Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Beautifully sad and downtempo, best track Lost Cause.
4/5
A terrific songwriter for the times. Solid music.
I am notoriously into sad music, but oh my this was a lot even for me. I guess he broke up with his long term girlfriend right before he wrote this, and this man is clearly not ok. "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Lonesome Tears", "Lost Cause", "Already Dead", it's a lot. But potentially on brand for me, it's very good. You definitely want to be in a certain mood for this (which I'm really not right now), but he's clearly very talented, the lyrics are crushing, and it's musically interesting despite being a bit of a slow burn. I haven't really listened to any Beck at all (other than "Loser" of course), but I guess this album is quite different from the rest of his music. Professional reviews for this seem to be a little all over the place, which kind of makes sense if it's a lot different than his usual stuff (and probably because it's so sad too). I thought it was good, and I hope I don't feel like I need to listen to it anytime soon. Favorite song: Lost Cause Other: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lonesome Tears, Round The Bend 3/29/24
I quite liked this album. I was not familiar with Beck's music other than his mainstream hit 'Loser' and his more recent music which I found too experimental for my taste in the early aughts. This album reminded me a bit of Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder which I love. I am going to revisit his whole discography as a result of this
a lush bittersweet mournful vibe
Sad, but good enough
Favourites- golden age, paper tiger, guess I’m doing fine. 3-4
Good album
For evenings when you want yo reflect with a soft/ romantic music
pretty vibey
Good mellow album
I’ve listened to Beck’s Odelay as part of this project but didn't find it particularly noteworthy, though I can now say with certainty that beck has quite the range as a musician. Sea Change, however, stands out way more to me. It has such a chill, folk-y vibe. The listener is taken through Beck’s somber emotions while he deals with the ending of a long-term relationship. His heartbreak led to a beautiful album where his heart was bared. In a way, I find similarities between Beck and Lana Del Rey--which is not a comparison most people make, I’d wager. Their voices aren't alike, but with the bare bones style and their kind of lyrics--it's there!
Very close to perfect
ЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕ Инди рок из нулевых мало мне R.E.M. и U2 теперь это)) ну что ж попробуем......... Не знаю почему я решил что это индюшатина ведь на деле за обложкой скрывался крайне обаятельный фолк зачастую напоминающий лучшие работы Ника Дрейка. Отдельные песни с этой пластинки действуют гипнотизирующее и в духе жанра создают ощущение которое будто уносит меня в полет; в ранее утро, в детство к бабушке, в деревню, когда на улице пасмурно а от реки недалеко от их дома поднимается туман, только вот в этом ощущении будто кроется подвох в виде окружающей тебя действительности которая нагло и без приглашения врывается в эти воспоминания. Именно такая здесь музыка мечтательная, воздушная но с каким то крайне меланхоличным надломом. Отдельно хочется отметить Lost Cause такого спектр чувств от музыки я не испытывал уже давно прекрасная композиция по настоящему завораживающая.Не знаю какую магию заложил автор в этот альбом но удивительно успокаивающий эффект который он вызвал мне крайне по душе возможно именно этого мне и не хватало в последнее время. Хотя буду откровенным инструментально эта работа не удивляет все эти музыкальные ходы и приемы уже не раз использовались другими фолк музыкантами и именно удивить с точки зрения каких то композиционных приемов альбом вряд ли сможет; гитара, струнные, синтезатор и минорный вокал вот собственно и все , есть у меня подозрение, что к этому альбому я не скоро вернусь хотяяяя кто знает. Немного колебался в оценке но все таки ввиду общих впечатлений отдам ей должное. Вердикт: "Этот полет был не идеальным но зато очень завораживающим спасибо пилоту))"
Excellent album. A very introspective side of Beck. It shows his versatility as a songwriter and his ability to blend many musical genres. This one has a more folksy sound with the lyrics dealing with the loss of a relationship and loneliness. You may need to be in the proper mood for this one, I think it is grey rainy-day music. Great listen.
I was actually positively surprised by this one. Had no expectations, only having heard Loser before. This album consists of sad songs, many of which also found their way to my sad song list. All in all a solid pop album with good production.Two things drag the album a little down. Firstly, it’s about 10-15 minutes too long. It’s hard to take so much sadness in one sitting. Secondly, I’m annoyed by his vocal style on some of the songs. Most notably on Sunday Sun, which could have been on of the highlights, and the Paper Tiger. Lonesome Tears is my favourite and is, except for Sunday Sun, the most dynamic song
Classic album. Beck is showing his great talents on every song. 4 stars.
Gets a little formulaic, but the production is concise, the arrangements are exquisite, and, most importantly, Beck's change to a starker, more emotive sound feels natural and engaging.
Sad beck is the best beck
honestly pleasantly surprised but i dont expect much from beck
I forgot how gorgeous this album is - my most listened Beck song in recent years has been "Debra" so this was a nice reminder of what else he can bring to the table.
I love Beck, but this is not my favorite by him. Solid, but a bit boring and pretty sad.
The Golden Age - 9/10 Paper Tiger - 9/10 Guess I'm Doing Fine - 8/10 Lonesome Tears - 8/10 Lost Cause - 8/10 End of the Day - 9/10 It's All in Your Mind - 8/10 Round the Bend - 8/10 Already Dead - 7.5/10 Sunday Sun - 8.5/10 Little One - 8.5/10 Side of the Road - 8/10 TOTAL - 99.5/120
A Sad Bastard classic
Entspanntes Album
Moody sensitive Beck >> Rowdy frat boy Beck
I appreciate the simplicity of the song structure. Not trying to do too much, but beautifully recorded and captured. I don’t LOVE Beck, but sometimes I’m in a Beck mood. And this is the version of Beck I like best. Simple and resonant.
Beautiful, lush instrumentation, thoughtful lyrics. Lost a star because it was all just a bit too slow for me to listen to again.
devastating break up record. maybe one of the best ever. 4.5
February 12, 2024 HL: “The Golden Age”, “Lonesome Tears”, “Round the Bend”, “Sunday Sun”, “It’s All in Your Mind” Despite the overall bleakness, the Beatlesque and Laurel Canyon touches are more than enough to rescue this from mere sadness n’ gloom. Love the strings in such songs as “Round the Bend”. Beck and Nigel Godrich are a combination I didn’t know I needed to hear.
Achey and beautiful.
Loved the sounds, could’ve used some more variation.
sweet
Atmospheric, nice
I'm surprised I liked this one as much as I did, as it was very quiet compared to what I usually like. Things felt cool and casual while still being fun.
Carefully crafted, requires a quiet space for listening
Beautiful mournful melodies and pensive lyrics paired with western acoustic guitar and lush strings. Beck perfectly encompasses all the angst we collectively felt in the 2000’s, without ever raising his voice. Excuse me, I have to peer out of my bedroom window and wonder if she could possibly love me. Stand out tracks include “The Golden Age”, “Lost Cause”, “Already Dead”, and “Side of the Road”.
Forgot how much I used to listen and like this album. Only critique is it could use some more variety.
Initially was not a fan. Realized the error of my ways.
So sad and melancholy...I guess he was sad as he wrote with despair...it comes across in the sound....but interesting mix of sorrow and pain with some good instrumentals. Never really listened to him before..will check out other albums.
