Review Summary: While not a good introduction to the artist, Human Being makes a decent follow-up to his first two records.
After releasing his masterful second record (and his superb first one), Seal had no point in attempting to best himself again. He could only hope to deliver a record that sustained his artistic credibility. And that’s precisely what he does on
Human Being. The songs here include some of his most introspective and existentialistic material ever, giving the impression that Seal was going through a catharsis at the time. The electronica beats are still there, but they pretty much play second fiddle to the singing (as opposed to his previous outings, when both elements were mutually complimentary).
The opening track,
Human Beings, is quite possibly the most memorable song on the record. Here, Seal delivers a fine, emotive vocal performance, which suit's the subject matter well. The song, which deals with depression and death, could qualify as his darkest ever:
Tell me is it death you feel
That will bring you peace of life.
Who wants
Tell me you're one
Tell me you're one of us
Tell me you're one
Tell me you're one of us
When you lose your self esteem
That's when love dies...
Ohhh...
Please....
Human being
If you bleed
They will say that it's destined
They'll be punchin' tickets
For the minute if you fall out of line
We're mere human beings we die
Lost My Faith is probably Seal’s most haunting moment. According to the song, he has been going through a rough patch in his relationship. He speaks to his lover, telling her that, even though things have gotten difficult for them, he still wants to be with her:
We both know
That the harder we try
Can't understand it
We're so caught up in the reasons why
Station to station
And we couldn't even say their names
I realize it
It's just a game
I had lost my faith
Long ago
I had lost my faith
Long ago
I can see
That if I say close to your side
All of my pressures now
I know they will subside
If ever you need me yeah
All you gotta
All you gotta do is fall
Colour describes a scenic change of some sort. This song ranks among the artist’s most vague, and could refer to several possible subjects (perhaps environmental pollution). At the end of the song, it’s clear, however, that Seal feels optimistic about the future:
God only knows what we've put in that paint
God only knows...
Colour fades away
Good times here today
Almost every day
Meanwhile you would say
I close my eyes...
and dream of only yesterday
Colour fades away
Good times here today
Almost everyday
Meanwhile you could say
That I clo...se my eyes
That I clo...se my eyes...
Colour
Fades to grey
I dream so exciting
But I, I feel so bo...ld
In conclusion, this is a fine recording, if not Seal’s best. While not a good introduction to the artist, it makes a decent follow-up to his first two records. All that needs to be known is that Seal didn’t stop releasing quality after
Seal (II).
