Beck's Gamma Ray

A new video from Beck for "Gamma Ray," starring Chloë Sevigny and a lot of groovy visuals. Rex sez: "Pretend it's 1995 again." Not recommended for those of you who are on acid. (Via Some Notes on Napkins.)

[#1 posted by bobkat , November 6, 2008 10:10 AM]

Since Beck is a Scientologist, I find it hard to respect him, even though I like most of his music. Chloe sure is hot tho! Yowza.

[#2 posted by Anonymous , November 6, 2008 10:11 AM]

I'm so glad I purchased my gamma ray ring tone just so I have the satisfaction of knowing that 1 cent of that went to such an awesome video.

[#3 posted by glace neuf , November 6, 2008 10:23 AM]

i think beck is second generation scientology, so it's probably harder to see how insane you are if you're in that deep. that being said, he is one of the disappointing/surprising scientologists. and i concur, chloe is smoking!

[#4 posted by Joel Johnson , November 6, 2008 10:32 AM]

Christ, how does Sevigny keep getting hotter?

[#5 posted by iamcantaloupe , November 6, 2008 10:34 AM]

Listen to the music, not the man.

Cool vid, very reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight" video around the 2:30 mark.

[#6 posted by thekinginyellow , November 6, 2008 10:47 AM]

i really like beck's music. if scientology were not part of the equation i'd really like beck.

[#7 posted by zuzu , November 6, 2008 10:47 AM]

Meh, I think Shinichi Osawa did it better (and simpler) with his cover of Star Guitar.

[#8 posted by Clif Marsiglio , November 6, 2008 11:04 AM]

Why do people even bring up others religions when they haven't shown any sign of oppressing others with it.

Sure, I think it is a sham religion...much like I think any religion other than my own is a sham (even most sects within my own are wrong and thus shams), but no one forces it on anyone else. Their church gets upset when people push copyrighted doctrine onto the net...and while I find it strange that a church would need to copyright something that is divine, it ain't my church so what.

All religions including atheism are weird. Get over it.

[#9 posted by PolishQ , November 6, 2008 11:05 AM]

Light echo at 2:30

[#10 posted by Takuan , November 6, 2008 11:07 AM]

liked some of that imagery. Dovetails with a pitch idea for a 78 piece movie/video project idea: Video Tarot. Cards of flexible organic light emitting polymer with on board receivers, table top with card video library and transmitter. Probably take five years to cast and shoot 78 clips with decent production values, time enough for the display tech to catch up. Anybody got a couple of million for seed money? A natural music video project.

[#11 posted by PolishQ , November 6, 2008 11:08 AM]

Not sure what I did wrong, but my previous comment should have linked here:

http://heritage.stsci.edu/2005/02/supplemental.html

[#12 posted by freeyourcrt , November 6, 2008 11:21 AM]

#2 GLACE NEUF:

"i think beck is second generation scientology, so it's probably harder to see how insane you are if you're in that deep."

Don't lose hope for beck for I was a second generation neo-socialist liberal pseudo-intellectual and I found my way out of that statist trap with some honest literature and long hours of quiet meditation.

[#13 posted by lost feliz , November 6, 2008 11:31 AM]

Love some newer Beck material, but this song and video are boring. Chloe's smokiness doesn't change the fact.

I used to get worked up about Scientology, but you gotta hand it to L. Ron. He was so enamored with the Masons and their ilk that he just had to make up his own shit. Crazier the better. Then you can see a bit of lineage to Beck's work.

[#14 posted by BC2 , November 6, 2008 11:55 AM]

I agree with the Scientology comments. Hard to respect someone who buys into that bs.

#8 posted by Clif Marsiglio
Why do people even bring up others religions when they haven't shown any sign of oppressing others with it.

Scientology is actually pretty nasty, underhanded and greedy. They've done all kinds of shady underhanded things in the past. They suck money out of their followers so well that they make televangelists jealous. They teach people not to take their psychiatric medication (leading to numerous deaths). They shout-down their critics. They've done sneaky things to keep negative facts about Scientology off the web. We should all deeply fear for our freedom of speech and our personal safety if Scientology ever became a major religion because they're paranoid fascists.

(And I'm not necessarily talking about their members - I've met some of their members, they were nice people. I'm talking about the leaders of Scientology, and how the "Church" is run at the highest levels.)

[#15 posted by martha_macarthur , November 6, 2008 12:39 PM]

wow, beck used to make really cool music.

