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by Stephanie Benson

Perhaps the finest and weirdest sonic collage of the '90s, Beck's Odelay pierced its way into the hearts of alternative, hip-hop and pop kids alike when it came out in 1996. By then, he'd convinced the world he was a loveable "Loser" -- which also meant many had him pegged as an inevitable one-hit wonder. But with what was actually his fifth album, he proved himself a master of smart, genre-smashing songwriting, thanks in part to The Dust Brothers, the production team behind The Beastie Boys' iconic Paul's Boutique.

How to explain this album? It ain't easy. It's got funk, punk, folk, jazz, country, bossa nova, hip-hop, pop and rock; it's got a mix of Beck's irony-tinged monotone and all-out guttural yells, plus his metaphorical musings, witty commentary and occasional nonsense talk -- and we're just talking about the first few songs here. But most noteworthy is the sampling: Beck and The Dust Brothers did some serious crate digging, excavating beats from Pretty Purdie; riffs from Them; funk grooves from Sly & the Family Stone, Mandrill, Rare Earth and Freedom; sound clips from Mantronix ("I got two turntables and a microphone") and The Frogs ("That was a good drum break"); even a symphonic snippet from Franz Schubert in "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)." Beck also nods to experimental troubadour Gary Wilson ("Let the man Gary Wilson rock the most") and Musical Youth's "Pass the Dutchie," for starters, in "Where It's At," whose video included a quick shot of him impersonating Captain Beefheart.

These, of course, are just a few of the influences behind the weird, wild and wonderful Odelay. Below, dig into the artists and albums Beck sampled, referenced or likely just adored during the making of this classic.

You Think You Really Know Me

Gary Wilson

Gary Wilson is a strange one, but like everyone he's just searching for love. He's fond of the word "groovy" and, apparently, making out ("your love goes on like a make-out party"); his guitar riffs trade off between crunchy psychedelia and smooth lite-rock; he sometimes inflects with Lou Reed flippancy, but at other times sounds like he's being swallowed by Satan ("Loneliness") or at least strapped in a straitjacket ("6.4 = Make Out"). Most of the grooves are lit in lava-lamp luridness, thanks mostly to the synthesizers. Perfect for Love Boat lounging, or maybe a '70s soft-core flick.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

Inspired by the sample collages of Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys and The Dust Brothers made an exhilarating hour of crazy sounds, B-boy raps and bizarre stories like "Egg Man." The Beasties still have a bit of frat-boy thug left over from 1986's Licensed to Ill -- check "3 Minute Rule" and its boasts of taking ecstasy and smoking dust. But they've mostly outgrown that for an expansive vision of hip-hop psychedelia. Highlights include "Shadrach" and Ad-Rock's galvanizing "A Year and a Day," wherein he rhymes about "turning my dreams into reality" over The Isley Brothers' "That Lady."

The Album

Mantronix

Originally released in 1985, Mantronix's first album bridged the gap between hip-hop and electro, with super-futuristic beats akin to Bambaataa's and Arthur Baker's supporting straightforward Run-DMC-esque rhymes from MC Tee. Though only seven tracks deep, The Album spawned three hit singles: "Bassline," "Needle to the Groove" and "Fresh Is the Word."

Life

Sly & the Family Stone

Following the breakout hit of "Dance to the Music" in 1968, the Bay Area-based funk group was seemingly on top of the world. This, their third album, tries to replicate the freewheeling funk of "Dance" with considerably less success. "Dynamite" actually quotes their hit in the song's coda, while the acid-warped "Plastic People" quotes the Beatle's "Eleanor Rigby." "Chicken" well, quotes a chicken while taunting an unsure tripper. Yep, it's that kind of party.

Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

Captain Beefheart

King of all genius weirdos Don Van Vliet and his Magic Band first released this album in 1978. At the time it was considered a critical return to form, following a four-year hiatus and a pair of records that had been poorly received. For fans of the Magic Band's pre-post-punk angularity and shambling defilement of jazz, Shiny Beast blows the mind as effectively as the "rock" songs off of Trout Mask Replica, with a streamlined quality that can only come with maturity. They even go Jimmy Buffett -- and it works! -- on "Tropical Hot Dog."

Best Of Mandrill

Mandrill

Top-flight, extraordinary funk throwdowns from this ahead-of-their-time Brooklyn outfit. Best of Mandrill draws from their first five albums, and includes well-known singles such as "Fencewalk" and "Hang Loose." Mandrill have influenced multiple generations of artists, from P-Funk to Ice Cube and beyond.

Demolished Thoughts

Thurston Moore

Demolished Thoughts may just be Thurston Moore's Sea Change -- an apt comparison, since Beck himself sat as producer. Moore's noisier ambitions are mostly left in the dust as he strums an acoustic and paints some of his most personal vignettes to date. The album's best supporting characters are Mary Lattimore's harp and Samara Lubelski's violin, soothing and assuring Moore through sleepy hymns ("Benediction," "Illuminine"), giving urgency to his darkest moments ("Circulation," "Mina Loy"), and adding instant drama to his cinematic twists and turns ("Blood Never Lies," "Orchard Street").

Os Mutantes

These acid-damaged high society youngsters took Sgt. Pepper as their bible and Brazilian popular music as their hymnbook and released what still ranks as one of the freakiest, most experimentally joyful debuts ever. Government censors didn't know what to make of them but tropicalia leading lights Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil adopted them, feeding them songs ("Panis Et Circenses," "A Minha Menina") and championing their utter insanity for what became, briefly, not just a way of recording but a way of life.

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Source Material: Beck, Odelay