| Odelay | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 18, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–95 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 54:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Beck chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Odelay | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Deluxe Edition artwork | ||||
Odelay is the fifth studio album by American musician Beck, released on June 18, 1996, by DGC Records. The album featured several successful singles, including "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution", and peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard 200. As of July 2008, the album had sold 2.3 million copies in the United States, making Odelay Beck's most successful album to date.[2] Since its release, the album has appeared in numerous publications' lists of the greatest of the 1990s and of all time.
Recording
Beck approached Odelay with trepidation. "I thought Odelay might be the last time I got a chance to make a record,” he told Rolling Stone in 2008.[3]
The sessions for what would become Odelay originally began as a subdued, acoustic affair. In 1994, Beck started to record tracks for his follow-up to Mellow Gold with Bong Load producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Together, they recorded the melancholy album-closer "Ramshackle."[4] He would eventually abandon work with Rothrock and Schnapf, opting to work with the Dust Brothers instead. Most of the album was recorded in 1995 at the Dust Brothers' home recording studio in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.[3] The Dust Brothers' production style was hip-hop-focused but layered; their résumé included work with Beastie Boys, Tone Lōc and Young MC. Their small recording room was filled with records, many of which provided samples for the album.[3]
Title and artwork
The title is a phonetic English rendering of the Mexican slang interjection "órale", which translates roughly to "cool" or "ok"[citation needed]. The phrase "odelay" is repeated in the lyrics during the outro of the song "Lord Only Knows". According to Stephen Malkmus, the title is a pun on Oh Delay, since the album took very long to record.[5] The album's cover is a photo of a Komondor, a rare Hungarian breed of dog with a heavy, corded coat, jumping over a hurdle. The original photo was shot by canine photographer Joan Ludwig (1914–2004) for the July 1977 issue of the American Kennel Club's Gazette.[6]
Tour
The promotional tour for the album began in May–June 1996, appearing in several record stores and radio stations in the U.S. Throughout the rest of the year followed numerous U.S. tours and European festival dates.
As the tour continued into 1997, Beck began playing larger venues in America. The tour unofficially ended on September 5, 1997, with a taped band performance at "Sessions at West 54th" in New York,[7] after over 150 shows from July '96 until September '97.[8]
It was on the Odelay tour that Beck earned a wide reputation as an energetic and impeccable performer, and his profile rose after multiple appearances on MTV, The Howard Stern Show,[9] the 1997 Grammys,[10] Later... with Jools Holland[11] and more.
Deluxe edition
On January 29, 2008, Odelay – Deluxe Edition was released. The two-disc set contains the original album, plus 19 B-sides, remixes and previously unreleased songs.[12] The liner notes feature complete lyrics and artwork, as well as an essay from Thurston Moore and the transcript of 15 high school students interviewed by Dave Eggers.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [14] |
| Chicago Tribune | [15] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[16] |
| The Guardian |  [17] |
| Los Angeles Times | [18] |
| NME | 8/10[19] |
| Pitchfork | 9.8/10[20] |
| Rolling Stone | [21] |
| Spin | 10/10[22] |
| The Village Voice | A−[23] |
Upon release, Odelay received almost unanimous critical acclaim. At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997, it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and won for Best Alternative Music Album, as well as Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Where It's At".[24] Odelay was named the best album of the year in Rolling Stone,[25] The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll,[26] and NME's annual critics poll.[27]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine observed that, like Mellow Gold, Odelay incorporated elements from various genres, including "folk and country, grungy garage rock, stiff-boned electro, louche exotica, old-school rap and noise rock."[14] Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield noted punk rock, bossa nova, Latin soul and mainstream R&B as additional influences.[28]
Legacy
In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time.[citation needed] It was voted as one of the top 10 pop albums of the 1990s by the music writers of The Associated Press.[29] It was ranked No. 16 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005".[30] The music website Pitchfork ranked it at No. 19 on their top 100 albums of the 1990s in 2003[31] and No. 93 in their updated Top 150 list in 2022.[32] Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 306 in their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2009,[33] and later ranked it No. 424 in the 2023 edition,[34] as well as No. 9 on its 2019 list of the 100 best albums of the '90s.[35] Voters in Channel 4's 2005 "100 Greatest Albums" poll placed it at No. 73.[36]
In 2000, Odelay was ranked No. 54 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[37] It was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die in 2010.[38]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Beck Hansen, John King and Michael Simpson, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Devils Haircut" | 3:14 | |
| 2. | "Hotwax" | 3:49 | |
| 3. | "Lord Only Knows" | Hansen | 4:14 |
| 4. | "The New Pollution" | 3:39 | |
| 5. | "Derelict" | 4:12 | |
| 6. | "Novacane" | 4:37 | |
| 7. | "Jack-Ass" | 4:11 | |
| 8. | "Where It's At" | 5:30 | |
| 9. | "Minus" | Hansen | 2:32 |
| 10. | "Sissyneck" | 3:52 | |
| 11. | "Readymade" | 2:37 | |
| 12. | "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" | 4:10 | |
| 13. | "Ramshackle" | Hansen | 7:29 |
| Total length: | 54:06 | ||
- Track 13 includes a minute-long hidden track of noise.[39]
Personnel
Credits adapted from 2008 "Deluxe Edition" CD liner notes.[13]
- Beck Hansen – vocals (1–13), guitar (1–2, 4, 6, 8–12), bass guitar (1–4, 6–12), harmonica (1–2, 6–7), organ (1, 4–6, 8, 10), slide guitar (2–3), clavinet (2, 4), Moog synthesizer (2, 5–6, 9, 12), electric guitar (3, 7), acoustic guitar (3, 7, 13), thumb piano (5), drums (5), rhumba box (5), tambourine (5), shakers (5), electric piano (6–8), xylophone (7), turntables (9), conga (10), echoplex (12), percussion (12)
