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Album Review

Beck
One foot in the grave XL Recordings

Article written by Elisabetta P - Jun 28, 2009

1994 was an eventful year for the young Beck Hansen – his prolific music output produced his debut folk-hop album ‘Mellow Gold’, shortly followed by ‘One foot in the Grave’, with a more stripped down folk blues approach. A cult album amongst the fans, the latter has always been obscured by the more funky and experimental turn of Beck’s later work, such as the globally successful 1996’s ‘Odelay’ and later ‘Midnite Vultures’.

Finally returning to the spotlight with a reissue which includes 16 bonus tracks, ‘One foot in the grave’ proves to be worthy of the attention that it is reclaiming. If 16 additional tracks could prove a marathon even for the most hardcore fans, the actual album is a low fi gem. Beck’s idiosyncratic approach to music is evident in the way he effortlessly manages to give a solid structure to the songs despite keeping a minimalistic approach. From the traditional folk imprint of ‘He’s a mighty good leader’ and the bare drums and deep dark vocals of the country blues ‘I Get Lonesome’, the album leaps into the low fi fuzzy garage of ‘Burnt Orange Peel’, to then return to the breezy folk of ‘Asshole’.

‘One foot in the grave’ displays the mastery of a veteran, a great achievement for an artist at his second album on the way to stardom. Retrospectively different from the eclectic funky work of the later years, it represents a canvas for the creativity which will make him famous. Back from the dark, justice has been done.

Links:
http://www.beck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/beck

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