Seals & Crofts
Get Closer

These two Texan jokers dressed up on the cover were a successful pop/folk/gospel/country duo (in the USA, and only there) especially in the seventies. In our parts, no one bothered with them, or almost. The fact is, they were made especially for that large part of America that is bigoted, like desperate housewives, hypocritically devout, which to us Europeans has (or should have, better to correct oneself) a hallucinatory effect. They were also followers of some sort of Middle Eastern religious/philosophical sect, a peculiarity that makes listening to much of their serenely do-gooder lyrics idiosyncratic.

However, I still collect their records with meticulousness because they were… simply good, very musical, cohesive, and skilled. But one must discern… in their repertoire there's a lot of easy listening junk, a bland soft rock mix good for the musically faint of heart. But then, one time out of five, they pull out a gem, maybe only instrumental, of great class, wisdom, and inventiveness, capable of rewarding the time spent following them.

James Seals, the one on the left with the cap, the beard, and the bird-like courting bulb, predominantly plays the acoustic guitar. Dash Crofts, the one with excessive hair everywhere and the silly Jovanotti-style t-shirt, is a (notable) mandolin player. They both sing: Seals' voice is… regular, warm and solid baritone. Crofts', on the other hand, is higher pitched but hoarse, very nasal, not the greatest… In fact, he rarely takes the forefront, assuming much more frequently a backing vocalist role.

I only mention the most praiseworthy number contained in this 1976 album, their eighth of their career, namely “Passing Thing,” placed right at the end. It's a… progressive episode, truly; an endless guitar/mandolin duet that goes beyond the sung parts to impose itself with continuous variations, from jazz to South America, of rare elegance. The mandolin can be an irresistible instrument, with a penetrating yet sweet, very sonorous voice.

As for the rest… one could say it's roughly like listening to a Graham Nash record, or with his friend David Crosby. It's the same Californian mush, warm yet classy, with the usual cream of Los Angeles session musicians at hand (half of the Toto group, for example) to create a product of utmost professionalism. But I repeat, here and elsewhere (they have released about fifteen albums) there are always pearls to pick out here and there.