I generally like Beck, hadn't heard this record. It's good and warrants further listening.
Mellow, introspective album from Beck -- almost like he'd been listening to a lot of Ryan Adams before he wrote it. Cool melodies and well-written lyrics really evoke the sense of loss and heartbreak. I liked this record quite a bit -- it's very different from the Beck of Odelay -- but it's a little too relentlessly down tempo, which makes the songs kind of blend together. Lost Cause sticks out as a solid song but the rest of the record is more of one solid mood rather than individual tunes that are memorable on their own.
I hadn't heard this whole album before, just a song or two. It's an easy listen, really good for a rainy or mellow day, and it's got some vague Pink Floyd vibes. It wasn't super memorable for me, but I'd put it on in the background and not be unhappy it was on!
Damn, I really enjoyed this but it also made me feel pretty depressed. If your goal for listeners was to bring us in on the breakup pain you were feeling at the time, Beck...mission accomplished. lol The melancholy across the span of Sea Change is palpable -- it's as if Nick Drake is being channeled by Beck here. The first part of the album is a bit better than the second IMO, but I enjoyed this listen and it made me appreciate Beck's musicianship even more. Standouts: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, Already Dead, Sunday Sun
Enjoyed: the golden age I have mixed feelings about Beck's "lazy" vocals usually. I enjoyed the instrumentals in this album and the vocals in a lot of the tracks. A nice melancholy album, would listen again. 4*
acoustic emo with polished production; an album after my own heart
I had no idea that Beck could make an album like this. It completely escaped me! I really like a lot of his stuff, very quirky and creative. The opener of this was brilliant - took me completely by surprise. Track 2 had fantastic orchestration and arrangements, and then track 3 had the right amount of country and western slide guitar action for it not to be vomit inducing country and western. I could play those first 3 tracks on repeat - just great. The rest of the album didn’t quite hit those heights but as with all Beck’s stuff it was a really interesting listen. The quirkyness dialled down and replaced with awesome melancholy and melody. If The Doris ever leaves me, I’ll reach for this album - it would be perfect. Not that I want to be heartbroken of course, but this might, just might, make it worthwhile 🤣. A solid 4 rating - maybe will grow into a 5 with more listens.
Great album. Loved it.
Ok
Good on a very slow and sad day
Beautiful! Very moving. Depressing as f--k, but lovely
Had never really listened/tuned in to Beck before. This time I went through the album and was pleasantly surprised. I liked it. Particular tracks... Golden Age Paper Tiger Lonesome Tears (excellent) Lost Cause Round The Bend Sunday Sun A welcome 4 star
Slower but very emotional. Some great dynamic sounds and cool buildups keep most of the songs interesting.
Un poquito demasiado sad para mi
A very Beck album. Not as dark and intense as Mutations but playful and thoughtful. You just cannot escape the Serge Gainsbourg reference and musical soundscape on paper tiger. This is a great listen.
Although I know Beck has a long discography, I kind of dismissed him as a One hit wonder after hearing Loser 400 million times in college. I really enjoyed this reintroduction. A bit country tinged, very chill. I will def listed more. Love Lost Cause
This is my third Beck album, and I have disliked the two previous. This, however, is beautiful. The noise experimentation works like a charm, surrounding a gifted singer-songwriter.
Loved how the whole album was engineered. One track reminded me a lot of Nick Drake.
Chill, a bit sad, great arrangements and such
Man… Anyone who says that Elliott Smith is too depressing (which I think people only say because he committed suicide) has clearly never heard this album. I’ve often felt that Beck is one of the very few musicians/bands that I’ve consistently liked throughout my life, regardless of what else I’m into at any given time. Anyway, this is really good. I appreciate it for what it is, which is Beck’s first real attempt at an album without a bunch of dancey sample-ridden tracks. “Lost Cause” has long been one of my favorites of his. So I want to give this a 5 but I don’t know if I can handle this again in one listen. It’s devastating. Like Blood on the Tracks it’s probably one of the best breakup albums. But unlike BotT, it’s not going to go in regular rotation.
Nice, reminds me of Neil Young back in his younger days. Enjoyed his use of electronics for sonic effect.
Maybe my second favorite Beck album?
I always liked Beck's voice. It's got a nice quality that really shows on this album. And it's good to see an artist like this that doesn't just make the same record over and over again. And while this one doesn't have some of the grit that his earlier records do, I think it holds up very well. Arrangements are good, vocals are great, production is top notch. Lost Cause has always been one of my favorite songs of his. I also really like The Golden Age, End of the Day, Already Dead, and Sunday Sun. A super chill album to throw on and enjoy a cocktail in the evening. I think this is one that gives a better experience listening to it as a whole rather than just a random song here and there.
прям 4+++++ алкоальбом дешевое вино на выпускном (так чувствую)
Groovy
Really chill
Hmm I've always heard about Beck and his musical talents. To be honest, it is not a bad album by any means and there is no doubt that he is talented. Not an album I probably would listen to over and over but I did enjoy it nonetheless. Deep and poetic.
I enjoyed this more than expected. Perfect for a quiet day with a cozy blanket & a good book. Maybe some rain.
for me "morning phase" is the better album
Some of the best music ever made, poured from a broken heart.
8/10. Pleasant to listen to
I really enjoyed this album, despite it having many qualities that I have disparaged other albums for on this list. I think Beck is a good songwriter and his skills are showcased here on a project that isn’t overflowing with canned drum beats. Almost got George Harrison vibes, though not quite. 8/10
For me, this is probably Beck's best album. Love it
Mellow, spacey, Beck music. Good. 3.5 stars
Very haunting and beautiful album. No pop hits here, however "Sunday Sun" was covered by a band called The Cinematics and that version is KILLER. This Beck album is a bit of a downer...
Absolutely fucking gorgeous. 4.5/5
I enjoyed this. I go to Beck for upbeat fun, but this shows a matured personality
I think this is good. It's chill and melancholy but because I heard Morning Phase first, this just seems like a precursor or rough draft of that.
I'm giving this album 4 stars based on one song. Lost cause is a masterpiece.
Smooth, mellow creativity, but sad ballads in this album, which reflects his breakup with his girlfriend. Not a particular favorite of mine, but still a good work from Beck.
3.5/5
I really like this album a lot. Some of the songs kind of sound alike but to me this is better than his usual sound
From memory alone I'd have said this album has some sublime moments (Lost Cause) and some exquisite string arrangements (Paper Tiger, the ever-ascending coda of Lonesome Tears), but doesn't sustain that quality and becomes kinda dull by the end. Still mostly true, but listening again on a frosty morning I realised there are some great tracks on the second half too (particularly Sunday Sun and Little One), and at any rate the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The forlorn and languid but vaguely ominous tone of these songs is strangely hypnotising. 3.5 / 4
I really liked this one!
i’m a beck fan, a beck stan even… i love this album he really hit his peak for a long time !! i don’t really care for his most recent stuff but Sea Change, it’s a classic, it’s fitting of it’s time and even surpasses what so many other people were putting out in 2002. there’s a lot of different vibes created in this album, the spooky indie experimental that has followed him since his beginning is most apparent in “lonesome tears” and feels like the most beck song of this album. “Guess i’m doing fine” is my fav song on the album, it reminds me of driving with my mom, as does “already dead”! CUTE! i also love “round the bend” it’s very porcupine tree/steven wilson vibes!! (CHECK THEM OUT SO GOOD MODERN PROG) “side of the road” has never hit like it’s doing today, wow, im transported to paris, texas!!!! this album follows a similar vibe throughout but each song takes its own distinct adventure outside of that before coming back to base. love beck, love sea change! 4/5
You cannot pigeon-hole Beck. I have this cd but haven’t played it in years. It’s great. The sound superb. It creates such atmosphere for him to perform in. His voice terrific - a bit Nick Drake, but always perfect, and never always the same. The melodies are sometimes stunning. He’s singer-songwriting a lot. But he’s so good at everything. Lonesome Tears is great.The Cobainish Little One is a real winner. Bt there are no bad songs here. This is such a pleasure to enjoy.
