Thanks to Nate Patrin, I recently discovered “Midnite Vultures,” the would-be title track turned “Nicotine & Gravy” B-side from 1999. Sez Nate: “some days, this would be my favorite Beck track.” Sez I: throughout of the duration of the weekend, it was mine.
In hindsight, Beck channeling Serge Gainsbourg while smoking Gauloises and sipping Pernod, may have been the right angle, instead of spending the majority of the aughts channeling Beck and/or spending Sundays recording cover albums with Wolfmother and Devendra Banhart. The least they can do is cut Histoire De Melody Nelson.
Download:
MP3: Beck-”Midnite Vultures”
4 comments
Natan says:
September 1, 2009 at 2:33 am (UTC -7)
it would’ve been totally out of place if he’d put this song on that funky ass album, but it’s a great song anyway,
so thanks.
Natan, Jerusalem
Nate P. says:
September 1, 2009 at 10:47 am (UTC -7)
Well, he did put “Beautiful Way” (a Beth Orton duet!) on the same album. And maybe it would’ve segued pretty well into “Debra”. Besides, it could’ve been given title track special dispensation or something. Who knows?
Also, he did get a bit more Gainsbourgian on the [i]Sea Change[/i] track “Paper Tiger”, which is a pretty blatant pastiche of the whole [i]Melody Nelson[/i] aesthetic.
Ludwig says:
September 16, 2009 at 5:30 pm (UTC -7)
diggin this alot, i’ve been listening to the work of art that midnite vultures is. It’s the first album I ever bought. That and Backstreet Boys millenium.
chrisjay says:
October 25, 2009 at 9:34 pm (UTC -7)
Been looking for this song—-thanks a mil!
I have to agree this is more of a stand-alone track which was good to be divorced from MV album