Information AboutBeck |
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Beck Hansen (born '''Bek David Campbell''', July 8 , 1970 ) is an American Musician , Songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist . BIOGRAPHY Beck Hansen was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician, Scientologist and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a visual artist of half Norwegian , as well as Swedish and Jewish descent, also a Scientologist). When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, California , where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from Hip Hop to Latin Music —and his mother's art scene – all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work. He didn't have many friends in his childhood, which gave him time to develop his musical talent. Like his parents, Beck is a Scientologist . Beck's music--with its pop-junk culture collage of musical styles, oblique, ironic lyrics, and post-modern arrangments incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and heady sound effects--was among the most idiosyncratic of '90s Alternative Rock . Although Beck's work defies easy description, his eclecticism and genre experiments have sparked comparisons with Prince , though Beck was undoubtedly a less prolific artist, and drew on an absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style totally original when first exposed to mainstream audiences (indeed, some critics labeled him and his breakthrough single "Loser" as novelties-see below). Despite this individualism, Beck's music was very much a product of the '90s and the media age in general, with hip hop, Indie /underground rock, electronic music and genre-benders like the Beastie Boys as notable touchstones; in addition, some critics could not resist likening his head-spinning lyrical aesthetic to a post-modern Bob Dylan sensibility. After dropping out of high school in the mid- 1980s , Beck educated himself and traveled widely. During this period he learned and developed his talent through the art of busking. In Germany , he spent time with his maternal grandfather, Fluxus artist Al Hansen . The late-'80s found him in New York City as part of the Punk -influenced Anti-folk music movement. Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade, destitute but motivated. To support himself, he took a variety of low-paying, dead-end jobs, and even lived in a shed, all the while continuing to develop his music. During this time, Beck sought out (or snuck onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops and even busking on the streets. In the spirit of an artist struggling to make a name for himself, his shows were memorable for their mix of humor and eccentricity. Some of his earliest and most thought provoking recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios , a part of WIN Records . In this atmosphere of heady creativity the founders of Bong Load Custom Records discovered Beck. Their 1993 12" vinyl "Loser", from an initial run of 500 copies, created a sensation on alternative radio that led to a furious bidding war between labels to sign Beck. Eventually, he chose Geffen Records , who offered him terms that included an allowance for the release of independent albums while under contract. In 1994 , Geffen's official debut release of '' Mellow Gold '' made Beck a mainstream smash success; it also led to his iconic status as the "slacker" representative of the alternative rock scene. At the same time, he released '' Stereopathetic Soulmanure '' on Flipside Records and '' One Foot In The Grave '' on independent K Records . Beck took his act on the road with the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Still, some critics panned him as a One-hit Wonder . Audiences' (especially at Lollapalooza) familiarity with "Loser", and their general disinterest in his other work only reinforced his image as a one-hit wonder. The One-hit Wonder label was put to rest with the release of 1996 's '' Odelay '', a collaborative effort with the Dust Brothers , producers of the Beastie Boys' album '' Paul's Boutique ''. The lead single, " Where It's At ," received heavy airplay and its video was in constant rotation on MTV. Within the year, ''Odelay'' had received perfect reviews in '' Rolling Stone '' and '' Spin '' magazines, having been listed on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 'Album of the Year'), receiving Double-platinum Status , and earning an impressive number of industry awards, including two Grammies . ''Odelay'' was followed in of Radiohead fame, it was intended as a stopgap measure before the next album proper. