In Praise of The Beta Band

 

I have two or so primary interests: theology and art. Both are grounded in my reading of Genesis 1-3 and other biblical passages on anthropology. My interest in art is widespread and includes the visual arts, drama, literature, film, cuisine, and music. I’m extremely picky about my art and usually do extensive research before I watch a film, a TV series, visit a restaurant, and listen to a music album. Even then, much of the highly critically reviewed stuff is mediocre at best and mostly rubbish. For example, every few years I will read lists of the top critically reviewed music albums of the decade. Even with these lists, 90% of the albums are rubbish. To find a truly great album and a truly great musical act takes a mass amount of listenings. But once you do, once you find that gem amongst those rocks that the critics actually think are good, then it’s absolute joy. This is how I found Danielson, Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, and Joanna Newsome. This is how I found The Beta Band.

 

I’m a really big fan of folk music and its many derivatives. I like Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, T. Rex, and Beck. I’m a HUGE Beck fan. I have all 64 of his 13 albums. Granted, Beck is known for his fusion of various genres, including rock, hip hop, techno, country, funk, and soul. In particular, his album Mutations (1998) is probably the best folktronica album ever. Folktronica is a musical genre that combines elements of folk music and electronica, featuring uses of acoustic instruments and often incorporating hip hop influences. It is from my appreciation of Mutations that I immediately recognized the brilliance of The Beta Band when I was introduced to their album, Heroes to Zeros (2004). My appreciation of them has only continued to grow since that introduction in 2010.

The Beta Band were a Scottish folktronica band formed in 1996 that blended folk, electronic, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. They were critically acclaimed, achieved something of a cult status, and were highly praised by other contemporary British bands such as Radiohead and Oasis. Their reputation as the neo-folk second coming of Pink Floyd stem from their first three EPs: Champion Versions (1997), The Patty Patty Sound (1998), and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos (1998). All three were eventually collected in the compilation album, The Three E.P.’s (1999). Those E.P.s were highly experimental, combining both folktronica and elements of hip hop. The songs were complex, layered, fusioned, but catchy and with subdued vocals, haunting and harmonic like that of Nick Drake. This was the Beta Band sound. Choice tracks: “Dry the Rain,” "Dogs Got a Bone," "Inner Meet Me," "She's the One,” “It’s Over,” and “Needles in the Eye.”

Based on the prestige of their prior EPs, the first LP, The Beta Band (1999), was one the most highly anticipated releases since Oasis’ Definitely Maybe (1994). The album built upon the experimental nature of their EPs and was seen as particularly intricate, experimental and layered, with a variety of different influences, sound effects, instrumentation and song structures. If anything, the album was far more experimental and certainly more ambitious with the band having to be convinced to forgo some of the more ambitious elements. However, both financial and time constraints led to what the band themselves considered a muddied recording concession. The band’s perfectionism infamously exposed itself when they denounced their debut album a week before its launch. Nevertheless, the album was well-received by critics and has subsequently been reconsidered by even hesitant critics as an underrated masterpiece. The Beta Band (1999) is an odd album no doubt. It’s complete postmodern pastiche without the irony. It’s opening song, “The Beta Band Rap”, is a mix of doo-wop, hip hop, and early 1960s rock n roll. The second song, "It's Not Too Beautiful", starts off as a typical Beta Band-sounding song but then includes a sample from the score of the film, The Black Hole (1979). By the time the listener gets to the fourth track, "Round the Bend", you realize that one is working with an unnecessarily difficult album by some super talented songwriters out to prove they can do genius and exceeding too well. The stylistic and structural similarities with Beck’s Mellow Gold (1994) are unmistakable. Choice tracks: “It’s Not too Beautiful,” “Round the Bend,” and "Brokenupadingdong.”

Their second album, Hot Shots II (2001), proved to be just as experimental but far more accessible in a way similar to their original EPs. Folk, hip hop, and electronica are on full display. The opening song, “Squares,” is symphonic trip hop reminiscent of Portishead. Other songs, such as “Dragon” and “Broke”, continue these complex, electronic hip hop sounds. Still, as with most other folktronica, the techno is layered upon the folk. Choice tracks: “Squares,” “Human Being,” and “Dragon.”

Their supreme achievement undoubtedly came with their final album, Heroes to Zeros (2004). Produced by Tom Rothrock and mixed by Nigel Godrich (one the regular producer for Radiohead and both producers for Beck), it is far less experimental but far more sublime and accessible than the previous two albums. Here there is a decrease in the hip hop and general ambient electronica. Rather, the electronica, like with Beck’s Mutations, is more employed to enhance the specific song structures rather than lead the soundscapes. Also employed are more brass, strings, and straight rock. Nevertheless, there are still hints to the experimentation of the earlier albums just with a lot more focus and direction. Choice tracks: “Assessment,” “Space,” “Lion Thief,” “Easy,” “Wonderful,” and “Simple.”

The band announced their breakup on their website on 2 August 2004. In November, they performed at the Summer Sundae festival and commenced a farewell tour. Their final show was at Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms venue on 5 December 2004. They subsequently released The Best of The Beta Band (2005), a two-disc set which includes the best of the studio recordings and a live performance at Shepherds Bush Empire (30 November 2004).

I write on The Beta Band because they are past and remain relatively obscure, yet astonishingly brilliant. They were writers and performers of highly complex and layered records and ambitious perfectionists of trip hop folktronica. Like the brief output of Nick Drake and Kurt Cobain, The Beta Band only produced a handful of records. We only have three EPs, three records, and a live record. The rest are compilations.

A great introduction are their most accessible songs:

 

"Dry the Rain"

"Inner Meet Me"

"She's the One"

"Wonderful"

“Human Being”

Somewhere at a Bible Translation Society …

TEXTUAL CRITIC #1: “So how is your part of the translation going? What are you working on today?”