What if Neil Young, but Radiohead? Solid, but you need to be in this mood. But so what?
I enjoyed the mood on this one today. It kinda stays the same mood the whole time. This one is pretty good to put you in a trance Chill indie with some nice flourishes
Kinds sounds alittle like radiohead but acoustic, very much enjoyed this album
I enjoyed this a lot. Nice mood album, not sure if there were any stand out tracks
Beck is amazing but this album is a little sleepy for me.
I really liked this - never heard it before - sounds like Scott walker who I love. Probably one of my favourites so far
I like Beck but there are so many of his albums I haven't listened to. This one is mature and manages to sound pared-back and lush at the same time. He is a talented songwriter and performer - love the vocal melodies and sometimes wonky, multi-layered acoustic guitar parts the most.
4,5
i like!! cute
Mood
Enjoyable solo singer songwriter stuff with a guitar. The slow ballads are convincing with a slight country vibe. The entire album is low-energy, which I didn't love, but he hits what he's going for. This is perfect music for an afternoon bike ride in the summer.
Dudes a genius, how does he sound like that
Catch me in the right mood and this album is awesome. It's a little slow and melancholy for everyday consumption. I'm a sucker for steel guitar, and this album has it, so that's a plus. Vocally and lyrically Beck shows why he's held in high regard on this album.
I really really like the melancholic/emotional vibes. Different from his previous albums. Personal Top3 in no order: Paper Tiger Lost Cause End Of The Day
Wow, what an amazing album. I love all the different tones here. I know that he wrote this in reflection of the break-up of his girlfriend. But even so, there is a lot going on here. Once I heard "Lonesome Tears," which I thought was a cover at first, I knew I was in for a ride. This is the second album of his, after "Odelay" which begs for another listen. I am quickly becoming a big fan of his.
As with a lot of Beck's output, I suspect this is a grower, but even on the first playthrough I can that this is a great record. The string arrangements are gorgeous. Favourite tracks: Paper Tiger, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Little One.
I felt like it needed a couple change of pace songs mixed in.
Sad. Nice. Good album.
Good soundscape but it's like 3 songs too long
I enjoyed this album quite a bit. I acknowledge it is not perfect, but I enjoyed my listen
I don't know why, but I initially thought this was going to be terrible. Why do I have a bad impression of Beck, despite not knowing a single song he has done? Do I have him confused with someone else? Anyway, wow. What a nice surprise. Great voice, few skippable tracks, but mostly solid ones with a few gems in there. How have I never heard him before??
Good stuff. I remember when 2014’s Morning Phase came out I listened to it three or four times thinking “hey Beck’s really good” and I should go back and listen to some other stuff. Of course, squirrels and other shiny things, I never did. So I’m glad this album came up in the rotation.
Quite the slow and steady album, and such a sea change from Midnite Vultures (my favorite Beck album)
This album hangs like an Elliot Smith album. Heavy on the soul.
achei um pouco interminável mas eh bonito
Gorgeous
Always love a bit of beck! One of his better albums!!
Bought it on a whim years ago and although I didn’t mind it, I never quite embraced it. Listened to it Sunday morning doing yard work and really felt it more. Solid album. Worth a few relistens.
Superfint. Er noe David sylvian-lignende greier jeg har skikkelig sansen for (round the bend f.eks.). Super blanding av pop, folk og rock i fine balladegreier Sterk 4
Mellow singer / songwriter album for the millenium. Very slow and beautiful album that is reference quality recording. It sounds absolutely gorgeous. The music is just as meticulously crafted. The first half of the album is stunning. Gorgeous songs. The languid pace does cause my attention to wander in the second half of the album but the sheer beauty and craft is always evident. 4.5 stars knocking on the door of 5 stars
Oh, the things a broken heart can do... When you build a career based off of one intriguing stylistic change after another, it becomes hard to envision a record full of heel dragging heartache; the kind that spins the wax off records from thirty years previous and it becomes refined for a similarly devastating experience for the artist and the audience that still captivates twenty years onwards. Sea Change is both literal and figurative, for Beck was not only feeling things, he was turning a new leaf and years of changing colors. His career would have been just fine if he kept on doing the zany things he had mastered by then but, by achieving this, he had given himself a new boost. Oh, what a broken heart can do. Favorites: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lonesome Tears, End of the Day, It's All in Your Mind, Sunday Sun, Little One.
Really fantastic. I’ve been familiar with some of Beck’s work but haven’t sat and listened to an entire album and I really enjoyed this. Felt some similar vibes from other bands I love, felt the sadness, will be listening again.
Very full bodied album. Don’t know what a song was about
Great production right from the start. That first acoustic guitar chord rings so well. I also always love when indie acts tie in synths into acoustic instruments. That first intro synth melody sits so nicely on top of the very warm acoustic guitar and the brittle sounding pedal steel guitar. I've never been a huge Beck fan (honestly probably only for lack of trying and I can almost guarantee that I will be a big fan once I spend more time diving into his music) but it's very obvious that there is a mastery to his craft here. Little details have intention- like the flow between songs (the seamlessness of track 1 into track 2 for example), and there is care placed on just about everything you hear. Nothing is phoned in. "Guess I'm Doing Fine" is really great. I instantly added it to my annual playlist (new year new playlist) which I listen to daily. "Lonesome Tears" is also equally great and beautiful. He has a great ear for when to use these impressionistic key-borrowing chords at times to match the emotion of lyrics without ever sounding too modal. It's mastery. This is a really great album. "Round The Bend" ripped out my heart with those strings. Unbelievable beautiful. I will have to listen to it more but right now it's a 4 out 5. I feel like when it was over I wanted a little more movement out of the songs and that there were just a few too many midtempo ones.
Je ne connaissais pas du tout cet album de Beck (je connais assez mal Beck de façon générale), très bonne surprise. J'ai beaucoup aimé la première et la dernière notamment.
J'ai beaucoup écouté les deux premiers albums de Beck mais pas trop celui-là, et c'est dommage, parce qu'il est vachement bien. De la très bonne pop folk mélancolique, les chansons sont assez variées et efficaces
This was a bit of a revaluation, only new beck from Odelay and this was a complete step change
Tranquilo. Bonito.
Surprisingly pleasant.
A fantastic album but I can’t listen to Beck very easily anymore.
I used to be a bigger Beck fan when I was younger, and Golden Age and Lost Cause were always amongst my favourites. I think this album is a bit too dreary in places, and the last few songs are quite dull. But overall it still holds up!
