Seal IV

Seal

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 2003)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B0000AA489
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (201 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,335 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After five years and one do-over later, Seal presents a fourth album that finds the singer growing with his audience. The disc’s opener, "Get It Together," melds a quiet "live" moment into a horn-and-string disco number, setting the stage for the rest of the disc, which is largely a nod to Detroit- and Philly-R&B. The British-born musician pulls it off. His rasp and emotive, positive vocals are well suited for the retro stylings he attempts. "Waiting for You" will flood the dance floor, and he’s unafraid to dig deep for the ballads--Marvin Gaye would approve. The funk is real, but saddled with a pop safety net, and the upbeat tracks need a helping hand from a good remixer before they are as compelling as his seminal singles "Killer" and "Crazy." Seal never goes all out in any direction and this coolness, combined with Trevor Horn’s perfectionist production, plants the album inescapably in the realm of adult contemporary (although this is as good as adult contemporary gets). On "Let Me Roll" Seal salutes the album’s influences by proclaiming he’s "not too proud to beg." If that were actually true, the songs would have been that much better for it. --Beth Massa

Product Description
Seal's first album since 1998, and the third of his career to be self-titled, is the singer-songwriter's most sophisticated masterpiece to date. 12 tracks packaged in digipak format. Produced by Trevor Horn. Warner. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seal.....Smooth moves, November 15, 2003

By	halax64 "halax64" (DC) - See all my reviews

Seal IV is growing on me. When I read that Trevor Horn and Seal would be working together again, I waited with anticipation, and had hoped of the same magic wrought from Seal's landmark debut. Seal I was/is one of my top 5 works of all time. Unlike some others, I love the rich textured danceable production often found on Trevor Horn produced tracts.
Which brings us to the present. The rich textures are definitely in effect on Seal IV, but the sound has matured. At first I was hoping for the energy of "Crazy" (My personal theme song if I decide to become a super hero), or the raw power of "Killer," but then it dawned on me that I have aged and so has Seal. The sound, the words, and the music have aged in a graceful soulness that slowly seeps into your musical psyche as you listen to this CD. I no longer want to just groove to Seal, I am now listening. Instead of pumping this through my tower speaks, I'm grabbing my headphones, dimming the lights, and sipping something smooth and mellow.
Cuts that I'm looping over and over again are: "Loneliest Star" (my favorite cut), "Heavenly...(Good Feeling)", "Tinsel Town", "Touch", and "Love's Divine." Not to say the other songs aren't impressive, but these five touch me deeper than the other cuts. I'm sure we all have songs that move us in a way, and these are mine. Seal fans will be happy with this one. New Seal fans will want to explore some of his previous works after listening to this new production. Add Seal IV to your collection.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome Back, September 24, 2003

By	David Todd Johnson (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

Let's be honest: Seal could sing the phonebook and we'd all still listen. His voice is soulful, distinctive, and a welcome breath on the radio from the usual vocal gymnastics and overblown production. True, Seal IV isn't as complete as his first two CDs or as moody yet atmospheric as Human Beings. But this is still great Seal. The Motown sound suits his smoky vocals well. The 1-2-3 punch of Get It Together, Love's Divine, and Waiting For You is a promising beginning. The CD does seem to lag toward the middle, while remaining enjoyable. Luckily, Heavenly is reminiscient of Violet (one of my favorite Seal tracks) and Tinsel Town ends the CD on a smooth note. Not innovative Seal. But well worth the wait, like an old friend coming home.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seal of approval, February 7, 2004

By	Andy Agree "jackrabbit79" (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

Like millions of others, I was seduced by "Kiss From a Rose", but otherwise had not been a follower of Seal's career until hearing this CD, and wow! These songs just boil with sweat and conviction. None of them have the melodic complexity of "Rose", with its Beethovenesque shifting of major and minor, but many are equally memorable and may prove more durable. The songs of "Seal IV" range from tough and gritty ("Waiting for You", "Let Me Roll"), to exquisitely romantic ("Touch", "Love's Divine", "Tinsel Town"). Seal draws from the American R&B tradition ("Get It Together"), and also from reggae ("Where There's Gold") but some songs are impossible to classify, and seem to just well up from inside him, like "My Vision" and "Heavenly". My two favorites are almost polar opposites of each other, the soul-shouting "Let Me Roll" and the delicate, aching "Touch", tracks 6 and 7. Although Seal IV is expertly mastered, wrapping Seal's sound with polished competence, Seal himself is hot, sizzling right through his packaging to emerge as a passionate performer who puts his brains, heart and guts into every song. I'm not sure who Seal's core audience is, but this is a major achievement and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.