Beck - Sea Change (2002)

SOLD! $35.00

Auction Link (ends August 20th)

DGC Records: B0004372 Original First Pressing

Format: 2X12" Double LP 180g Audiophile Vinyl

Includes: Original generic white inner sleeves

Cover Condition:Near Mint - Purchased brand new by me, pulled from the shelf only a few times and always stored vertically in a protective poly sleeve.

Vinyl Condition: Near Mint - Only played a few times, still like new!

Release Info: Sea Change is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock artist Beck and was released in September 2002. Inspired by the dissolution of a relationship, Sea Change received glowing reviews upon its release.

Sea Change peaked at #8 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and was eventually certified gold in March 2005. In the UK charts, it peaked at #20. As of July 2008, Sea Change has sold 680,000 copies in the United States. 

On Sea Change, much of Beck's trademark recondite, ironic lyrics were replaced by more sincere, simpler lyrical content. He also eschewed the heavy sampling of his previous albums for real, live instrumentation. In interviews, Beck cited the breakup with his long-term girlfriend as the major influence on the album.

In 2002, Sea Change was one of only two albums to receive Rolling Stone magazine's highest rating of five stars, the other being Bruce Springsteen's The Rising. The magazine went on to call it the best album of 2002. The next year, the album was ranked number 440 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was ranked number 17 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best albums of the 00s.

Sea Change was released with four different album covers, each version containing distinct artwork on the CD and the booklet. There were also different hidden messages (lyrical snippets) written under each version's CD tray.

The original cover art for the album was used as an effigy in the music video for lead single "Lost Cause".

It is said that the album sound concept is inspired by the sound of Serge Gainsbourg's album Histoire de Melody Nelson. Beck would later produce an album for, and record with, Gainsbourg's daughter Charlotte.

All songs written by Beck Hansen.

1."The Golden Age" – 4:35

2."Paper Tiger" – 4:36

3."Guess I'm Doing Fine" – 4:49
4."Lonesome Tears" – 5:38
5."Lost Cause" – 3:47
6."End of the Day" – 5:03
7."It's All in Your Mind" – 3:06
8."Round the Bend" – 5:15
9."Already Dead" – 2:59
10."Sunday Sun" – 4:45
11."Little One" – 4:27
12."Side of the Road" – 3:23

Beck - Midnight Vultures (2000)

SOLD! $42.00

Auction Link (ends August 20th)

Bong Load: BL46 Original First Pressing

Format: 12" Gatelfold LP

Includes: Original Lyrics/Photo Insert

Cover Condition:Near Mint - Pulled from the shelf only a few times and always stored vertically in a protective poly sleeve.

Vinyl Condition: Near Mint - Only played a few times, still like new!

Release Info: Midnite Vultures is the seventh (and fourth major-label) studio album by American alternative rock artist Beck, released in November 1999 by Geffen Records. Though similar to most of Beck's previous albums in its exploration of widely varying musical styles, Midnite Vultures didn't achieve the same blockbuster success as his breakthrough, Odelay though it was well-received by his fans and critics and continues to receive wide acclaim.

Midnite Vultures reached #34 in the U.S., where it went gold, and also hit #19 in the UK. As of July 2008, Midnite Vultures has sold 743,000 copies in the United States.

The album was praised by most critics. Some like Rolling Stone, NME and Pitchfork Media praised the album with 4-star reviews (8.5/10 on Pitchfork). It was awarded the status of 'Universal Acclaim' by MetaCritic with a score of 83/100 but in 2006 was named the 50th 'Worst Album Ever' by music magazine Q, despite the fact that they gave the album 4 stars.

Midnite Vultures was nominated in 2000 for Best Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards.

Several songs were inspired by very prominent 80s acts; "Debra" was inspired by both Prince's hit "Raspberry Beret" and the David Bowie song "Win" from Young Americans, while "Get Real Paid" quotes directly from Kraftwerk's Computer World album. Working titles for the album included Zatyricon (the name of a song released in 2000 as a B-side on the "Nicotine & Gravy" single and later included on the Beck EP) and I Can Smell the V.D. in the Club Tonight (a line from "Milk & Honey").

The first 500,000 copies came in a digipak.

All songs were written by Beck Hansen, except where noted.

1."Sexx Laws" – 3:39
2."Nicotine & Gravy" – 5:13
3."Mixed Bizness" – 4:10
Ends with 25 seconds of noise (described as "robots doing the nasty").
4."Get Real Paid" – 4:20
5."Hollywood Freaks" (Hansen, John King, Michael Simpson) – 3:59
6."Peaches & Cream" – 4:54
7."Broken Train" (originally titled "Out of Kontrol") – 4:11
8."Milk & Honey" (Hansen, Buzz Clifford) – 5:18
9."Beautiful Way" – 5:44
Ends with 9 seconds of spray-painting effects.
Seemingly inspired by The Velvet Underground's "Countess from Hong Kong," a demo of which appears on the 1995 box set Peel Slowly and See. (Beck's bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen claimed they had been listening to the demo while recording the 1999 b-side "Halo of Gold.")
10."Pressure Zone" – 3:07
11."Debra" (Hansen, King, Simpson) – 13:46

Beck - Mutations (1998)

SOLD! $35.50

Auction Link (ends August 20th)

Bong Load: BL39 Original First Pressing

Format: 12" LP

Includes: All original inserts: BONUS 7" single, Multi-fold photo/art and lyrics insert, and DGC promotional Beck publicity photo!!!

