European versions of the disc. Some U.S. stores also included a bonus disc, featuring the track "O Menina", which was also included in the Japanese release, along with the other two bonus tracks. Some copies of the album include a bonus DVD of "homemade" (by Beck and Godrich) music videos for each song.[19] Because of its inclusion of free stickers, The Information was disqualified by the Official Chart Company from entering the UK albums chart, but in the U.S. the album gave Beck his third straight Top 10 studio album peak on the Billboard 200, reaching #7.

His latest single, "Timebomb", was released on iTunes on August 21, 2007.

Personal life

Beck married Marissa Ribisi, the twin sister of actor Giovanni Ribisi, in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen. Ribisi gave birth to another child in 2007. [4]

Beck has been involved in Scientology for most of his life. His name appears in Scientology literature in 2003, showing that he is a member and a donor. His wife, Marissa, is also a second-generation Scientologist. Both Marissa and her twin brother, Giovanni, were delivered by Beck's mother, Bibbe.[20] Beck publicly acknowledged his affiliation with the Church of Scientology for the first time in an interview published in the New York Times Magazine on March 6, 2005. Further confirmation came in an interview with the Irish Sunday Tribune newspaper's i Magazine on June 11, 2005, where he was quoted as saying, "Yeah, I'm a Scientologist. My father has been a Scientologist for about 35 years, so I grew up in and around it." When questioned by the interviewer about Scientology's core beliefs, he replied, "What it actually is is just sort of, uh, you know, I think it's about philosophy and sort of, uh, all these kinds of, you know, ideals that are common to a lot of religions. . . . There's nothing fantastical . . . just a real deep grassroots concerted effort for humanitarian causes. I don't know if you know the stuff they have. It's unbelievable the stuff they are doing. Education . . . they have free centres all over the place for poor kids. They have the number one [disputed] drug rehabilitation programme in the entire world (called Narconon). It has a 90-something % success rate . . . When you look at the actual facts and not what's conjured in people's minds that's all bullshit to me because I've actually seen stuff first hand."[21]

Discography

Main article: Beck discography

Other media appearances

Television

Beck has performed on Saturday Night Live six times; these shows were respectively hosted by Kevin Spacey, Bill Paxton, Christina Ricci, Jennifer Garner, Tom Brady and Hugh Laurie. He has made two cameo appearances as himself on Saturday Night Live: one in a sketch about medical marijuana, and one in a VH1 Behind the Music parody that featured "Fat Albert & the Junkyard Gang".

He has also performed a guest voice as himself in Matt Groening's animated show Futurama, in the episode "Bendin' in the Wind"

He performed in episode 10 of the fourth season of The Larry Sanders Show, in which the producer character Artie (Rip Torn) referred to him as a "hillbilly from outer space".

He also made a very brief voice appearance in 1998 cartoon feature film, The Rugrats Movie' and guest starred as himself in a 1997 episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, entitled "Edelweiss".

In the music of other artists

Filmography

  • (1986), brief appearance playing accordion in a band
  • Kill the Moonlight (1994), contributed "Leave Me on the Moon", "Last Night I Traded My Souls Innermost for Some Pickled Fish" and "Underwater Music"
  • subUrbia (1996), contributed "Feather in Your Cap"
  • A Life Less Ordinary (1997), contributed "Deadweight"
  • Bury Me in Kern County (1998), contributed "Megaboob"
  • The Rugrats Movie (1998), contributed "This World Is Something New to Me" with various other artists
  • A Room for Romeo Brass (1999), contributed "O Maria" and "Dead Melodies"
  • Condo Painting (2000), contributed "Computer Girls"
  • Heartbreakers (2001), contributed "Tropicalia"
  • Moulin Rouge! (2001), contributed "Diamond Dogs"
  • Southlander (2001), appeared in speaking role; played and sang "Puttin It Down" and "Broken Train"
  • City of Ghosts (2002), contributed "Blackhole"
  • Adaptation. (2002), contributed "Dead Melodies"
  • Holes (2003), contributed "He's a Mighty Good Leader"
  • Along Came Polly (2004), contributed "Lost Cause"
  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), contributed "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime"
  • Just Like Heaven (2005), contributed "Strange Invitation"
  • Inland Empire (2006), contributed "Black Tambourine"
  • Nacho Libre (2006), contributed "My Heart Is with the Children", "There Is No Place for Me in This World", "Tender Beasts of the Spangled Night", "10,000 Pesos", "Holy Man" and "Return of the Luchador"

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^