Midnite Vultures

From the Stax-fried greasy horns that power the opening "Sexx Laws" to the falsetto-delivered slow jam of the closing "Debra", MIDNITE VULTURES is Beck's blatant funk-soul-brother turn. Having pillaged, plundered, cut, and pasted the scope of American heritage musics throughout his short extraordinary career, the slacker boy-wonder has made a party record to end the millennium, lascivious to the bone, and groove-ing to the core. more...

Whether he's blowing up Kool Keith-meets-Kraftwerk beats and rhymes on "Hollywood Freaks", getting into Prince-ly funky rock on "Peaches & Cream", or rocking the old-school electro on "Get Real Paid", this year's Beck model is more about mixing sci-fi R&B bizness with leather than staring down folk-derived dead ends. But don't believe he's forgotten how to masterfully collage his on-going postmodern pursuits into his new fashion--"Peaches & Cream" is self-conscious enough to quote Mississippi Fred McDowell, but as a sly sexy come-on, and repeated lyrics of juke-joint R&B standards help weave a thematic thread throughout MIDNITE VULTURES. Such sharp details help turn Midnite Vultures from a great celebratory mix-tape into one of the finest albums of 1999.

Rolling Stone (12/9/99, pp.73-4)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...[Beck] plays the insider, riding the executive plane through the good life with every need fulfilled....definitely party music....the arrangements are even more hilariously overstuffed..."

Entertainment Weekly (11/26/99, pp.91-2)
- "...the last great comedy record of the century....the year's most relentless gas - laughing or otherwise - of a party album..." - Rating: A-

Q (1/00, p.83)
- Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1999."

Q (12/99, pp.124-5)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...some of the most fascinating and funky music of his career....a complex, riveting edition to the collected works of this still vaguely Numanesque individual..."

Mojo (1/00, p.31)
- Ranked #8 in Mojo Magazine's "Best of 1999."

Mojo (12/99, pp.98-99)
- "...a masterpiece; a seamless fusion of medium and message, influence and inspiration....MIDNITE VULTURES takes delirious, lubricious pleasure in itself....it's damn foxy."

Alternative Press (12/99, p.81)
- 5 out of 5 - "...saluting and blending funk styles so immediately familiar that the songs would come off like Weird Al parodies if they weren't so good....all 11 songs on it rock....Beck grows more serious as the stakes get lower..."

The Wire (2/00, p.44)
- "...A masterclass in musical cunning...a recipe designed to irritate as much as it enthralls....dazzling..."

CMJ (1/10/00, p.6)
- Ranked #21 in CMJ's "Top 30 Editorial Picks [for 1999]."

CMJ (11/15/99, p.3)
- "...a thick vat of party groove stew prepared from 11 deliciously over-the-top, unclassifiable tracks....emphasizes that the man is an entertainer par excellence....his single most surreal moment on wax."

Vibe (12/99, p.262)
- "...affectionately plunders a dizzying array of African-American musical styles, from '70s soul ballads to designer-label hip hop to gospel blues. It's got grooves to spare and, needless to say, it's charming and smart..."