Search - Beck :: Loser

Oh Hell

B. Higgins | Ozarks | 03/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I personally blame this album for making me want to smoke crack. I am obsessed with MTV and I did not realize it was unacceptble to want to smoke crack while watching the tube. I have plummeted past loser status. Oh hell. I'm confused."

Might buy a wheelchair and roll out of this town

wellwellwell | bog | 07/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second of two "Loser" singles available, and the weaker of the two in my opinion. The main reason I bought this was due to the appeal of one of the most infamously titled songs of all-time, "MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack". I did not, however, know that there were two versions of the song. There's the one that appears here, and another from 1993 that was only released on its own 7" (a split with Bean). I have now heard both versions, and while what appears here is a re-recording and more polished, it does not do the original justice. Here, for the first 30 seconds it is (almost) identical, but then jumps into a piano-fronted, 60's kind of swing style song that features a lot of 'yeah's and a slower pace than the original. It's weird... even for Beck.



The other reason to buy this would be for "Totally Confused", a song that came from A Western Harvest Field By Moonlight--Beck's first album--as well as number of other places it's now available. It is particularly notable for the trio of female background vocalists: Rachel Haden, Anna Waronker and Petra Haden (who all appeared on "Steve Threw Up", amongst other places). "Corvette Bummer" is a great b-side as well; but it's featured on the other "Loser" single, so it doesn't add too much allure here.



My overall view on this disc is that it's certainly not as good as the other version (which features four exclusive b-sides, not two), while it's still an advisable purchase nonetheless. "MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack" is a must-own song for every Beck fan, even if it could've (i.e. should've) been better had they stuck to the original's format and lyrics. (If you can somehow get a hold of the initial recording of "MTV", you will see what I mean.) And at the end of the day, you know whether or not you're willing to lay a couple extra dollars down for a couple of Beck b-sides, anyway. It's worth it."