Thursday, July 17, 2008

"She's Got on a Cactus Crown...

...With a Dot, Dot, Dot on Her Brow."

Here's Sarah. No dot dot dot, as far as I know...



Shit, sorry...a lot of ellipses. I like ellipses...

The new Beck album is fantastic. Dude just keeps getting better and better, which is inspirational.

I saw him walking around at the Guggenheim during the Matthew Barney show several years ago which seemed incredibly appropriate. My favorite kind of art is absurd, dark and impactful. Barney's is absurd. Beck's is all of the above.

"Profanity Prayers" steals the riff from Neil Young's "Mr Soul" - in a good way! Go Danger Mouse, go!

"Who's gonna answer profanity prayers?"

The last song on the record, "Volcano," struck a chord with me. A big chord.

He's tired of "evil" and "people."

I hear ya, brother...

Listen.

"I've been walking on
These streets so long
I don't know
Where they're
Calling me anymore
But I think
I must have seen a ghost
I don't know
If it's my illusions
That keep me alive
I don't know what I see
Was it all an illusion?
Or a mirage gone bad?
I'm tired of evil
And all the things
That I don't know

And I've been drifting
On this wave so long
I don't know
If it's already
Crashed on the shore
And I've been riding
On this train so long
I can't tell
If it's you or me
Who is driving us
Into the ground

I don't know
If I'm sane
But there's a ghost
In my heart
That's trying
To see in the dark
I'm tired of people
Who only want
To be pleased
But I still want
To please you

And I heard
Of that Japanese girl
Who jumped
Into The Volcano
Was she trying
To make it back
Back into the womb
Of the world?

I've been drinking
All these tears so long
All I've got left
Is the taste of salt
In my mouth

I don't know
Where I've been
But I know
Where I'm going
To that volcano
I don't want
To fall in though
So I want my bones
On the firing line"

I want to shoot him, too.

(Edit) After the 35th listen, it's not fantastic anymore. It's a masterpiece, clocking in at 33:38. Beautiful, succinct and perfect.

"Modern Guilt" joins my top four of 2008 with The Gutter Twins and Elbow and Nick Cave.

Word.

6 comments:

Chip Willis said...

i'll check it bro....

Meagan Sample said...

So I can expect to be listening to it the whole time I'm visiting you, right?







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AND LOVING IIIIT!

Tanya said...

Was that the Cre Master exhibit by any chance? I think i told you i wanted my money back after that show.

Dark and absurd yes, but not worth taking down the entire Mapplethorpe works to make room for it.

Although i have recently gained new respect for Barney after seeing No Restraint film.

CarlyErin O'Neil said...

ugh i hear you also. I love the new beck album. That and the new white stripes has been on a lot here.... i'm surprised in fact it wasn't on when we shot? Or was it.... dum dum dum LOL

i like ellipses too....

dfklldoind said...

Got to see Beck open up for the Afghan Whigs and Morphine back in the early 90s or so.

Way cool...i'll check out his new work.

surviving in the rustbelt
bt

gary griffin said...

love it.

ten songs...no filler.

i especially like how the "artwork" consists of only 2 photos and lyrics.
as if to say, "just listen, motherfucker!"

the title track is perfect.

g.