#436 - Beck - Sea Change (2002)
MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE:
Released on September 24th of 2002 and produced by Nigel Godrich, “Sea Change” is the eighth studio album by Los Angeles alternative, folk, anti-folk, art-rock, Americana artist Beck Hansen.
Since breaking through on the music scene with the folk/hip-hop worldwide hit single “Loser” in 1994 Beck’s subsequent albums touched on genres as diverse as sample-based alternative pop, country-twang, dreamy psychedelia, and Prince-inspired funk.
It was in 2000 after the tour for his 1999 funk album, “Midnite Vultures” that Beck returned home and found an email from a musician from local L.A. band Whiskey Biscuit to his girlfriend and fiancee of nine years, stylist Leigh Limon, that confirmed their affair. It was only a few weeks before Beck’s 30th birthday.
The relationship ended and heartbroken, betrayed, and introspective Beck threw himself into writing almost all twelve acoustic-based songs for this record in about a week. Unlike his previous work which often relied on cryptic and humorously whimsical lyrics these songs directly and frankly dealt with his longing and painful feelings.
The songs were similar with the stark, break-up subject matter of Bob Dylan’s “Blood On The Tracks” and Marvin Gaye’s “Here, My Dear.”
However at that point he felt that they were more of a cathartic and therapeutic experience and too personal to share so he shelved them.
By 2001 he was ready to put them down with producer Nigel Godrich but 9/11 upended the world. In January of 2002 Beck attempted to record them with producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura but those sessions didn’t come together. A few months later Nigel Godrich returned and Beck went into the studio in March with his usual roster of musicians: keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr., bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen, drummer Joey Waronker, and guitarist Smokey Hormel.
He was also joined by cellist Suzie Katayama, R&B drum-hero James Gadson, and muti-instrumentalist Jon Brion and guitarist Jason Falkner who had both been in The Grays and had both played with Roger Manning in the legendary band Jellyfish.
Beck’s father, the famous composer David Campbell arranged and conducted the string arrangement on one song.
Inspired by French musical artist Serge Gainsbourg’s 1971 concept album, “Histoire de Melody Nelson” the sound of the record would be acoustic-based and showcase Beck’s role as a singer/songwriter as opposed to an art-pop artist.
They planned to work quickly and spontaneously, often recording live and moving on after a few takes. Even then they ran overtime and had to sneak back in between sessions for Joni Mitchell who took over the studio.
After three weeks of recording and a couple months of mixing, twelve new songs and one remake of a previous single were complete.
One song was cut from the album but the rest reflected everything Beck had gone through.
The term, “Sea Change” means a transformative shift in perspective and retailers were concerned that the sea change in Beck’s sound would limit the record’s commercial appeal. In preparation and to promote “Sea Change” the songs were released in album order weekly during July and August of 2002 on Beck’s website.
Although it only peaked at number eight on Billboard’s chart it was given a glowing five-star review and picked as Album of the Year by Rolling Stone Magazine.This melancholy masterpiece has gone on to be considered one of Beck’s most personal and respected out of his fourteen album career to date.