Beck: Beautiful Monstrosity

by Julian Palacios

Beck Hansen's single "Loser" was the anthem of the slacker generation and since then he has had two million-selling albums "Mellow Gold", and "Odelay", both considered to be amongst the best albums of the 90s, and won a handful of Grammys and Brits. His concerts are always sell-outs. Beck's life story is as extraordinary as the records he produces. His grandfather was one of the leaders of the 1960s avante-garde movement Fluxus, his mother was a Warhol starlet and his father a bluegrass musician. His childhood and adolescence spent in LA, Bible-belt Kansas, and the bohemian scene of Cologne led to the huge range of influences in his music, from hip-hop and punk to blues and spirituals. "Beautiful Monstrosity" tells the full story of Beck Hansen and explores the mythology that already surrounds this young man.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

235 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2000

Reviews

[Michela O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well written (if a tad repetitive in places) and meticulously researched book and if you're interested in discographies, influences, quotes from interviews and detailed reports on gigs, it's the right book for you. If however you're looking for an insight into Beck's life and personality, you will find very little here. Ending at the start of the Midnite Vultures Tour (2000) it is also out of date.