Beck – Mutations (1998/2014) [AcousticSounds FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Although the album features such traditional rock instrumentation as guitars, bass and drums, it also features organs, keyboards and indian sitars, which help lend a spacey yet organic feel to some songs. Beck’s experimental space-age folk rock album done with his backup band and produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead).

According to party line, neither Beck nor Geffen ever intended Mutations to be considered as the official follow-up to Odelay, his Grammy-winning breakthrough. It was more like One Foot in the Grave, designed to be an off-kilter, subdued collection of acoustic-based songs pitched halfway between psychedelic country blues and lo-fi folk. The presence of producer Nigel Godrich, the man who helmed Radiohead’s acclaimed OK Computer, makes such claims dubious. Godrich is not a slick producer, but he’s no Calvin Johnson, either, and Mutations has an appropriately clean, trippy feel. There’s little question that with the blues, country, psych, bossa nova, and folk that comprise it, Mutations was never meant to be a commercial endeavor — there’s no floor-shaker like “Where It’s At,” and it doesn’t trade in the junk culture that brought Odelay to life. Recording with his touring band — marking the first time he has entered the studio with a live band — does result in a different sound, but it’s not so much a departure as it is a side road that is going in the same direction. None of the songs explore new territory, but they’re rich, lyrically and musically. There’s an off-the-cuff wit to the songwriting, especially on “Canceled Check” and “Bottle of Blues,” and the performances are natural, relaxed, and laid-back, without ever sounding complacent. In fact, one of the nifty tricks of Mutations is how it sounds simple upon the first listen, then reveals more psychedelic layers upon each play. Beck is not only a startling songwriter — his best songs are simultaneously modern and timeless — he is a sharp record-maker, crafting albums that sound distinct and original, no matter how much they may borrow. In its own quiet, organic way, Mutations confirms this as much as either Mellow Gold or Odelay.

Tracklist:
01 – Cold Brains
02 – Nobody’s Fault But My Own
03 – Lazy Flies
04 – Canceled Check
05 – We Live Again
06 – Tropicalia
07 – Dead Melodies
08 – Bottle Of Blues
09 – O Maria
10 – Sing It Again
11 – Static
12 – Diamond Bollocks

Download:

mqs.link_BeckMutatins19982014AcusticSunds24192.part1.rar
mqs.link_BeckMutatins19982014AcusticSunds24192.part2.rar
mqs.link_BeckMutatins19982014AcusticSunds24192.part3.rar

Related Posts: