Customer Reviews

Sea Change (Omr)

5 star:		(336)
4 star:		(80)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

I was having lunch in a vegetarian restaurant in Seattle when I heard this great song being played over the restaurants sound system. The singer sounded like he was accompanied by the philharmonic orchestra. I asked the waiter what was playing and he said; Beck's Sea Change. The song playing was Lonesome Tears, and I know that much because after finishing lunch I went right out and bought the CD. I am over fifty years old and mostly listen to folk music (hank dogs, hem, gillian welch, folkers like that)so buying a Beck CD was kind of out of my range. I have discovered that in the most unusual musical way that Sea Change is actually addicting. I would put a label on this CD: Warning, may be habit forming! I see that it has been referred to as a downer, a bummer, that Beck is in transition from some dark place. Do not let that steer you off course from Sea Change. The music just takes you along on this sea of sensation, and not once have I felt brought down by it. Infact it seems to put me at ease, as if I have surrendered my anxiety. I can listen to it on my way to work in the morning and last thing at night and its effect seems to have the same results, I want to play it all over again. Thank you for sharing your formidable talent,Beck. I expect your next CD to be something entirely different as that is your apparent musical nature.

You've got to wonder what Beck's ex-girlfriend is feeling right now. Imagine this, your boyfriend of nine years, whom you've recently broken up with, has just released an sad album on which *every* song is about his post-breakup depression. On top of that, the album received five-stars from Rolling Stone (only the second this year) and is considered by many to be an instant classic. The ex-boyfriend is Beck and his album is called Sea Change.

The music is deceptively simple and beautiful. The wackiness of Beck's previous efforts is gone and the blatant weirdness is replaced by an backward sincerity. Musically and lyrically, this album is very real. The music creates a soft bed upon which Beck's voice floats over, lands on, and sinks into. The vocal performance is in stark contrast to the "heartfelt" pop-vocal performances of today. Beck is whispering his sorrows in our collective ear, rather than screaming at us. It is a very bold and personal effort.

Sea Change, while not yet being called a concept album, seems to follow the appropriate rules for a concept album. The first song, "Golden Age" sets up the mood and the situation. "Put your hands on the wheel / Let the golden age begin / Let the window down / Feel the moonlight in your skin / Let the desert wind cool your aching head / Let the weight of the world drift away instead" Beck is welcoming us into his melancholy world, telling you to hold on, allow his sadness (moonlight) to touch you, and escape into his pain. Likewise, the song's instrumentation begins simply with an acoustic guitar and ends with a kind of electronic white noise.

The last song, "Side Of The Road", wraps up the journey by returning the listener to the road; the trip is over. The instrumentation is back to traditional acoustic instruments, no electronic blips and beeps. In the end, Beck tells us, "On a borrowed dime / In a different light / You might see what / The other side looks like / ...Let it pass / On the side of the road/ What a friend could tell me now" In essence, I think Beck is saying that now that you've seem my misery, know that it doesn't have to be your own experience -- in fact, you'd probably be better off letting it simply pass.

It's hard to choose a favorite song since they all kind of run into each other and maintain a consistent mood. Truth be told, every song is great, every song is beautiful. Each listen seems to bring more understanding and more insight into Beck's sadness. Immediate standouts include the opener, "The Golden Age", as well as "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Lost Cause", "Nothing I Haven't Seen", and "Sunday Sun".

It's a great album. There is emotion in every note, every word. Behind all the pain and sadness there is beauty and possibly even joy. It's easily the best album I've heard all year and ranks among my favorites of all time. It's part Harvest-era Neil Young, part Air, with a healthy dose of Nick Cave thrown in for good measure. But all those different components come together to create something unique, something truly honest. Sea Changes is a personal look into Beck's emotions and inner thoughts. It's something that shouldn't be missed.

We all know that breaking up is hard to do. Somewhere between listening to Bob Dylan's prolific Blood on the Tracks, Joy Division's beautiful "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and Jeff Buckley's heartbreaking "Last Goodbye", I think we get the point that breaking up is a real melancholic deal. So it's little surprise that Beck's new album, Sea Change, reportedly about the break up between him and his longtime girlfriend, is about as cheery as an empty house in the dead of winter. That's not to say that it's not a superb album; Sea Change is Beck's greatest album since his classic Odelay.
The album starts off with the forlorn lullaby "The Golden Age" in which he admits "These days\ I hardly get by\ I don't even try". Beck hasn't been this open since 1998's sarcastically damper Mutations, and the only song on that record to reach this kind of emotional grab was the solemn "Nobody's Fault but My Own". 96's Odelay and 99's Midnite Vultures were fantastic, but songs like "Milk and Honey", "The New Pollution" and "Hollywood Freaks" offered up little for emotional resonance. Sea Change offers up only emotion, and it's the grim type. "Paper Tiger" rides on a wavy bass line and has orchestras floating in and out of the background while Beck mumbles "There's no road back to you". The music gets a little more cheerful on "Lost Cause" but with its chanting chorus of "Baby, I'm a Lost Cause", it doesn't stray too far. But all the funky, happy rhythms that Beck has made in his career can outweigh the utter glacier chill of the heart wrenching "Lonesome Tears". Beck howls under a maze of orchestras at the chorus "How could this love/Ever changing/Never change the way I feel" in a voice that would make the reaper sob. The song is haunting and sits itself right next to your heart. The entire album hits a spot in the listener's gut where it won't come loose. In a world of mostly forgettable and redundant music, Sea Change is a gem, even if the edges cut.