Dreary album (after a breakup with his long term girlfriend), but it deserves a couple of listens to let or sink in. Wiki: "the album features themes of heartbreak and desolation, solitude, and loneliness. For the album, much of Beck's trademark cryptic and ironic lyrics were replaced by simpler, more sincere lyrical content." "Little One" has a Nirvana feel
Un excelente álbum de country, que expande el catálogo de Beck a un sonido menos irónico y más reflexivo, desechando la producción con tintes de trip-hop que venía presentando en sus trabajos anteriores. Una muy buena adición a la lista de los 1001 álbumes que escuchar antes de morir.
Very emotional
This is my second Beck album and this one is completely different to the other. This album reminded me of Radiohead - (in rainbows) and Elbow. I’m impressed that Beck can produce such varied albums that are high quality in such a short time period.
Big surprise from "Loser" artist, I really liked the downtempo chill vibes!
One of the great opening lines of any album ever, and a record that once held a great deal of personal meaning and the first Beck album that ever resonated much beyond a novelty, "oh-that's-sorta-cool" factor (everything else feeling too contrived and overcooked). It even became a best-friend sort of record during a difficult time (for reasons of mood-calming and empathy-feeling). The strings sound better than I recall, but there's little deying just how drowsy this gets toward the back, which keeps it from top ranks. But that “Put your hands on the wheel / And let the golden age begin” – man, is that good and redeems so much. "Guess I"m Doing Fine" and "Lost Cause" and "Sunday Sun" are next best. Much else is forgettable for being just too sleepy. The release date of Jan 1 also seems salient. " 3.6 > 4 (rounding up for nostalgic and emotional reasons and because one hopes Beck is feeling better about the breakup).
At times felt a little boring, but ultimately I liked this. Beck’s lyrics were actually relatable. Lost Cause was by far the fave.
Mopey but not bad. This album reminded me a lot of the nick drake album we last heard and is different from other Beck I’ve heard.
Lovely
Very chill
such a refreshing shift in his discography. breakups usually bring out the best in artists. the production paired with the songwriting feels like getting a blow job and then falling asleep for a good long while. however since i don’t have that kind of time i will say this album is too long. i would cut End Of The Day and It’s All In Your Mind.
Found this to be an incredibly tender record, gorgeously produced. Really touching stuff that I didn't necessarily expect with what I knew from Beck. The trio of Lonesome Tears, Lost Cause and End of the Day as the records centrepiece is something special. Fave track: Lost Cause
Sad. Bleak, Somber. But still very nice to listen to. Standouts: Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause 4/5
I prefer his more eclectic albums, but this stripped back focus on songwriting Beck is not too bad either.
Only heard loser by Beck before, though I knew he had a much wider range of songs/albums than that. This was really good, there were some great songs here. I think he has a country music voice and applying to it to acoustic singer-songwritery stuff makes it much more interesting. Only complaint would be it's all pretty much one gear, so listening in one sitting started to get repetitive. I'll probably cherry pick some tracks from this but not listen to the album again.
Not sure I've ever really listened to Beck before. This was ok, none of it did too much for me and passed me by a bit. Seems like Beck was having a bad time when he wrote this. Poor lad Actually gave it a second listen and enjoyed it more. Very chilled but melancholic. Highlights were: The golden age Lost cause Already dead 3.5
Strong album with a Standout in Paper Tiger
I enjoyed this one. This album is so damn laid back & chill, It legit made my morning a lot better. Immaculate vibes all around.
Quite mellow enjoyed this
Enjoyed this album as it was different then expected. Sappy songs. 4/5
this is objectively a very good album. i can see how it has inspired other artists and why it means so much to a lot of people i know. it is sleepy and very sad, although i will admit that when i'm in a sleepy and sad mood i am more likely to put on jeff buckley first. that being said, there is still a mood that i can be in to listen to this, which can't be said for most of the other albums i've listened to so far. favourite: guess i'm doing fine. least favourite: round the bend. really struggling on whether to give this 3.5 or 4 as i really recognise the musical value but i am not sure how much i will remember the individual songs. i'll say 3.75 although giving this anything less than a 4 does feel like a crime.
I'm shocked
I never thought that I liked Beck’s music much except “Loser”, but this album changed my mind and I’ll be listening to the rest of his albums.
I only know Beck from his hit single Loser, so I had different expectations that what this album was. Sea Change Can best be described as alternative folk and alternative chamber music. Sometimes the two styles crossover but more often it’s one or the other. But frankly, I think it’s pretty good. The lyrics are very heartfelt with themes of despair and a broken relationship, themes more emotional than Loser, which discusses themes of being a loser in a comedic way. The highlights are Golden Age (a good example of Beck’s songwriting with an interesting alternative folk sound that totally caught me by surprise and good lyrics) and Lonesome Tears (a nice chamber ballad with pop and alternative influences that give it a grand feel to it amidst themes of a broken relationship). This album was really good, truly took me by surprise. I really wasn’t expecting me to give this rating but I’d say this album warrants a 9/10.
I had heard about this album, but did not take a chance to actually listen to it until today. This is sad Beck and it's very good. It's a lot of sadness, so it gets a bit sound-same at the end, but overall just a really good album and a nice dichotomy from his usual quirky work. I am going to investigate more Beck, as I have usually just dismissed him as a quirky guy who doesn't have much depth.
My favorite breakup album
It was a nice discovery, but difficult to pinpoint what I like. Not something to listen to daily though
This is my second Beck album in this generator (the first being his album Odelay, which was released 6 years prior to this one). This album has a much more intimate feel to it, with it being mostly acoustic with the addition of some keys and strings here and there. The reason this one is so stripped down is because Beck had recently broken up with his long time girlfriend, and this was his way of healing from that heartache. The pain and suffering of heartbreak, and depression can be heard all through this album, and made this record really surprising to me (I was expecting the hip hop/alternative rock stylings that I heard in Odelay). The one similarity was Beck's ability to take largely nonsensical lyrics and make them paint a beautiful tapestry for the listener. Overall, another excellent Beck record. This is another side of him that I didn't know about, but I'm glad I discovered. Favourite songs: The Golden Age, Sunday Sun, Lost Cause, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Already Dead Least favourite songs: Round the Bend 4/5
Personally loved this, my favorite Beck album until this date.
Some sad Sgt. Pepper energy. liked it a lot more than the first Beck album I got on here.
Sea Change by Beck is a deeply introspective and emotionally resonant album that showcases his versatility as an artist. Released in 2002, it marked a departure from his eclectic sound, embracing a more stripped-down and melancholic approach. The album's delicate melodies and poignant lyrics, such as in "Lost Cause" and "The Golden Age," evoke a sense of longing and heartbreak. Beck's vulnerability and introspection shine through, creating a captivating and intimate listening experience. While the album may not appeal to fans of his more upbeat and experimental work, Sea Change stands as a testament to his songwriting prowess and ability to craft deeply affecting music.
Elle te méritait pas beckounet..
Lovely, dreamy sounding album, probably my favourite by Beck.
Nearly perfect album, every song is amazing and inflicts great emotion, but I must qualify it by saying that it’s not very memorable. I would want to rate it a 4.5, but a 4 makes more sense than a 5. Initial reaction was great, it just didn’t really stick in my head for too long.
