Beck announced today that he is releasing an official studio version of his 2012 sheet music collection Song Reader. As reported by Stereogum, the album will feature a different artist performing each of its 20 songs, with Beck performing just one himself. Contributors to Song Reader—which will be released on July 29th through Capitol Records—include Jack White, Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Fun., and Jack Black.
Beck said of the album, "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. 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.
Here's the tracklisting for Song Reader:
01. Moses Sumney - "Title of this Song"
02. Fun. - "Please Leave A Light On When You Go"
03. Tweedy - "The Wolf is on the Hill"
04. Norah Jones - "Just Noise"
05. Lord Huron - "Last Night You Were A Dream"
06. Bob Forrest - "Saint Dude"
07. Jack White - "I'm Down"
08. Beck - "Heaven's Ladder"
09. Juanes - "Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard"
10. Laura Marling - "Sorry"
11. Jarvis Cocker - "Eyes That Say 'I Love You'"
12. David Johansen - "Rough On Rats"
13. Jason Isbell - "Now That Your Dollar Bills Have Sprouted Wings"
14. The Last Polka - "Marc Ribot"
15. Eleanor Friedberger - "Old Shanghai"
16. Sparks - "Why Did You Make Me Care?"
17. Swamp Dogg - "America, Here's My Boy"
18. Jack Black - "We All Wear Cloaks"
19. Loudon Wainwright III - "Do We? We Do"
20. Gabriel Kahane with Ymusic - "Mutilation Rag"