If Beck had manic depression, and "Midnite Vultures" was his manic phase, then "Sea Change" is the hard-hitting, depressive comedown. I've been a huge Beck fan for years, and even I was surprised by this departure. "Sea Change" gives up his trademark abstract lyricism for words that are sadder and more sparse. Many of these songs, especially "Round the Bend", recall "Pink Moon"-era Nick Drake.

All sadness aside, Nigel Goodrich did an amazing production job on this album. Songs like "Already Dead" and "Side of the Road" are simple acoustic-guitar-driven affairs. At other times, with soaring string arrangements and cavernous vocal reverb, many of the songs have an epic quality ("Sunday Sun", "Lonesome Tears", etc).

This is, essentially, a Beck album without any moments of levity, which can make it quite a tough listen. But then again, if you've had a tough day, this might just be perfect for you. For first time purchasers of a Beck disc, start elsewhere. For Beck fans, however, this should be a welcome addition to the collection.

There is much to be said for growing up. An indie then mainstream media darling who writes pop culture junk has life changing experience = Beck's first real album.

Thanks Beck.

This is a record for those who know. For those who have experienced, and for those who have grown spiritually in life. The people who know the ones you love are more important than than money or the latest sale at the mall, or what's cool for the latest wine parties.

While there is a sad sheen to most of the music, the lyrics and instruments sound uplifting and alive. This is a record with spiritual renewel and road trips in the heart and mind.

Melancholy does not always equal sad. Sometimes it's forward thinking yet reflective. This is a great road trip CD, especially through the mountains of the west.

Beck wrote some quircky songs that have not aged well. This is not one of those records. Congratulations are in order.

We know the Beck of of Mellow Gold, Odelay and Midnite vultures. We know the weird beats and samples. Fun tunes like Loser, Devil's haircut, where it's at. There's also a more personal Beck

In 2002, Beck wasn't feeling happy.
He took the formula of Mutations, no beats, just instruments. This time around a much darker album, putting his feelings into the music. And it works, my god it works.
This becomes quite obvious when the first song "The golden age" starts. "guess Im doing fine", "Lonesome Tears", "Around the bend" all express Beck's feelings about losing the love of his life. The emotion is so real. The production is great, listen to it on your headphones and get sucked into it.
Just like "The Golden Age" says, if you need to think about life, get in your car at midnight, and play this album.

Sea Change, Beck's latest studio album is among the best albums of the year. I've drawn this conclusion after numerous listens. That's not to say that there haven't been some great albums to surface in 2002 (Liars, Interpol, Neko Case, 16 Horsepower, etc.), but I firmly believe this one sits near the top. It's not experimental or bizarre; it's just a straightforward recording - the way albums used to be. Over the last several years my musical tastes have become harder to pigeonhole because of the increasing number of artists who have created music that is basically "genre-defying." Beck could be considered one of those artists because he continuously has his hands in about twenty different types of music. That's how it should be. Music is a wonderful thing if done with compassion and integrity. Besides, why limit yourself to one style when you're an extremely talented musician like Beck Hansen?

Sea Change is a bit different from Beck's Midnite Vultures and Odelay sessions. It's not a party album, and you definitely won't be able to pick up girls in a "tricked-out Hyundai" with it. Sea Change, rather, begins with my vote for the #1 song of the year, "The Golden Age." Introspection in songwriting doesn't get much better than this. The gentle steel guitar and the echoing chorus have made me a Beck fan for life (not that I wasn't before). It's even made me go back and re-listen to some of his previous material with a new ear. "Paper Tiger" comes next with just an extremely subtle touch of funk. It's another one of the better songs on the album. It also happens to have some amazingly simple symphonic textures a la Scott Walker. I believe Beck said his dad helped him with that portion of the album. I could be wrong. Continuing with the "broken-heart" theme is "Guess I'm Doing Fine." It's at this point you have either been sucked in by Beck's sorrow, or you have been shoved out the back door with a consolation prize.

As the album goes on, songs like "End of the Day" and "It's all in Your Mind" begin to put the listener in a lull that's nearly impossible to get away from. To do so, you'd have to shut the album off and come back to it later. If I were to say the album had a flaw, I would say that it simply gets hard to keep your attention due to the over-melancholic atmosphere these songs contain.

