Defend the Indefensible: SEAL

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I'm thinking there might be a crossover payoff in this risky interest. The black Sting? And is that a bad thing?

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

He's CUTE and i liked "Crazy"

― Haibun (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/reviewgfx/seal5.jpg

"Trevor Horn declared me the greatest British male vocalist of the last twenty years, and he knows his stuff generally"

― Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

When I was a kid, I liked "Kiss from a Rose." I'm sure if I heard it now I wouldn't like it, but in my memory, it's a great song.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

First album was okay.

When I was a kid, I liked "Kiss from a Rose."...

Jeez, how young are you?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

FUGLY

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I have yet to hear a Seal song I really, really dislike (although "Fly Like A Eagle" came close).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

seal is far from indefensible. he made killer for fucks sake!

― ppp, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

seal is far from indefensible. he made killer for fucks sake!

Well, no. ADAMSKI made "Killer". Seal just sang on it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm completely ignorant. Does he ever get dancey? or is it all just balladeering?

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

he's engaged to heidi klum

― shut up, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Does he ever get dancey?

On the first album (the first track, notably). Not sure about after that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

He's released some pretty songs.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, BUY THE FIRST ALBUM.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

With all this praise, he doesn't seem risky enough anymore.

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Most of Seal's singles have been nice enough, and some have been great.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Does Trevor pull out any of that ol Frankie magic on those discs?

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"Well, no. ADAMSKI made "Killer". Seal just sang on it."

yeah, cos if adamski sang on it, it would have been just as good.

― ppp, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Adamski's original Killer is excellent

― lukey (Lukey G), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Seal recorded and released his own version of 'Killer' (he also wrote the song in the first place?). he's been remixed by William Orbit and Brian Transeau and did that vaguely dancey track with Jakatta (aka Dave Lee of Joey Negro and Raven Maize 'fame') last year.

'Crazy' is fantastic not least for Horn's pomp n' ceremony

― Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I am pretty sure that I remeber hearing (in one of those 'best of' tv shows) that the both wrote it. Apparently one of them was working the counter at Kentish Town Macdonalds and the other was a regular customer. They got talking about music and laughed at the coincidence that they were both working on a track called 'Killer.' They put the two togeather and the rest as they say...
Although the local connection, along with the story's effortless grace (and my obsession with early rave culture) makes me think i may have dreamed it.

― lukey (Lukey G), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

'crazy' is great, and so is 'kiss from a rose'. there's another song on the first album ('killer'?) that's nice, too. his voice is instantly recognizable, but i guess you could say that about marge simpson, too.

― Jay-Kid (Jay-Kid), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fast Changes", "Dream in Metaphors," and "People Asking Why" (from second album) are all excellent songs.

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

The black Sting?

Nay, Gabriel.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

His very first album isn't just "not bad", but dare I say it, CLASSIC. His voice is fucking BUTTER.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

alex, i'm 21.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude's got some great pipes, and I remember being blown away by the 12-inch of "Killer" back in high school. I've never bought a Seal album, but I've enjoyed pretty much all of his singles over the years, and I think "Killer" and "Crazy" (which still sounds great) earn him a spot in the canon.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Beginning" on the first eponymous album is awesome: it's got that house sound popular in '90 and '91, sung with an abandon he's all but lost.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't possibly see how Sealhenry Samuel would be indefensible. Granted, "Kiss from a Rose" unnerved me after a while, but otherwise...

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"Prayer for the Dying" from the second album is pretty good, too. I think I liked that one better than "Kiss From a Rose," and then suddenly the latter got huge.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

there's some joke about blind people enjoying his lyrics by reading his face but I don't remember it so well

― Straub (AndyHart), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Well enough. Thanks.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

made a cool vid or two

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, I really liked Kiss From A Rose at the time.. I was 12! haven't heard it in years.

― derrick (derrick), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd seriously consider buying a hits album except for "Fly Like An Eagle."

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

hey, one came out last year! And he covers "Lips Like Sugar"!

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost: does he keep the Space Intro?

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd seriously consider buying a hits album except for "Fly Like An Eagle."

But, but - he sings the bridge to his own "Crazy" on the outro! Bonus points for cheeky bugger-ness.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Before maximum overexposure "Kiss from a Rose" sounded pretty great. Lovely melody. "Fly Like An Eagle" is the kind of excresence every artist with a sudden upswing in his income will indulge in from time to time.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:27 (twenty-one years ago)

'Humans Being' was a daring single. Epic for a pop song.

― Wookie Rookie, Thursday, 20 January 2005 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Human Being" is wonderful.

Seriously, Seal is fantastic; I don't get the genesis of this thread at all.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked the sound of Human Being too. I think I might even have that single around somewhere.

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.tindall.freeserve.co.uk/Selina/Seal/Lying%20seal.jpg

What's wrong with my face? Huh? HUH?

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

We all can't be as tolerant of gloss as you Dan, but we're trying.

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

And he quit music for a while to be a snowboarder. Chalk up 20 points for that one.