 

TC #2: “Well you may ask. You remember that poetic passage in the Old Testament that talks about creation itself bringing glory to God and how the very trees applaud the Lord?”

 

TC #1: “Of course.”

 

TC #2: “Well, I was reading the Masoretic text (circa 700s CE) and the Hebrew reads, ‘the trees clap hams for the Lord.’”

 

TC #1: (Pause) “’The trees clap hams?’”

 

TC #2: “’The trees clap hams.’”

 

TC #1: “Let me see that.” (Reads) “’The trees clap hams.’ Yep.”

 

TC #2: “Yep.”

 

TC #1: “Seems rather odd, doesn’t it?”

 

TC #2: “Well, it’s a poetic metaphor; it’s not to be taken literally.”

 

TC #1: “Granted, but the metaphor must maintain consistent internal sense in order to properly convey the appropriate theological concept. The smacking together of pork products is not generally considered a traditional form of showing praise – particularly Jewish praise.”

 

TC #2: “Ah. I see your point. Still, who are we to argue with unanimous attestation?”

 

TC #1: “Oh? Why, is the verse quoted or paraphrased anywhere in the New Testament?”

 

TC #2: “Negative.”

 

TC #1: “What about Philo, Josephus, the Talmud, the Targums, the Rabbinic traditions?”

 

TC #2: “Ah ha! They all say ‘clap hams.’ Though the strained explanations of its meaning amongst the rabbis vary wildly. Indeed, Maimonides, employing apophatic theology, thought ‘ham’ was just a negative attribution for ‘poultry.’”

 

TC #1: “What about the early church fathers? The Vulgate?”

 

TC #2: “Again, all unanimous in the attestation of ‘hams.’ And, just like the rabbinic literature, the allegorical interpretations of the Alexandrian school for ‘ham’ are legion. Naturally, Origen takes it to the extreme and quotes Jesus as saying, ‘If thy ham offends thee, cut it off.’”

 

TC #1: “Hmm. Even so, I still go back to the idea that the slapping of meat is not a customary form of demonstrating appreciation – at least amongst the Israelites.”

 

TC #2: “Perhaps it’s a haporx legomenon.”

 

TC #1: “Perhaps. Or perhaps … You know, the Hebrew ‘m’ and the Hebrew ‘n’ are quite similar letters. And the Hebrew word for ‘ham’ is quite close to the Hebrew word for ‘hand’. And seeing how it’s usually been more common to show approval by clapping hands rather than slamming together bits of swine …”

 

TC #2: “I think I see where you’re going with this.”

 

TC #1: “… it’s quite possible some ancient scribe erred in his transmission of a copy of the original text and wrote ‘hams’ where he should have written ‘hands.’”

 

TC #2: “Yes, I do see your argument.” (Pause) “Still, with such unanimous multiple attestations to ‘ham’ in near contemporaneous sources …”

 

TC # 3: (Approaching) “I just got back from looking at the Septuagint (circa 200 BCE). It reads ‘clap hams.’”

 

TC #1: “What?”

 

TC #2: “There you have it.”

 

TC #1: “Really? In the Greek?”

 

TC #4: (Approaching) “Not so fast! I just got back from the neighboring Jewish seminary …”

 

TC #2: “Good.”

 

TC #4: “… and I read their copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch (circa 200 BCE) …”

 

TC #1: “Good, yes.”

 

TC #4: “… and it reads ‘clap hands.’”

 

TC #2: “Huh.”

 

TC #1: “Huh.”

 

ALL: “Hmm.”

 

TC #2: “Bit of a textual stalemate, isn’t it?”

 

TC #5: (running up breathlessly) “Right. I just got through reading the Dead Sea Scrolls (circa 400 BCE) …”

 

TC #1: “Good.”

 

TC #2: “What, all of them?”

 

TC #5: “… and according to 4Q Pentateuch, 3Q Pentatuech Pesher, 6Q Pseudo-Enoch, and 4Q Aramaic War Pigs Scroll, they are unanimous: ‘The trees clap hands.’”

 

TC #1: “And there you have it.”

 

TC #2: “It’s conclusive.”

 

TC #1: “Hands.”

 

TC #3: “No doubt.”

 

TC #2: “No question. Hands down.”

 

TC #1: “Okay, now that we have definitely established that the Holy Spirit inspired the ancient prophet to write ‘claps hands’, let me remind you that we are producing this translation for a non-charismatic denomination that believes clapping hands to music in a worship service is worldly behavior. Therefore, I recommend we translate this verse as ‘The trees clap hens’ but add a footnote that reads ‘Many manuscripts read “hands.”’ A negative attribution. All in favor?”

 

ALL: (Hands up) “Aye!”

 

TC #1: “Consensus reached. Unanimous attestation.”

Eunuchs Included

Tonight, in my class on the Old Testament, I referenced how eunuchs were originally excluded from the assembly of God (Deuteronomy 23:1, written somewhere between 1200 BCE and 600 BCE). However, in Isaiah 56:4-5 (written around 515 BCE), God promises that eunuchs will soon be included.

“To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,

And choose what pleases Me,

And hold fast My covenant,

To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,

And a name better than that of sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.

Note the eunuch joke that concludes that passage.

However, 500 years later, Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. The eunuch is reading Isaiah 53 and asks who the passage is referring to. Philip applies it to Jesus, and the eunuch believes, is subsequently baptized without hindrance (verse 36), and welcomed into the Church of God.

Interestingly, I imagine if the eunuch kept reading three more chapters, he would have come upon the prediction in chapter 56 and thought, “Oh, that passage applies to me … and just did.”