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Reviews of: Soulby Seal
Product Description Soul is a confusing beast. We know Seal has a great voice and can easily imagine him being covering golden oldies with aplomb. Yet this collection of soul favourites is frustratingly patchy. Opener "A Change Is Gonna Come" is impassioned and beautifully-arranged (the album is helmed by David Foster of Celebrity Duets fame, who has made sure it sounds fresh and compelling), and even though it could never compare to Sam Cooke's original, it's ultimately a successful reworking. Seal applies his sandpapery tones to James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", Al Green's "Here I Am" and "I'm Still in Love With You", and Ben E King's "Stand By Me"--all of them with decent results. Decent, yet hardly overwhelming. And here's where the confusion kicks in: why cover a bunch of songs that have already been done to death? Christmas being right around the corner is perhaps one good reason in commercial terms. But when you listen to the singer transform less well-trodden territory like Deniece Williams' "Free" or Ann Peeble's "I Can't Stand the Rain", its hard not to feel this play-it-safe option--while undoubtedly a wonderful Xmas gift--is also a lost creative opportunity. --Danny McKenna Reviews Knock Out! I heard some tracks on Steve Wright and then again in HMV a day later. Knock on Wood is just knock out! I Can't Stand The Rain is fantastic, in fact no track is weak they are all brilliant, so buy it guys!!! 2009-01-04 SEAL ( of ) APPROVAL Since his first noticeable appearance in the listening world, circa 1991, The Wolf has long held a quiet ambivalence with regard to Mr Seal (nee Samuel). My first encounter with the man and his music took place in the dark bowels of a nightclub of low repute in Toulouse where, upon a large screen, I became an accidental witness to the video accompanying his debut single 'Crazy'. It made me sit up and take notice - probably a wise choice given the prevailing circumstances - all those misappropriated white birds fluttering around the striking young man in the long ( and coveted ) black leather coat. With that husky, powerful voice and wild hair he was a captivating and exciting presence. What followed between then and now has always seemed, to me, to be a bit of a hit and miss affair. Mr Seal has his supporters, no doubt, and I would not wish to offend them but each and every one of his releases ( and I have listened to them all ) have displayed huge inconsistencies in quality of both writing and performance. To be sure every album has had two or three very strong songs but for the rest things skate too close to the middle of the road to have been wholly convincing and satisfying. Then along came 'Soul'. This was the album Mr Seal was born to make. The twelve songs in this project display a consummate and quite exemplary artistry. The voice has matured into a powerfully expressive instrument which redefines each and every one of these great songs - and what a collection it is! From the pure falsetto moments on 'I Can't Stand The Rain'; through the rasping delights of "Knock On Wood', to the elemental beauty of 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' and 'I've Been Loving You Too Long', Mr Seal is in complete command of his materials. 'Free' is a surprising and wonderfully realized inclusion and my own particular favorite. Production by Mr Foster also deserves strong applause. The orchestral and horn arrangements in particular are stupendous. Mr Seal is, here, a very fine singer, firing on all six cylinders and at the very height of his powers. Highly Recommended. 2009-01-03 Probably the best Album I have ever heard!! Bar None I bought this CD at Christmas and from the moment that I started listening to it I was blown away by Seals beautiful Soul Filled Voice. Combined with a fantastic selection of songs and the fantastic choice of backing instruments this is probably the best Album I have heard ever. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little Jazz, Soul, Michael Jackson, SEAL himself or even a Casual Listener!! 2008-12-28 Top Rated Album I remember Seal from way way back (not divulging my age) and was glad to get the free disc a while back in a paper. When I learnt of this new album, Christmas couldn't come quick enough. Yes, it is a bit of a 'covers' album but boy does his voice suit them, Seal's voice has certainly come of age. His rendition of the tracks is simply enjoyable. My daughter knows my taste in music and thankfully knew I would hate to have missed this fantastic Soul album. This seems a natural road for Seal, perhaps his residence in the USA for almost 20 years has something to do with it. It is an album I would definitly recomend, as great for relaxing on those lazy days. 2008-12-27 Seal has done it again Seal has created a great album with fantastic interpretations of great classics, masterfully produced by David Foster. Seal has, yet again, showed his great musical capability and talent. With his "sand paper" voice and unique sound he has created some of the best versions of these classics and in some cases comparable with the originals themselves. The originals are and will remain true classics, greats by themselves and unsurpassed by cover versions but Seal brings something different to the tunes, adding his own twist. My personal favorites are "I can't stand the rain" and "If you don't know me by now", two songs that must be some of the most copied songs throughout music history but on this record are truly awesome and will go down in history as some of the best covers. Just these two versions alone are worth the price of the record. Seal isn't competing against the originals, he is interpreting and adding his own soul to the music. The challenge, rather, is against all those other covers out there and here he clearly shines. 2008-12-25 |
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