BECK SURVIVOR: GUERO (WINNER: BROKEN DRUM)

[tom_cas1]

I absolutely LOVE Rental Car, probably my second favourite track on the album. Scarecrow is excellent as well. Let's be honest, there isn't a duff track left!

[TripleJay97]

Rental Car. Come on people, it ain't that good.

It's one of my favourite Beck tunes!

[Miki]

Rental Car is a bit of a marmite song within Beck fans circles. Most either love it or hate it. I like it. it reminds me of Diamond Bollocks (though that song is far superior). I'd say there are better songs than Rental Car on that list (including Scarecrow!), but it shouldn't go out on this round. Anyway... Go It Alone has two votes and Scarecrow and Rental Car one each. Assuming that AdvertBreak will vote for Scarecrow again, it will be between Scarecrow and Go It Alone and Lt Pinkerton will have to choose between them, as he didn't vote for either. While we wait for AdverBreak, a couple of fun-facts about both songs.

Go It Alone was recorded with Jack White on the bass during what apparently was a very lose, informal recording session. Beck has played the song live only 20 times, mostly during the Guero Tour in 2005. This year he surprised fans by including it again in his live set and he played it half a dozen times, including during the concert in Hyde Park last June. A rare treat

Some guy made a cool animation for the song on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPv_8vHFDQk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scarecrow is a sort of "blues gone funky" with interesting imagery in the lyrics. According to Beck: "I think of it as robots on the bayou, down on the swamp. I had this whole image as we were making the song of this shack on the bayou, with the trees hanging down, alligators, a bunch of robots on the porch hanging out, watching the geese." - I love this guy

I know I posted it in the previous page but the Extended version of Scarecrow is one of my favourite Beck things There's an elongated coda with Beck playing a sort of One Foot In The Grave harmonica solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jRGe5WbNuc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I've just uploaded this gem as it wasn't on Youtube. Live on KCRW. The "free-style jazz" coda is to die for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Pro67 ... e=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Miki]

Well if we don't get a final vote in an hour or so, I'll declare Go It Alone out.

[Miki]

Ok, we waited long enough. Time's up.

Go It Alone is eliminated with 2 votes.

The new tracklist goes as follows

1. Qué Onda Guero
2. Girl
3. Earthquake Weather
4. Broken Drum
5. Scarecrow
6. Farewell Ride
7. Rental Car

Ok... this is really tough! I know which songs I want to keep in, but I can't make a clear choice between the two or three possible candidates for elimination. Again, I have to think about it.

[Rhys]

Woah, this is pretty hard! All of those songs are brilliant, especially Earthquake Weather!

I think I'll have to go with Scarecrow

[TripleJay97]

Scarecrow

[Miki]

I'll go with Rental Car, this time. I love it, but not as much as the other songs.

[AdvertBreak]

Scarecrow

[tom_cas1]

3 votes for Scarecrow, no point in me voting is there?

[Miki]

3 votes for Scarecrow, no point in me voting is there?

Well, no, because there's 6 of us playing now. I'm pretty sure Lt Pinkerton would vote for Rental Car, so if you vote for that too, it's a tie and I'll toss a coin

[TripleJay97]

How will you know you've been fair about the coin toss though?

[Miki]

How will you know you've been fair about the coin toss though?

I'll wait a bit longer to give tom and Lt Pinkerton a chance to cast their vote. If it's a tie... we'll have to find a way to break it. But if we don't get a change in the next hour or so, Scarecrow will be out... *snifs*

[tom_cas1]

Not voting for Rental Car so not voting at all!!

[Miki]

Okay... so I left enough time... unfortunately

Scarecrow is eliminated with 3 votes

The new tracklist goes as follows

1. Qué Onda Guero
2. Girl
3. Earthquake Weather
4. Broken Drum
5. Farewell Ride
6. Rental Car

Rental Car again. It's a great song, but that's a formidable list!