Beck - Golden Feelings (1993)

As mentioned in the previous entry, Forest for the Trees had a constantly evolving cast of musicians playing alongside Karl Stephenson. One of these members was a harmonica player, Beck, for whom Karl would eventually produce his major label debut and landmark album Mellow Gold. This album, however, was not Beck's first.

Beck is the son of artists. His father is composer David Campbell (previously used as a Tour link between Macy Gray and David Vandervelde) and his mother is ex-David Warhol Factory Worker Bibbe Hansen. He dropped out of high school and began busking around Europe while staying with his grandfather in Germany. After earning his wings, he moved to New York where he became part of the anti-folk movement. He continued his anti-folkie routine in Los Angeles where he also dabbled in a metal band (Loser with Peter Hanft) and started experimenting with recording techniques.

The most common attribute of Anti-Folk is a fervent desire to subvert the ideals of folk music (the voice of the common man, the call for change). Every anti-folkie has a different means of subversion. In Beck's case, he created a ne're-do-well, slacker persona that sang songs about going to moon cars, do drugs, and the possibility of getting out of bed. While folk music portrayed the common man as earnest, hardworking, simple, and wise of the land, Beck sang about the common pariahs of society: uneducated, lazy, and ignorant boys who refuse to grow up and take responsibility for themselves and others. As Beck was originally interested in folk music (he had as healthy an interest in Woody Guthrie as the next guy), his anti-folk music shared the same earnest sounds of the guitar and harmonica. His sound evolved quickly to match his lyrics. His recording process became increasingly lo-fi, his songwriting was more in minor key coupled with purposeful poor playing, and his voice became disturbingly distorted.

All of these elements, after a slew of home demos and experiments, reached a point with his debut album Golden Feelings released in 1993 by the very small label Sonic Enemy. At this point in Beck's musical career, he was still stuck in dead-end jobs and left largely ignored at the clubs and coffee houses he performed at. But with his prolific demo output and "experimentation" as "his only gimmick", it's no wonder such an earnest love of music would produce one of the most respected and critically acclaimed artists of the nineties and aughts.

"Gettin' Home" by Beck


Here is the discography surrounding Beck's debut album:

Banjo Story (1988 demo)
Beck and Dava (1990 demo)
R-Marcel (1992 demo)
Are U Positive (1992 demo)
Beck, Like the Beer (1992 demo)
Don't Get Bent Out of Shape (1992 demo)
1992 Demo (1992 demo)
Metal Demos (1992 demo as Loser)
Fresh Meat and Old Slabs (1993 demo)
Golden Feelings
Golden Leftovers (1993 outtakes album)

"Totally Confused" by Beck


"Desire (Hollow Log)" by Beck


If you have any ideas for where the tour should go next, please give a shout. I'm open to whatever as long as the artists are historically related in some way and go in an artist's chronological order.

Pass the Headphones!!