'twas really good
Really enjoyable. Listened to it while working but would like to give it another listen with more intention. 4/5.
This album meanders (takes its time?), but in a way I enjoyed most of the time. The melodies/progressions were actually pretty uniformly pleasant. Nothing immediately jumped out as a banger, but this doesn't seem to be the album for that anyway. It's pretty long at ~52 minutes, but the strings are nice and give me Pink Moon vibes. My only prior experience with Beck was Odelay, and this is super different, stylistically. Overall, I liked it a lot. Standouts: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lonesome Tears, It's All In Your Mind, Already Dead, Sunday Sun
I immediately recognize this album cover, but had never really listened. Was just a bit early from when when I hit my big Indie pocket. A soaring album of dramatic swells and emotions. Really keyed in on the lonesome aspect of heartbreak, highlighted by the use of space and small effects suspended in them.
Impresionante el esmero puesto en que cada paso de un acorde al otro sea sumamente triste, desolador. Me transportó a un dolor conocido y confortable. Con sus aromas a Elliott Smith, golazo de Beck.
Used to be on my heavy rotation. Solid all the way through, and a legit concept album.
Musta on jännä, miten muuntautumiskykyinen Beck on, ja miten taitava tyyliin kaikessa, mitä se tekee. Itse tykkään tästä levystä tosi paljon, mutta ymmärrän kyllä, miksi sitä aikanaan dissattiin. ****
Much like Bowie and Cohen, I really want to love Beck. While I do like it more than them, it's not in a genre I love, too subdued a lot of the time.
Me gustó bastante, las guitarras, el sonido "triste" y súper calmo
I prefer Beck's more upbeat stuff. This was a solid record though and showed he could do just about any style of music. As an artist Beck is fantastic.
I used to listen to Odelay in the car with my parents but never listened to anything else. between 3.5-4
I hadn’t listened to any Beck outside of E-Pro. 3.7
Het klinkt allemaal mooi, technisch ook dik in orde. Fraaie strijkers, een heldere acoustische gitaar, lekker ruimtelijk, zang is op orde. Een beetje Bowie-achtig, maar dan wél fijn om naar te luisteren. Het duurt allemaal wel een beetje lang moet ik zeggen. 52 minuten is voor mij iets teveel, ondanks dat het goede nummers zijn dus. Album kruipt voorbij. En dan krijgt ie bij Sunday Sun nog een beroerte ook. Meer geschikt als soundtrack van een sombere ruimte-film dan als album om even lekker naar te luisteren tijdens het werk. Twijfel toch tussen 3 en 4 sterren, omdat ik het wel echt kwalitatief goed vind.
I'm a fan of this album. It's definitely a sad bastard type record, so I have to be in the right mood for it but the songwriting is really strong. I've listened to this one off and on since it first came out and it definitely reminds me of a specific time in my life. Beautiful songs, trying to decide between a 4 and 5 because there are definitely Beck albums I'd go to more often and first (Odelay, One Foot in the Grave and parts of Mellow Gold) but this is still such a strong record. Standout Tracks: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, End of the Day, It's All In Your Mind, Already Dead, Sunday Sun
A bit of a portent for what's was to come in terms of style from Beck. I like it's down-tempo melodies. Good to listen to.
Beck's musicianship is just outstanding. And all of the musicians that he surrounded himself with for this album are outstanding. And the songwriting is outstanding. It's just really not my jam. Someone give Beck a cup of coffee and a hug already. He really seems like he needs it. "Sea Change" is so damn melancholic. Like... REALLY a downer. Unenjoyably so. Listening to this album feels like sitting next to someone crying on the subway. You don't know them and can't help them so you and everyone else in the car are left to just awkwardly and uncomfortably witness someone else's public grief. It's rare that I listen to an album and think, "dang, that's really good and I REALLY don't like it" but "Sea Change" is one such album. It for sure isn't my vibe but the quality of songwriting and performance just can't be denied.
An album I feel like I should be familiar with but I'm just not. I really enjoy it alot from a vibes perspective.
An album I like but don’t love. Connected more to Becks next two albums
Very nice
I really enjoyed this!!!
Beck mellows gracefully with some lovely little songs. Sometimes a little samey, especially when you compare it to his eclectic previous catalogue, but it's just very pretty
The good album.
Beck is super cool. This isn't my favorite album of his, but it's still great. I also think it's easier to appreciate Beck by listening to all of his stuff (or at least a sampling of all of his albums) at the same time. The man has range, but each album is different. So, when you listen to just one, it's easy to just think he's "okay" - but you'd be wrong.
Nice, chill, moody. Loved finding Paper Tiger earlier this week, and very much a companion piece to Morning Phase, which I loved already
Actually decent
Great instrumental work blended with electronic components, melancholy and yearning is present in instrumentation long deep strums, minor chords, and dragging low pitch/energy voice. Touches of psychodelic influences to boost memory imagery
Radiohead folk
Super chill, ambient indie rock/country/folk Some songs have a super spacey sound Reminds me at times of Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
This album was basically regularly played at home - I remember when it came out it revealed Beck to have a little more depth (even though his genius was still undeniable). Now with time, it doesn't have that same impact - the songs are long, and I suspect I am warm to them because I know them, but if I had to hear it for the first time again, beyond the novelty of an acoustic space-y Beck album - I don't think I'd find much more. Just a note, unusually the second half of this record is better than the first, at least that's what it felt like. I still have fond memories of the record so I cannot help but rate it slightly higher
very good - quirky. Want to listen some more, might go up to a 4.5 on additional listens.
It's a very good album. Paper Tiger is a perfect pastiche of Melody Nelson era Serge Gainsbourg, and a later track is like a lost Nick Drake song. A lot of the rest is pleasant Americana. I'm a lot more enamoured of the surrealist Prince of Midnite Vultures, or the punk-folk-hop of Odelay, but this was enjoyable.
good
A melancholic day dream.
this was SOOOOO good. love the cover art and instrumentals and definitely want to listen to it again. the whole album is a work of art
Interesting album. Nice sound design. Great for a specific mood, otherwise the album just felt sleepy to me. Very unique sounding though!
Thank you Beck. Sorry about your breakup with your longtime girlfriend, but this is a wonderful, and sometimes sad, album.
One of the best unintentional slow chill albums I’ve heard. Really enjoyed a few of the cuts. It’s raw and heartfelt.
Big departure from some his previous stuff and I didn't like it on first listen but I feel it love with it and over the last 15 years easily the Beck album I listen to the most. Is it 5 stars? 4.5 I'd say since there a few songs that are ehh, I always skip Round the Bend.
I never listened to this record before and I’m glad for this 1001 Albums effort to have introduced it to me. This was not the Beck I was expecting and showed a completely different view of his songwriting talent. Really a quite beautiful record that I’ll be sure to revisit.
This is the Beck album I've listened to the most after Odeley. It's full on singer/songwriter Beck and I really enjoy it. Side note - I think this is the only album I ever had on SACD. I couldn't tell the difference.
For this record, Beck opts for a melancholic feel, reflecting the ending of a long-term relationship just prior. Lots of sad breakup songs, all of which are solid. What really shines here is the production. Throw on some good headphones and drift away….
