The Beta Band - The Best of the Beta Band
The term 'genre-busting' is thrown around a lot and often without merit, but if there is one band that deserves this accolade, it is The Beta Band. One minute they're an electronica band; a funkier Depeche Mode. The next they're producing melancholy balladry to rival their 2001 touring partner Radiohead, or touching upon Beck-style folk. So, I guess one could call them...prog-folk-electro-funk? Who knows...
Difficult as it may be to classify Beta Band's music, it is very easy to classify the band itself. Fittingly, they slot into the 'B' category of big, long lasting bands; the kind of band who are renowned and influential to their musical peers but ignored by the public at large; the kind of band you hear on the radio and go "oh yeah, they sound cool", but then never buy one of their CD's; the kind of band who, in their own words, have experienced great 'critical acclaim' but 'little return in terms of commercial success'. Listening to the 'best of' compilation reinforces this point: you instantly recognise a bunch of songs that you've heard on the radio, but never really associated with The Beta Band. It was this frustration that caused the band to split in 2004 just after the release of 'Heroes to Zeroes' (which debuted at No. 18 in the UK album charts).
The album opens with the first song off the band's first ever EP, which is a nice touch but as a slow-moving, unmemorable number, is perhaps not the best way to grab the listener's attention. However, the quality quickly picks up with 'Inner Meet Me', that brilliantly blends the electronic with the acoustic. It is not until track four though, and the haunting classic 'Dr. Baker', that the album really starts to shine. The song kicks off with a sorrowful piano, seasoned with vocalist Steve Mason's mournful tones and intriguing lyrics. The following futuristic, techno breakdown is perfectly placed, climbing to a crashing crescendo before floating effortlessly into the off-kilter, oddly catchy, glockenspiel-powered chorus. 'To you alone' is almost perfect, every instrument and every section sculpting a prog-masterpiece. The quirky 'Smiling' and the funky 'Easy' are also enjoyable prospects.
The accompanying second CD, 'Live at the Shepherds Bush Empire', plays second fiddle to the first. Disappointingly, the track listing is almost identical, offering only two different tracks, and 'Dr. Baker' is hugely under-whelming live. As this was their last ever live performance it will make a nice collector's item for fans.
The Beta Band continually flirt with the concept of being brilliant, but never quite manage to get past the first date. Although there are a great number of stand-out, inventive songs on the record, sometimes you can't help but get an uncomfortable sense of deja-vu - "I think I've heard that acoustic guitar before..." All of this means, that whilst at their best they could take on the world, at their worst you start to see why the commercial success never came. Additionally, the Beta Band's often catchy, always depressing genre pick-and-mix is certainly not for everyone - if Radiohead makes you want to hang yourself and Kraftwerk just sounds like a malfunctioning computer to you, then this might be one to avoid.
However, if you have an open musical mind and a bit of patience then this CD is well worth a test-drive. As for those of you who have already fallen under their spell, this is an excellent career-spanning collection.