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Soul (Seal album)

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Soul
The cover features a black-and-white photo of Seal wearing a suit and tie with a microphone close to his face. The artist's name is colored in blue, while the album title is behind it in shadows.
Studio album by
Seal
Released10 November 2008
Recorded2008
Studio
Genre
Length41:13
Label
Producer
Seal chronology
System
(2007) 		Soul
(2008) 		Seal 6: Commitment
(2010)
Singles from Soul
  1. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
    Released: 10 November 2008 (UK)
  2. "A Change Is Gonna Come"
    Released: 22 November 2008 (UK)
  3. "It's Alright"
    Released: 16 March 2009 (UK)
  4. "I Can't Stand the Rain"
    Released: March 2009 (Brazil)[1]
  5. "If You Don't Know Me by Now"
    Released: March 2009 (US)[2]
"A Change Is Gonna Come" single cover

Soul is the sixth studio album by British singer Seal, which was released on 10 November 2008. The album was produced by David Foster, and co-produced, engineered and mixed by Jochem van der Saag.[3] It is made up of cover versions of eleven soul music classics.[4][5]

The album charted within the top 10 in twelve countries. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number twelve. As of January 2012, the album had sold 419,841 copies in the UK.[6] The album peaked at number thirteen in the United States on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It has since sold 547,000 copies in the US.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic59/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Billboardpositive[10]
Entertainment WeeklyB[11]
PopMatters[12]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Toronto Star[15]
Vibe[16]

Soul garnered mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 59, based on eight reviews.[8]

AllMusic's John Bush called it "a sincere, well-considered affair", praising Seal's "caressing vocals" and knowledge of faithfully interpreting the track listing, and Foster's "subtle yet effective production" that use "earthy, organic arrangements and funky beats that are slightly clipped for a contemporary feel."[9] Ashante Infantry of the Toronto Star wrote: "By turns instructive and seductive, the 45-year-old brings weariness and passion to the songs; love to see this performed live."[15] Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood wrote that: "As always, Seal sounds great; age has relaxed his singing, and that lends the material an appropriately lived-in vibe."[11]

Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen called it "an unnecessary record", criticising Seal's interpretation of the covers for emitting "a feeling of swank Euro-sophistication that saps the music of much of its emotional oomph."[14] Oliver Wang of Vibe criticised the "milquetoast musical arrangements" and Seal's performance of said arrangements for having "unnecessary vocal runs" and diminishing the "elegant grace" of the originals, saying it "sounds more like an album from a green American Idol winner than a pop veteran with half a dozen albums." While praising the cover of Denice Williams' "Free", Wang concluded that: "Had the rest of Soul followed the same path, it might have made a greater impression. As it is though, the lack of risk-taking leaves this set light on soul."[16]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Change Is Gonna Come"Sam Cooke3:55
2."I Can't Stand the Rain"Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Bernard Miller3:35
3."It's a Man's Man's Man's World"James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome3:53
4."Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"Al Green, Mabon Hodges4:10
5."I've Been Loving You Too Long"Otis Redding, Jerry Butler3:08
6."It's Alright"Curtis Mayfield3:47
7."If You Don't Know Me by Now"Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff3:50
8."Knock on Wood"Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper3:22
9."I'm Still in Love with You"Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Al Jackson Jr.4:37
10."Free"Henry Redd, Susaye Green, Nathan Watts, Deniece Williams3:27
11."Stand by Me"Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller4:06
12."People Get Ready"Curtis Mayfield3:35

Personnel

  • Seal – vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 6, 7, 9, 10)
  • David Foster – keyboards, bass, arrangements, horn arrangements (1-6, 8, 9, 11, 12), string arrangements (1-3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12), acoustic piano (3, 5, 7)
  • Jochem van der Saag – synthesizers, drum programming, sound design, organ (6-8, 12), BGV arrangements (6), arrangements (10)
  • Michael Thompson – guitars (2, 4, 6-8, 12)
  • Dean Parks – guitars (5, 10, 11)
  • Marcus Brown – bass (2, 4, 9)
  • Nathan East – bass (6-8)
  • Teddy Campbell – drums (8)
  • John Robinson – drums (11)
  • Jerry Hey – horn arrangements (1, 2, 4-6, 11, 12), string arrangements (1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12)
  • Don Sebesky – string and horn arrangements (3, 8)
  • Brad Dechter – string and horn arrangements (9)
  • Toyia Barnes – backing vocals (4, 5)
  • Angie Fisher – backing vocals (4, 5)
  • O'Nita Hutton – backing vocals (4, 5)

