Beck returned a year and half after Guero with The Information, an album that received more press for the circumstances of its release than for its music.
The cover art of The Information was a blank page and the CD case contained a sheet of stickers. Fans were encouraged to create their own cover art, with the goal that no two versions of the album would look the same.
On YouTube, Beck released low-budget videos for every one of the songs and encouraged fans to upload their own videos.
But experimental release strategies aside, The Information features some great music. It’s mostly built around tight funk and hip-hop tracks and boasts maybe the finest production work of Beck’s career (again by Nigel Godrich). The album’s one weakness is that it goes on too long… the final four songs (combined on two tracks) last nearly 15 minutes and go nowhere. Had he trimmed those songs and maybe one other, The Information would rank up there with his best albums.
‘Strange Apparition’ has a sound that’s new for Beck… it feels like a lost track from The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. I love the use of piano and percussion on this song and his intriguing decision to slow the whole thing down halfway through and strip down the instrumentation. This song, and much of The Information, was proof that 13 years into his recording career, Beck was still ready and able to surprise.
In my Mercedes Benz
All the riches and the ruins
Now we all know how that story ends
Strange apparition
Haunting my brain
Standing on the last legs
Of a dream that walked away
When the Lord rings my front door
And asks me what I got to show
Besides the dust in my pockets
And the things that just eat away my soul
Strange apparition
Haunting my brain
There’s some permissions
Of a dream that got cremated
The least I had to lose from
Is the most I seem to care
Anything should make you happy
Nothing could make you scared
We’ll be on the shoreline
When that heavy ship goes down
Did you think that you were lucky?
You should see yourself now
Meet Me In Montauk 
wow–I find each one of these SOTDs from Beck better than the last . I totlally hear the Stones quality in this–really good stuff.
So is that photo your attempt at Beck cover art? If so, can I send Maddie over to help you out a bit? 😉
I’m always amazed when you two start throwing out references about how one artist reminds you of another – on a specific album nontheless. Sheesh! I don’t hear the Rolling Stones specifically, although I do hear one musical part that reminds me a bit of Sympathy for the Devil. I doubt I’d have noticed it if you both hadn’t pointed out some similarity first.
I do like how different this song sounds from other songs by Beck. I might listen to a song like this again. But I’d probably sooner put on a Counting Crows album 😉