Soul 2 (Seal album)
| Seal
Soul 2 (Seal album)
Soul 2 is the eighth studio album by British soul/R&B singer Seal. The album was released on 4 November 2011. Like its predecessor, Soul (2008) the album consists of soul classics, and it was produced by David Foster, Jochem van der Saag, and long-time collaborator Trevor Horn. It was preceded by the lead single, "Let's Stay Together" on 30 September 2011.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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The Guardian
The follow-up to the 2008 covers album Soul finds Seal treading on hallowed ground: the tracklisting includes cornerstones of American popular music . . . . His voice and interpretive skills are such, though, that most tracks fit him like a glove, . . . .
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Billboard
On this sequel to his 2008 "Soul" covers album, the vocalist takes on another 11 classics with highly skilled reverence. . . . They never supersede the originals, but hardly suffer in comparison.
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BBC
His voice hasn’t dulled in the slightest, and carries these covers into new territories. Seal the songwriter might never hit the heights of the early 1990s again – but Seal the singer can still hold his own amongst today’s clutch of contemporary soul stars.
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AllMusic
Soul 2 remains a faithful re-creation of classic soul, Horn applying a new coat of paint to the original arrangements, ensuring that this is a fresh, glistening environment for Seal.
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Independent
. . . while Seal's voice is a natural fit, it's hard to discern what these versions add, given their general faithfulness to the originals. . . . .the lack of variation is wearing: after a while, I was desperate for someone to bring the funk in true Seventies style, but all I got was neatly coiffed covers of Detroit Spinners, Delfonics and Chi-Lites.
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MaxTV on Foxtel
Essentially, this isn’t a covers album – it’s a recording of Seal doing a decent karaoke session. He hardly deviates from the scores/vocal arrangements of the originals, which some would argue, “He’s remaining faithful to the classic versions”, but I would retort, “Nay! This is just laziness. Playing it safe at best.”
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Express
THERE’s no denying the quality on this new release from Seal: his classic voice, the producers (the mighty Trevor Horn and David Foster) and the songs, . . . .
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The West Australian
Building on a theme, Seal has opted for a second album of soul-styled covers. Soul 2 will delight those who want a slow, late-night album, something to play over dinner, but there's no wheel reinventing going on.
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Jay Fingers
Seal knew what he was doing with the creation of Soul 2. By selecting indelible hits from soul’s golden era and infusing them with his own style and a contemporary polish, he’s crafted an album that respects its heritage while reimagining the classics for today’s listeners.
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Dallas Voice
Seal’s voice is like comfort food. It’s easy to relish in and this sound works for him, but for a set of soul classics, the album is on automatic pilot. There’s nothing quite wrong with his rendition of “Love T.K.O.,” but he never sounded present in it.
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Soul Tracks
. . . nothing here really answers the fundamental question of why Soul 2 even exists, except as a cash in. Every song on Soul 2 has been recorded dozens of times by other artists, and each has a seminal version the sandals of which Seal's covers aren't worthy to unstrap.
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