― Bernard the Butler (Lynskey), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

His voice seems really pinched and restrained to me; I had no idea people thought he had great pipes. Wow. You learn something new every day. Never thought he remotely had a way with a hook or a dance beat either, at least judging from the hits, which are some of the most shapeless, least catchy ballads I've ever heard on the radio. I also agree with whoever said "fugly." His face totally creeps me out. But what the hell do I know.

― chuck, Monday, 7 February 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

http://max.msn.de/iimages/492105_600_337_e.jpg

case closed

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Monday, 7 February 2005 23:58 (twenty-one years ago)

(Then again, I don't get Tori Amos or Bjork or Sinead O'Connor or solo Sting or post-"Shock the Monkey" Peter Gabriel either, and I figure he's more or less in that genre...Like, maybe if Lenny Kravitz joined that genre or something. No warmth in his music whatsoever, or what I've heard of it. And I hear way more pop-song drama in, say, Celine Dion. But that probably just means I'm not his demographic. Has anybody compared TV on the Radio to him? Suddenly I'm thinking that might make sense -- I bet TV on the Radio fans would be way more likely to like Seal than I am...)

xpost, hi snap peas

― chuck, Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:02 (twenty-one years ago)

er...TV ON The Radio dude doesn't remind me of Seal at all. i think the big thing with Seal has always been the vocal overdubs - his background wailing and echoes of himself had some power and haunting quality, this is not to say his voice is weak (it clearly isn't) but perhaps his range always was (no TVPTR-ish falsetto for example, tho you may consider that a good thing) relatively. i'm not sure about the 'warmth' factor but i think what made 'Killer' so effective originally was Seal had a very cold tone of soul.

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

and the four female vocalists you mentioned there all perhaps share the ability to affect that cold tone, even Celine! just think if she'd made a big proper hate song she'd probably sound more like Sinead, at least at times.

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 13 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

jacques lu cont: can do no wrong....defend/refute

― rogermexico., Thursday, 17 July 2008 04:23 (seventeen years ago)

the original killer with adamski is still er, killer.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Thursday, 17 July 2008 08:53 (seventeen years ago)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8_lvGfGwLNA

DATED MUCH?

― amateurist, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:03 (seventeen years ago)

the video has. but the song still sounds good. this is the original though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XBcT41ImSI

the one you linked has live drums which ruin it.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:08 (seventeen years ago)

"Seal is one of the best "R&B" acts of the past 20 years."

has he ever really been an R&B act?

― titchyschneiderMk2, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:09 (seventeen years ago)

no, but he's black.

― amateurist, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:13 (seventeen years ago)

you have to get on geir hongro's wavelength.

― amateurist, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:13 (seventeen years ago)

btw thanks the version you posted is better. and i meant the video, not the song, had dated badly.

i used to complain to record shop clerks when a black singer would be stuck in r&b just cos-- like charley pride for example (!!).

― amateurist, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:31 (seventeen years ago)

as far as the TVOTR thing upthread, i read an interview where one of the guys from TVTOR said he used to be a seal fan. he was pissed off when he found his first album in the soul and R&B section.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:35 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

http://13.media.tumblr.com/u7BPcK0fRp6kcyducqYPCOJko1_500.jpg

― omar little, Thursday, 13 August 2009 01:04 (sixteen years ago)

Seal is one of the best "R&B" acts of the past 20 years

For the record, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please note the use of quotation marks.

― Anatomy of a Morbius (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 August 2009 01:08 (sixteen years ago)

Seal's first two albums rule. After that, I just can't get down. I love his voice and I can listen to "Kiss From A Rose" over and over.

― pipecock, Thursday, 13 August 2009 05:15 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

KISS FROM A ROSE IS ONE OF THE BEST SINGLES OF THE 90s!

Ghostly moonlit beauty, and the best thing associated with Batman since the Nolan films. Can you actually believe the overlapping harmonising in the middle-8??

― Davek (davek_00), Tuesday, 25 January 2011 19:50 (fifteen years ago)

he's married to heidi klum.

― Beardie you disappoint me (chrisv2010), Tuesday, 25 January 2011 20:22 (fifteen years ago)

Not sure about Damo Suzuki on 1st Seal album!

― mmmm, Tuesday, 25 January 2011 20:35 (fifteen years ago)

Thin White Duke dub of 'Amazing' - so good they won't allow it on youtube (tried uploading it twice now)

― idgi fridays (blueski), Tuesday, 25 January 2011 20:59 (fifteen years ago)

Kiss From a Rose is good, but Killer is phenomenal.

― Rejoice that you weren't eaten (chap), Tuesday, 25 January 2011 22:43 (fifteen years ago)

Les Mots, the song he did with Mylene Farmer, was beautiful.

― ShariVari, Tuesday, 25 January 2011 23:46 (fifteen years ago)

"Seal" and.... ummmm.... "Seal" were both very good album. It was downhill from then on, particularly after he stopped working with Trevor Horn.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 04:18 (fifteen years ago)

i requested & successfully got "kissed by a rose" played on the radio at my work every day during my lunch break for like eight days straight this summer

― flopson, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 04:21 (fifteen years ago)

eight months pass...

http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hie696532SMALL.jpg

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:26 (fourteen years ago)

who's the guy on the right?

― Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:30 (fourteen years ago)

guy from amistad iirc

― strongo hulkington's ghost dad, Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:33 (fourteen years ago)

we're never gonna survive unless
we get a little
FREE

― Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:35 (fourteen years ago)

i got no problem with this guy btw. but then my weakness for pop music released between 1988 and 1991 is well-documented.

― strongo hulkington's ghost dad, Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:37 (fourteen years ago)

yeah i have never been mad to hear Seal albums at my dad's house, which i have many many times

― Am the ship hence S.O.M.E. (some dude), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:38 (fourteen years ago)

The first album is impressive and I don't know if Trevor Horn or anyone managed that disco/acoustic amalgam we hear on that one.

― Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:39 (fourteen years ago)

if Trevor HOrn managed it again, rather

― Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 22:39 (fourteen years ago)

I actually think Seal was mostly very good back when he worked with Trevor Horn. Never cared much for anything of what he has done after that.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 23:20 (fourteen years ago)

"Seal" and.... ummmm.... "Seal" were both very good album. It was downhill from then on, particularly after he stopped working with Trevor Horn.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:18 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark

holy crap geir did you ever realize that sometimes you repeat yourself!?!?

― Am the ship hence S.O.M.E. (some dude), Tuesday, 4 October 2011 23:34 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

Seriously, BUY THE FIRST ALBUM.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, January 19, 2005 11:03 AM (8 years ago)

DJP OTM

Haven't been a fan of much he's done since the debut, but some of this stuff from '91 (I'm listening right now) sounds modern and present-day and probably will in another ten years too.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:41 (twelve years ago)

I was nuts about "Crazy" and "Killer" back when they were new, probably to the detriment of the rest of the album. I hardly remember any of the other tracks, so today's exploration is essentially like hearing it for the first time.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:44 (twelve years ago)

oh dude "Future Love Paradise" is the SHIT

― the pheromones of hot clothing (DJP), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:45 (twelve years ago)

Yeah, this is great.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:50 (twelve years ago)

FLP and "The Beginning" were the first two Seal songs I heard because I became aware of him while living in Germany when FLP was a moderate hit and was paying attention for "The Beginning" was released during my freshman year of college, so my appreciation/conception of the album was never based on "Crazy" and "Killer".

― the pheromones of hot clothing (DJP), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:57 (twelve years ago)

actually I did hear a remix of "Crazy" on a dance comp while I was in Germany but it's different enough from the album/single version that it almost should be considered its own thing

― the pheromones of hot clothing (DJP), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:58 (twelve years ago)

For some reason, I remember this little "Beatlesque" outro in "Deep Water" clearly. Probably because it comes right before "Crazy" and I had the album on cassette.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:02 (twelve years ago)

And yeah, "The Beginning" is amazing.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:03 (twelve years ago)

"The Beginning" is one of those time-and-place songs: I hear those synth strings and I'm transported to fall '91.

I heard FLP recently and it sounded amazing, esp the bass.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:56 (twelve years ago)

Violet is so cool. Love the first album to pieces. Such good memories. I like the second.

― mmmm, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 21:46 (twelve years ago)

Late last year I was hanging out with a couple of producers and we got to talking about Trevor Horn. One of them asked "What is Trevor Horn's best work?" They both agreed it was the first Seal album. I was really surprised they went with him over Frankie, Grace Jones and of course The Lexicon of Love which I nominated (probably my favourite album ever) Anyway I've liked some of his singles over the years so might give it a go. This thread has convinced me too, especially Geir's contributions.

― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:18 (twelve years ago)

How old were they? That matters too.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:19 (twelve years ago)

Probably in their mid forties, maybe a little older. They talked about being a synth pop band in the 80's. We did put on The Lexicon of Love just after that conversation and one of them did say I have a point about that album. They did both laugh at me for mentioning Dollar though.

― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:32 (twelve years ago)

"The Beginning" on the first eponymous album is awesome: it's got that house sound popular in '90 and '91, sung with an abandon he's all but lost.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, January 19, 2005 3:28 PM (8 years ago

this might be my first post!

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:34 (twelve years ago)

two years pass...

MUSIC TAKES YOU ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUUUUUND

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 February 2016 03:31 (nine years ago)

he's totally playing Pilate in a Tyler Perry helmed Passion Play musical right now set in Nawlins....

Chris Daughtry is playing Judas.

― gaz coombes? yo he don't got NUTHIN ta prove! (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 17 February 2016 04:18 (nine years ago)

one year passes...

The first two albums = classic.

― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 4 November 2017 15:36 (eight years ago)

two years pass...

for posterity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G76nKGWRLPU

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 15:19 (five years ago)

this made me laugh harder than just about anything else this year

― avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 15:22 (five years ago)

same

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 15:29 (five years ago)

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