Music Aug 13, 2014 at 4:00 am

A Conversation with the Musician About Spider Bites, Elvis, and His New Album, Morning Phase

Autumn De Wilde

Comments

1
Just another bat-shit-crazy Scientologist
2
hmm... why are you so nice in your interviews when its performers like Beck, but act like a complete asshat when its people like Yani?
Equal treatment for all!
3
@1, better a scientologist than a knee-jerk bigot.
4
@3: Sorry, Beck sounds like a nice person (as Celebrities are kept away from the nasty bits), but the Church of Scientology is a horrible group that does horrible things to its own members.
5
@4, so is the Catholic Church. But only a bigot would comment on an interview with, say, Stephen Colbert, that he's "just another bat-shit-crazy Catholic."

Just as there are Catholics who know there's plenty wrong with the Church, there are Scientologists who know there's plenty wrong with their Church.
6
What Scientologist themes appear in Beck’s music? When faith is influencing artist’s work, critiquing becomes valid but only in so far as you can make the connection to lyrics, or anything else endemic to music’s form. The .. whatever is his work becomes discredited because of faith alone is seen anything else than a personal attack, it becomes less valid online-hate of someone who likely has personal issues better, then, to focus on yourself; most art is crap, that is fairly uncontroversial. Maybe you can see it in his music, I can’t, but am open to hearing others who do see it. Tom Cruise for example is a dickhead, scientologist and losy very rich actor, imo. Beck’s music is great, maybe it’s the Scientology (doubt it though), wish he'd do a show in Seattle after the show I think I saw happening in Van next wknd.
7
Beck is a one hit wonder who's time passed 20 years ago.

and Undead Ayn Rand is just another bigoted progressive. He should go eat dicks for a hobby.
8
@6: He's playing in Redmond Marymoor tomorrow.
9
Beck's no one hit wonder, undead dickhead. That may have been valid to say back in '94, '95 when "Loser" was new and was the one song people knew (even though there were other good songs on Mellow Gold). But remember, Odelay (a HUGE album) came out in mid '96 and spawned several hits - "Devil's Haircut", "Where It's At", "Jack-Ass", "The New Pollution"... his time was just getting started not even twenty years ago! Mutations (1998) had "Tropicalia" and "Nobody's Fault But My Own", Midnite Vultures (1999) had "Debra", and Sea Change (2002), which has "Lost Cause" on it, was one of the most acclaimed releases of the first decade of the 20th century. Guero (2005) had "E-Pro" and "Girl", The Information (2006) had "Nausea" and "Think I'm in Love", Modern Guilt (2008) had "Gamma Ray" and even if it isn't to your liking, Morning Phase (2014) had "Blue Moon", which if not a chart-topper, is a great song that helped get me excited for his new work.

The whole thing about Scientology - while I agree it is accurate to view it more as a predatory organization out for money than as a religion (L. Ron Hubbard basically admitted as much), I don't feel like roundly condemning an artist who has brought joy to myself and many others and has remained more-or-less tactful the whole time. I can disagree with his beliefs vehemently without attacking him personally. At least he isn't spending every interview talking about how it's the best thing ever while dancing on couches.
10
Edit: first decade of 21st century! doh!
11
@9:"Undead Ayn Rand is just another bigoted progressive. He should go eat dicks for a hobby."

I don't like Scientology because they murder and abuse their lay, operate internment forced labor camps, and have a totalitarian operation in place.

But yes, obviously disliking the organization for tangible harm on members and the world is exactly the same as hating a person for sucking dick.

I'm just sad I can't support Beck without supporting the COS.
12
"I don't feel like roundly condemning an artist who has brought joy to myself and many others and has remained more-or-less tactful the whole time"

I am not really condemning him, as he's kept naive to their operations. It's just sad, is all. I hate that he's a figurehead representing so much harm and nastiness.
13
Trent, you failed by forgetting to ask him to team up again with Chris Ballew and make a new Caspar and Mollusk album, but this time of kids songs instead of stream of consciousness.

Please wait...

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