Cover Condition: Near Mint - Pulled from the shelf only a few times and always stored vertically in a protective poly sleeve.

Vinyl Condition: Near Mint - Only played a few times, still like new!

Release Info: Mutations is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock artist Beck, released in 1998 on Bong Load Records. Though less successful on the charts than the preceding Odelay, Mutations established Beck as an eclectic and innovative artist for his sample-free mixture of far-ranging musical genres, including tropicalia, bossa nova, country, and blues. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Mutations was produced by Nigel Godrich, who was well-known at that point for his previous work with Radiohead. The album contains a number of Moog keyboards, acoustic guitars, and string arrangements. The production style was very different from that of his previous album Odelay, which was heavily influenced by hip-hop music and contained many samples. The lyrical content of Mutations is also much more somber and serious than that on Odelay, apparent in the songs "Nobody's Fault But My Own" and "Dead Melodies."

The title Mutations may be a nod to an influential tropicalia band of the late 60s, Os Mutantes.

The record's front cover, a picture of Beck tangled in plastic wrap, was taken by music photographer Autumn de Wilde. Art direction was by abstract artist Robert M. Fisher.

The interior artwork features sculptures and drawings by artist Tim Hawkinson.

Before beginning the recording sessions, Beck gained permission from the major label he was under contract with, Geffen, to release Mutations on the small indie label Bong Load Records. However, when Geffen executives heard the album, they reneged on their agreement and released the record. This led to a lawsuit filed by Beck against Geffen. As the record was in a markedly different style than the multi-platinum Odelay, Geffen's marketing effort suggested that the album was not an "official" follow-up, but this was not given wide credence in the music press.

Singles were released for the songs "Tropicalia", "Cold Brains", and "Nobody's Fault But My Own". No promotional music videos were made for any of the singles. Beck appeared on Saturday Night Live in promotion of Mutations, performing "Tropicalia" and "Nobody's Fault But My Own."

Mutations peaked at #13 in the US, going gold, and achieved #24 in the UK and #23 in Australia. As of July 2008, Mutations has sold 586,000 copies in the United States.

The album received mostly positive reviews, gaining four stars from Rolling Stone and a 9.0 from Pitchfork Media. AllMusic deemed the record "one of the finest albums of the 1990s."

All songs written by Beck Hansen.

1."Cold Brains" – 3:41
2."Nobody's Fault but My Own" – 5:02
3."Lazy Flies" – 3:44
4."Canceled Check" – 3:14
5."We Live Again" – 3:05
6."Tropicalia" – 3:20
7."Dead Melodies" – 2:36
8."Bottle of Blues" – 4:56
9."O Maria" – 3:59
10."Sing It Again" – 4:19
11."Static" – 11:20

Beck - Odelay (1996)

SOLD! $45.50

Auction Link (ends August 20th)

Bong Load: BL30 Original First Pressing

Format: 12" LP 180g Audiophile Vinyl

Includes: All original inserts! Tri-fold poster, Bong Load Sticker, and Merchandise Order Form

Cover Condition: Near Mint - Pulled from the shelf only a few times and always stored vertically in a protective poly sleeve.

Vinyl Condition: Near Mint - Only played a few times, still like new!

Release Info: Odelay is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock artist Beck, originally released on June 18, 1996 on Bong Load Records. After the mainstream success of "Loser", Odelay featured several hit singles, including "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution". The album peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually sold over 2 million copies in the United States. It was also Beck's first hit album in the United Kingdom, making #17; it has since gone platinum in the UK.

The sessions for what would become Odelay originally began as a subdued, acoustic affair. In 1994, Beck started to record tracks for his follow-up to Mellow Gold with Bong Load producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Hansen had recently experienced a number of personal tragedies (including the death of his grandfather, Al Hansen), and the tone of the songs as well as their production were considerably somber. Only a handful of tracks from these sessions have been released: "Ramshackle", "Feather in Your Cap", and "Brother". All three of these songs are acoustic, sparse, and melancholic, and have a haunting sound very different from the more upbeat, "party" style of Odelay. Beck would eventually return to this downbeat style with his 1998 album, Mutations.

He would eventually abandon work with Rothrock and Schnapf, opting to work with the Dust Brothers instead. The Dust Brothers' production style was notably more upbeat and hip-hop-focused; their résumé included work with The Beastie Boys and Tone Lōc.

