Sea Change

This review is specifically for the Blu-ray Pure Audio format. The Sea Change album itself is fantastic, as nearly every review will tell you.I've loved Beck for years now and own nearly all of his albums that I can get my hands on in order to help support him. When it came to legitimately owning Sea Change, an album I've loved for years but never owned in a physical format, I wanted a better quality than a CD quality recording could give. I'm not a vinyl guy, so hi-res digital is the way to go for me.First, a bit about my quest to actually find this:Unfortunately the very well respected and much sought-after SACD version is out of print and super pricey now, and coupled with the fact that my my fat PS3 recently died - meaning no more SACD player - meant this was not the way to go for me. I only own about 1 or 2 other SACD's, and that format is obviously dying out - so I'm not going to buy a new player.There is a gold pressed Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD version available as well, but its 'improved' sound quality is highly debatable, as it is still a redbook CD. Not worth $30+ to me.On to HDtracks or some of their counterparts for a hi-res digital download.. worth a shot. They have it in 24/192, but of course - not for Canada currently! I'm not getting a VPN just for this, so that too was out.Once I found out this album was on Blu-ray Pure Audio format, I figured I had to spring for it. I don't own any other Blu-ray Pure Audio discs as there is still such a limited selection, but I thought this would be the perfect way to try it out.Unfortunately again, Amazon Canada did not carry this. (Ever wonder why music sales are declining? Keep making it easy to buy, record labels!!)The U.S. side of course has it, so I bugged Amazon.ca about it a bit - and they said eventually .ca would carry it but if I wanted it sooner, I'd have to buy it from .com. So I waited a while... eventually .ca listed it, first with status 'Ships in 1-2 months', then 'Ships in 4-6 weeks' which also means 'if ever!').During this time, I had a few other items on .com to order, so I finally decided to just take the hit of paying a bit more with exchange and duties. (That is what Christmas money is for, right?!).When I got it home, I fired it up in my various modest systems - my home studio (2x KRK VXT6 & 10s sub, Steinberg UR44 24/192 interface/A&H Mixer + Beyerdynamic DT880s), my home theater 7.2 surround system (Onkyo 1007, outboard Emotiva XPA2 & XPA5 amps, Polk RtiA9 mains & 4x RTi8 surrounds, 2x SVS PB-13 subs, treated room), and my small 2.1 system upstairs (Onkyo TX-NR605, 2x Polk RTi8 & Klipsch CHT10 sub). I could certainly stand to upgrade some of these components to really wring out some detail in hi-res stuff; but that would cost a lot more for a relatively small jump in performance. For now I have quite a bit of bang-for-buck.Each and every time I listened to this disc, I was transported anew to a world that is uniquely Beck's: Swirling, silky strings; crisp bass, plucked guitar strings that vibrate and twang, deeply affected vocals alongside incredible harmonies; synths & effects that pan, swoosh and lift you up - even when the sad songs bring you down. Amazing. I could easily get this over 100dB without straining my systems or my ears, and I hardly ever play music that loud. Every second was excellent. This disc has both PCM 2.0 and 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 5.1 in 24bit/192kHz... so basically identical sound - but pick whichever you prefer, I guess. Either in surround or two channel, this album absolutely envelops you. Sometimes I couldn't tell the 2.0 from 5.1! It's so spacious and open.For around 30 dollars give or take, this is worth it. Even if the disc is basically barebones (about 30GB of 50GB is used, plain one page menu, no other visuals - nor does it advertise any, but still). - the sound quality is amazing and therein lies the value. Even on my modest systems I can tell that I am hearing exactly what was intended and nothing else. This is worth it if you're a purist, and if you can put it to good use on a decent set-up or two. A warning though: you may get hooked on high-res and it might lead you to want to upgrade your system(s)!Overall, 5 stars for the sound quality, and needless to say, 5 stars for this amazing album.More music needs to exist like this - and it should be easier to purchase!

...Those are just a few words I use when asked to describe Sea Change, one of my favorite albums of all-time. I'm a huge Beck fan and I admire the way he's able to evolve and pursue a radically different sound on every album. His constant reinvention and knack for hopping genres is a rare gift that few musicians have been able to pull off so successfully. As much as I enjoy his more bizarre and experimental work, I often find that many of my favorite Beck compositions feature stripped down arrangements and more pensive lyrics. He's done some amazing work, yet Sea Change still stands the tallest in my book.You don't have to be nursing a wounded heart or be at rock bottom to connect with this album. Anyone can enjoy the melancholy tunes and sad tales that he weaves here, yet it works best when you're hurting. No matter what may be troubling you, this album with help soothe it. The story here is certainly tragic, as songs like "Guess I'm Doing Fine" and "Lost Cause" quickly reiterate. However, it would be a mistake to assume that this album is just another whiny, self-indulgent breakup album. Beck paints with an entirely finer canvas here, weaving intricate tales of loss and pain with hope and perseverance. The album starts off with darkness, picking up the pieces of a fractured relationship and eventually ends with the advice, "Let it pass on the side of the road". It's haunting and wonderfully done.The production is nothing short of perfect. Beck's voice effortlessly carries every song, allowing the players around him to add their subtle instrumental touches into each track. The production itself is warm and creates an intimate atmosphere that's easy on the ears. It's one of the best sounding records I've ever heard and Nigel Godrich never fails to bring out the best sounds and performances with any artist he works with.Sea Change is life-affirming and gorgeous. It may throw some fans for a loop, especially if you're expecting the fun and energetic genre mashups of his other work. Don't be turned off: this is Beck at his most real and direct. The result is a modern masterpiece. It may not make you feel better, but it will remind you that someone else understands what you're going through. Sometimes that's enough.

bubble wrap only but double bubbled... arrived in good condition, not smashed. could easily have been smashed. case is in ok condition. comes in the standard jewel case with rounded off corners... not a fan... scuffed up and some gunk on the disk tray. the disc itself has some schmoo on it.. could have been cleaned up a bit when it was first inventoried... some antitheft magnetic strip still stuck on the inside... oh well... it's fine... everything seems to be in order... not "very good" IMO, just good... but whocares? i mean "Very"would imply it's not just good, it's a special kind of good... and the only thing special about this is i get to clean it..excellent multichannel presentation!