Choir on "People Get Ready"

  • Keith Allen, Koko Barnes, Toyia Barnes, Sharon Bryant, David Daughtry, Lawrence Dotson, Angie Fisher, O'Nita Hutton, Demeka Jackson, Jason Moralis, Tony Wilkins and Brandon Winbush

Production

  • Jeff Aldrich – A&R
  • David Foster – producer
  • Jochem van der Saag – co-producer, engineer, mixing
  • David Reitzas – recording (live drums, horn, string and choir)
  • Chris Owen – assistant engineer
  • Jorge Vivo – additional engineer, digital editing
  • Brian Gardner – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Louis Price – vocal consultant
  • Courtney Blooding – production coordinator
  • Ellen Wakayama – art direction
  • Donny Phillips – design
  • Nabil Elderkin – photography
  • Ric Salmon – management

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2008–2009) Peak
position
Argentinean Albums (CAPIF)[17] 12
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] 16
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] 8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] 11
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[23] 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] 6
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] 23
French Albums (SNEP)[26] 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 15
Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] 21
Italian Albums (FIMI)[29] 5
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 22
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] 7
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[32] 9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[33] 12
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 12
US Billboard 200[37] 13
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2008) Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[39] 98
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 33
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[41] 41
French Albums (SNEP)[42] 2
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 58
UK Albums (OCC)[45] 40
Chart (2009) Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop overal)[46] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[47] 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[48] 1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] 44
French Albums (SNEP)[50] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 14
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 145
US Billboard 200[53] 75
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[54] 28

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[55] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[56] Gold 10,000*
Belgium (BEA)[57] 2× Platinum 60,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[58] Platinum 80,000^
France (SNEP)[59] Diamond 750,000*
Germany (BVMI)[60] Gold 100,000^
Italy (FIMI)[61] Gold 35,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[62] Gold 15,000*
Portugal (AFP)[63] Gold 10,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[64] Gold 40,000^
Sweden (GLF)[65] Gold 20,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[66] Platinum 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] Platinum 300,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[68] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ [1] Archived 22 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ [2][dead link]
  3. ^ http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr09/articles/it_0409.htm Article by Paul Tingen on van der Saag's work on Soul, in Sound on Sound magazine
  4. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (1 October 2008). "Seal Sings from His 'Soul' on New Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  5. ^ Seal's Soul Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Auspop (4 October 2008). Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  6. ^ Jones, Alan (30 January 2012). "Official Chart Analysis: Sales slow, but Sheeran and Cover Drive reign". Music Week. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  7. ^ Caulfield, Keith (1 February 2012). "Tim McGraw Scores Top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Soul by Seal". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  9. ^ a b Bush, John. "Soul - Seal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  10. ^ Mason, Kerri. "Soul". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 November 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  11. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (5 November 2008). "Soul". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  12. ^ Wikane, Christian John (10 November 2008). "Seal: Soul". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: seal". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  14. ^ a b Rosen, Jody (27 November 2008). "Soul : Seal : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 November 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  15. ^ a b Infantry, Ashante (11 November 2008). "Seal: Soul". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  16. ^ a b Wang, Oliver (11 November 2008). "Seal: Soul". Vibe. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  17. ^ "Representando a la Industria Argentina de la Música" (in Spanish). CAPIF. 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  18. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Seal – Soul" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seal – Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seal – Soul" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Seal Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Seal – Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Seal: Soul" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  26. ^ "Lescharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seal – Soul" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Charts.nz – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  35. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  37. ^ "Seal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Seal Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  39. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2008". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  42. ^ [3] Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ "Årslista Album – År 2008" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  44. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2008". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  45. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  46. ^ De Belgische entertainmentmarkt 2009 – Top 10 Albums 2009 Belgium (p. 14 – 16)
  47. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2009" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  49. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2009". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  50. ^ "Tops & Flops musicaux en 2009" (in French). Chartsinfrance.net. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  51. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2009". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  52. ^ "UK Year-End 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  53. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  54. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  55. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  56. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  57. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2009". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  58. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Seal – Soul". Music Canada.
  59. ^ "French album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 26 November 2021. Select SEAL and click OK. 
  60. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Seal; 'Soul')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  61. ^ "Italian album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Soul" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  62. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  63. ^ "Portuguese album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  64. ^ "Spanish album certifications – Seal – Soul". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  65. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2008" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  66. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Soul')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  67. ^ "British album certifications – Seal – Soul". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Soul in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  68. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2010". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
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