Search - Seal :: Best: 1991-2004

An essential purchase.

M J Heilbron Jr. | Long Beach, CA United States | 11/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After four albums (and a few soundtrack appearances), Seal has put out a stellar greatest hits album. Absolutely stellar.

And the way to purchase the album is to get THIS version, as the acoustic disc is a worthy buy on its' own. It's revelatory.

The songs selected for the "regular" disc are the ones any self-respecting Seal fan would approve of. For my taste, there is a little too much emphasis on his fourth (most recent) disc, and there's probably one (or two) too many covers.

It may be my imagination, but the songs from his first two albums sound remastered, and I would have preferred one or two more songs from THOSE records.

Nevertheless, listening to the entire disc, there's no denying Seal is an amazingly talented individual. There has not been as perfect a partnership between an artist and a producer (Trevor Horn) since Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.

Seal should be huge.

That said, this disc would be the perfect gift for ANY music fan on your list. It has appeal towards pop fans, R&B lovers, those who appreciate what was once called "soul" music, and even the open "alternative" music aficionados.



The second disc, simply put, is a joy to listen to. It's an exquisite set of his songs re-done in "acoustic" fashion. Seal clearly put this together out of a passion for performing in this manner, and it shows.



This makes an outstanding greatest hits collection into an essential purchase."

A must have compilation

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 11/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't really consider a diehard fan of Seal's music, maybe more of a casual fan. Still I always loved his voice. He has one of the sexiest voices in music, the male equivalent to Sade in my opinion. When I saw Seal's greatest hits cd with the bonus disc of acoustic tracks of his greatest hits, I immediately bought it. Listening to this wonderful compilation, I almost forgot how much I love "Don't Cry" and "Kiss From a Rose", a couple of songs that at one time were overplayed too death on the radio but haven't heard on the radio for a long time. My personal favorite Seal song is the gorgeous ballad "Love Divine". I forgot what show I was watching but I heard that song on some tv drama and immediately fell in love with the song. I still love that song to this very day. It is one of those rare songs that moves me deeply. It is so emotional and powerful. Most of the songs I have heard but there were a few I haven't. One of them is the funky "Walk On By", an infectious r&b/soul/pop song that I can snap my fingers along to. I also love "Human Beings" which I only had heard bits of but not the song in its entirety. The only track I wasn't really big on is the cover of "Fly Like An Eagle". I never cared for the original version to begin with. The acoustic disc is amazing. I have always wanted to hear Seal's music acoustically and I was not disappointed in what I heard. I especially loved the acoustic version of "Love Divine". If you can find this greatest hits package w/the bonus acoustic disc, it is worth buying."

What I hope is balanced review of one of my favorites. 3+

guillermoj | Washington, DC United States | 12/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am one of Seal's biggest fans as I love his voice and fusion of R&B, rock, and club music that he has created with the great Trevor Horn. I eagerly wait for Seal to put out anything and I buy it without hesitation. I have his 4 CDs, including his first which in my opinion is one of my top 20 debuts of all time, most of the remixes made of his songs, bought soundtracks to 2 movies that I did not watch (but in which his songs appeared on), and even had the pleasure of being introduced to a great group named Jakatta via Seal's vocals in the song "My Vision." With that precursor, when I heard that Seal was putting out two versions of his "Best" songs, I immediately shelled a little more money for the 2 CD version as I felt that the acoustic versions of some of my favorites would more than make up with my familiarity of all but a couple of the songs on the 1 CD release.



Here comes the hard part of writing this particular review because I have to try to speak to hardcore fans like me and those who may like Seal but never got into him enough to buy any of his releases. If you find yourself in the latter group, I would highly recommend that you buy the 1 CD release as the acoustic versions may not bring much value added. If you are a hardcore fan, this release (even with the acoustic versions) may not be warrant purchasing.



Before other Seal fans behead me, my point regarding hardcore fans is that they will already have most of the songs on the non-acoustic CD, with the exception of "My Vision," the aforementioned soundtrack selections, and yet another remake of "Walk on By." His take on the song is OK but if you want to hear a much better version try Gabrielle's take on it. With regard to the acoustic CD, I was disappointed because I have heard Seal live recordings (including his amazing "Unplugged" performance on MTV) and I have always been impressed; however most of the acoustic versions have Seal sounding EXACTLY is he does in the original versions and are only stripped on the amazing production work performed by Trevor Horn. There are a couple of nuggets towards the second part of the acoustic CD in which Seal does something different with his voice and I wish he had done more of this in all the acoustic versions as they would have had a bigger punch.



In conclusion, if you are a casual Seal fan I would give this release, 4 solid stars, although I would first suggest you check out with debut CD and then buy this one. For hardcore fans, I can't give this release more than 2+ stars as you'll already have most of what is here and will be able to make an original "Best" that suits your tastes and mine would include "Newfound Friend," "Please Asking Why," "Whirlpool," and "Wild," just to name a few. I would have rated this CD higher had it included more new material, some remixes, b-sides, and something to get hardcore fans to really enjoy this release. Although the acoustic CD is OK and I am glad to have it, it's not a MUST have. So combining a 4 for casual fans and a 2+ for hardcore fans, I will give this release 3.5 stars because it's Seal.



Personal request to Seal (as if he actually reads this ;-)): While I love almost all of your music, it would make this fan even more of one if future releases included the soulful club-like energy and quiet elegance found in your debut. I know that there is no going back, but one can move forward and get the funk back. Too much syrup causes tooth decay and I miss the loud Seal as much as the barely there Seal that make you want to dance and/or listen to every nugget included in songs like "Violet"

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