Today marks Beck’s Odelay silver jubilee.
Released in June 1996, it took me quite a while to understand this magnum opus of alternative rock/folk rap/sampledelia/united states of whateva. I just bought the album back thenâI was still working in cruise ship at the timeâbecause all my fave music mags gave praise to Odelay. And once I felt clicked, I got totally hooked. Beck apparently becomes one of my biggest idols. His music is so unique, yet he’s ultra stylish, and hell yeah: ageless.
According to Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, the title Odelay is a pun on Oh Delay, since the album took very long to record. But some say it’s from the Mexican slang interjection “órale”, which translates roughly to “listen up” or “what’s up?”.
Odelay won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for “Where It’s At”. It was ranked 16 in Spin’s 100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005. Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time. In 2003 it was ranked number 306 on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Happy 25th anniversary, Odelay!
Songs list:
0:16 Ketih Masfield – Funky Fanfare
2:01 Beck – Devil’s Haircut
5:44 Beck – Debra
10:10 Beck – Jackass
15:14 Beck – Where It’s At
⢠Read also CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, BECK & IRM.
