Seal is the debut studio album by British singerSeal, released in 1991. It contains the singles "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", "The Beginning", "Killer" and "Violet". The album debuted at number one in the UK and went on to winBest British Album at the 1992Brit Awards. Seal's following album, released in 1994, was also namedSeal; it is usually referred to asSeal II.
There are two versions of the album, with minor and major differences in three songs.[4] The shorter version of "Wild" is more rock-based and heavy than the original. The shorter version of "Violet" contains no dialogue within the singing. Track lengths of both versions are given for each song affected.The only way to tell the difference is the CD Matrix; the Pre-Mix matrix is 903174557-2; the Remixed CD has the same Matrix but with .2 at the end (903174557-2.2)."Killer" is a re-recorded version of the UK number one single byAdamski, which also features Seal on vocals.
Many of the songs (including various ZTT mixes) were featured in theGreg Stump 1991 filmGroove Requiem in the Key of Ski.[citation needed] Later Seal tracks appeared in other Stump films as well. The track "Killer" was also featured on the American crime seriesHomicide: Life on the Street and was included on the 2-disc soundtrack album.
InMelody Maker, criticPush wrote that although "some of the ideas could be called pretentious and others sound a tadMOR",Seal showcases "Seal's passionate and emotional nature, a rare fusion of strength and sensitivity".[15]Vox's Isabel Appio praised the album's "textured vocals, sophisticated hooks and full and fascinating orchestral arrangements",[14] whileQ'sMat Snow deemed it "a fine debut" which "promises even better vibes to come."[11] Stephen Dalton ofNME foundSeal "remarkable for its coherence, confidence and sheer character."[9]
Retrospectively,AllMusic reviewer MacKenzie Wilson credited Seal and producerTrevor Horn for the overall sound ofSeal, which she said stood out amidst "the early-'90s mediocrity of post-hair metal and manufactured synth bands."[5] Writing forPitchfork,Philip Sherburne stated that despite its occasionally "asinine" lyrics, "you don't come toSeal for poetry; you come for that voice and the way it navigates Horn's productions". He noted the album's origins in the early 1990s UKrave scene and found that it "drew sustenance from the spirit of that volatile era", calling it "idealistic, unfocused, and beautiful in its innocence."[10]
^"1991 Top 100 Albums"(PDF).Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 11 January 1992. p. 21. Retrieved24 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
^"Top Albums"(PDF).Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 10. Retrieved24 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
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