Track Listing

1. A Change Is Gonna Come
2. I Can't Stand The Rain
3. It's A Man's Man's Man's World
4. Here I Am (Come And Take Me)
5. I've Been Loving You Too Long
6. It's Alright
7. If You Don't Know Me By Now
8. Knock On Wood
9. I'm Still In Love With You
10. Free
11. Stand By Me
12. People Get Ready

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #767 in Music
• Released on: 2008-11-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
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

CD Description
Almost exactly one year after the dancefloor-oriented 'System' comes this seventh album from one of Britain's most popular exports, on which he teams up with pop production colossus David Foster (Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Celine Dion) topay homage to the classic soul singers who have inspired him. Here he tackles tunes made famous by the likes of Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown and Al Green, reinterpreting them in the mellifluous tones that have made him world famous.

About the Artist
The London-born Seal first emerged from Britain's house music scene in the early '90s providing vocals and lyrics for techno artist Adamski's 1990 hit "Killer." The Top Ten debut single, "Crazy," followed and Seal would go on to earn critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success over four albums. Seal's prodigious vocal gifts -- his soaring, husky baritone that has become a signature on such hits as "Prayer for the Dying," "Kiss From a Rose," and "Don't Cry" -- amplify the emotion he brings to a song.

Customer Reviews

My Album Of The Year
Seal is not known for singing traditional soul music, and there is no reason why he should. Then again this album shows that he can!!

You may have heard his version of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' on Radio 2. The rest of the album sounds firmly up to that standard. After a couple of plays, my faves are the two Al Green hits. The plaintive Memphis style horns really get me where I live. The two Impressions' numbers sound really noteworthy too, especially 'It's Alright', a song that is always guarenteed to cheer me up.

If I have any problem with this album, that would be the length. Less than 46 minutes seems a bit mean these days. Better 46 minutes of pure magic though, than 70 minutes of pure dross.

Seal, you have gone up in my estimation. I would buy an album of this calibre every week if it was available.

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.

Smoother than smooth
Fabulous cover album straight covers but with a modern production
great selection of songs all stone cold classics and the man seal amazing voices guaranteed to sell by the bucketloads at xmas
best tracks people get ready and a change is gonna come
deucted one star as it would have been nice to have seen a copuple of less obvious soul choices