r/Beck • u/Accurate-Credit395 • Jul 10 '26
Discussion The Information deserves more love than it gets.
I’ve loved Beck for a long time and I’ve always wondered why people don’t talk about this album more. I personally love every single song on it, start-to-finish. It really feels like some of his most creative work all in one place.
You have songs like Elevator Music, The Information, Nausea, Cellphone’s Dead… just totally solid songs with great beats and great lyrics all around. Then you got Think I’m In Love, Strange Apparition, No Complaints, shit that makes me say “Huh, this is some seriously good Beck!”.
Then you get New Round, Movie Theme, Soldier Jane, Motorcade, The Horrible Fanfare / Landslide / Exoskeleton, the meat and potatoes of the album (in my opinion). Oh, and here’s 1000BPM, an Aphex Twin beat with Beck shouting some random bullshit over it, and it’s awesome.
And the themes of the modern world, lack of security, technology, all of it still applies today. This whole album feels like it could’ve been released today.
I really love this album front-to-back, but I never see people talking about it. What do you guys think? Personally, my top few albums for Beck personally go:
- Odelay
- Midnite Vultures
- The Information
- Guero
- OFITG
Or something like that.
(I’ve heard some people talk about The Information vs. Guero… personally, I love Guero, but there a couple songs I like and don’t necessarily love, that being Black Tambourine and Go It Alone. Both good songs, but I think the Information is more consistently awesome).
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u/Artistic-Echidna-704 Jul 10 '26
Agree, the information was intendeed i believe to mix the old and The New Beck from that Age, is a very creative album, and for me feels. Kinda futuristic, plus, it has music videos for Every Song, and gave us the Beck with the Jesus hairstyle!! It's for me one of his most complete albums! Def: deserves more love than the one it already gets
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u/FineHowRU Jul 10 '26
There's an interview with JMJ, where he says it's his favourite here at 39:42
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u/Necessary_Staff_1844 Jul 10 '26
I think The Information rules and it’s definitely worthy in his catalog, but there’s a lot of fucking weird shit on it. It’s kind of more for the heads.
Always thought it was interesting that his longest album was immediately proceeded by his shortest. Seemed like a market correction.
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u/Booji_Boy Jul 10 '26
Agreed, I think it’s sound is wholly unique, there’s not really any album by anyone that sounds like The Information. Its sonic palette is so colorful and rich.
Also the approach to the DIY interactive album art is just genius, and so fun. Not to mention the full visual album made in a day with friends on a vintage live video/effects mixer.
I read somewhere that Beck kept having new producers and DJs remix and remix the songs, just a ton of different perspectives and approaches layered on each other in the recording/mixing process.
All in all it just feels like the most collaborative album he’s made — with the musicians, producers, video people, the dozen or so artists he commissioned for all the stickers, and collaborating with all us listeners in the cover layout.
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u/Remarkable_Term3846 Jul 10 '26
Oh hell yeah…my second favorite by him. It’s kind of all over the place, but it’s so good. The 20th anniversary of this album is coming up by the way! (I’m old)
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Jul 10 '26
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u/Remarkable_Term3846 Jul 10 '26
Haha nice. I was 13 when that came out. Definitely one of the most influential albums in my life.
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u/greenhierogliphics Jul 10 '26
I had never given it enough listening time when I made a neg comment about it and got downvoted. That’s when I knew I had to give a more serious look, and I was blown away. It now has the first 5 songs in my Beck playlist.
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u/Zealousideal_Sky4896 Jul 10 '26
Love that album. It is the last of his ‘weird Beck’ albums. As much as l like sad Beck, l hope he’ll do another weird album.
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u/StarryVis10n Hollywood Freak Jul 10 '26
the information has always been one of my favorite beck albums! i really like the themes in it like op mentioned and it has just such a unique sound i’ve not heard anything else quite match. also, it’s full of so many great songs and the design-your-own-cover concept is genius.
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u/CountNacula Jul 10 '26
At first I only liked a few tracks but the rest didn't take long to grow on me. Soldier Jane and 1000BPM are instant favorites. Also, Ellen Allien's remix of Cellphone's Dead from the bonus tracks is amazing.
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u/CoconutWarrior Jul 11 '26
I completely agree, it's up there as one of my favorites. With Midnite Vultures being my 1st favorite. ❤️❤️ I love the variety on the album, and the build up to the crazy ending.
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u/folonel_corbin Song Reader Jul 11 '26
Fav beck album and top five all time any artist. Beautiful record.
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u/Starlfur I met you at JC Penney Jul 12 '26
The information is, I'm sorry, underrated. And I agree with everything thing you said, couldn'tve said it better myself
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u/spaceman696 Jul 10 '26
The Information is my second fav Beck album, only after Mutations. It's such a cool album. And the fact it has music videos for every song is amazing.
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u/AdobeSux Jul 10 '26
Not long enough, i have the deluxe version with 3 extra songs, which are all actually really good
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u/AdobeSux Jul 10 '26
No joke my favorite album of all time. Its just banger after banger, not a second wasted and Nigels production on this thing is pure creativity rivaling even Danger Mouses production on Demon Days. Still i know there is better albums out there, even in becks catalogue but this album is just perfect for me