Natalie Merchant delivers a must-own

MEREDITH VONDRA staff writer

Buy this CD! Buy this CD! Buy this CD! Some "best of" CDs are noth- ing more than a desper- ate cry for money. Oth- ers are a true exploration on the versatility of the songs. Natalie Mer- chant's Live In Concert is the latter. Merchant's new CD is a recording of her show on June 13 at the Neil ferent view of Merchant. Too Simon Broadway Theater. often, live versions differ very Although she is singing to a little from an artist's original large audience, intimacy recording. Merchant puts her oozes from the songs. The entire self into her live music. songs are a mix of Merchant's The result is an amazing hits, new songs and several album quite different than one covers. The best track is the produced in a studio. Live In cover of David Bowie's Concert cannot even be com- "Space Oddity." The lone gui- pared to Merchant's previous tar and Merchant's soulful work. Her true talent as an .' vocals create a haunting artist shines, and her voice is effect. For once, a cover is bet- astounding. Buy this CD! ter than the original. Live In Concert offers a dif-

Na.talie Merchant wraps up and gets cozy. Her new live album feels cozy and 1nt1mate as well. Beck lets the purple rain fall JOHN ZEISS reviews editor Beck Contrary to Midnite Vultures advance hype (and It's been a bad year for L.A. First, DGC/Interscope the title and bulk the Chili Peppers berated its broken of this review), dreams on Califomication. Then, Rage Listen for a noise-jam Midnite isn't all uncovered its corruption on The Bat- hidden track -- about the hip-hop. it's becoming ( ｾ tle of Los Angeles. Now Beck brings a Beck .· • Sure, songs like his gaze upon L.A. and finds it as one Tradition ｾ :f "Mixed Bizness" Ｙｾ mixed-up mecca. Beck's new album 'l I and "Nicotine and Midnite Vultures, like Los Angeles ｾ Ｍ Ｎ Ｎ Ｌ Ｎ Ｎ Ｎ Ｌ Ａ Gravy" show itself, lies somewhere between dying Princely influences. hair metal and growing gansta rap, between the decay- But others like "Milk and Honey" and "Pres- ing of old Hollywood and the flourishing of Silicon sure Zone" are straight rock and roll. There's Valley. even the rattling sound of a hairspray can at From jazz to rap to rock, white musicians stole the beginning of the latter to remind us that from their black counterparts. What makes Beck so Beck hasn't forgotten his bleached roots. great is that he doesn't take his thievery seriously. The song "Debra" alone makes Midnite Vul- Whereas somone less intelligent like Fred Durst flips tures worth its weight in gold. It's a slow jam, his hat backwards, starts talking b-boy, and thinks Beck's answer to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it he's cool, Beck does the appopriating black culture On," and it's destined to become an instant thang all for laughs. Just listen to his shambling rap- classic. I dare to say it's the singularly most ping on "Hollywood Freaks" and try not to crack up. hilarious song ever recorded, with Beck croon- In this joking jive style, he's like a younger broth- ing, in all earnesty, "I wanna get with you/ And er to the Beastie Boys. This is especially true on "Peach- your sister /I think her name's Debra." es and Cream," which sounds a lot like "Looking The album isn't perfect. It lags near the end, Down the Barrel of a Gun" off Paul's Boutique. No sur- but so did Odelay. But it's a lot better than last prise, then, that the geniuses that helped make that year's faux-folky Mutations. With Midnite Vul- album and Beck's earlier Odelay, the Dust Brothers, tures, Beck lets it all hang out, gets real paid, appear here too. One only wishes they would have and breaks every sexx law known to man. Cal- Beck has completely lost his mind. And the results sound great. contributed to more than just a few tracks. ifornication indeed! arcade december 3, 1999 19 •