Maybe it’s the nice weather we had last weekend (that’s a joke), but I was pretty darn near satisfied while listening to the three discs I picked to review for today’s column. Well, I’m sure if I look hard enough I can find something that totally sucks to tell you about next week. Until then…

Beck

Odelay

Beck’s latest effort lists him under 13 different instruments (including slide guitar, analog keyboards and clarinet), all of which he utilizes to the fullest in this masterpiece recording.

Whereas Mellow Gold was painted with nonsense humor and rhythm, Odelay flows more creatively through a number of samples and unrestricted areas of instrumentation. Tidbits of voice distortions and musical enchantments (mostly of the late ’60’s era) mix well with the funky rhythm of the entire record.

A handful of the tunes on Odelay could be straight from the Beastie Boy’s classic Licensed To Ill, especially “High Five” and “Lord Only Knows.” Another Beastie-related track is the first single “Where It’s At,” which chronicles the early days of disc jockeys.

Beck’s quirky lyrics are put on display in “Devil’s Haircut,” the possible “Loser” equivalent of Odelay. Beck’s melodramatic vocal tone may separate his sound from other folk-funk imitations, but it’s his ability to sample catchy oldies and mix them with dance rhythms that brings him beyond comparison.

Prong

Rude Awakening

As the industrial movement continues to disrupt most metal scenes, Prong has decided to change gears on their new release, Rude Awakening.

While the thrashing trio has done some flirting with the industrial sound on past works, the addition of programmer Charlie Clouser is a sure sign of a full go. Clouser’s made known for his percussion/keyboard work with Nine Inch Nails.

Ex-Killing Joke bassist Paul Ravin provides additional contributions to the record with a collection of harsh lyrics (hence the title Rude Awakening). Tommy Victor’s aggressive vocal style handles some of the faster, almost rap influenced, tracks with a surprising cleverness.

“Controller” borders a Sister Machine Gun style with a heavier side of guitars, while “Face Value” features a climactic instrumental introduction. The underlying drum machines and synthesizers on Rude Awakening paint a pretty picture to the usual bland metal sound.

Similar to the typical metal album, probably half of the songs seem like the lyrics were added only to give that other guy in the band something to do. “Mansruin,” a speed metal montage, is a prime example.

Despite some repetitiveness, Rude Awakening was a smart turn for Prong. The album also includes a soon-to-be overdone multimedia CD-ROM track.

Imperial Drag

Imperial Drag

Sexual ambiguity is in and Imperial Drag knows it. The California quartet has created the liberal thinking anthem of ’96 with their “Boy Or A Girl.”

Imperial Drag queen (or king) Eric Dover leads the band with his Perry Farrell-like vocals. Like Farrell’s work with Jane’s Addiction, Dover’s lyrics go beyond a sane man’s imagination.

Perhaps the highlight of the record is the in-harmony chorus “Do you feel Misunderstood? You feel straight but you knock on wood,” from “Boy Or A Girl.”

Imperial Drag draws most of its influences from ’80’s pop, and with ballads such as “The Man In The Moon,” you could have sworn they were done by Rick Astley a decade ago.

Musically, Imperial Drag falls below rookie status. The band’s ability to tag team through lyrics on some of the tracks (“Playboy After Dark”) does manage to save them at times.

The silly lyrics of “Spyder” and “Salvation Army Band” are good additions to the fun feel of this record. My advice: search for humor in these areas of life or let Imperial Drag do it for you.

Corey Moss is a freshman in journalism from Urbandale, Iowa.