Audio CD review:
England Dan Seals - Stones

England Dan Seals - Stones

Band: England Dan Seals Title: Stones Rating: Release Date: 19 October, 1999 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Stones (Dig A Little Deeper) 2: Late At Night 3: Love Me Like The Last Time 4: Getting To The Point 5: How Do I Survive 6: Holdin' Out For Love 7: You Could've Been The One 8: Take You Home 9: When It's Over 10: Lullaby

Customer Reviews indispensable for any England Dan & John Ford Coley fan As for England Dan Seals, this superb album "Stones" was released. Dan Seals & John Ford Coley split apart in 1980, & that same year John Ford Coley teamed up with Leslie Bulkin & Kelly Bruss & put out the strong "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" album on A&M Records. Somewhat incredibly, even with the big commercial success ED & JFC had had just the year before, "Stones" was a commercial flop, a real shame considering what a terrific album this is. ED & JFC producer Kyle Lehning is still on board producing this, & though the material comes from a bunch of different songwriters (including a handful of Dan Seals co-writes), the material is consistently excellent, the production is masterful, and Seals is in his usual great form vocally. "Stones (Dig A Little Deeper)" is an explosive, cautionary, cathartic rocker that opens the album with a bang. Things cool down quickly for the refreshingly stripped-down "Late At Night", and then there's the soaring "Love Me Like The Last Time", a great tender ballad with "Getting To The Point" (marred just a bit by the slightly annoying fade), & the deliriously catchy/ funky "How Do I Survive" (also done by Amy Holland on her self-titled debut from the same year). 'Side 2' is mostly great as well with the uptempo guitar-powered pop-rocker "Holdin' Out For Love", the contemplative yet upbeat "You Could've Been The One", & the mellow "Take You Home" (with a melody strongly recalling the Stylistics' "I'm Stone In Love With You"); "When It's Over", co-written by John Ford Coley, is slightly sappy, but still a nicely crafted ballad, and the album ends with the gorgeously melodic acoustic ballad "Lullaby". Although this album has been issued on CD, don't expect it to come cheap--however, there are vinyl copies floating & you can snap one up at a very good price. In any case, if you're an England Dan & John Ford Coley fan, don't overlook this album (or that "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" album either)--it's simply a must-have. Hidden Hit For Seals Commercially this record was a bomb, and with that in mind most people tend to "pass" on music that does not receive a lot of top-forty hype. This was one of two albums that Seals' released before hitting country superstardom. Not true with the Dan Seals album STONES. This album deserved to be a hit, and is truly a welcomed surprise to the compact disc collector. Seals shines on the acustic tinged "Late At Night". "Love Me Like The Last Time" & "You Could've Been The One" makes one wonder why pop radio dismissed such a talent so soon. The title track is also exceptional, with hints of an eerie-like undertone. Seals ends the album with a song titled "lullaby" which to this day could be a hit record. {He later re-recorded the song as a duet with Emmylou Harris} Re-issues like this don't come around often. Don't miss your chance this time around to purchase STONES!. Do you feel like living in Japan? But here in Japan, it happens! This is his first solo album in 1981 after his departure from England Dan & John Ford Coley, and before his success as a country singer. If you remember this album, you cannot possibly believe that this kind of recordings would be reissued as a CD. He sounded like TOTO with a pop, country-rock flavor. If you like middle of the road, pop rock, which was "in" in the late 1970s and the early 80s, you will like this. The second track "Late at Night" bubbled under top 40. . You can see a complete list of all England Dan Seals discography, or go back to the England Dan Seals tabs