Additional musicians
- Dust Brothers – turntables (1–2, 6, 8, 12), 808 drum machine (6, 12)
- Ross Harris – wizard (2), child (2)
- Joey Waronker – drums (3, 6, 9, 13), percussion (3, 9, 12–13), chimes (9)
- Mike Millius – scream (3)
- Paolo Diaz – tablas (5)
- Mike Boito – clavinet (6), trumpet (8), organ (8, 10, 12)
- David Brown – saxophone (8)
- Money Mark – organ (8)
- Eddie Lopez – outro talking (8)
- Greg Leisz – pedal steel (10)
- Charlie Haden – upright bass (13)
Technical
- Beck Hansen – producer, mixing (1–12); art direction, design
- Dust Brothers – producers, mixing (1–8, 10–12)
- Mario Caldato, Jr. – producer, mixing (9)
- Brian Paulson – producer, mixing (9)
- Tom Rothrock – producer, mixing (13)
- Rob Schnapf – producer, mixing (13)
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Shauna O'Brien – project coordinator
- Robert Fisher – art direction, design
- Ludwig – cover photo
- Nitin Vadukul – Beck photos
- Charlie Gross – Beck photos, collage images
- Alison Dyer – Beck photos
- Manuel Ocampo – inlay paintings, collage images
- Al Hansen – collage images
- Zarim Osborn – collage images
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[57] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[58] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[59] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[61] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[62] | 2× Platinum | 2,300,000[2] |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media. June 8, 1996 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Ask Billboard". Billboard. July 18, 2008. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Gavin (February 21, 2008). "Beck's 'Odelay': The Secret History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
- ^ "Inventing the Post-Genre World: Beck's 'Odelay' at 25". TIDAL Magazine. June 17, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
- ^ "Q&A: Stephen Malkmus on New LP, Beck + More". July 6, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Beck's "All Original Collage" – the Artwork of 'Odelay' and How It Matches the Music within". June 18, 2016.
- ^ Beck - Sessions At West 54th Sep 5th 1997 Complete, May 17, 2013, retrieved October 9, 2022
- ^ "Hijacked Flavors - A Beck Concert Database". whiskeyclone.net. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Beck "Novacane" on the Howard Stern Show (1997), November 14, 2020, retrieved October 9, 2022
- ^ Watch Beck Win Best Male Rock Performance For "Where It's At" In 1997 | GRAMMY Rewind, July 9, 2021, retrieved October 9, 2022
- ^ Beck Devil's Haircut Later With Jools Holland 1997, February 2010, retrieved October 9, 2022
- ^ Thompson, Paul; Phillips, Amy (January 2, 2008). "Beck's Odelay Given Deluxe Reissue Treatment". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008.
- ^ a b Beck (2008). Odelay (Deluxe Edition) (CD liner notes). Santa Monica, California: Geffen Records. B0010262-02.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Odelay – Beck". AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ Kot, Greg (June 27, 1996). "Beck's Whimsical 'Odelay' A Musical Smorgasbord". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- ^ Smith, Ethan (June 21, 1996). "Odelay". Entertainment Weekly. No. 332. p. 65. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ Romney, Jonathan (June 21, 1996). "Beck: Odelay (Epic)". The Guardian.
- ^ Scribner, Sara (June 16, 1996). "Beck Takes Quirkiness to New, High-Tech Level". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- ^ Cameron, Keith (June 22, 1996). "Mr Boho Rising". NME. p. 54. Archived from the original on October 16, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Schreiber, Ryan (June 1996). "Beck: Odelay". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ Kemp, Mark (June 13, 1996). "Surrealistic Pillar". Rolling Stone. No. 736. pp. 77–78. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Norris, Chris (July 1996). "Beck: Odelay". Spin. Vol. 12, no. 4. p. 87. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (September 17, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ "39th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy Awards. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Ten Best Albums". Rolling Stone. No. 752. January 23, 1997. p. 44.
- ^ "The 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. February 25, 1997. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1996". NME. October 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (February 7, 2008). "Odelay – Deluxe Edition". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ "Albums of the 1990s". December 24, 1999. Archived from the original on January 23, 2004.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (July 2005). "SPIN 100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005". SPIN. p. 75. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. November 16, 2003. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. September 28, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 31, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- ^ "100 Best Albums of the '90s". Rolling Stone. October 4, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Greatest Music Albums". BestEverAlbums.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 60. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ Sutherland, Scott (March 28, 1999). "The Hidden Track: Already a Worn Trick". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Beck – Odelay" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Beck – Odelay" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Beck – Odelay" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Beck – Odelay" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
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- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Beck – Odelay" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Beck – Odelay". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
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- ^ "Beck Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Beck Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "ALBUMS : Top 100 of 1997". Archived from the original on March 20, 2001.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
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Further reading
- Draper, Jason (2008). A Brief History of Album Covers. London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 326–327. ISBN 9781847862112. OCLC 227198538.
