Monday, July 14, 2008
Rubber Soul: Beck Live
filed under: beck
A day before turning 38 and dropping his eighth album Modern Guilt, Beck performed at l’Olympia in Paris. I gotta say, I was surprised to be disappointed. I’ve had to put Beck in that file of artists who I’d rather hear on record than see live… unexpected. The crux of the concert’s problem is pretty funny though: for all the hiphopish funk of songs like “Hell Yes,” in the flesh Beck actually ain’t got no soul. And Putney says the Borman Six Girl is got to have soul!!
Beck opened with “Devil’s Haircut,” leading a five-man band on guitar, and it was okay but no cigar. All night they were the songs we were all familiar with, but without much in the way of over-the-top spiritedness. One day I’ll start an alternative blog called The Other Black Guy, where I interview the other black guy besides moi to show up to white rock shows; this happens without fail at Paris concerts (The Breeders, My Bloody Valentine, Beck) as opposed to never in NYC. But being one of two black guys there, I couldn’t help but start to see the Elvis in Beck, singing precious songs over hiphop breakbeats – “New Pollution,” “Where It’s At” – for the quote-unquote hip white people. I felt like I didn’t belong there, not because I’m black, but because I’m too cool to have sampled soul sold back to me by somebody who had nothing to do with creating it.
“Timebomb” was the best part of the night though, a rare moment of real fire from the band. And I’d never heard “Timebomb” before, it was a nonalbum single from last year that got a Grammy nod for Best Solo Rock Vocal. A great part of the set was devoted to the Modern Guilt record largely produced by Danger Mouse, but nobody had heard it because it wasn’t on sale yet. (Yeah, I guess diehards downloaded an illegal leak, but pas moi.) The night wasn’t a total loss, Beck still did songs I wanted to hear: “Lost Cause,” “I Think I’m in Love,” “Sunday Sun.” But most of the night was spent trying to kick up dust uptempo instead of the digging into the depressing dirges of his best records (Mutations, Sea Change). Leaving l’Olympia, I was just glad to have finally seen Beck after 14 years, so I know to stick to the records and never bother paying to see him again. Below: the “Timebomb” vid clip.
The Man From Kazakhstan at 2:15 AM on 07/15/08:
Correction: The concert is this Wednesday. Full details follow
BOOTSY COLLINS
TRIBUTE TO JAMES BROWN
R’n‘B/Soul/Funk
le 16/07/2008 à 19h30
LE BATACLAN
de 49,50 € à 59,40 €
Featuring The Hardest Working Band, Original JB Rhythym Section, Venisha Brown and Guest
Thank you!