In my time as a music fan, I’ve listened to thousands of songs that make up a myriad of different albums, but there is one album I always listen to from start to finish without skipping tracks ever. Each song seems to have a high “listenability” rating to it whilst also offering an abstract portal into Seal’s profound lyricism.
From the very start, Bring It On does exactly what it says on the tin. A hallucinating mix of electric guitar riffs and echoing vocals give the track an almost “tripping” feel, with the lyrics, “Give me something for the dream that I am in,” adding to this effect. You are then led into Prayer For The Dying, a track that Seal said during his One Night To Remember concert, wasn’t intended to be a sad song, as the title may have alluded to, but a “celebration of life, rather than mourning of death”. Upon hearing the track, this becomes more evident as although the lyrics may seem quite depressing, the musical accompaniment is fairly cheerful and upbeat, which helps to create a nice sonical paradoxical setting. Like in Bring It On, there is a mix of not only electric guitar, but also the classic acoustic guitar, an instrument synonymous with Seal himself.
The album then drifts into a lulling track, Dreaming in Metaphors, about people living their lives in “something they couldn’t understand”. A superb album filler, with beautifully abstract lyrics that seem to paint a picture of what is being said. Don’t Cry, one of the hits of the album, is something of a “power ballad”. Easily one of the best songs on the record, and from there, the tone is kept consistent, with Fast Changes, about a loved one having left, “in separate rooms”, wanting to reconcile. The Indian instrumentals in the background, which, on paper, seem unorthodox and out of place, work exceptionally well. However, the next song is Seal’s most recognizable track, with millions around the world knowing the lyrics and singing along whenever the title is mentioned: Kiss From A Rose. Some of the most abstract lyrics you can find in a song and sung so eloquently, it almost sounds like a lullaby. When first released, it didn’t perform very well in the charts, but film director, Joel Schumacher, having heard the track, wished to have it as the soundtrack to his new film, Batman Forever, and thus it was re-released and became a huge hit. If it wasn’t for Prayer For The Dying, Kiss From A Rose would be my favourite of the album, without a doubt.Four tracks pass by before People Asking Why, [whichisa quiet acapella-like track discussing people and how the world is changing] comes in; Newborn Friend, about living life; If I Could, a mournful ballad featuring Joni Mitchell; Kiss From A Rose’s B-side, I’m Alive and the album’s reprise, a beautiful, tranquil piece of music, based on the opening track of the album, Bring It On.
If you’ve never listened to Seal before, or thought he wasn’t that good, I compel you to listen to this album. It can take you on a journey into how music can affect another person’s life with an almost soundtrack like back drop. The album’s clout as a whole could have easily carried it into the heady heights of the critical acclaim it garnered, without the help of its biggest track, although without it, it may not have been as popular as it is today. Seen by many as Seal’s magnum opus, it just seems a pity that this wasn’t the start of bigger things for the artist. Nevertheless, the album and its artist will be remembered for the artistic integrity and fluidity they conveyed.
From the very start, Bring It On does exactly what it says on the tin. A hallucinating mix of electric guitar riffs and echoing vocals give the track an almost “tripping” feel, with the lyrics, “Give me something for the dream that I am in,” adding to this effect. You are then led into Prayer For The Dying, a track that Seal said during his One Night To Remember concert, wasn’t intended to be a sad song, as the title may have alluded to, but a “celebration of life, rather than mourning of death”. Upon hearing the track, this becomes more evident as although the lyrics may seem quite depressing, the musical accompaniment is fairly cheerful and upbeat, which helps to create a nice sonical paradoxical setting. Like in Bring It On, there is a mix of not only electric guitar, but also the classic acoustic guitar, an instrument synonymous with Seal himself.
The album then drifts into a lulling track, Dreaming in Metaphors, about people living their lives in “something they couldn’t understand”. A superb album filler, with beautifully abstract lyrics that seem to paint a picture of what is being said. Don’t Cry, one of the hits of the album, is something of a “power ballad”. Easily one of the best songs on the record, and from there, the tone is kept consistent, with Fast Changes, about a loved one having left, “in separate rooms”, wanting to reconcile. The Indian instrumentals in the background, which, on paper, seem unorthodox and out of place, work exceptionally well. However, the next song is Seal’s most recognizable track, with millions around the world knowing the lyrics and singing along whenever the title is mentioned: Kiss From A Rose. Some of the most abstract lyrics you can find in a song and sung so eloquently, it almost sounds like a lullaby. When first released, it didn’t perform very well in the charts, but film director, Joel Schumacher, having heard the track, wished to have it as the soundtrack to his new film, Batman Forever, and thus it was re-released and became a huge hit. If it wasn’t for Prayer For The Dying, Kiss From A Rose would be my favourite of the album, without a doubt.Four tracks pass by before People Asking Why, [whichisa quiet acapella-like track discussing people and how the world is changing] comes in; Newborn Friend, about living life; If I Could, a mournful ballad featuring Joni Mitchell; Kiss From A Rose’s B-side, I’m Alive and the album’s reprise, a beautiful, tranquil piece of music, based on the opening track of the album, Bring It On.
If you’ve never listened to Seal before, or thought he wasn’t that good, I compel you to listen to this album. It can take you on a journey into how music can affect another person’s life with an almost soundtrack like back drop. The album’s clout as a whole could have easily carried it into the heady heights of the critical acclaim it garnered, without the help of its biggest track, although without it, it may not have been as popular as it is today. Seen by many as Seal’s magnum opus, it just seems a pity that this wasn’t the start of bigger things for the artist. Nevertheless, the album and its artist will be remembered for the artistic integrity and fluidity they conveyed.
