'Hell No' to Beck remixed

Maybe it is just my music ADD, but with Beck's Guero CD from last year I would usually stop listening or tune out by the sixth or seventh song ("Earthquake Weather" or "Hell Yes," depending on my mood). If approached randomly and asked if I listened to Beck, I'd answer with a resounding yes. I even listed him under music I like in my Facebook profile. So when the opportunity was offered to review Beck's new CD Guerolito, a remix of Guero, I volunteered immediately. \nIt was while listening to Guerolito I realized I was somewhat of a fraud of a Beck fan. I'd never really listened to any of his CD's all the way through until Guero, which, as stated before, was an effort that usually faded by the middle of the CD. As a result, if someone picked out a song from the second half of Guero or Guerolito, I probably wouldn't be able to tell which CD it was from. With the exception of the first six songs (which I felt were by far the best of the original CD), the most noticeable difference between the two CDs is that iTunes classifies Guero as "alternative and punk," and Guerolito as "pop."\nGuerolito begins with a remix of the most popular song from Guero, "E-Pro," under the new title of "Ghost Range" (changed song titles conveniently have the originals listed in parentheses). The remix eliminates the heavy distorted guitar and beat of "E-Pro" and replaces it with a country-western type feel. If I wasn't so familiar with the original I may like the song more, but I don't think the remix fits as well. \nThe other popular single from Guero, "Girl," is another redux where I heavily favor the original. Whereas the original is upbeat and always gives me a good feeling, somehow the remix manages to make the song slightly depressing. The guitar riff is gone and the song takes on more of a techno vibe, dominated by drums and pseudo-classical background sounds, with the last minute of the song turning into a complete wash as the song is mixed like a DJ might do in a club.\nHighlights of Guerolito are "Qué Onda Guero," "Shake Shake Tambourine" (formerly "Black Tambourine") and "Ghettochip Malfunction" ("Hell Yes"); mainly because these are the only upbeat and/or original sounding songs on the CD. I'm not sure how familiar people are with remix artists, but they include Adrock of the Beastie Boys, Air, 8Bit, El-P, and others.\nWith the exception of the songs listed, most of Guerolito is a slowed down, dreary version of perfectly fine Beck originals. Maybe I like Beck more than I thought.