Beck
One Foot In The Grave
1994, K Records
Released just after Beck became an MTV supastar with "Loser," this full on Dub Narcotic session showcased the folker side of Beck that he had hinted at with "Pay No Mind."
SY-board Haters take notice: this Beck is not the disco-dancin' weirdo you know from ODELAY. This is a record of serious ("serious") folk tunes obviously influenced by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt, Leadbelly, Son House, and so on. Though there are several electric tracks, they still sound closer to blues than indie rock.
The record has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It sounds like Beck picked songs out of his notebook at random, and friends of K swing by to add their parts. And that's exactly what it is, not far removed from the recording style that Phil Elvrum would be known for later with his Microphones.
This is an album I have revisited quite possibly thousands of times since 1994. And I never grow tired of a single note of it. [collectors note: it's worth it to hunt down the Japanese version which includes the 3 tracks from the original "It's All In Your Mind" 7"]