I was thoroughly pleased with Beck's newest album "Guero," which was released in March. I thought it echoed several elements of nearly all of his previous releases, but was still a great collection of songs nonetheless (easily the best of 2005, and, yes, I'm biased.)

If you find yourelf hankering for more of Mr. Hansen's work this holiday season, you really can't go wrong with his new remix album "Guerolito," hardcore Beck fan or not. If you're a Beck completist (which I am), you'll discover after your first listen that only nine of the album's 14 tracks are new -- a few were snagged from the deluxe version of "Guero," a few more from the vinyl- and online-only "Ghettochip Malfunction" EP, and a few from the "Girl" and "E-Pro" singles.

For the most part, the remixers at the helm of these tracks do good work with the source material. None of the remixes quite surpass the original songs, but they are all as good or almost as good, to a point.

As long as Beck is still making music, I'll still listen to it. Now, the two things on my list for next Christmas are a live album and a B-Side/unreleased/scrapped/alternate take box set from Mr. Two Turntables and a Microphone.

I bought Guerolito after hearing "Heaven Hammer," the remixed version of Guero's "Missing." That remix, by Air, is the sort of product that makes remixes valid - it takes the passion and yearning lost in the original production of "Missing" and makes it feel at home in a louder, more tempting sonic landscape. That song became astonishing where the Guero song was simply alright, and the new song, "Clap Hands," is at least a good time. However, it's hard to swallow the cobbled remixes on the rest of Guerolito - the beat and the original of, say, "Earthquake Weather," (here as "Terromoto Tempo") are both individually appealing enough, but together sound dismayingly like they're from different planets and belong nowhere near each other. "E-Pro" becomes a groaning mess, the lovely "Farewell Ride" an electronic nightmare, and both those descrptions would be apt to describe the record as a whole.

I'm a big fan of Beck. And was very excited about picking this album up. However, every time I've listened to it, I've found myself taking it out after 5 or 6 songs and putting Guero on. I don't know, the production and re-mixing work is pretty good. But every song just left me wanting to hear the original.

Now that Amazon is sold out, and you have to get it from 3rd party vendors, it's just not worth it.

The thing you have to be prepared for- which I wasn't- before buying this is: (if you know Guero inside and out) most of these songs will sound a bit off. The vocals I've become accustomed to hearing over Beck's strange fusion mix on the original album sound alien to hear over the soundscapes created by the remix artists here. There is only one track I could say is better than the original, and thats E-Pro, Girl is as good as the original, but the rest are inferior. Don't get me wrong, its still a fun listen, but like I said, something is off with most of the tracks. I prefer the original wholeheartedly.

"Guerolito" consists of remixes of Beck's "Guero" album from a diverse assortment of artists, which is, in some ways, more interesting than it's source material. While I must admit to being a big fan of a number of the remixers and certainly the remixee, this CD is well worth the $12 and is ultimately more engaging and more fun than any remix project I've ever heard.

Air and Boards of Canada have always appealed to my notions of what electronica should be (simultaneously mellow and engaging) and their respective versions of "Missing" and "Broken Drum" are both compelling and appropriate. Also, I have always been a fan of the Beastie Boys, and in the last few years have come to admire the sonically brutal loops of producer/rapper El-P. El-P and B-Boy Adrock deliver as expected; but one of my favorite moments of "Guerolito" is frequent Beastie-collaborator Mario C's version of "Earthquake Weather" which re-imagines the folky original as an ominous and spooky tribal drone. For me though, "Guerolito's" standout is Diplo's "Wish Coin" which utterly transforms the slow-burn funk of "Go It Alone" into a soulful ska jam that will have you reaching for your old English Beat LP's.

"Guerolito" stands as a fascinating and quirky reminder that we can all hear the same song in a different way.