One Foot in the Grave (album)

One Foot in the Grave
Studio album by Beck
Released	June 27, 1994 April 14, 2009 (re-issue)
Recorded	October 1993 and January 1994 at Dub Narcotic Studio, Olympia, Washington
Genre	Anti-folk, lo-fi, alternative rock, alternative country
Length	37:11
Label	K Iliad (re-issue) Geffen (re-issue)
Producer	Calvin Johnson
Beck chronology
Mellow Gold (1994) One Foot in the Grave (1994) Odelay (1996)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Clash	Deluxe edition[2]
Pitchfork Media	(7.8/10) Deluxe edition[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]

One Foot in the Grave is the fourth studio album by Beck, released in June 1994 on K Records, an independent label. Like predecessor Stereopathetic Soulmanure, the album never charted, however One Foot in the Grave strengthened Beck's critical reputation, arguably allowing him to break into the mainstream with Odelay in 1996. His third official album, One Foot in the Grave shows a strong folk influence that is more pronounced than on his more eclectic-style albums of the time, Mellow Gold and Odelay. One Foot in the Grave was recorded prior to the release of his debut album Mellow Gold, but was not released until after that album met with critical and commercial success.

The album features the production talents, songwriting talents, and occasional backing vocals of Calvin Johnson, founder of K Records. It was recorded at Dub Narcotic Studio, which was then housed in Calvin's basement.

As of July 2008, One Foot in the Grave had sold 168,000 copies in the United States.^[5]

On April 14, 2009, the album was reissued with 13 unreleased tracks by Beck's own Iliad label.^[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Beck, except where noted.

1. "He's a Mighty Good Leader" (traditional) – 2:41
2. "Sleeping Bag" – 2:15
3. "I Get Lonesome" – 2:50
4. "Burnt Orange Peel" – 1:39
5. "Cyanide Breath Mint" – 1:37
6. "See Water" – 2:22
7. "Ziplock Bag" – 1:44
8. "Hollow Log" – 1:53
9. "Forcefield" (Beck/Samual Montgomery Jayne) – 3:31
10. "Fourteen Rivers Fourteen Floods" – 2:54
11. "Asshole" – 2:32
12. "I've Seen the Land Beyond" – 1:40
13. "Outcome" – 2:10
14. "Girl Dreams" – 2:02
15. "Painted Eyelids" – 3:06
16. "Atmospheric Conditions" (Beck/Calvin Johnson) – 2:09

Under a recently issued court order, K Records is no longer allowed to sell this original version.^{[citation needed]}

Japanese bonus tracks

17. "It's All in Your Mind" – 2:56
18. "Feather in Your Cap" – 1:12
19. "Whiskey Can Can" – 2:15

These three bonus tracks are outtakes from the One Foot in the Grave sessions and were issued on a 7" single in 1995. Both "Feather in Your Cap" and "It's All in Your Mind" were later re-recorded as full studio productions with a full band. The former was recorded in 1994 and issued as a B-side of the "Sissyneck" and "Jack-Ass" singles in 1997 while the latter appeared on the 2002 album Sea Change.

Deluxe edition

A deluxe edition was released on April 14, 2009, featuring 16 additional tracks, with 12 previously unreleased. All songs written by Beck, except where noted.

17. "It's All in Your Mind"* – 2:54
18. "Whiskey Can Can"* (Beck/Calvin Johnson) – 2:12
19. "Mattress" – 2:31
20. "Woe on Me" – 3:10
21. "Teenage Wastebasket" (electric & band) – 2:28
22. "Your Love Is Weird" – 2:27
23. "Favorite Nerve" – 2:05
24. "Piss on the Door" – 2:05
25. "Close to God"† (Beck/Calvin Johnson) – 2:28
26. "Sweet Satan" – 1:45
27. "Burning Boyfriend" – 1:12
28. "Black Lake Morning" (Beck/Samual Montgomery Jayne) – 2:25
29. "Feather in Your Cap"* – 1:13
30. "One Foot in the Grave" – 3:18
31. "Teenage Wastebasket" (acoustic) – 1:27
32. "I Get Lonesome" (alternate version) – 1:56

*Previously released on the 1995 7" K Records single "It's All in Your Mind".

†Previously released on the 1998 K Records compilation Selector Dub Narcotic (in a slightly different mix)

Personnel

• Beck – bass, guitar, drums, vocals
• Calvin Johnson – vocals
• Chris Ballew – bass, guitar
• James Bertram – bass
• Sam Jayne – vocals
• Scott Plouf – drums
• Mario Prietto – bongos

References

1. ^ "One Foot in the Grave - Beck". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r204029/review. 
2. ^ http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/beck-one-foot-in-the-grave-deluxe-reissue%7Ctitle=Beck - One Foot In The Grave (Deluxe Reissue)|publisher=Clash}}
3. ^ "Beck: One Foot in the Grave". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12936-one-foot-in-the-grave/. 
4. ^ "CG: Artist 113". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=113. 
5. ^ "Ask Billboard". Billboard. 2008-07-18. Archived from the original on 2008-08-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20080801184958/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003829442. Retrieved 2008-07-18. 
6. ^ http://stereogum.com/archives/beck-reissues-one-foot-in-the-grave-with-a-ton-of_063472.html