Customer Reviews

Summer Breeze

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's quite a mystery to me why only two albums from Seals & Crofts are available on CD (at the current time of this writing): 1972's SUMMER BREEZE, and a greatest hits disc. They have made some wonderful music, and it's quite criminal that their other albums, are either out of print, or on different, hard-to-find formats, like vinyl or 8-track.

Seals & Crofts were a duo who specialized in a mix of soft rock and wistful folk. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Jim Seals, who is the brother of Dan Seals of England Dan & John Ford Coley (remember them, with their lovely hit "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight"), and mandolinist/backing vocalist Dash Crofts, the duo, along with contemporaries such as James Taylor, America, Cat Stevens and others, created wonderful, soothing folk-rock to heal, soothe, and uplift during times of hardship.

SUMMER BREEZE (1972) is a beautiful collection of folk-rock tunes, with reflective, emotional and poignant lyrics - some of which feature spiritual overtones. In fact, a few of the tracks on here adopt small lyrical passages from the Baha'i scriptures. Not only that, the musicianship, arrangements -- it's all of high caliber, which seem to go unnoticed. Jim Seals also possessed one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. In fact, I always thought he had a voice of an Englishman -- he sounds very British.

"Hummingbird" features a gentle, wispy opening with Jim Seals' lovely voice, which reminds one of a mix between Cat Stevens and Phil Collins, backed by some lovely arpeggiated acoustic passages to create a floating aura, as if one were being 'lifted up' as the Baha'i lyric suggests. The rest of the song is a straightforward, mellow, nicely orchestrated track. Lovely vocal harmonies as well. "Funny Little Man" will remind some of Cat Stevens. Features impressive mandolin playing from Crofts. The title track is a mainstay for good reason. Highly enjoyable - even after more than thirty years after it's release.

"East of Ginger Trees" is a lovely, wispy, and breathtaking number, which nicely blends folk with Indian flavors. Features the tabla, tamboura and other instruments, which appear on the 7/4-ish chorus. The vocal harmonies are particularly touching and nostalgic. "Fiddle In The Sky," like the title implies, is a country-folk/rock song with lovely use of the fiddle. Unbelievably beautiful, and too good for words.

The rest of the album is splendid as well, but not necessarily easy to put into words, just like the aforementioned tracks weren't easy to describe as well.

If you're a fan of Cat Stevens, folk-rock, with touches of other elements, and the like, you should enjoy Seals & Crofts tremendously.

Seals & Crofts have recorded their first album together after a wait of 20 years. It's called 'Traces' and was released in 2004. You can find it at iTunes (download) or CDBaby.com. Unfortunately it is not available at Amazon.com

Here are the details from their homepage (sealsandcrofts.com): "It features new versions of several hits from the 1970's, plus some newer tunes! S & C are in fine voice. Included are a total rearrangement of Hummingbird, Summer Breeze, We May Never Pass This Way Again, and Get Closer (with Dash's daughter Lua and Jimmy's daughter Juliet). Some updated album cuts are added, such as Not Be Found and Euphrates. The album's highlight, however, is the previously unreleased "Change the Copper Into Gold" (inspired by the spiritual odyssey of Dorothy Baker), a mesmerizing song that ranks among Jimmy's best."

I was wondering why most of their albums were never released on CD and again here is an answer from their homepage: "There are still no plans to release any more albums from the 1970's on cd. Only the 'Greatest Hits' and 'Summer Breeze' albums are readily available. Rhino Records, the prolific licensee of the Warners Brothers catalog, had planned a release - but initial plans to issue a multi-disc anthology were scaled back to a single disc, extended hits package that mirrors the old K-Tel 'Seals and Crofts Collection' lp, and add 'Unborn Child', 'Wisdom' and 'First Love'. However, there has been no release date issued for that disc. And so, the wait continues."

Regarding their new album, I like the rearrangements of 'Hummingbird' and 'Diamond Girl' best. And 'Change The Copper Into Gold' is a new gem, but all the tracks are wonderful... like a visit from an old friend. I highly recommend a listen.

Regarding 'Summer Breeze'... I like all the tracks but 'East of Ginger Trees' is my all time favorite. This and the 'Greatest Hits' albums were the only ones released on CD. Unfortunately many fans will never hear most of their other music (which is just as good) until the record companies decide to release it on CD. (I have 6 LPs that still sound great on my turntable. I'd love to hear them on CD!)

This is certainly a very good albumn, the title piece being a standout. But Down Home, truly a five-star albumn, needs to be reissued on CD also: it is, for me, the quintessential Seals & Crofts. I disagree with reviewers who likens them to a poor man's Simon and Garfunkle. I find their sound and their songs to be very much their own.

This song reminds me so much of when I was a teen, growing up when things weren't so messed up. I remember summer nights with all the kids in the neighborhood having water balloon fights, playing hide and seek, the giant spider webs that you run into at night! And the smell of jasmine in the summer air. Those are the days I go back to everytime I hear this song. Too bad kids today can't grow up the way we did back then! They have no idea what they're missing. Great, great song!!!

My sister bought this album back in 1972 and it was her that turned me onto Seals & Crofts. This album is basically folk rock and contains such great tunes as "Summer Breeze", "Hummingbird", "East Of Ginger Trees", and "Euphrates". Melodic with nice harmonies would characterize Seals & Crofts. I just bought this cd and can't stop playing it.

Summer Breeze is an incredible cd, with Jimmy Seals and Louie Shelton taking care of the guitars, and Dash Crofts taking care of the mandolin. One would think that this would be enough to show how good this cd is - BUT they also have 5 bassists, 5 pianoists, 4 drummers + other instrument players that play i.e. clarinet, tamboura and tablas, congas, banjo and flute and no other than Marty Paich taking care of the string arrangements. This cd indeed "makes me feel fine - blowin through the jasmine in my mind" The lyrics are great and while Summer Breeze is the hit of the cd, Hummingbird, Funny little man,Say, The Boy Down the Road and Yellow Dirt are terrific - East of Ginger Trees, Fiddle in the Sky, The Euphrates and Advance Guards also show their fantastic musical expert-ness!

This CD preserves the idealism of its era in songs such as "Hummingbird" and "East of Ginger Trees" that give a nod to the gentle spiritualism of Bahai and to the prospects of tranquility in the title track. Seals and Crofts visit their frequent themes of unrequited love and solitude, too. The vocals and arrangements, as always, are tight and pleasing, and a tip of cap must go to their producer, Louie Shelton, who helps burnish the sound, and Jim Lichtig, the duo's longtime sideman who played multiple instruments and garnered credits for co-writing some of their songs.

Fortunately, "Diamond Girl" is now available on CD, but the many other excellent Seals and Crofts recordings remain unavailable. Perhaps this is payback from the record company for the unpopular stance Seals and Crofts took regarding abortion some 30+ years ago. (Review updated 5/6/05.)

this is a great great great album, but what ever happened to those othre great s&c albums like "year of sunday" and "unborn child" some of the greatest albums ever produced, not that "summer breeze" isn't one of them. summer breeze is an incredible album (listen to the song "east of ginger trees", great great song, as well as the rest of the album) but i've been looking through my record collection and there are so many great albums never put on cd (and not just s&c) but if either of those two other albums ever come out, GET THEM!!!!! or get "greatest hits" which has e few songs from them. but still, this is a grea great album and i most definately reccomend it

This is a good S and C disc (ha, one of the 2 disc available!) but I feel that there are 3 better albums not available. Maybe if record companies read these things they'd make more money. Seals and Crofts were important to at least a million people and those people are buying lots of CDs today.

Being a long time fan of this duo, Summer Breeze is perhaps what got them started on a great career. While the title track got the most airplay, the rest of the songs on this album were sadly neglected. Yellow Dirt is one of my favorites, as well as East of Ginger Trees. The finely crafted harmonies and Dash Croft's mandolin work woven together with Jim's classical guitar make for excellent music. Louie Shelton's taseful lead guitar plus the variety of professional session muscians just make this CD a must for any collection.