Released: 1991
Tracks: The Beginning; Deep Water; Crazy; Killer; Whirlpool; Future Love Paradise; Wild; Show Me; Violet
Best track: either Crazy or Future Love Paradise
Track to skip: Killer
This is the first of two Seal albums that don’t have a title. It’s OK though, Peter Gabriel’s first three didn’t have any titles either. The last song, Violet, just ended and it’s a totally strange way to end the album. It’s almost as if you don’t realize, oh, this album’s over! I like the song (the movie clips in it make no sense with the rest of the song though), but it’s not the greatest way to end an album, especially a debut. I’m not too enthralled by Seal when he gets into his ‘dance mode’, so naturally the songs I gravitate away from are The Beginning and especially Killer. The Beginning probably would be skipped by me as well, but once the acoustic guitar comes in near the end and changes the entire essence of the song, well, I just have to get to that part. I love how that really odd change really points to the feel and soul of the rest of the album. Except for Killer, which is a stupid dance track and bores me. But the rest of the album is pretty solid. It’s not perfect, and definitely not his best, but it’s solid.
Crazy is the Big Hit Single on here and probably the best track of the lot. I’m still not tired of it. It still might be the best single he’s released yet and it was the perfect introduction for him back in 1991. I do like how Seal combines the dance elements with the soulful singing and high quality of musicianship. It’s an interesting mix. It seems to me that most dance music artists don’t quite know how to put the emotion and human-ness into their music. Seal did it here on his first album, and hasn’t abandoned it since. Most of the other tracks are pretty darn good and always seem to put me in a nice, chilled mood. I think the structure of the album and sequence of the tracks are not quite perfect, but the album’s still enjoyable. He naturally gets better, esp. on the next one. The strange feel of the sequencing and Killer bring this down a bit, but that’s fine. It’s Seal’s first attempt so we’re not expecting Sgt. Pepper or anything.
Rating: 86
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