SealRevisited

Seal Album II

This album represent for me the Excellence, the excellence in songwriting, in production and in peformance. This entire album has a certain uniformity to it. Uniform in richness, uniform in content and uniform in high quality. The songs are those of a mature and intelligent lyricist and a singer in command of his voice. The production is spot on. Any time an artist tackles mature subjects there is the possibility of making the songs too preachy or simply sullen, but this whole album sounds hopeful and positive. Every track is a standout, there are simply no bad choices in the bunch. It's an album that holds up well too.

In this 1994 release, with smash hits Kiss From a Rose, Prayer for the Dying, and Don't Cry, Seal has moved to a slightly different sound, a very unique blend of soul, "R&B and ... medieval", said Trevor Horn at the 1995 Grammies.

Abrupt though perfectly calculated chord changes -- with spontaneous shifts from a major to minor key -- can account for the medieval flair. For example, in the song Kiss from a Rose, Seal sings, "...did you know (major), that when it snows (minor), my eyes become large and the light that you shine can't be seen..." Listeners of pop don't come across chord progressions of this nature too often. Nor do they come across time signatures such as the 7/8 meter featured in Dreaming in Metaphors -- the smooth, climactic, and mesmerizing ballad new-breed, also featured on this release. Synthesizers are used more as an "embellishing" tool, with vintage Trevor Horn frills and nuances woven throughout each piece.

If you listen to music for the mood it evokes, this album is unprecedented. The pop, jazz, soul, and dance listener will all be captivated. I have yet to hear a production with a greater attention to detail -- much owed to the genius of Trevor Horn. There isn't a thing out of place; when there are a multitude of simultaneous instruments playing, the acoustic image is never cluttered.

The two-year production time on this second album shines through on every track. Like any true masterpiece, you can listen to this album over, and over, and over again. It is a timeless, exemplary display of creative mastery and genre-defining perfection... the Sistine Chapel of records

And you have the lyrics. I remember reading somewhere that Seal suffered a major mental and physical breakdown as he was recording this album, and the recovery from that is what you hear here. "Crossing that bridge with lessons I've learned", "Don't wait until tomorrow...bring it on", "The future is my friend...it hurts but it treats me well". The words are not deep, but they're effective.

And the third thing is the swirling production of Trevor Horn. He sort of sticks Seal in a musical no-man's land, where any sound goes, and it manages to work. There are dance influences, funk influences, but then there's songs like "People Asking Why" and "Don't Cry", which are pure atmospheric pop balladry. The former Yes-man (and the dude behind the boards for Frankie Goes To Hollywood) sticks Seal in a sea of beautiful arrangements, some elaborate, some simple. "Bring It On" surrounds you with a claustrophobic, yet funky feel. "Dreaming In Metaphors" strolls along at a leisurely pace, with a subdued bass groove and walls of Seal vocals coming down like the best shower you've ever taken. "Don't Cry" has a grand orchestral sweep, while "If I Could" is an eerie/airy piano ballad with walls of icy synths.

While Seal (with trusty producer Horn in tow) has released several other quality albums, none have yet to have the emotional or musical impact of his second release, a true masterpiece.