[#16 posted by Anonymous , November 6, 2008 12:45 PM]

As someone who has done plenty of psychedelics, I WOULD recommend it for the people on acid. But really, if your on acid and reading boing boing, and not outside enjoying the world, you got bigger problems.

[#17 posted by jenjen , November 6, 2008 12:58 PM]

More like ESPECIALLY recommended if you are on acid.

[#18 posted by sixister , November 6, 2008 1:30 PM]

#8

Scientology might not abduct people from their warm cozy futons and program them to believe in the galactic evil Xenu, but once you're in, you're in.

They hijack your life and trick you into divulging all of your terrible secrets (for instance, I like to wear women's underwear to board meetings), now they have ammunition against you. If you try to leave they casually mention how terrible it would be if your family and colleagues were to find out about your nasty hobby.

Wikipedia is a good starting point to read more about their dastardly deeds, and xenu.net has pages and pages of information on how terrible they really are.

Please take a look and reconsider. Aside from scientology I completely agree with your comment.

[#19 posted by Pete , November 6, 2008 1:31 PM]

After "Sea Change", which was about his breakup from a long-term relationship (and totally, totally depressing) he started to remake Odelay again and again. This coincides with him going back into the cult of LRon.

[#20 posted by Nesbitt , November 6, 2008 1:32 PM]

As a former Beck fan I think it *is* possible to listen to the man's music, but I can't ignore his religious beliefs. I think that when you like a musician or artist or writer's work, you're actually buying into something more than what they make - they're promoting an entire world view, an attitude and idea about what it means to make art, and to be an artist. If you liked an artist who seemed to have a hip, liberal view of the world - and it then turned out they had fascist beliefs, it doesn't matter how rockin' their music is, they'd still be a fascist.

[#21 posted by Takuan , November 6, 2008 1:42 PM]

we need a $cientology sting operation. Someone to penetrate and keep a diary of their whole criminal process. Would have to be someone high profile enough to "progress" through their layers of bullshit quickly.

[#22 posted by Antinous , November 6, 2008 1:42 PM]

when you like a musician or artist or writer's work, you're actually buying into something

So I'm buying into racism, sexism, homophobia and religious fanaticism when I read or listen to anything created before 1950? No.

[#23 posted by GauchoAmigo , November 6, 2008 2:06 PM]

"Not recommended for those of you who are on acid."

Why the hell not???

[#24 posted by SimeonW , November 6, 2008 2:08 PM]

I have to agree with #13. This is not a very engaging song, and the video doesn't do much either. And the fact that Chloe Sevigny has gotten better looking with age, and looks amazing here, is not enough to make the song or the video good.

[#25 posted by StridentLobster , November 6, 2008 2:15 PM]

#8 CLIF:

Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair colour.

[#26 posted by zuzu , November 6, 2008 2:34 PM]

@25 StridentLobster

Science damn you! ;)

[#27 posted by the_boy , November 6, 2008 2:57 PM]

Weimar Berlin + Vaudeville + Terry Gilliam.

That's an excellent set of stylings.

[#28 posted by Anonymous , November 6, 2008 3:22 PM]

It's kind of a shame to hold his beliefs against your appreciation of Beck's music, especially considering how it's not his fault, if it's a fault at all.

Though I transitioned to reality in public high school, I personally was brought up as a "second generation" Scientologist, and even spent six month stints in the Cadet Org whenever my Sea Org member mom had custody of my sister and I. Else I was in Scientology private school. The fact that I'm not in the SO or on staff elsewhere, or even a Scientologist now makes me a black sheep among black sheep of Scientology kids.

Though I of course can't tell you what goes on in Beck's head, let me tell you this: it is fucking hard to disown Scientology when you've been raised to believe, in a sheltered society, that it's the answer to the world's problems. If you're cloistered from the real world, which children of Scientologists are, you have no reason to doubt it.

Bear with me, but imagine a son of two snake-handling pentecostals, raised in a subculture of pentecostals, and although aware of mainstream American culture, can't see it but through tinted Christian glasses. Something unusual has to happen before you can even consider non-existence of god, and/or that your mom, your dad, your siblings, and everybody you know are actually hopeless brainwashed drones, and have been since before you were born. It's a tough pill that most "second generation" Scientologists haven't swallowed, or haven't psychologically had the opportunity to swallow and likely never will.