Listened to on 12/05/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: golden age, lost cause Beck seems sad but sad Beck writes and sings very beautiful, soulful music that was extremely mellowing
This album kinda had me torn and I was going to give it a 3, but decided to give it a 4 simply because it was recorded so well. This album made me feel the same way I feel about Jacob Collier sometimes. When the music is TOO musical I feel it takes away from the songs. And I think this album was walking on that line just a little much for me. The only one I felt like I could fully breathe and appreciate was Lost Cause. Lyrically I thought was one of the more sound ones, and the parts weren’t too too intricate. Really enjoyed that song. The sonics overall on the album were really great. There were a few times throughout the album where some bell lead lines were a little harsh when i feel they needed to be pleasant. And I thought it was a strange mix choice to have the strings be the loudest thing in Paper Tiger (I think it was that one). Lyrically and melodically I didn’t enjoy a ton of his vocal performances with the exception of a few. Overall it is a well thought out and recorded album. For me I think just a little tooo thought out that it felt unnatural some songs. Anyways overall good album
A stunning album. One that holds deep power for me. "The poster boy of irony looking straight into the camera and confessing his bitterness and desolation following a breakup," as one reviewer put it. I don't have a strong connection to Beck save for this record. I appreciate its honesty and simplicity. I am enchanted by its melodies, arrangements, and (mostly live) production and recording at the hands of Nigel Godrich. I listen to it frequently. His voice here sounds so aged and weary. Nothing like the voice on his albums that came before it. Hard to believe that this is the same artist who launched his career with "Loser," and harder still to believe that he went from that to this, his eighth studio album, by the time he was 30.
Sounds like if Bono made good music
Great album! It was a lot more folk-country than I expected, from the songwriting to the guitar patterns to the way Beck sings. What set it apart for me were the sudden harmonic shifts and chord jumps characteristic of a lot of late 90s early 00s music (think Elliot Smith, Zero Seven, Nirvana, early Radiohead, etc.), and the swelling and wandering string textures. My favorite songs on this album were probably "Lost Cause", "End of the Day", "Lonesome Tears". All super harmonically interesting but never jagged or jumpy. It's interesting because I felt like all of the songs sound kind of similar but I never got bored of the sound or the mood. Beck creates a particular feeling with his somber vocal delivery: it's a bittersweet, "what can you do?" sort of shrug punctuated by a furrowed brow, a mood that melts into quiet wonderment as we look up to the nascent starlight and, despite our tragedy-honed suspicions, imagine better days to come.
Just an amazing sound for Beck. Elements of psychedelic folk, twangy guitar sounds, and gorgeous orchestration. They fit so well together… it’s a cinematic sound and a great pairing. I especially loved Nigel Goderich’s production treatment on this album: inventive, versatile, but never feeling too full. How does he do it? Everything sounds like a movie. I will definitely return to these songs. It was a comfortable, contemplative morning listen.
Very much enjoyed the performance. I am found of the right balance between instruments and vocals. This was well done
Super well produced with many interesting timbres and textures, good songwriting. A bit slicker than other Beck I've listened to, but in a good way.
Stripped down to mostly strings, guitar, and vocals - this album has a moody, chill feel & I enjoyed it.
La chanson Lost Cause me donne toujours des frissons et envie de pleurer. Merci de m'avoir ramenée à cet album. J'adore l'ambiance en demi-teintes.
Sad, subdued and solid. Maybe more of a 3.5 than 4, but whatever.
Beck a été la grosse révélation du générateur la semaine dernière, et malheureusement, le comportement arrogant et vaniteux dont il fait preuve depuis que je lui ai annoncé avoir apprécié son album ont quelque peu gâché l'image que j'avais de lui, sans toutefois me faire changer d'avis sur sa note.
It was a nice one.
This album holds up really well. I loved it. 4/5
Brings a smile to my face. Can’t ask more from an album
Laid back, easy to zone out. I love the acoustic guitar
its no Loser but it's solid
Love this album - great memories linked to it
Beck's sad, breakup, singer-songwriter album! I haven't listened to this one in a long time and forgot how good it is.
So sleepy! Giving me Lou Reed vibes for some reason. Loved the second track way more than the first. I'm excited about the jazzy string vibes. Over-all, a lovely album that gives me early 2000s vibes. The album would be great on vinyl. Ooo, I really like "Already Dead to Me".
Cool Album, good songs...
p888. 2002. 4 stars. Nick Drake for the new millennium. Came cold to this and was pleasantly surprised - strong lyrics, excellent musicianship and production. On the repeat listen list.
I usually like my music cheerful and I am usually meh on the Beck I already know. But this album is lovely all the way through. Calm and calming in the background, sad/melancholy when listening closely. Who hasn't felt like this at least few times in their life? Favorites: Lost Cause, Sunday Sun.
Beck never ceases to amaze me with the depth of his work.
Know Beck obviously, never listened to an album. This is great. Melancholic, polished, a proper album for when you need background music running through your head. Downloaded and saved.
Lot more folk than the beck stuff I've listened to before. Forgotten about lost cause, used to be a song I loved
Loved this. Had a really soothing feel throughout, the acoustic guitar was perfect for his voice, and the songwriting and lyrics were great. I saved almost every song.
This was overall really good. The instruments/lo-fi vibe fits really well with the lyrics but could also be listened to casually while studying or working without tuning into the depressing aura (although maybe you do want to be depressed when you’re studying or working) The Golden Age and Guess I’m Doing Fine stood out to me in the first half. Parts of Already Dead reminded me of No Rain by No Doubt. Definitely the kind of album you hope you don’t feel emotionally drawn to too often but that’s wishful thinking. These themes will be around as long as humanity is which will allow this album to age well. Strong 4/5
Beck is sad so he trades his two turntables and his microhpone for an acoustic guitar and lush string arrangements. Nigel Godrich does an outstanding job behind the board, to the point where his production actually outshines Beck's compositions on some of the last tracks of the album. Up to that point, this was the first time that Beck showed a more personal side of him so Sea Changes is notable for that. Also the songs are mostly really good, particularly the first five.
Probably best Beck Album. I have it in CD for years, might consider buying the vinyl as well. great production.
I think it's the first Beck album that I love from start to finish. It must be said that I am a fan of Nigel Godrich and that his participation appears enormously on the album. There's a lot of rich and uplifting arrangements. The voice is also very calm and felt. Great record!
Not sure I ever had the patience for Beck before now. I really enjoyed sitting with this album.
Cheeelin
Sad boi Beck.
Malo mi je izgubio s godinama
"Lost Cause", one of my all-time favorite songs from Beck, is on this album. I have listened to Sea Change before and several of the songs from the album more than once. One of my big music regrets was not taking time to see Beck when he toured for this album along with the Flaming Lips (who were touring for their album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots). This is a mellow album with a calm energy. As such, the album does not frequently come to mind when I'm looking for something to listen to. At the same time, if anyone were to suggest that I listen to this album, I would easily listen to the whole thing again.
this was really nice! i've liked beck's stuff before, but this makes me think i should check out his full discography. this album at least deserves a close listen.
Big fan of Odelay and Vultures, I've been a sporadic fan since. One of those artists I keep intending to get through their last few albums but I never quite do. So, um yeah, this one took me almost 20 years to get around to. Oops. Woah, Paper Tiger. Getting his Serge on. Ooh, it's sad Beck. Okay. Lush production on Lonesome Tears. Gorgeous song. Some of the quieter ones I think are going to take a few listens to appreciate. At the end, yeah, rating this after one listen feels fraudulent. But I will definitely revisit this.
