Search - Beck :: Guero (W/Dvd)

Technical glitches with Limited Edition

Jane Cronkhite | Silicon Valley | 04/08/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"My reasoning for giving the Guero DVD/CD limited edition 3 stars has nothing to do with the quality of the songs, but rather is a warning to the consumer about potential technical difficulties with the DVD.



I received my first copy of Guero from Amazon.com the week Guero was released. About 7 minutes into the "Visual Effects," which is the main feature of the DVD, the effects froze. I could not zoom forward or ahead. I tried restarting the disc, cleaning it, cleaning the player, none to any avail. I returned my copy and complained about it on a Beck bulletin board, only to find out several other people had the same problems.



I got my second copy a few days later with the exact same problems. I emailed Beck.com and Interscope records regarding the glitch. Interscope claims that it is old or low-quality DVD players that cause the error, that the D-Fuse content of the DVD is too ground-breaking and high-tech for some DVD players. However, they have neglected to provided any alternatives for customers other than "try a different DVD player." Folks like poor old me may only have one DVD player to contend with.



Buyer beware: There are no guarantees that you'll be able to access the full content of this DVD!"

The extra tracks/book/DVD push this from 4 stars to 5.

Down Townie | some place | 03/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Guero on it's own is a highly worthwhile release (I'd

give it 4 stars), the Deluxe version of Guero is amazing...

considering I got it for $15 on Bestbuy.com



First: The extra tracks.

1. Send A Message To Her

This track is a top quality B-side. Deserves to be left off

the original album. Very straightforward, catchy pop. Could

of worked well with the 'Mutations'-era material.

2. Chain Reaction

WOW!!! This is one weird song. A Black Sabbath sample, distorted

vocals, the whole kitchen sink. As a stand-alone song, this is a hardcore

update of the aggressive 'Mellow

Gold'-era material. It definitely would not flow with the

rest of the tracks on 'Guero.' (except maybe E-Pro.)

3. Clap Hands

This is one song that would totally have fit on 'Guero.' The

groovy beat is so catchy, I prefer this to Hell Yes. It sounds

eerily like that "Milkshake" song by Kelis. Best of the extra

songs by far.



As for the remixes, you get very competent reworkings of Girl,

Broken Drum, Missing, and Hell Yes. The remixes of Broken Drum

and Missing are the most creative.



The DVD

I had no technical trouble playing the DVD (as other reviewers

have complained about.) The graphics are well done, but sometimes

tend to resemble an elaborate screensaver you see on

computers. The hard to find bonus videos are a nice treat if

you're patient. The photo gallery feels tacked on, with no audio to accompany it.

My biggest complaint is why the DVD has only the original 13

songs. At least there could have been the remixes on here,

if not the 3 bonus tracks. The remixes would have fit perfectly with the video art.

The sheer quantity of video remixes is stunning. The 5.1 mix sounded very solid as well.



The Book:

The CD/DVD combo comes encased in a white "book" that's about

the size of a DVD case. This format is somewhat awkward for

portability reasons. Along with the printed lyrics, there is

exclusive artwork and photos. This is the most superfluous

aspect of the Deluxe edition. While the artwork and photos

are interesting, they don't justify being packaged in such a

bulky casing. I almost wish they kept the standard CD booklet

format. The "book" idea might have worked for an album like

Sea Change, seems unnecessary here.



All told, the DELUXE Edition is a must have for Beck fans:

the extra songs alone are worth it (the DVD & book are

icing on the cake!)"

Album is 5 stars; Deluxe set is 4 stars

Michael K. Hall | Gresham, OR USA | 03/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review is primarily about the deluxe packaging and not so much on the cd itself. Hey, it's Beck, and why are you hear if you aren't already pre-disposed to think everything he does is not Genius? The man and his music are chameleons and that is the point. You can't be disappointed that this doesn't sound like Sea Change or that it reminds you of Odelay. That's not the point! Beck is not K-mart packaged music. If you don't get it or are disappointed, keep listening. You will!



That said... I buy deluxe editions. I just feel for my money, that's the way to go. Sometimes I'm disappointed by the extras, but most times not. The extras on this set are a mixed bag for me. If you're on a budget (I should be, but I'm not), there is nothing wrong with buying the basic cd at almost half the price. The expanded CD is the main reason to buy this set. More music is always a reason to buy expanded sets!. The packaging rates a C+ for me with a great 50+ page booklet with "readable" lyrics and great art work (by, who I thought was Henry Darger, but instead is by Marcel Dzama). It's nice not to have to strain your eyes to read Becks'words (and they're actually worth reading!). The case holding the discs however deserves an F. You have to remove both discs if you want to get to the 2nd disc??? This is the 2nd packaging I've seen (the other in the AC/DC set) that is like this and hopefully it is not a trend. Lastly the DVD was a disappointment to me on first view. It did jam up on my Sony DVD player (on track 4 especially), but not my computer, and I could find no fault with the disc. Note to myself and everyone else that's having problems (maybe we need a new DVD player?) Knowing Beck, he used the most state of the art technology on this disc and are players aren't up to it? Just a suggestion. As to the video portion - it's just not for me. I'm either too old, not patient enough or impaired enough to appreciate it. The sound, however (with a 5.1 option) does make me want to try it again.



Overall there is enough extra stuff here to keep any diehard Beck fan happy, whether you buy it for the extra tracks, the DVD, or the art and booklet. However, if you're credit card is max'd and the ATM will only let you take out $10, the basic edition will certainly suffice.



"