BECK Record Club No. 3: Oar (2010)
ALEXANDER “SKIP” SPENCE Oar (1969)
40 Years After… Plus Skip’s 1969 Original (w/ 10 Bonus Tracks)
The third installment of Beck’s take on the classics, another free release, recorded in a single day and issued (a track a week) via live studio videos. For No. 3, Beck & Co. take on former Jefferson Airplane/Moby Grape drummer Skip Spence’s underground folk/psych oddity, Oar – called a “soundtrack to schizophrenia” by The AMG. As with Beck’s No. 1 and No. 2, the recordings feature a rotating cast of characters, this time including Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Feist, among others. Hit the website to see all the videos in the series. Of note… Beck also contributed a track to the 1999 Skip Spence tribute album, More Oar. For comparison’s sake, you’re invited to grab Skip Spence’s original, 1969 release with 10 (count ‘em) bonus tracks of all unreleased songs.
Little Hands (2:59)
Cripple Creek (4:14)
Diana (3:48)
Margaret/Tiger Rug (2:27)
Weighted Down (The Prison Song) (4:58)
War In Peace (5:04)
Broken Heart (3:39)
All Come To Meet Her (2:02)
Books Of Moses (7:21)
Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang) (3:56)
Lawrence of Euphoria (5:17)
Grey/Afro (7:35)
15 Comments
Thanks Willard!!
excellent! nice of you to include the original also.
ksn
I'm guessing that Tweedster is actually Jeff Tweedy's screen name. The boat is now endorsed by Wilco. This is amazing!
Talk about jumping to conclusions…
Thanks!
Heyyyyyy … I'm using my secret screen name, too, dude!
Uh … way cool album. s.
Spence & Barret had something in common.
They were genius!
Thanks for this, again.
Dude, that's my evil robot twin posting! Whoah. Oh yeah, cool sounds abound. Thanks!
How'd you find the Beck cover without the stupid "play" button super-imposed over Skip's face? Thanks also for the groovy tunage.
Oar is not totally worthless but giving it 'classic' status is a bit much. Couple of the songs are OK–first two and War In Peace–but the rest is far from a cohesive vision on any level. Comparing it to Barrett, Sister/Lovers, hell, even Larry Fischer (who at least is funny) is a stretch. This is an outsider album that has its moments but I always believed this rested on the guy being a founding member of the Airplane and Moby Grape more than the LP itself.
Very over-rated.
Thanks for this one! You always have what I'm looking for!
well, I was going to grumble about some folks not getting Spence's vision, but Anon (one of many no name posters here) referenced the so-called third Big Star LP as some level of cool, whereas I think Sister / Lover is a whole bunch of yawn after their first two excellent albums.
It's not even a Big Star LP, it's Chilton's second attempt at a solo LP, but legend and tedium co-exist in most forms, so why not here.
I've always been of the opinion that Skips' LP is one of the greats.
Each to their own I guess.
Thansk for the Beck download Capt.
J.
Hmmm, I love Oar and Sister/Lovers but Beck makes my skin crawl. To each their own indeed, and thanks for Skip.
Tried the original – found it worthy but inaccessible (my problem). Beck has burrowed his way in and shone a light on the original.
Thanks for the key. Blog on.
Shuggiemac
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Find them both HERE.
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