I'd recommend this disc in any format. To me, it''s a pleasant surprise from the man who last gave us the disingenuous Midnight Vultures (a record of which I didn't really like). On Sea Change, however, the songs feel much more honest; although I doubt Beck is actually as depressed as the record would have us believe. Nonetheless, his songwriting and singing---much like a good Hollywood actor---come across as very genuine. I like it.
The SACD version makes me like it even more.
I had been listening to it in stereo for much of the time, but lately I''ve been listening to it exclusively in surround sound. What a delight!
At first I thought perhaps the surrounds were underutilized. The vocals tend to stay toward the front of the room; and I guess I was expecting more of a 5-CH stereo presentation for the vocals. However, as the album progressed I began to appreciate and recognize the ambience the surrounds provided: The static noise that comes and goes; the rhythmic beats; and the beautiful way the surrounds sometimes drift forward to the mains. It''s a swirling wonderland that helps me to imagine how Radiohead's OK Computer might could sound if mixed for surround---many of the same Nigel Godrich effects are bountiful in both Beck''s and Radiohead''s records. Finally, I began to appreciate how localizing Beck''s vocals across the front three suited the melancholy of the music. This technique also helps to bring out the swirling/ambience effect to the entire room because any ambience that gets stuffed into the center channel (I think) surely gets noticed.
To me, this isn''t one of those SACDs where we''re supposed to get closer to a live performance. This is album art filled with studio magic. The result is no less musical and, I find, it is completely appropriate to the material.
Kudos to Elliot Scheiner for such a superb surround mix!
If you're a Beck fan or just a fan of surround who wants to experience a lush, experimental surroundscape that doesn''t overpower the rest of the mix I recommend picking up this SACD disc.
Note: I have the SACD version, but "Sea Change" has also been released in DVD-Audio.
