When the moon is a counterfeit, better find the one that fits

It's my friend Bec's birthday next week (happy birthday!) so it seems seasonally appropriate to be discussing Beck today in my blog. (Ha ha. Sorry). I own six of Beck's albums: Odelay, Mutations, Midnite Vultures, Sea Change, Guero and The Information. I'm not hugely well acquainted with them, apart from Guero since I've owned that for nearly two years. Besides, Beck's stuff tends to be rather, well... patchy. There are some amazing songs on his albums but these are balanced out by other less exciting material. I'm not sure which is the most consistent. Anyway, since I have such a broad range to select from I thought I'd pick out a few must-hears from the Beck collection.

1. Nobody's Fault But My Own (from Mutations)
A slow, angsty track with a great chorus and beautiful verses as well. Notable other mentions: Lazy Flies, Cold Brains and Tropicalia (mostly for the Super Mario Bros-esque backing noises).

2. E-Pro (from Guero)
The video clip for this is great- an animated computer Beck guy going on a 'green' journey through a grave yard, with the heavy guitar driven beat pushing the song along. Also great are the swinging little song Girl, Earthquake Weather, Missing, Que Onda Guero and Black Tambourine.

3. High Five (from Odelay)
Features a great chorus in particular (one of those songs melding rock with hip hop/chanting). Also stand outs... Devil's Haircut, Where It's At (I remember watching the clip of this in my first music cultural studies lecture in third year) and Jack-Ass.

4. Lost Cause (from Seachange)
This is an album I really need to sit down with and listen through a few more times so I can get to know more of the songs. This one though is sad and sweet and was played a fair bit in all sorts of places. I remember hearing it in Lygon Street Starbucks once, in fact. Also love Paper Tiger, The Golden Age and Sunday Sun.

5. Mixed Bizness (from Midnite Vultures)
I bought this for ten bucks last year and haven't really heard a lot of it. The tracks I know are Sexxlaws and Nicotine and Gravy, plus this one which is kind of fun. Not the best of albums though.

6. Strange Apparition (from The Information)
What a concept album... a free DVD with home made clips for each track. Stickers to decorate the album cover. Worked out recently that the stickers are in fact different in some CDs... wonder how many different sets there are. Also the album features some great tracks like the single Nausea, Soldier Jane, Think I'm In Love, Elevator Music and the closer Inside Out. But also rather long and pretty patchy.