Overall, the musicianship on this album is phenomenal. There will be plenty of people who will put this album down because it's very polished and not the least bit experimental. That's fine by me. Anyway, I'm tired of seeing all these "artists" with DAT recorders and chainsaws being hailed as the true pioneers of our time. Who says music has to be way out in left field to be good? Why not occasionally enjoy some of the more simple things in life? Finally, remember that all music has its place in the industry. While I don't agree with a lot of promotional fodder in the music industry, artists like Beck will continue to show us all that music will always come first. Sea Change represents that for me, and hopefully it will for you too. Go out and get a copy for yourself. You have four covers to choose from that have been done by the wonderful LA artist, Jeremy Blake.

Grab a pint of icecream and the biggest spoon in the drawer, or sulk in the corner hugging your favorite teddy bear. Um, better yet, just pop in 'Sea Change,' Beck's downbeat meditation on disappointment and loss. Beck returns to the introspective days of 'Mutations,' but this time, he's not simply pensive, this guy is downright despondent. However, he never sounds whiny, and one never gets the impression that he's simply feigning some pretentious and trendy concept. What gives this album it's focus, depth, and undeniable power is Beck's ability to convey a true and inexorable sense of sincerity and self-therapy. He allows consistency to build a strong case. For example, Beck never strays from the quiet simmer that opens on 'The Golden Age' and drifts on to more obviously dreary songs like 'Lonesome Tears,' 'Lost Cause,' and 'Already Dead.' Melancholy orchestral moments fade in and out. Hushed and reverent guitars, wurlitzer, percussion, and synth follow Beck along through his desolate journey. At times, his tone and manner recalls the curiously attractive, self imposed loathsomeness of E and his band, 'Eels.' Beck sounds as though he is consenting to a life overrun with misery. In a time when we're all a little world weary, this is some self-therapy we could all afford to get in on. Initially, a listener may find this new set depressing, but assuredly, Beck's confident and effusive lyrics coupled with his genuine and affecting grace, style, and audacity lend themselves well to one of this year's best new albums. How timely and appropriate for an extraordinarily talented artist such as Beck to offer us 'Sea Change,' a quiet stunner and a new American classic.

Sitting down to write this, It's hard for me to imagine that almost TEN years ago I was riding in the back of my friend's car (going home from Junior High for god's sake...) jamming out to 'Loser' and 'The Sign' by Ace of Base... A short time after I bought a copy of Mellow Gold, I stumbled on a copy of another Beck release. I thought it'd be another Mellow Gold-esque jam session, but it turned out to be just Beck, an acoustic guitar, and some friends from the Olympia, WA area. There were no psychadelic freak out sounds, no vocoders, nothing... Just the man doin his thing, and sounding sad, thoughtful and mellow. That album was "One Foot in the Grave", released on K Records in 1993.
I had the same reaction to "One Foot in the Grave" as may reviews I've read from fans and newcomers alike: "It doesn't sound like New Pollution... I Can't dig it....Too Depressing." And if that's what you're seeking, then you probably should skip this album. If your tastes are limited to what's popular, or what makes you shake your thing, this won't be for you. It wasn't for me at the time: I just filed "One Foot" in the rack, and never came across it again until a year or so later, when I had just finished listening to Mellow Gold all the way through, and I was deep in thought over "Blackhole", the last track on the disc. Then I gave "One Foot" a try. BOOM! It all fell into place.
There's a ballad on all of Beck's 'Mainstream' releases: 'Blackhole' and 'Steal my Body Home' off "Mellow Gold", 'Ramshackle' off Odelay, and even the song 'Beautiful Way' off "Midnite Vultures". And as others have pointed out, there's a funky album for every thoughtful one.
"Sea Change" may make you see the beauty in this amazing double-artist.
(BTW- Just a fun fact: Track 7 on the album 'It's All in Your Mind' Is actually 10 years old as well. It was released as a follow up 7" record to "One Foot in the Grave". It had that track, the song 'Feather in your Cap' (which was later re-done as well for the Suburbia soundtrack), and 'Whiskey Can-Can'. If you ever see it, pick it up to hear the original, stripped-down version of this great song)

Cracks me up when a reviewer says this:
"Play this at a hip, happening party, and one of 2 things will happen: people will leave, or someone will say 'what happened to the GOOD music?'".

Give me a break - what's wrong with different types of music for DIFFERENT situations. You're not going to put this on at a party so why even put that absurdity in a review. Fact is, this is some great music. Some parts remind me of acoustic Neil Young (like "Already Dead") and I've even heard a little Waters/Floyd vocal in there. Yes, it's not completely new/original acoustic work, but it's great and it sounds like Beck needed to get it out. Listen a couple of times and it hooks you. Beck is one of those great artists that can change from album to album. Enjoy it - I do.