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced 14 songs. ''Mutations'' was a departure from the electronic density of ''Odelay'', and was filled with folk and Blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some even dating back as far as 1994. Track 10, "Sing It Again", was written for Johnny Cash , but Beck never submitted it, considering it "rubbish." Cash would go on to record "Rowboat," a song that originally appeared on Beck's '' Stereopathetic Soul Manure ''. During 1998, Beck's art collaborations with his grandfather Al Hansen were featured in an exhibition entitled 'Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches' and showcased solo and collaborative Collage , assemblage, Drawing and poetry works. The show toured from the Santa Monica Museum of Art to galleries in New York City and Winnipeg , Canada . A catalogue of the show was published by Plug In Editions/Smart Art Press. In 1999 , Geffen released the much-anticipated '' Midnite Vultures '', an orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo supported by a world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza. The live stage set included a red bed that descended from the ceiling for the song " Debra " and the touring band was supplemented by a brass section. ''Midnite Vultures'' was nominated for Best Album at the Grammys, but did not win. After ''Midnite Vultures'' came '' Sea Change '' in 2002 , another airy and emotional album with producer Nigel Godrich , which became Beck's first U.S. Top 10 album, reaching # 8. The album was also met with critical acclaim, earning five stars from ''Rolling Stone,'' the magazines rarely awarded highest-rating and later placing second in the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 2002. ''Sea Change'' was conceptualized as an album with one unifying theme—the stages following the end of a relationship. The album also featured string arrangements by Beck's father David Campbell and a sonically dense mix reminiscient of ''Mutations''. Although some radio singles were released, no commercial singles were made available to the public. The ''Sea Change'' tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band. Beck has a number of B-sides and soundtrack-only songs as well, including "Midnite Vultures" (curiously, not on the album of the same name), a cover of The Korgis ' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" which appeared in the 2004 movie '' Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind '' and David Bowie 's ''Diamond Dogs'' from '' Moulin Rouge ''. In September 2003 , Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label album. The record, '' Guero '', was produced by the Dust Brothers and Tony Hoffer and features a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes ; it marked a return to ''Odelay''-era sound. The album was released in March 2005 and enjoyed critical acclaim from most mainstream press, earning four stars from '' Playboy '' and ''Rolling Stone'', as well as a "Critic's Choice" recognition from '' The New York Times ''. However, the album received a more lackluster response from Beck's indie-oriented fanbase, as shown by the low 6.6 (out of 10) score given by Pitchfork . Nonetheless, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, pushing 162,000 copies in the first week and giving Beck his best week ever in terms of commercial sales and chart position. Since the release of Guero, the first single, "E-Pro" has been well received by the mainstream rock community, and has seen a large amount of play time. The second single, titled simply "Girl", is a bright, upbeat song appearing at first to be about summer love; however, a closer look at the lyrics reveals a darker side to the song. "Girl" received heavy airplay on various college radio stations. The third, and current single, is "Hell Yes". Beck married Marissa Ribisi , the daughter of prominent Scientologists, in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen. BECK AND SCIENTOLOGY Beck has been a Scientologist for most of his life but has only recently publicly acknowledged this fact. As the child of Scientologists, he attended the Scientologist-run Apple School in Los Feliz. After a brief stint at a public school, he dropped out in 9th grade and attended various Scientology training courses, completing at least 13 between 1986 and 1989 . It is not clear what his involvement was during the 1990s, but he appears to have distanced himself from it to some degree. His name appears in Scientology literature again in 2003, showing that he is a member and a donor. In April 2004, he married Marissa Ribisi, who is also a second-generation Scientologist. The actress has a small website proclaiming her success with Scientology on which she encourages others to learn about it. On the site, she wrote, "Scientology works! Without it, I don't know where I'd be." {Link without Title} Beck publicly acknowledged his affiliation with the Church of Scientology for the first time in an interview published in the '' New York Times Magazine '' on March 6 , 2005. Further confirmation came in an interview with the Irish '' Sunday Tribune '' newspaper's ''i Magazine'' in June 2005, where he is quoted as saying, "Yeah, I'm a Scientologist. My father has been a Scientologist for about 35 years, so I grew up in and around it." When questioned, he was vague on Scientology's core beliefs. TRIVIA
MEDIA / SAMPLES // DirectConnect Hub - Good source for live Beck show sharing; huge library. (Requires DC++ program) // Stewoo.net/Beck > Media - Selection of audio and video for download. Updated periodically. // Stewoo.net/Beck > Audio Player - Listen to complete live sets online while you browse. Regularly updated. // Beck.com - Check out the Player for a handful of cool, rare/unreleased tracks. DISCOGRAPHY Official albums Unofficial albums EPs
Singles Promotional releases
Indie singles
Compilations
FILMOGRAPHY
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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