Beck, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ – Song Review

There is a pretty cool artistic endeavor going on in Washington, D.C. right now. Multimedia artist Doug Aitkens has surrounded the exterior of the Hirshhorn Museum in 360-degree video projection screens for a project called ‘Song 1.’ The classic jazz standard ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ is the centerpiece of ‘Song 1,’ and Aitkens has recruited the likes of Beck, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, No Age, Devendra Banhart, Lucky Dragons and more to create their own interpretations of the song.

Written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin in 1934, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ became a hit and covered by many artists, most notably the Flamingos in 1959. While the versions for ‘Song 1′ all vary, Beck’s take seems to be the most faithful. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to picture yourself inside a smokey jazz bar while this song is playing (or it feels like you’re hearing an episode from the cult TV show ‘Quantum Leap’).

Beck pays homage to the Flamingos with the same tinkling piano notes and the “she-bop’s” in the background. His vocals are so full of reserved emotion and soul that it would make Otis Redding proud. Beck makes it sound like HE originally wrote ‘I Only Have Eyes For You.’ The song itself sounds like it’s playing on a vintage record player.

‘Song 1′ will get even more dramatic on May 11, as some of the above artists will perform live and integrate with the visuals on the 11 HD projectors to create a truly unique experience. Wired will stream the event in real time.

Listen to ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ by Beck