Big Break

In 1989 Beck took a bus to New York City, where he caught the tail end of the ill-fated East Village antifolk scene. After running out of money, Beck moved back to L.A., where he started performing in arty Silverlake coffee shops along with other underground acts such as Ethyl Meatplow and That Dog. In 1991 he met then fledgling hip-hop producer Karl Stephenson. Together they began recording the material that would comprise Mellow Gold.

He was approached during this period by Bongload Records owner Tom Rothrock, whose casual recording sessions with Beck produced Loser. The single came out on Bongload and became so popular on L.A.’s alternative radio station KROQ that it led to a bidding war among the major labels. DGC signed Beck to an unusual deal whereby the songwriter could continue recording for tiny indie labels. Loser reached #10 and it's album, the critically acclaimed Mellow Gold (1994), sold 500,000 copies. A second single, Beercan, reached only #27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, and Beck seemed in danger of being lumped in with novelty acts.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide