Seal

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.

A far deeper, more enduring outing than his spectacular 1991 debut. Producer Trevor Horn calls on a cast of dozens (including Joni Mitchell who duets on the lovely "If I Could" and the ubiquitous Jeff Beck) and channels his famous, over-the-top tendencies into a sumptious bed of sound that makes Tears for Fears sound minimal. Soulful first single "Prayer for the Dying" will set the pace, while "Kiss From A Rose" is a huge ballad. --Jeff Bateman

Some artists mellow as they age; Seal enters never-surrender mode and hits the dance floor. System gets at a new way of thinking for the king of the sexy British croon--he's a little less committed to nailing the vocals here and a lot more into manufacturing a mood. Overall, it's one infused with high spirits and an almost dreamy sense of possibility: "Rolling," the only song outside of a weird duet with wife Heidi Klum ("Wedding Day") to avoid elaborate but likable synths, stands its romantic ground without settling into ho-hum balladry, while "Loaded," "Dumb," and "The Right Life" bust out of the speakers determined to raise the profile of house music and electro beats. If he cribs a vial or two of vibe from Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor,, also produced by retro whiz-kid Stuart Price, it doesn't make Seal any less appealing. Even without hits like the super-smooth "Amazing," some guys manage to be amazing just by showing up. And so it is with Seal. Even his superm! odel wife says so. --Tammy La Gorce

The first studio album in four years from Seal, System, with its shimmering melodies, layers of synths and acoustic guitar, and electronic beats, is a return to my roots says the singer-songwriter. To help him deliver a more dance oriented album, what he calls a quintessential Seal album, Seal turned to Stuart Price(Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor and Grammy-winning remixes for No Doubt and Coldplay).

Seal Photo

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Best: 1991-2004 (2 CD & DVD Audio)

Multiplatinum selling, Grammy winning, critically acclaimed Seal unveils his first greatest hits collection with Seal Best 1991-2004. But there's even more-along with the single-CD edition, with original album versions of 12 of his hits and best-loved tracks plus a cover song newly recorded by Seal ("Walk on By"), a double-CD package adds a disc of newly recorded acoustic versions of nine of those cuts (and four others). For fans of the pop, dance, urban and adult contemporary, Seal Best 1991-2004 is the quintessential Seal experience.

A great voice singing great songs recorded by a great producer. That is 'Soul', the sixth studio album from multiplatinum selling, Grammy-winning, critically acclaimed Seal. Each song is a stone-cold soul classic, from Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come', Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me', and Ann Pebbles' 'I Can't Stand The Rain' to Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes' 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' and Otis Redding's 'I've Been Loving You Too Long'. Produced by David Foster, 'Soul' is the perfect coming together of man, material and moment.