Yes, it's true, this album doesn't tower above Odelay, Mutations, or Sea Change as Beck's crowning artistic achievement. Still, I hate it when I hear people dismiss Midnite Vultures as Beck's "joke" album. The subject matter may be more thematic than personal, and the production may be more flamboyant than filigreed, but rock n' roll is about fun, dammit, and Vultures is nothing if not smile-inducing. Write a slew of funky lyrics, channel your favorite soul icons, and pile on a few dozen layers of dense, dirty rhythms--it's a recipe that may not suit everyone's taste, but to me the results are de-licious.

Harold Check