Beck
Mutations
Geffen
After listening to this record, I am convinced that Beck will be around for a long time. Mutations is very different than his past two offerings on Geffen, and similar to One Foot in the Grave, which preceded Mellow Gold. The main difference is that Beck has matured musically and lyrically since Grave, and having much better production also helps. Fans that are into his bizarre lyrics and delivery might be a little disappointed with this disc. But if you are true fan, you will embrace this and listen to it over and over. “Nobody’s Fault but My Own” and “Bottle of Blues” find Beck in fine form. Both lyrically and vocally, his voice is convincing. He tends to be a little more honest with his words, and we see a side of him that didn’t come through on past discs. His range of blues, country, and folk intermingle wonderfully. The first single, “Tropicalia,” even throws in a Latin/lounge feel to the mix. When all is said and done, though, this is still Beck. Throughout the entire disk, each song is peppered with “noises” that can only be attributed to Beck. Make sure you stay tuned after the last song. Geffen Records, 9130 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069
