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”