Beck’s ‘Song Reader’ Finally Getting Released in Album Form
Beck's 2012 release 'Song Reader,' a collection of sheet music, was an interesting concept, but it also left many fans wishing they could have heard the set's 20 songs as a proper Beck studio album.
Two years later, and just months after the release of the acclaimed 'Morning Phase,' Beck is finally giving those fans their wish -- sort of. 'Song Reader,' the album, will feature studio versions of Beck's sheet music, but mostly performed by the singer-songwriter's many famous friends, including Jeff Tweedy, Jarvis Cocker, Jack White and Norah Jones. Beck himself contributed only one track, 'Heaven's Ladder.'
There are also a handful of surprises on the album's guest list. Tenacious D funny man Jack Black tackles 'We All Wear Cloaks'; British avant-pop duo Sparks interpret 'Why Did You Make Me Care?'; and Colombian rocker Juanes might give 'Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard' a Latin twist.
'Song Reader' comes out on July 29. Here's the full tracklist:
1. Moses Sumney – 'Title of this Song'
2. Fun – 'Please Leave A Light On When You Go'
3. Tweedy – 'The Wolf is on the Hill'
4. Norah Jones – 'Just Noise'
5. Lord Huron – 'Last Night You Were A Dream'
6. Bob Forrest – 'Saint Dude'
7. Jack White – 'I’m Down'
8. Beck – 'Heaven’s Ladder'
9. Juanes – 'Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard'
10. Laura Marling – 'Sorry'
11. Jarvis Cocker – 'Eyes That Say “I Love You”'
12. David Johansen – 'Rough On Rats'
13. Jason Isbell – 'Now That Your Dollar Bills Have Sprouted Wings'
14. Marc Ribot - 'The Last Polka'
15. Eleanor Friedberger – 'Old Shanghai'
16. Sparks – 'Why Did You Make Me Care?'
17. Swamp Dogg – 'America, Here’s My Boy'
18. Jack Black – 'We All Wear Cloaks'
19. Loudon Wainwright III – 'Do We? We Do'
20. Gabriel Kahane with Ymusic – 'Mutilation Rag'
Beck himself did perform 'Song Reader' live in a series of three special concerts, including one at the Rialto Theatre in Santa Cruz, Calif., last year. Here's his live version of 'Sorry,' which British singer-songwriter Laura Marling will handle on the 'Song Reader' album.