Mutations is kind of like Binaural and Riot Act for Pearl Jam.

There is a huge amount of love for the albums but the artists seem to think they are universally hated.

If you ever read an interview with Beck about Mutations he sounds ashamed he released it. can't wrap my head around that.

The story goes that Beck had received permission from his major label, Geffen, to release the album on the independent Bong Load Custom Records purely as an exercise in songwriting for Beck -- who, let's face it, had been breakdancing onstage since 1994. But once Geffen heard ‘Mutations,’ the suits reportedly swooped in and decided to release it after all. All the hubbub -- along with the sharp musical left turn the album took -- led to questions of whether or not it would qualify as an “official” follow-up to ‘Odelay.’ But from the way Beck spoke about it, there was never anything “unofficial” about ‘Mutations.’
“I think I had a sense I didn’t wanna just be in one bag, you know? One sound. One kind of music,” he said in an interview. “I was going through a sort of acoustic time. I was living without electricity for about 15 weeks. I wanted to do something really just straight, you know? These are the songs. It’s very simple. They’re not dressed up. It’s not really hiding behind anything.”
Recording with his touring band -- the first time he’d ever recorded with a band at all -- he churned out a dozen songs for the album in just two weeks. That would be an impressive enough feat all on its own, but also consider that each song is conceptually and sonically different from the next...

Living without electricity for 15 months?

I still have Colors in regular rotation.

I've still never even listened to it.

That’s a shame. I think it’s his best since Guero. It’s just fun. Great summer album.

I haven't heard "Colors" yet. Which album is it the most like?

I thought "The Information" was pretty much dog shit, but I liked "Morning Phase".

Midnight Vultures is infinity times better.