Beck’s ‘Song Reader’ released in album form with guests Jack White, Jarvis Cocker and more


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For a long time it existed only as sheet music. Then it was finally brought to life last year with a number of special guests at the London Barbican. Now, Beck‘s ‘Song Reader‘ will be released in album form later this month.

The album is out on July 28th and includes a contribution from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker – who was also present at the London show – on ‘Eyes That Say ‘I Love You‘, while the likes of Jack White, Norah Jones and Laura Marling have also offered some assistance.

“Like a kid getting a special package in the mail and opening it up with anticipation, these interpretations of songs from the Song Reader book have surpassed what I could have imagined when putting the book together,” Beck says.

“The book addressed the idea of a song in its most elemental form, letting others give it a voice. It amazes me to hear how these musicians have made the songs their own and in the process revealed that the interpretation is the living breathing soul of the piece. These interpretations have made the book something new – something better.”


‘Song Reader’ tracklist:

Moses Sumney – ‘Title of this Song’
Fun – ‘Please Leave a Light On When You Go’
Tweedy – ‘The Wolf is on the Hill’
Norah Jones – ‘Just Noise’
Lord Huron – ‘Last Night You Were A Dream’
Bob Forrest – ‘Saint Dude’
Jack White – ‘I’m Down’
Beck – ‘Heaven’s Ladder’
Juanes – ‘Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard’
Laura Marling – ‘Sorry’
Jarvis Cocker – ‘Eyes That Say ‘I Love You”
David Johansen – ‘Rough On Rats’
Jason Isbell – ‘Now That Your Dollar Bills Have Sprouted Wings’
The Last Polka – ‘Marc Ribot’
Eleanor Friedberger – ‘Old Shanghai’
Sparks – ‘Why Did You Make Me Care?’
Swamp Dogg – ‘America, Here’s My Boy’
Jack Black – ‘We All Wear Cloaks’
Loudon Wainwright III – ‘Do We? We Do’
Gabriel Kahane with Ymusic – ‘Mutilation Rag’


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