Enjoyed that this wasn't a quirky album. That's usually what's turned me off to Beck. It felt very serious in a singer-songwriter/country/folk kind of way. I loved the production on this, especially the strings.
This album shows Beck trying to make sense of a breakup by dropping the sarcasm and experimentation in favor of a more stripped down and earnest approach. For the most part, I would say that it works very well. Beck’s voice is almost languid, as though the emotion makes it difficult to sing. The instrumentation is simple but effective as acoustic guitar and strings usually are in conveying sadness. The album is a bit too long.
Or 'Beck goes emo' - following the slacker, funk, tropicalia, and the downright weird, Beck worked with Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis, producer du jour) on this maudlin collection of ballads inspired by a break up. It's probably his most consistent album, everything is engaging and the string arrangements are fantastic. Guess I'm Doing Fine and Lonesome Tears are particular highlights. Only thing is I miss fun Beck on this - perhaps one or two more upbeat tracks would have made this a 5 star album.
Not my favourite Beck album, but a Beck album is a Beck album, sooooo
One of the most underrated Beck albums.
Melancholy and soft. Good stuff, but it lacks the sort of humor and fun of other Beck stuff I have listened to, which does bring it down a hair for me.
The album is fantastic but due to the sad nature I don’t think I will be returning that oftern
I remember this album surprising me when it came out. Sea Change is more my speed. Acoustic, melancholic. It showcased a stripped-down Beck with a simple focus on writing break-up songs. It works. Beck feels sad and we all mope with him.
I'm a huge fan of Beck after listening to Mellow Gold, Odelay, and Guero. He's always doing something different. Here we have melancholic folk rock with country and baroque influences. The lyrics are clear and reflective (as opposed to his other nonsensical work), with atmospheric accompaniments that range from tense to relaxed. Songs like "Round the Bend" remind me of 70s folk artists, although I can't remember who. (Leonard Cohen?) Complaints: Too long at over 50 minutes. It's all a bit formulaic. I thought tracks 6-8 were weak and lost the momentum. Favorites: Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, Already Dead
I guess I'm not totally indifferent to Beck; I do like some of his songs. And, this album is right there with "Odelay" as my favorite. It is quite the depressing affair though. This album was recorded after the break-up of Beck and his girlfriend of nine years. All of the songs deal with heartbreak, desolation, solitude, loneliness or depression and were actually written over eight years but not accumulated into one album until this. Lots of allusions to deserts and roads. Most of these songs are ballads with background string arrangements, a change from previous albums. The production and acoustic/string arrangements are both very good. The lyrics of this album are very straight-forward; this is a break-up album. Not the high-end drama of the Afghan's Whigs' "Gentlemen," much, much, much more subdued to say the least. My favorite songs happen to be more popular ones too. "Sea Change" has an almost Stones' "Angie" start with acoustic and slide guitars. Allusions to desolation uses deserts and driving. "Guess I'm Doing Fine" and "Lost Cause" are very specifically about breaking up and have a very sad and beautiful feel to them. Definitely not the happiest music to start the week with but may be Beck's high water mark.
Beck is kind of a Generation X version of Neil Young on 'Sea Change.' But, with a lower voice. Any number of these acoustic songs- ‘The Golden Age,’ ‘Guess I’m Doing Fine,’ ‘Side of the Road’- they all have that Neil Young sound and feel, even complete with pedal steel and slide guitar (featuring Smokey Hormel, which is the perfect name for a slide guitarist.) But he also gives a nod to the Beatles with a ‘Day in the Life’ ending on ‘Lonesome Tears’ and a drone improvisational conclusion to ‘Little One’ that would have easily fit alongside the other psychedelic pop on 'The Magical Mystery Tour.' His supporting cast are all subtly superb, especially bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who shows how it’s done on ‘Paper Tiger,’ for example, and keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr, who empties out the kitchen sink on ‘Sunday Sun’ with everything from the Clavinet to harmonium. And the secret sauce to this whole thing are the marvelous ambient sounds that pop in and out of virtually every song (especially the outros) like the varmints in a whack a mole game. Imagine composer Steve Roach sprinkling Neil Young’s Harvest with synthesized atmospheric dust and you’ll get the idea. But the three numbers that really put this thing over the top were David Campbell’s creative and lush string arrangements on ‘Paper Tiger,’ ‘Lonesome Tears,’ and ‘Round the Bend.’ With a tinge of an almost Middle Eastern vibe, these three songs were a sonic contrast to the otherwise simpler acoustic country/folk tunes. Again, think of ‘There’s A World,’ and ‘A Man Needs a Maid,’ off of Neil Young’s Harvest. Campbell’s scoring accentuates the defeated and desolate nature of these compositions, written in the aftermath of Beck’s discovery that his fiancée had cheated on him, thus ending their nine-year relationship. The songs on 'Sea Change' develop slowly, so be patient. And don’t expect to find much here other than just an outpouring of hurt. The whole LP is like the raw recovery following major surgery. It’s an inspired work of art that you’ll probably seldom want to play. But when you do… well, research has shown that country music, more than any other genre, causes its listeners to consume alcohol. Between that, and Beck’s desolate lyrics, you’re gonna want to make sure you’ve got plenty of beer iced down before you drop the needle on this one.
After only really knowing Beck from the song Loser. I don't quite know what I was expecting, maybe something that made less sense? I liked this one a lot.
This is very good, on the basis that you like music that shuffles about and murmurs to itself without particularly going anywhere. But why should it? It's a cozy, finely wrought soundscape that Beck has pieced together here, and the result is an album that is a quiet joy. Why not a five? Perhaps it's just a little too comfortable with itself. A minor criticism though...
Sedate
Just what I wanted from beck. Melancholic lyrics but never to the point of melodrama, and with a sound to match
Je connais mal Beck mais c'est toujours bon quand j'en entends. D'emblée les ballades guitare voix, vous aurez compris, c'est pas trop mon truc mais rapidement j'ai bien vu que c'était plus que ça! La réalisation est juste débile, ça sonne comme c'est pas possible! Les tones de drums sont fous! J'écoute sans lire et j'ai eu deux en deux en pensant à Mélodie Nelson (track 2 évidemment) et à neil young plus tard. J'y ai capté des échos lointain de Nirvana et Radiohead aussi. Les arrangements de cordes sont biens, pas trop sirupeux, les petits bouts plus atonaux dans les solos de guits et piano en fin de pistes sont parfait, les synths lointains et pianos à l'envers. Bref j'ai tripé !