The title is a phonetic English rendering of the Mexican slang interjection "órale." The phrase "odelay" is repeated in the lyrics during the outro of the song "Lord Only Knows".

The album's unusual cover photo, which has been misinterpreted as a mop head jumping over a hurdle, is actually a real photo of a Komondor, a rare Hungarian breed of dog with thick matted hair. The image was chosen at the last minute after Beck failed to decide on an album cover. The image was presented to him by his girlfriend and was chosen almost out of desperation. The typeface was chosen by a record company worker.

Odelay won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Where It's At'. It was ranked 16 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005". It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll, and also in the NME's annual critics poll. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Odelay the 51st greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 305 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Voters in Channel 4's 2005 "100 Greatest Albums" poll placed it at number 73. The music website Pitchfork Media ranked it at #19 on their top 100 albums of the 1990s.

All songs written by Beck, John King and Michael Simpson, except where noted. All tracks produced by Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers, except where noted.

1."Devils Haircut" – 3:14
2."Hotwax" – 3:49
3."Lord Only Knows" (Beck Hansen) – 4:14
4."The New Pollution" – 3:39
5."Derelict" – 4:12
6."Novacane" – 4:37
7."Jack-Ass" – 4:11
8."Where It's At" – 5:30
9."Minus" (Beck Hansen) – 2:32
Produced by Beck Hansen, Mario Caldato Jr. and Brian Paulson.
10."Sissyneck" – 3:52
11."Readymade" – 2:37
12."High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" – 4:10
13."Ramshackle" (Beck Hansen) – 7:29

Beck - Mellow Gold (1994)

SOLD! $42.01

Auction Link (ends August 20th)

Bong Load Records: BL12

Includes: Original generic white inner sleeve

Cover Condition: Near Mint - Pulled from the shelf only a few times and always stored vertically in a protective poly sleeve.

Vinyl Condition: Near Mint - Only played a few times, still like new!

Release Info:Mellow Gold is the third studio album by American alternative rock musician Beck, as well as his major label debut. Mellow Gold was released on March 1, 1994 on the strength of the surprise hit "Loser" (U.S. #10). Informed by the irreverent Gen X slacker and punk-influenced anti-folk styles of his earlier independent work, critics noted its hybrid of styles and ironic, witty lyrics. The decidedly anti-commercial attitude of Mellow Gold unexpectedly became a commercial success, and the album went platinum. Because of the novelty style of "Loser," Beck was initially perceived by some as a flash in the pan, but the subsequent release of critically-acclaimed album Odelay has silenced these claims.

In an effort to get the album into stores such as Wal-Mart and Kmart, which do not stock albums with a "parental advisory sticker", a "clean" version of the album was released.

Mellow Gold reached #13 in the U.S., and #41 in the UK. As of July 2008, Mellow Gold has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States.

1."Loser" (Beck, Karl Stephenson) – 3:55
2."Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" – 3:15
3."Fuckin With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock)" – 3:41
4."Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997" – 3:28
5."Soul Suckin Jerk" (Beck, Stephenson) – 3:57
6."Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)" – 2:55
7."Sweet Sunshine" (Beck, Stephenson) – 4:14
8."Beercan" (Beck, Stephenson) – 4:00
9."Steal My Body Home" – 5:34
10."Nitemare Hippy Girl" – 2:55
11."Mutherfuker" – 2:04
12."Blackhole" – 7:33

Beck LPs Hitting eBay!

Moving right along to the B's we have Mr. Beck Hanson. As will be the case from here on out, I'll showcase the LPs here and provide the links to the auctions on eBay. All of my Beck LPs are the original releases, some extremely rare. All are in near mint condition and include all of the extra goodies that were originally packaged with the albums. Beck Hansen is an United States musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known by the stage name Beck. With a pop art collage of musical styles, oblique and ironic lyrics, and postmodern arrangements incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and sound effects, Beck has been hailed by critics and the public throughout his musical career as being amongst the most creative and idiosyncratic musicians of 1990s and 2000s alternative rock. He rose to underground popularity with his early works, which combined social criticism (as in "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack" and "Deep Fried Love") with musical and lyrical experimentation. He first earned wider public attention for his breakthrough single "Loser", a 1994 hit. Beck has released 8 major label albums. Two of Beck's most popular and acclaimed recordings were Odelay and Sea Change. Odelay was awarded Album of the Year by American magazine Rolling Stone and by UK publications NME and Mojo. Odelay also received a Grammy nomination for Best Album. To date, Beck has sold 7 million copies in the United States, and around 15 million worldwide. Similar Artists: Broken Bells, Frank Black, Camper Van Beethoven, The White Stripes, Gorillaz, Pulp, Simple Kid, Guided by Voices, The Breeders, Butter 08, Mercury Rev, N.E.R.D., East River Pipe, Folk Implosion, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Dr. Octagon, Smog, Hayden, Cripples, Liz Phair, Gnarls Barkley