Beck

Beck on vinyl: Odelay, Guero and the singles

In short: Beck Hansen from Los Angeles has been mixing folk, hip hop, funk and indie rock since the nineties. He became known in 1993 with “Loser”, and his album “Odelay” (1996) is considered a nineties classic. The Vinyl Room currently has 23 Beck records, many of them singles.

What makes Beck special?

“Odelay” was made with the Dust Brothers and produced hits such as “Devils Haircut” and “Where It’s At”; it won a Grammy in 1997. “Midnite Vultures” (1999) is funk with a wink, “Sea Change” (2002) quiet and sad, “Guero” (2005) brings the beats back with the Dust Brothers. For “Morning Phase” (2014) Beck won the Grammy for album of the year. Later came “Colors” (2017) and “Hyperspace” (2019), partly with Pharrell Williams.

Singles and pressings

Many of our Beck records are singles, many of them 7-inch editions from England and Europe with B-sides that aren’t on any album. Some newer singles such as “I Won’t Be Long” and “Gimme” came out in 2013 as 12-inches on Beck’s own label Fonograf. Catalogue number, runout matrix and label together tell you whether you have a first pressing – more on our page “How to spot a first pressing”.

From our stock

First pressings

Alternative rock

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→ The White Stripes · Rock on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained · Plattenparty on YouTube

FAQ

When did “Loser” come out? In 1993 as a single on the small label Bong Load, then in 1994 on the album “Mellow Gold”.

Which Beck album won album of the year? “Morning Phase” from 2014. It won the Grammy for album of the year in 2015.

What is Fonograf? Beck’s own label, on which the 12-inch singles “I Won’t Be Long” and “Gimme” came out in 2013, among others.

Which album should I start with? Many start with “Odelay” (1996). If you prefer it quieter, go for “Sea Change” or “Morning Phase”.