Je préfère Beck lorsqu'il est plus éclaté, mais cet album surprend. Les arrangements sont superbes. Un album dans ce mood n'est pas un disque qu'on sort n'importe quand, mais par une journée pluvieuse comme hier, c'est parfait. Pièces préférées: Lonesome Tears, Paper Tiger, , Lost Cause
Sea Change by Beck (2002) It’s fitting that this record should be introduced to me on a morning when the ice is quickly melting off the window panes, but the overcast sky refuses to yield to sunlight. The artist picks up his acoustic guitar and sings a young man’s songs for an old man’s ears. This album is a decided improvement over Beck’s earlier work Odelay (1996), which was marred by its lack of direction and its dependence on ‘electronic factory’ sound and aimless, intentionally absurd lyrics. In Sea Change (2002), however, a 32-year-old Beck emerges as a mature musician, with his scaled-back, laid-back acoustic-heavy ambience, and where the electronic sounds are reduced to appropriate accents (almost always at the end of each track, as if to remind us that this is still, after all, Beck). While studiously avoiding convention, he nevertheless gives us poetic messages that cohere both rationally and emotionally. These tracks are truly songs. And Beck has assembled skilled musicians, arrangers, and a production team to provide body and scope to his compositions. “Guess I’m Doing Fine” is an indisputably moving lament about a love that’s over—a memorable expression of feelings in the middle ground between despair and hope. It is set in a suitably slow country mood, evoking both melancholy and ambivalence: “It's only lies that I'm living It's only tears that I'm crying It's only you that I'm losing Guess I'm doing fine” The inventive and complex string arrangements on “Paper Tiger”, “Lonesome Tears”, and “Round the Bend” add a sense of musical authenticity to deeply discerned passions, with enough innovation and harmonic complexity to generate continued interest. These three tracks alone are worth the price of admission. “Lost Cause” and “End of the Day” are convincing songs, where the listener feels the pain having to come to grips with the fact that it’s over. If you’ve ever been there . . . This album will put you in a mood. Good music does that. 4/5
8/10 Best Song - Guess I’m doing fine
Not beck's best album, but still pretty great
I’m not going through a break up right now, but keeping this one in reserve if that does come up… Nice to get it over a weekend so had the chance to listen a few times. I’m not sure what it reminds me of Pink Floyd/ Neil Young but I doubt I’d guess it was Beck, glad he’s got the freedom to release what he’s feeling though.
very chill. worth another listen
No hip-hop, samples, funk, falsettos, just a ruminative downbeat selection of gorgeous acoustic ballads. If ever you doubted he was hiding a lack of songwriting behind over-complex arrangements, this should set you straight.
4.5/5. Very nice, soothin.
Sad Beck is my least favorite Beck, but it's still pretty good.
Melancholy, chilled, its a good listen for a nice quiet drive home
Iako sam veći fan njegovih ranijih albuma gdje je lo-filija izražena <3, ovaj album ipak spada među dražima sa favoritima poput: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, It's All In Your Mind (više volim raniju verziju u razdoblju Mellow Golda) i Little One. Znaš da je album dobar čim nabrzaka možeš nabrojati dobre pjesme. Album ima te nijanse ljepote, lagane gitare, dašak suvremenog folka, sve u svemu lagano, a lijepo! Šteta šta ipak neće doći na inMusic :(
Wow, great album, moody, but does so much with it. How did I not get into this when it came out?!?
Stronger than I remembered (and I liked it at the time)!
Melancólico y lindo. Triste y con buenos arreglos. Todo el disco va en línea con Fighting for a Lost Cause que es la única que ya conocía. 3.5 que sube a 4
Beck was clearly Going Through Some Stuff when doing this record - it's much more low key and downbeat than some of his other offerings, but a great theme that he works well. Nigel Godrich's production shines, particularly on tracks like Round the Bend which sounds like Radiohead done by Nick Drake. Packs a powerful punch, if a bit gloomy. But a great one to have on if you want a wallow.
I love the feel of this album. It’s languid, contemplative, intimate, with songs that linger with you long after they’re over. Beck starts with a bit of a warm Laurel Canyon-ish vibe, building on it with some really gorgeous string arrangements that give great depth to the sound. The lyrics are desolate, bleak and painful. Anyone who has experienced loss will feel these songs in their bones. The album is on the long side, without much change in tone to move it along. Beck’s trapped in an emotional inertia here, and so are we as listeners. It's a heavy listen, but really beautiful. Fave Songs: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, Lonesome Tears, Already Dead, All in Your Mind
yup
Don't have much time to review, but I really liked this album. Beck does bittersweet really well. I like Morning Phase better as an album, but this one serves as a nice companion piece
Awesome
Muy buen disco
Chill. Good lyrics. I would add to mood playlists. Will listen to more Beck.
Very chill and pleasant listening, I really enjoyed this album. The addition of the sound-effects/production (for lack of a better term) was really well done. Favourite tracks: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Already Dead,
This album is so much darker than I remembered, or maybe I am hearing it differently than when I was in high school. Beck has captured melancholy in a beautiful way. This album brings feelings of wanderlust and apathy together. Lost Cause is the standout favourite, although Golden Age is a tight second.
unaufdringlich melancholisch, aber nicht kitschig, immer a little bit country, paper tiger instrumentierung ist der star - eels schaun vorbei - understated aufwändig produziert - lo-fi dynamisch. Bruder im Geiste von Springsteens Nebraska. schön. Top songs: Paper tiger, its all in your mind, round the bend,
I think this is a bold change of pace for Beck, and I like the album. I don't love it, as there are a handful of weaker songs but it stands out in his discography as an outlier.
I've heard about half of these songs, this is a really cozy album. I wouldn't say I'm a Beck "fan", but this album is pretty darn good.
Loved it.
A nice surprise
Surprisingly different from his usual stuff. Really enjoyed it
Not my favorite beck album. A little slow and a little too country.
2002. Lost Cause, Little One, The Golden Age
311221 16:43 3.5
Even though this album was a huge change from his previous work it is just as good. Just don't expect two turntables and a microphone.
Muy bonitriste álbum. Sigue siendo uno que me gusta, aunque no lo escucho tan seguido. Me da paz (?) 8.5/10
4.0 + A very different direction for Beck after coming off some freaky pan-genre explorations via "Odelay" and "Midnite Vultures" (also terrific records). Here's Beck's breakup album that draws inspiration from the American songbook with soft inflections of other genres, all modernized with subtle studio flourishes to keep sparkle in the background. It's mostly downtempo with uncomplicated chord structures, with the exception of "Paper Tiger" which is just awesome. Some will find this album a little staid and even boring. At times, the breakup aspect of this album feels a little on-the-nose. Still, it maintains a morose atmosphere that I find quite pretty.
Sombere teksten met hier en daar een iets harder gitaarklankje. Om wel eens te herluisteren op een gepast moment
Didn't took my attention really, but sounds interesting
A little too chill for me, but I enjoyed it.
Not what I expected at all but pleasantly surprised!
There's a slide or pedal in the very beginning: A strong opening which would usually cast the other sonics in country colors. The string sections alongside are arranged like soundtracks. There's noise, too: occasional distortion, creaks, what appears to be an engine. It all comes together, surprisingly, into a post-rock effect. Not something that would obviously work with pop music. Accessible is what the words and arrangements make each track. Masterfully prepared.
I rated Odelay by Beck 2 stars. Can't really remember why because my review stated that I don't have much to say about Beck. I guess I don't have all too much to say about this one either, though I like it much better. It's very melancholy and it sounds pretty good. That's really it.
Not an upbeat album, very much a downbeat, pensive, thoughtful time listen. Listened to it a lot when it came out.
A bit on the slow and sad side, but I enjoyed it. The melodies are nice and I love the sound of the guitar. The acoustic sound is mellow and relaxing.