Wiki
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Release Date
1 March 1994
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Length
12 tracks
Mellow Gold is the third studio album by American alternative rock musician Beck, as well as his major label debut. Mellow Gold was released on March 1, 1994 (see 1994 in music) on the strength of the surprise hit "Loser" (U.S. #10). Informed by the irreverent Gen X slacker and punk-influenced anti-folk styles of his earlier independent work, critics noted its hybrid of styles and ironic, witty lyrics. The decidedly anti-commercial attitude of Mellow Gold unexpectedly became a commercial success, and the album went platinum. Because of the novelty style of "Loser," Beck was initially perceived by some as a flash in the pan, but the subsequent release of critically-acclaimed album Odelay has silenced these claims.
In an effort to get the album into stores such as Wal-Mart and Kmart, which do not stock albums with a "parental advisory sticker", a "clean" version of the album was released.
Mellow Gold reached #13 in the U.S., and #41 in the UK. As of July 2008, Mellow Gold has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States.
"The whole concept of Mellow Gold is that it's like a satanic K-Tel record that's been found in a trash dumpster. A few people have molested it and slept with it and half-swallowed it before spitting it out. Someone played poker with it, someone tried to smoke it. Then the record was taken to Morocco and covered with hummus and tabouli. Then it was flown back to a convention of water-skiers, who skied on it and played Frisbee with it. Then the record was put on the turntable, and the original K-Tel album had reached a whole new level. I was just taking that whole Freedom Rock feeling, you understand."
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