Human Being (album)
Human Being is the third studio album by Seal, released in 1998. The title track was written about late rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.[1] Human Being received mixed reviews ranging from being panned for its overtly dark and moody feel,[3] to being described in terms such as "pop perfection".[1] The album failed to sell in the same way as his 1994 multi-platinum album, Seal. However, it is a fan favourite and was inspired by his then-girlfriend, Tyra Banks and their breakup.
| Human Being | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 November 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1998 | |||
| Studio | Sarm West (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:35 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Trevor Horn | |||
| Seal chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Human Being | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
A remix of "Lost My Faith" was featured over the closing credits of the 1999 film Entrapment, and the song's single release was accompanied by a music video in which Seal is integrated into scenes from the film alongside Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The cover art for the album was shot by French fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Human Beings" | Seal | 4:47 |
| 2. | "State of Grace" |
| 5:00 |
| 3. | "Latest Craze" |
| 4:28 |
| 4. | "Just Like You Said" |
| 4:17 |
| 5. | "Princess" | Seal | 1:58 |
| 6. | "Lost My Faith" |
| 4:38 |
| 7. | "Excerpt From" | Seal | 3:04 |
| 8. | "When a Man Is Wrong" | Seal | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Colour" | Seal | 5:22 |
| 10. | "Still Love Remains" | Seal | 5:54 |
| 11. | "No Easy Way" | Seal | 4:48 |
| 12. | "Human Beings (Reprise)" | Seal | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 52:05 | ||
Personnel
- Seal – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Earl Harvin – drums, bass, guitar, sound engineering
- Chris Bruce – guitar, bass guitar
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards, bass guitar, programming
- Grant Mitchell – additional keyboards, programming
- Dave Palmer, David Sancious, Mike Garson, George De Angelis, Lisa Coleman – additional keyboards
- Gregg Arreguin, Chester Kayman, Gus Isadore, Wendy Melvoin, Ramon Stagnaro, Danny Saber – additional guitar
- Alex Acuña, Andy Duncan – percussion
- Andy Richards, Dave McCracken, Danny Saber, William Orbit – programming
- Anne Dudley, Wil Malone, Aaron Zigman, Nick Ingman – string arrangements
Charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] | 82 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] | 21 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 24 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] | 14 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 18 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 44 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 22 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[14] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Prato, Greg (17 November 1998). "Human Being - Seal". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- David Browne (16 November 1998). "Human Being Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- Evelyn McDonnell (17 November 1998). "Seal: Human Being : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Seal". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 723. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- "SEAL on Instagram: "'Human Beings' (My Favourite of My Album Covers) #jeanbaptistemondino #albumcover"". Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2019 – via Instagram.
- Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 246.
- "Austriancharts.at – Seal – Human Being" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Seal – Human Being" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Seal – Human Being" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Charts.nz – Seal – Human Being". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Swisscharts.com – Seal – Human Being". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "Seal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- "New Zealand album certifications – Seal – Human Being". Recorded Music NZ.
- "British album certifications – Seal – Human Being". British Phonographic Industry.
- "American album certifications – Seal – Human Being". Recording Industry Association of America.
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