In the opening sequence, the main character is walking down the street in the winter time, and Seal's version of Killer is playing. I thought it was a great track, and a wonderful way to set the stage for the rest of the film. I waited through the credits to find out it was Seal, and I started looking for his work.
I found the Killer single at the music store, and already knowing the fantastic work that William Orbit does, I was overjoyed to see Orbit mixes on the single. I loved those mixes, enjoyed the b-sides, and thought that was it. Then, they started playing Crazy on the radio, and I instantly recognized Seal's voice, and I knew there was another track I "had to have". The single, too had WO mixes, and they were even better than the Killer mixes.
Seal then went big with his debut album, which I found to be expertly crafted and a sign of true talent. I got the album, and eventually tracked down all the remaining singles from that first album. Mixes were great, the b-sides were solid, and the album was a definite standard.
Too bad I didn't care for the rest of the music he made. Nothing else by him has ever grabbed me, so I am content to have his first album and his Orbit mixes as the extent of my Seal collection. It's all I need.
Fantastic album. Got it when it first came out (I was 11 years old at the time) and it has stayed with me ever since. Funny enough, I bought the UK edition at the time, which is mixed in a more "soulful" key than the US version (I have both of course, and the vinyl LP and the K7, just in case, you never know)that sound more "rock".
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to rain on your parade, back your mixes compilation is missing the Live Church Studios London 10.14.1991 version of the song Violet. Long live Seal! Long live Trevor Horn! Long live Gota Yashiki!
Classic record, I think there was something special in the brew for the first and even parts of the second record, but he really did lose it when he did the SpaceJam Steve Miller Band cover... that is where the fun really ended for me. I suppose he was not as hungry to write big hit songs after making millions and marrying a supermodel. If you have not heard them, I would recommend his original, more techno version of Killer with Adamski as well as the William Orbit 3d mix of killer, along with the Adamski Kicks from a Rhodes edit version of Kiss from a Rose, which was not a hit but my favorite recording of the song. There was also a Japanese single that got released around the release of this record called Love is Powerful, I believe it may have been from a set of songs he recorded for an aborted second album and used for a CocaCola advert. This album here seemed to retain some similar electronic dance vibe as Pet Shop Boys Behaviour material. It really is his best work, the acoustic versions recorded around this release and released on a video and promo ep were also rather good as well.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I really liked his "Human Being" album, and the Batman song .... "Kiss From A Rose." Other than that, his music has never grabbed me after this album. But this was a first-class debut, that's for sure!
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