"SUNDAY SUN" BECK (2002)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

Look, some days you just don’t want to be cheered up. On those days, you still need your music. And maybe Beck’s Sea Change is part of your go-to rotation on those days. Few albums are equally self-loathing and melodic as this one. It’s still my favorite Beck record because there’s no place for the lyrics and melodies to hide. Beck bares his soul and uses minimal production (well, for him at least) here. The album is a perfect listen from beginning to end. However, as it’s 12 tracks long, “Sunday Sun” in the #10 spot qualifies as a deep cut, and a very good one at that.

Despite the title, this is not a song with a sunny disposition. It is a continuation of the themes of depression and sadness explored on Sea Change. This track’s defining characteristics are two elements mired in the miserable malaise of life: the piano and Beck’s somber vocals. “Sunday Sun” ends with a cacophony of feedback and distortion a la Wilco. Even in its minimalism and even at his lowest, Beck is still Beck. And no breakup can take that away from him.

“There’s no other ending. Sunday sun. Yesterdays are mending. Sunday sun.”

"THE GOLDEN AGE" BECK (2002)

Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs

For an artist who’s known for his experimental approach and use of samples, I could never quite explain why Beck’s purist and slow-moving Sea Change was my favorite album of his by far. I just loved it. Sea Change feels like the perfect albium for some days. As a New Yorker, I don’t mind its slow pace one bit. In fact, I’ve come to crave it on a semi-regular basis. It was an album that was birthed out of Beck’s breakup with a longtime girlfriend. The dude was miserable, but the beauty and introspection shined through the misery. Every track was spot on, but today my pick is the opener, “The Golden Age”.

Is it a wake-up call or a lullaby? Maybe it’s both. “The Golden Age” is less about self-loathing and more about self-discovery. It reminds us that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay. The irony is that “The Golden Age” and the Sea Change album at large, is some of Beck’s finest work. He was totally dialed in to the melody and the key instrumental themes — with no samples, distortion or Dust Brothers production maneuvers to hide behind. “The Golden Age” was just another great example and reminder that you can create a wonderful song simply by picking up an acoustic guitar and singing from the heart. They’re just timeless methods.

“These days I barely get by. I don't even try.”

"LOST CAUSE" BECK (2002)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 13

Sad, introspective songs aren’t usually the kind of songs that make you want to sing along. But that’s not the case for me with “Lost Cause” and many of the tracks on Sea Change. It’s easy to sing along to Beck’s personal and melancholy lyrics with these stripped-down, melodic songs. “Lost Cause” feels like a ride on a never-ending carousel. There’s a monotonous rhythm to the song that’s the perfect musical bed for some of Beck’s most personal songs.

“Your sorry eyes cut through the bone. They make it hard to leave you alone. Leave you here wearing your wounds. Waving your guns at somebody new.”

"THE GOLDEN AGE" BECK (2002)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

For an artist who’s known for his experimental approach and use of samples, I could never quite explain why Beck’s purist and slow-moving Sea Change was my favorite album of his by far. I just liked it. Sea Change feels like the perfect albium for some days. As a New Yorker, I don’t mind its slow pace one bit. In fact, I’ve come to crave it on a semi-regular basis. It was an album that was birthed out of Beck’s breakup with a longtime girlfriend. The dude was miserable, but the beauty and introspection shined through the misery. Every track was spot on, but today my pick is “The Golden Age”.

Is it a wake-up call or a lullaby? Maybe it’s both. “The Golden Age” is less about self-loathing and more about self-discovery. It reminds us that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay. The irony is that “The Golden Age” and the Sea Change album at large, is some of Beck’s finest work. He was totally dialed in to the melody and the key instrumental themes — with no samples, distortion or Dust Brothers production maneuvers to hide behind. “The Golden Age” was just another great example and reminder that you can create a wonderful song simply by picking up an acoustic guitar and singing from the heart. They’re just timeless methods.

“These days I barely get by. I don't even try.”

"THE NEW POLLUTION" BECK (1996)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

Odelay, like many Beck albums, is a euphoric musical playground. Swing on the samples. Slide down the classic guitar riffs. Climb onto the distortion-infused grooves . Ride on the hip-hop-influenced rhythms. Each track tickles a different fancy. “Devils Haircut” lays down a series of irresistible drum breaks. “Ramshackle” feels like a drunken, late night ode inside a seedy saloon. “Jack-Ass” serves as a foreshadowing to his somber Sea Change album. And then there’s “The New Pollution”.

The track has a sample-driven mentality, but the song seems to traverse these different sounds defiantly and bravely. 50’s TV music. Jazz-drenched samples. 60’s rock. Electronic blips. Somehow it all seems to go together so naturally. On “The New Pollution”, I love how Beck reinvents the tempo of his key sample: a slow sax solo from Joe Thomas’ “Venus” is given a swift kick in the ass with a faster, more brash version of itself, which is then mirrored by Beck’s own guitar.

“She's got a hand on a wheel of pain. She can talk to the mangling strangers. She can sleep in a fiery bog. Throwing troubles to the dying embers.”

"DEAR LIFE" BECK (2017)

My “Dear…” series ends this week with Beck. The song is a letter to life itself. The melody is Beck through and through. The music continues to scratch Beck’s experimental itch and show off his musical versatility. It shows no signs of Beck slowing down. No signs of the talented artist losing inspiration. “Dear Life” is an electro-charged step back into ragtime tendencies. The opening and closing piano chords bookend his miserable, self-loathing letter.

“Dear life, I'm holding on. How long must I wait before the thrill is gone?”

"E-PRO" BECK (2005)

At the end of the music video for “E-Pro”, Beck is seen hopping from one celestial musical note to another. It’s quite an accurate portrayal of what he was doing experimentally in this song. As the opening song to Guero, it was a refreshing departure from the beautiful doldrums of Sea Change. But what made “E-Pro” hugely addictive during a time when post-punk was running rampant was its electro-charged guitar jumpstart.

“The good in us is all we know. There's too much left to taste that's bitter.”

"LOST CAUSE" BECK (2002)

Misery and loss have led to some of the most beautiful music ever made. It’s the odd, yet redemptive truth about music. And it’s the case of Sea Change, one of Beck’s most brilliant, yet simplest albums. This is not the sonic Beck, but the somber one. “Lost Cause” proved you don’t have to wallow in your own pity after a loss. You can use it to emphasize and connect with complete strangers. All you need are a couple of well trusted guitar chords and a willingness to bear your heart.

“Your sorry eyes cut through the bone. They make it hard to leave you alone. Leave you here wearing your wounds. Waving your guns at somebody new.”