t means that his music is based on a collaboration of the sounds of the world, and this makes his music very diversified. Beck is one of the most original musicians of all time, and to classify him as anything but a genius would be even more absurd than Beck himself. He is always "courting cultural disaster, and part of his genius is that he's always on the verge of making a complete ass of himself"(Rotundi).Beck Hansen was born in 1970 in Los Angeles . Twenty-nine years later he has become one of the most revered musicians of the '90s. The harsh street life of Los Angeles made Beck realize the importance of what most people take for granted, such as the voluptuous emotions we feel regardless of our social status. In the song, "Lord only knows," from the album, O'Delay, Beck expresses his view of how life should be lived, appreciatively. The beginning of the song reads:You only got one finger left And it's pointing at the doorAnd you're taking for grantedWhat the Lords laid on the floorBeck's family was very supportive of him while he explored his musical talent during his teen years. They provided him with a free spirited, "semi-bohemian environment" that promoted an artistic and creative lifestyle (Hindin). His mother, Bibbie Hansen, was in one of Andy Warhol's clique of "Superstars" when she was only 13, and spent her life as a musician and actress. Beck's father, David Campell, taught Beck a great deal about music. David Campell was a well-known street musician who wrote string arrangements for esteemed bands, including Aerosmith. Perhaps the most highly influential member of his family, however, was Al Hansen, Beck's grandfather. He was a postmodern artist who took part in the founding the FluXus movement, the most radical art movement of the 1960s (Hindin). In 1998, Beck and his grandfather worked together to create a visual art exhibit called "Playing with Matches." This exhibit focused on artwork created from garbage, such as ci...
