This one has an interesting backstory. Beck negotiated a $100,000 advance from Verve Forecast, but squandered it all on partying during the month that the album was supposed to have been completed. Necessity being the mother of invention, he forged ahead almost single-handedly, recording nearly all the of vocal, guitar, bass, and piano parts on his own. Drummer Donald McDonald, who also played with Tim Hardin, was the only other full-time musician on the album, although trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Don Payne, and guitarist Danny Whitten from Crazy Horse make appearances as well. "Nature Boy" mixes a number of disparate ingredients, but does an excellent job of blending them all together. Overall, the sound of this album can best be described as psychedelic rock played with a jazz sensibility.
DIG IT