Beck, "Sea Change," MOFI #3421, RARE, Ultrasonic Clean, Play Grade = Mint

$

280

Dr. John's Spin Factory is proud to offer an impressive album of moving, 'from-the-heart' songs from an unlikely source, that being the artist, Beck, form his 2002 double album, Sea Change.  Before we get to the music itself, the version up for sale is the 2009 reissue from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MOFI).  The number assigned to this copy is 3421.  Playback and visual grading are Mint.  From the perspective of this listener's experience, both of these discs provide exceptional sound quality.  No equivocation, just plain great.  The high quality, gatefold Jacket is in Near Mint Shape with only the very slightest wear at the corners.  As for the music, here is AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine with his 5-star (out of 5 stars) review...

Beck has always been known for his ever-changing moods -- particularly since they often arrived one after another on one album, sometimes within one song -- yet the shift between the neon glitz of Midnite Vultures and the lush, somber Sea Change is startling, and not just because it finds him in full-on singer/songwriter mode, abandoning all of the postmodern pranksterism of its predecessor. What's startling about Sea Change is how it brings everything that's run beneath the surface of Beck's music to the forefront, as if he's unafraid to not just reveal emotions, but to elliptically examine them in this wonderfully melancholy song cycle. If, on most albums prior to this, Beck's music was a sonic kaleidoscope -- each song shifting familiar and forgotten sounds into colorful, unpredictable combinations -- this discards genre-hopping in favor of focus, and the concentration pays off gloriously, resulting in not just his best album, but one of the greatest late-night, brokenhearted albums in pop. This, as many reviews and promotional interviews have noted, is indeed a breakup album, but it's not a bitter listen; it has a wearily beautiful sound, a comforting, consoling sadness. His words are often evocative, but not nearly as evocative as the music itself, which is rooted equally in country-rock (not alt-country), early-'70s singer/songwriterism, and baroque British psychedelia. With producer Nigel Godrich, Beck has created a warm, enveloping sound, with his acoustic guitar supported by grand string arrangements straight out of Paul Buckmaster, eerie harmonies, and gentle keyboards among other subtler touches that give this record a richness that unveils more with each listen. Surely, some may bemoan the absence of the careening, free-form experimentalism of Odelay, but Beck's gifts as a songwriter, singer, and musician have never been as brilliant as they are here. As Sea Change is playing, it feels as if Beck singing to you alone, revealing painful, intimate secrets that mirror your own. It's a genuine masterpiece in an era with too damn few of them. 

I would corroborate, if not reinforce the above with this: Beck's Sea Change is the first album in my six decades of critical listening to all types and styles of music that has reminded me strongly of Nick Drake's first two albums, Bryter Layter and Five Leaves Left.  Both of these Nick Drake creations are exceptional, and both stand as benchmarks in their craftsmanship and style, especially given the benefit of 55+ years of appreciative audiences since Mr. Drake gifted the world with them.  The salient point: similar to Nick Drake's first two LPs, Beck's Sea Change is, at first, a beautiful listening experience that, upon repeated exposures, reveals layers of meaning, emotional expression, and ultimately the rare treat of exceptional musical satisfaction.  

Please note, the MOFI version of this album is rare and highly sought after.  Discogs indicates that over the past year the MOFI version has sold for between $200 and $500.  Hence, my decision to offer the current Mint copy of Beck's Sea Change via auction with an opening bid of $200.

Shipping will be free.  Both discs will be packed in their sleeves inside the album's plastic slipcover, however outside of the jacket.  This prevents the relatively heavy vinyl discs from damaging the jacket's edges during shipment.

Good luck!  May an increasingly large tranche of your music collection be albums such as Sea Change, masterpieces of enduring pleasure.  Best,  Dr. John