I'm not asking you to like Beck, of which I myself am a mild fan, but I'm asking you to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's not like he's singing about scientology, and believe me, scientology-themed music is terrible (google "we stand tall" for example). Most of it was written by LRH himself. Maybe I'm unique, but it's still possible for me to like renaissance christian art, or hindu sculpture without being either. Just half-ignore the religious component and appreciate it on artistic grounds.

[#29 posted by Nesbitt , November 6, 2008 4:09 PM]

#22 So I'm buying into racism, sexism, homophobia and religious fanaticism when I read or listen to anything created before 1950? No.

Depends on who you're reading and listening to...

[#30 posted by Takuan , November 6, 2008 4:18 PM]

@28
congratulations on your escape.

[#31 posted by zuzu , November 6, 2008 4:30 PM]

Bear with me, but imagine a son of two snake-handling pentecostals, raised in a subculture of pentecostals, and although aware of mainstream American culture, can't see it but through tinted Christian glasses. Something unusual has to happen before you can even consider non-existence of god, and/or that your mom, your dad, your siblings, and everybody you know are actually hopeless brainwashed drones, and have been since before you were born. It's a tough pill that most "second generation" Scientologists haven't swallowed, or haven't psychologically had the opportunity to swallow and likely never will.

i.e. Plato's allegory of the cave

There was also that movie, The Matrix, and to a lesser extent, Fight Club.

[#32 posted by rAMPANTiDIOCY , November 6, 2008 5:00 PM]

@8: despite the other parts of your post i want to rip on, i will keep it on one simple point. atheism is not a religion. nor is it weird. it's simply any set of beliefs that rejects the existence of a god. keep your generalizations to yourself, thanks!

[#33 posted by Pope Ratzo , November 6, 2008 5:12 PM]

I like Beck's music, but this is not a very good video.

However, I'm uncomfortable with his Scientology, too.

It's like finding out that someone you like is prejudiced, or believes in astrology or is an evangelical christian.

You still like them, but now you start to see their opinions (or their art) in a slightly different light.

Like when I found out Orson Scott Card was a vocal right-wing nut. When I read his work now, I realize almost all of it, even Ender's Game Trilogy, is deeply flawed just like his political beliefs. Before, if it was a tossup, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Now I question everything he's ever written and see it through the lens of his being a believing Mormon and an extremist neoconservative. Plus, I absolutely don't want to put a single penny in his pocket.

[#34 posted by Superfluous Moniker , November 6, 2008 5:39 PM]

Meh.

[#35 posted by Secret_Life_of_Plants , November 6, 2008 7:58 PM]

It's kind of like how Bear Grylls would be my Dream Man if he wasn't Married and Special Forces Military and an Evangelical Born-Again Christian...

[#36 posted by Justin France , November 6, 2008 8:11 PM]

I've had this track in my head on and off for about three months.. and now for another day or two, at least. This album has been one of the more enjoyable Beck releases since Mutations (in my opinion).

And Chloe is pure sauce.

[#37 posted by crispernaki , November 6, 2008 8:48 PM]

@25 StridentLobster

My favorite quote from a Harper's article I'm going to have to dig up now...

"Even no religion is too much religion."

So, if you say you are cool you aren't. If you say you don't have religion... uh, you do. Dig my logic.

Another quote...

"There's nothing an agnostic can't do if he doesn't know whether he believes in anything or not"

[#38 posted by Dungeonbrownies , November 6, 2008 10:02 PM]

I know the gal who won this contest. UCI represent!

[#39 posted by Jaan , November 6, 2008 10:03 PM]

"Not recommended for those of you who are on acid."

I would recommend it.

[#40 posted by macrumpton , November 7, 2008 5:16 AM]

'95?
Maybe I am dating myself, but that looks (and even sounds somewhat) much closer to '65 or maybe '69 than anything I saw in'95. Look at Monty Python and Yellow Submarine and tell me I am crazy.

[#41 posted by Bill Albertson , November 7, 2008 10:45 AM]

Wow, that tasted kinda gritty, but it was good.

[#42 posted by burningfencepost , November 11, 2008 9:01 AM]

I listen to and love all sorts of music made by people who have done and believe in things that I personally find highly upsetting or just questionable.

Not sure what that makes me. But generally speaking I'm up for tolerance, communication and understanding.

His beliefs have made me question my love of his output though, sadly. Mainly down to the whole pain relief issue, surely that's just evil, innit?

Hmmm.

Top video though. Loving that one greatly.