Beck's Record Club
I'm liking what Beck is doing. He's acting as a catalyst to bring together some disparate musicians who seem to share only a deep, abiding love for the music that helped shape them along the way. Beck is pulling these people together, choosing a favored "classic" album, and urging the assembled to interpret the whole thing in one day of recording.
Here's how the man himself describes the endeavor, as posted on his web site:
"Record Club is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. The album chosen to be reinterpreted is used as a framework. Nothing is rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. As you will hear, some of the songs are rough renditions, often first takes that document what happened over the course of a day as opposed to a polished rendering. There is no intention to 'add to' the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens. And those who aren't familiar with the albums in question will hopefully look for the songs in their definitive versions."
So far, Beck has worked with the likes of MGMT, Wolfmother, Devendra Banhart, and Radiohead/Paul McCartney/Beck producer Nigel Godrich. This impressive cast has covered the likes of "The Songs of Leonard Cohen" and "The Velvet Underground & Nico." The latest project found Wilco and Leslie Feist joining the fray in service of Skip Spence's cult classic "Oar." Check it out.
Here's how the man himself describes the endeavor, as posted on his web site:
"Record Club is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. The album chosen to be reinterpreted is used as a framework. Nothing is rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. As you will hear, some of the songs are rough renditions, often first takes that document what happened over the course of a day as opposed to a polished rendering. There is no intention to 'add to' the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens. And those who aren't familiar with the albums in question will hopefully look for the songs in their definitive versions."
So far, Beck has worked with the likes of MGMT, Wolfmother, Devendra Banhart, and Radiohead/Paul McCartney/Beck producer Nigel Godrich. This impressive cast has covered the likes of "The Songs of Leonard Cohen" and "The Velvet Underground & Nico." The latest project found Wilco and Leslie Feist joining the fray in service of Skip Spence's cult classic "Oar." Check it out.
Record Club: Skip Spence "Little Hands" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.
