Seal - 7

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:22
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Daylight Saving
(4:31)  2. Every Time I'm With You
(5:14)  3. Life On The Dancefloor
(4:08)  4. Padded Cell
(4:36)  5. Do You Ever
(4:30)  6. The Big Love Has Died
(4:24)  7. Redzone Killer
(4:10)  8. Monascow
(3:54)  9. Half A Heart
(4:26) 10. Let Yourself
(4:35) 11. Love

Seal 7 followed the all-covers 2012 set Soul 2 and was the singer's first set of original material since the 2010 release Seal 6: Commitment. More significantly, it was his first originals-oriented collaboration with longtime creative partner and friend Trevor Horn since 2003's Seal 4, and it was made in the wake of the singer's divorce from Heidi Klum. The first single, "Every Time I'm with You," a grand and swirling ballad with an orchestral arrangement from Anne Dudley, showed that Seal had no desire to make his return all about romantic conflict, as it placed him in the setting of a new relationship, willfully abandoning caution: "I can lose it all, it won't be daunting." Another song that reached the public prior to the album, the Jamie Odell co-composition "Life on the Dancefloor," also dealt with being swept up, though in the club through a low-key groove. As with Seal's previous albums, however, Seal 7 does cover a range of emotions. The heavier songs, including the opening "Daylight Saving," the almost overblown "Padded Cell," and "The Big Love Has Died," with a title and scope worthy of Seal 4 are among the most resonant moments. While one could speculate how those songs and the remainder of Seal 7 relate directly to Seal's life, it's clear that the singer and Horn aimed, as they always have, for broad appeal; just about anyone can connect with the pain and elation they relate. They've stuck to the approach that has made them a successful duo since "Crazy," all the way down to the dark synthesized undercurrents. The spirit of Seal 7 proves that they had no reason to change course. ~ Andy Kellman https://www.allmusic.com/album/7-mw0002875382 

7

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Seal - Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:46
Size: 95.6 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Luck Be A Lady
[2:54] 2. Autumn Leaves
[2:54] 3. I Put A Spell On You
[3:14] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:29] 5. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is
[3:42] 6. Love For Sale
[4:30] 7. My Funny Valentine
[3:11] 8. I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:29] 9. Smile
[3:04] 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[4:39] 11. It Was A Very Good Year

Seal: vocals, guitar; Randy Waldman: piano; Greg Fields: drums; Chuck Berghofer: bass; The Puppini Sisters: vocals (10).

It shouldn't be a surprise that Seal would take on the American songbook, with a baritone that was made for classics like "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale." Born Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel in Paddington, England, the singer, guitarist and composer rose to fame with his global hits, and Grammy-winning songs, "Crazy" and "Kiss From a Rose," both from his first self-titled album (Warner Music UK, 1991). That albumand a number of subsequent Seal releases were produced by Trevor Horn of The Buggles and Yes. Seal had previously released two albums dedicated to soul classics but Standards is Seal's first foray into the jazz world.

Seal recruited a number of musicians who would bring additional jazz-legitimacy to this project. Pianist Randy Waldman toured with Frank Sinatra and worked with George Benson and The Manhattan Transfer; Greg Fields also played drums with Sinatra and with The Count Basie Orchestra. Bassist Chuck Berghofer played with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper and others.

Seal's arrangements are not especially innovative but that's an advantage in that the interpretations shine solely on his extraordinary vocal ability. Especially rewarding is "I Put a Spell on You," first made popular by its writer Screamin' Jay Hawkins and later by Nina Simone. Seal offers a beautiful version of "Smile," a hit for Nat "King" Cole in the mid-1950s, the song was written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936, for the soundtrack to his movie Modern Times. Seal gives new life to Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" and includes an outlier, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is," co-written by Randy Newman and Jeannie Seely.

To add to the aura of authenticity, Seal recorded a good portion of the album in the studios where the original classics were captured, including Capitol Records in Los Angeles and Sinatra's United Studios. During his career, Seal has sold more than thirty-million albums and those who appreciate his popular music legacy are not likely to crave a shift to crooner status. Be that as it may, Annie Lennox and Lady Gaga have successfully taken on standards and Seal is, arguably, a more comfortable fit in this genre. Standards never feels like a pop star cross-over and it would be a welcome treat if Seal chose a follow-up with less ancient material. ~Karl Ackermann

Standards 

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