Odelay - Definition and Overview

Odelay
LP by Beck
Released	June 18, 1996
Recorded	1994-1995
Genre	Indie rock
Length	51 min 28 s
Record label	Bong Load
Producer	Dust Brothers
Professional reviews
Option	Positive	July/August, 1996, p.89 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Vibe	Positive	September 1996, p.223 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Entertainment Weekly	Grade: A-	June 21, 1996, p.65 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
NME	8 out of 10	June 22, 1996, p.54 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Musician	Positive	September 1996, p.86 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Spin	10 out of 10	July 1996, p.87 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Rolling Stone	4.5 stars out of 5	June 13, 1996, pp.77-78 (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60180591&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Allmusic.com	5 stars out of 5	link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040402251613432564&sql=A6dr67ui080ja)
Salon.com	Positive	link (http://www.salon.com/weekly/music2960610.html)
Pitchfork	9.8 out of 10	June 1996 (http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/beck/odelay.shtml)
Q magazine	4 stars out of 5	October 2000 (http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.review.redirect&fixture_review=128451&resource=128451&fixture_artist=141577)
Beck Chronology
One Foot in the Grave (1994)	Odelay (1996)	Mutations (1998)

Odelay is a 1996 (see 1996 in music) album by indie rocker Beck. The album peaked at #16 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. After the mainstream success of "Loser", Odelay included several new hit singles, including "Where It's At" and "The New Pollution", which expanded his audience considerably.

Odelay won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996.

The album's unusual cover photo, which appears to show a mop jumping over a hurdle, is actually a real photo of a Bergamasco, a rare breed of dog with thick matted hair.

The name Odelay was inadvertently invented by a sound engineer who was working on the album. He misheard "Orale" in one of the songs as "Odelay" and transcribed it as such. Beck liked the name, and used it.

In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time.

Track listing

All tracks written by Beck / John King / Michael Simpson.

1. "Devil's Haircut" - 3:13
2. "Hotwax" - 3:52
3. "Lord Only Knows" - 4:14
4. "The New Pollution" - 3:39
5. "Derelict" - 4:11
6. "Novacane" - 4:38
7. "Jack-Ass" - 4:00
8. "Where It's At" - 5:25
9. "Minus" - 2:32
10. "Sissyneck" - 4:02
11. "Readymade" - 2:43
12. "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" - 4:10
13. "Ramshackle" - 4:49

Charting singles

Billboard Music Charts (North America)

Personnel

• Beck - Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Harmonica, Percussion, Celeste, Drums, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Clavinet, Producer, Slide Guitar, Art Direction, Design, Mixing
• Mike Boito - Organ, Trumpet
• Mario Caldato, Jr. - Producer, Mixing
• Charlie Haden - Bass
• Greg Leisz - Pedal Steel
• Bob Ludwig - Mastering, Photography
• Mike Millius - Screams
• Brian Paulson - Producer, Mixing
• Tom Rothrock - Producer, Mixing
• Rob Schnapf - Producer, Mixing
• Joey Waronker - Percussion, Drums
• Dust Brothers - Producer, Mixing
• Robert Fisher - Art Direction, Design
• Nitin Vadukul - Photography
• Zarim Osborn - Artwork, Collage
• Al Hansen - Artwork, Collage
• Shauna O'Brien - Coordination, Production Coordination
• Manuel Ocampo - Artwork, Paintings, Collage
• David Brown - Saxophone
• Ross Harris