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.
In the United Kingdom, Soul 2 peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. As of January 2012, the album has sold 114,654 copies in the UK.[1] In the United States, the album debuted at No. 8 with 27,000 copies sold in the first week.[2] It has sold 115,000 copies in the US as of October 2015.[3]
Background
"One more very important reason why I still make music is the 'gift of collaboration'. I've been fortunate to work with two such industry greats as Trevor Horn and David Foster on this album and they continue to inspire me each and every day."
— Seal on working with the album's producers.[4]
Following the worldwide success of 2008 cover album Soul, Seal teamed up with producers David Foster and Trevor Horn in London and Los Angeles to record Soul 2.[4] The album mainly consists of classic soul songs from the 1970s by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Al Green, and Teddy Pendergrass. Seal also recorded Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", but it did not end up on the album.[5] In a press release, Seal said of the album: "In my twenty years on a journey in the music industry, two things remain constants, the voice and more importantly, the song. I continue to make music because of the chance that this day could indeed be the day I write another great song or have the opportunity to sing one. The songs on Soul 2 are a natural evolution in the arc of soul music from the songs on the first Soul album -- and they are all-time classics."
[4]
The album cover photo was taken by Seal's friend & photography blogger, Steve Huff, during Seal's performance in Paris.
Critical reception
Metacritic gave the album 70 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews as of May 2012.[6] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars writing, "His voice and interpretive skills are such, though, that most tracks fit him like a glove, to the point where, on Rose Royce's "Wishing on a Star", his oak-aged vocal seems a better fit for the remorseful lyric than original singer Gwen Dickey's."[10] BBC Music's Mike Diver gave the album a positive review commenting that "there's nothing bad to be said for Soul 2, and with [Trevor] Horn on production everything shines brightly like the first snowflakes of a new winter. 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."[8] Andy Gill of The Independent felt that the cover versions were too faithful to the originals, while calling Seal's voice "a natural fit" and the arrangements "impeccable".[11]
Track listing
| 1. |
"Wishing on a Star" | Billie Ray Calvin | Trevor Horn |
4:13 |
| 2. |
"Love T.K.O." | Cecil Womack, Linda Womack, Gip Noble | Trevor Horn |
5:37 |
| 3. |
"Ooh Baby Baby" | Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore | Trevor Horn |
3:01 |
| 4. |
"Let's Stay Together" | Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Al Jackson Jr. | David Foster, Trevor Horn, Jochem van der Saag* |
3:41 |
| 5. |
"What's Going On" | Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson, Marvin Gaye | Trevor Horn |
4:27 |
| 6. |
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" | Miles Gregory | Trevor Horn |
4:10 |
| 7. |
"Back Stabbers" | Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead | David Foster, Trevor Horn, Jochem van der Saag* |
3:36 |
| 8. |
"I'll Be Around" | Thom Bell, Phil Hurtt | David Foster, Trevor Horn, Jochem van der Saag* |
3:15 |
| 9. |
"Love Won't Let Me Wait" | Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli | David Foster, Trevor Horn, Jochem van der Saag* |
4:24 |
| 10. |
"Lean on Me" | Bill Withers | Trevor Horn |
3:26 |
| 11. |
"Oh Girl" | Eugene Record | Trevor Horn |
3:53 |
- Notes
Charts and certifications
Certifications
Release history
| Country |
Date |
Format |
| Netherlands[27] |
4 November 2011 |
CD |
| France |
4 November 2011[28] |
Digital download |
| 7 November 2011[29] |
CD |
| Australia[30] |
11 November 2011 |
| Germany[31] |
| United Kingdom[32] |
21 November 2011 |
| United States[33] |
24 January 2012 |
References
- 1 2 Jones, Alan (30 January 2012). "Official Chart Analysis: Sales slow, but Sheeran and Cover Drive reign". Music Week. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (February 1, 2012). "Tim McGraw Scores Top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard.
- ↑ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015.
- 1 2 3 http://sealcom.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/Press_Release_-_Soul_2.pdf
- ↑ Kappala-Ramsamy, Gemma (23 October 2011). "This much I know: Seal". The Guardian (London).
- 1 2 "Soul 2 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ↑ Allmusic review
- 1 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/jr28
- ↑ Billboard review
- 1 2 Sullivan, Caroline (16 November 2011). "Seal: Soul 2 – review". The Guardian (London).
- 1 2 Gill, Andy (18 November 2011). "Album: Seal, Soul 2 (Warner Bros)". The Independent (London).
- ↑ "australian-charts.com - Seal - Soul 2". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "ultratop.be - Seal - Soul 2". Ultratop (in Dutch). ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "ultratop.be - Seal - Soul 2". Ultratop (in French). ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html
- ↑ "ČNS IFPI". Hitparáda - TOP50 Prodejní (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl - Seal - Soul 2". MegaCharts (in Dutch). Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "lescharts.com - Seal - Soul 2". SNEP (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Polish Albums Chart. OLiS. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ↑ "spanishcharts.com - Seal - Soul 2". PROMUSICAE (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "hitparade.ch - Seal - Soul 2". Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (1 February 2012). "Tim McGraw Scores Top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ↑ Santiago, Karinah (2 February 2012). "Chart Juice: Drake, Seal Win Seals of Approval on R&B/Hip-Hop Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a
- ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2011". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Seal – Soul 2". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Soul 2 in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ http://www.bol.com/nl/p/muziek/soul-2/1000004011760917/index.html
- ↑ http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005ZLGT90/
- ↑ http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005P3NPXG/
- ↑ https://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/pop-rock/soul-2/656899
- ↑ http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005P3NPXG/
- ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005P3NPXG/
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Soul-2-Seal/dp/B005P3NPXG/
External links
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| | Unreleased albums | |
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| | Singles | |
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