Written by: Beck Hansen, Chris Ballew, Thurston Moore
Versions:
- Super Christ (2:57)
Available on KXLU Live.
CreditsRecorded at: KXLU
Thurston Moore: Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Beck Hansen: Keyboard / Synthesizer (Moog), Vocals (Background)
Chris Ballew: Noise
Lyrics:
Super Christ [Version (a)]:
Turn turn turn turn turn out a burn
A burn for you is yellow rice
What kind of jerk is that that becomes a super christ
Rip it into shapes and flick it to the babes, a sacrifice
Work it like a dog 'cause Snoopy is a dog from paradise
Bring out the world of color twirling color wheel
Freak out the 'fraidy cats like a burning man of steel
Rip up the shape and the junction is raped, it's civilized
Whippin' in the wind is Superman's friends' cactus eyes
Take off your top and drop a chunk of honky tonk
Run out the door and score a hunk of honky junk
Kick out the jacks, I'll buy snacks and get a life
Take off your brain, sell out your fame, super christ
Turn turn turn turn turn out a burn
A burn for you is yellow rice
What kind of jerk is that that becomes a super christ
Rip it into shapes and flick it to the babes, a sacrifice
Work it like a dog 'cause Snoopy is a dog from paradise
Bring out the world of color twirling color wheel
Freak out the 'fraidy cats like a burning man of steel
Rip up the shape and the junction is raped, it's civilized
Whippin' in the wind is Superman's friends' cactus eyes
Take off your top and drop a chunk of honky tonk
Run out the door and score a hunk of honky junk
Kick out the jacks, I'll buy snacks and get a life
Take off your brain, sell out your fame, super christ
The Song:
On March 8 1994, Beck, Thurston Moore, and Chris Ballew appeared on KXLU and improvised some "sporadic noise jams" (as Beck.com calls them). KXLU is a college radio station in Los Angeles. The three "songs" they did together were semi-released as a promo tape to give to journalists and industry people and the like. It's pretty rare.
The show was written about in an article about Beck in Spin magazine (July, 1994). It mentions one afternoon when Beck and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth were performing an improvised jam at the station. Thurston was on guitar, Chris Ballew scraped the metal bar of the mike stand, and Beck played Moog and improvised vocals (or "gurgling into the mike," as the writer put it). "What's this next song called?" Beck wondered, and Thurston replied to Beck and the audience listening on the radio, "This next one is called 'Super Christ'."
Apparently, midway through the song, in fine avant-garde radio fashion, Beck ran out of the studio and disappeared for three minutes. Three minutes later, he re-appeared, running up from the opposite direction. He does the same thing on a later song. He explained afterwards that he had set his Moog to play one sustaining note while he ran around the station office, rode down the elevator and then came back. [I don't know if that's an entirely true story, as "Super Christ" is a pretty short track.]
Thurston Moore would record this song properly for his album, Psychic Hearts. (Without Beck or Ballew.) It ended up as an outtake/b-side from the album, however.
The other two songs from the set are "Bedroom Light" and "Super Funky."
On March 8 1994, Beck, Thurston Moore, and Chris Ballew appeared on KXLU and improvised some "sporadic noise jams" (as Beck.com calls them). KXLU is a college radio station in Los Angeles. The three "songs" they did together were semi-released as a promo tape to give to journalists and industry people and the like. It's pretty rare.
The show was written about in an article about Beck in Spin magazine (July, 1994). It mentions one afternoon when Beck and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth were performing an improvised jam at the station. Thurston was on guitar, Chris Ballew scraped the metal bar of the mike stand, and Beck played Moog and improvised vocals (or "gurgling into the mike," as the writer put it). "What's this next song called?" Beck wondered, and Thurston replied to Beck and the audience listening on the radio, "This next one is called 'Super Christ'."
Apparently, midway through the song, in fine avant-garde radio fashion, Beck ran out of the studio and disappeared for three minutes. Three minutes later, he re-appeared, running up from the opposite direction. He does the same thing on a later song. He explained afterwards that he had set his Moog to play one sustaining note while he ran around the station office, rode down the elevator and then came back. [I don't know if that's an entirely true story, as "Super Christ" is a pretty short track.]
Thurston Moore would record this song properly for his album, Psychic Hearts. (Without Beck or Ballew.) It ended up as an outtake/b-side from the album, however.
The other two songs from the set are "Bedroom Light" and "Super Funky."
Notes:
- Over the years, Beck has been pretty close with Sonic Youth. They are on the same record label. In the early days, Thurston Moore was a big supporter and they appeared on MTV together (search for it on YouTube). In 1996, Beck opened for Sonic Youth on their tour of Europe. Thurston Moore wore an "I'm Not Beck" t-shirt in one of SY's videos. Thurston wrote a piece about Odelay for the liner notes of the deluxe version. SY released a best-of CD with songs chosen by various famous people, and Beck chose "Sugar Kane" for it.
Musically, Thurston and Beck have collaborated a couple of times: once on this track/tape and another time on a radio show doing "Super Christ," "Bedroom Light," and "Super Funky." Over the years, Beck has covered Sonic Youth's "Silver Rocket" and "The Diamond Sea" on stage. In 2009, Beck reportedly covered all of Sonic Youth's album EVOL for a Sonic Youth boxset. In return, Sonic Youth covered "Pay No Mind."