It was here, at Quadraphonic Quad, that I first learned of this release. After reading the multitude of stellar reviews and finding a copy of the BD-A for $12 I felt that I had to buy it. And I'm glad that I did
I've owned this album on CD for at least half a dozen years. Of the Beck albums that I own this one probably has got the least amount of plays. It's not that it's a bad album, in fact it contains one of my favourite Beck songs (Paper Tiger, which I would often use to demo my stereo), it's just the kind of album you have be in the right mood or situation to listen to.
While I still feel that it is not an everyday kind of album, I find myself listening to this 5.1 mix of Sea Change more often. This multichannel mix is the best I own in terms of sonics. The depth and detail of the tone and timbre of instruments like the steel guitar, strings, piano and percussion are captured beautifully. With increased volume the mix does not become overbearing, it only offers increased clarity. The mix itself is lively and discreet with a lot of action in the rear speakers. I really enjoy how there is a lot of movement around the soundstage with strings, synths, and effects; it is done very tastefully and does not come across as gimmicky. And much like the other Elliot Scheiner mixes that I've heard, I'm quite fond of his deployment of the centre channel - sparse and effective. This is a gold standard demo disc with tracks like The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Lost Cause, End of the Day, and Already Dead being prime examples of how a great multichannel mix sounds.
In my opinion 5.1 mixes do not get much more perfect than this--it is the ideal frame, elevating the piece of art that is Beck's Sea Change.
A solid 10 from me.
:51banana: