Shane’s Music Challenge: BECK – 1999 – Midnite Vultures

Shane’s Music Challenge: BECK – 1999 – Midnite Vultures
7/10

Beck is a trippy soul who loves nothing more than to experiment across different genres and with the impending release of his latest studio album I thought I’d chuck this one on for a spin.

I’d almost forgotten how much this is a Prince-tastic collection of sex-funk-rockers which sees Beck – more often glimpsed holding a beatbox or an acoustic guitar – in full on tight-satin-pants-and-lustful-eyes mode.

He’s recently come out on record and said that he didn’t feel this experiment worked – apparently it was originally intended to be a double album and 25 completed songs remain unreleased – which is probably why he’s never even come close to repeating the experience, but I love it, rating is highly amongst his ever-creative work (though not at the apex of his catalogue.)

At times coming across like a tangle of Zodiac Mindwarp acid lyrics and The Purple One’s sex guitar, Midnite Vultures has something that a lot of Beck’s other work does not have, and that is a sense of complete abandon, freedom and fun. To quote The Rocky Horror Show – a ‘giving yourself over to absolute pleasure.’

Best bits are the opening funk of Sexx Laws, the electro soul of Nicotine & Gravy and – my favourite – the so-cheesy-it’s-brilliant (and hopefully tongue in cheek) closer Debra.

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge