Frank Seals
b. August 13th, 1942 in Osceola (Arkansas)
d. December 20th, 2004 in Chicago (Illinois)
THE SON SEALS BLUES BAND
Alligator
Sonet
1972
Son père Jim était propriétaire d'un club et jouait de nombreux instruments. Batteur de Robert Nighthawk puis d'Earl Hooker dès l'adolescence, Son Seals accompagne ensuite Albert King qui reste une influence majeure pour lui avec les guitaristes du West Side Sound. En parrallèle, il monte son propre groupe et s'installe à Chicago en 1971 à la mort de son père. Dans un club du South Side, il est découvert par Bruce Iglauer qui lui propose d'enregistrer son premier disque pour son label Alligator. Il s'agit d'un disque puissant de Chicago Blues avec déjà quelques belles compositions comme "Sitting at my window", "Your love is like a cancer", "How could she leave me" ou l'instrumental "Hot sauce".
His father Jim owned a club and played many instruments. Drummer for Robert Nighthawk and then Earl Hooker from his early teens, Son Seals went on to accompany Albert King, who remains a major influence for him, along with the guitarists of the West Side Sound. At the same time, he formed his own band and moved to Chicago in 1971 on the death of his father. In a South Side club, he was discovered by Bruce Iglauer, who invited him to record his first album for his Alligator label. It's a powerful Chicago Blues record with such fine compositions as “Sitting at my window”, “Your love is like a cancer”, “How could she leave me” and the instrumental “Hot sauce”.
DELUXE EDITION
Alligator
1972
Dans cette compilation, on peut trouver un titre inédit issu des séances de son premier album : "Life all by myself".
This compilation includes a previously unreleased track from the sessions for his debut album : “Life all by myself”.
MIDNIGHT SON
Alligator
Sonet
June - July 1976
Co-produit par Bruce Iglauer, Richard Mac Leese et Son Seals lui-même, ce second album se montre encore plus abouti que le précédent. Enregistré aux Curtom Studios, il place Son Seals à la tête d'un superbe groupe agrémenté d'une section cuivres. On peut retenir dans cette intense tracklist les excellents "I believe", "No no baby", "Don' bother me", "On my knees", "Don't fool with my baby" et "Going back home".
Co-produced by Bruce Iglauer, Richard Mac Leese and Son Seals himself, this second album is even more accomplished than its predecessor. Recorded at Curtom Studios, it features Son Seals at the head of a superb backing band enhanced with horn section. The intense tracklist includes the excellent "I believe", "No no baby", "Don' bother me", "On my knees", "Don't fool with my baby" and "Going back home".
LIVE AND BURNING
Alligator
Sonet
January 1978
Album live capturé sur la scène Wise Fools Pub de Chicago. Son Seals est en forme et son groupe également. Une performance plaisante dans une chaude ambiance qui devrait plaire aux amateurs confirmés.
Live album captured on the Wise Fools Pub stage in Chicago. Son Seals is in top form, and so is his backing band. A pleasant performance in a warm atmosphere that should please confirmed fans.
CHICAGO FIRE
Alligator
Sonet
November 1979 - January 1980
Toujours associé à Bruce Iglauer et son label Alligator, Son Seals délivre ici son meilleur album. Supporté par un groupe dynamique et compact, il propose ses meilleures compositions dans une tracklist irréprochable : "Buzzard luck", "Leaving home", "Landlord at my door", "Gentleman from the windy city", "Watching every move you make", "Crying time again". Bon chanteur à la voix puissante et guitariste au jeu flamboyant et créatif, Son Seals donne, sans conteste, une des grandes réussites du Chicago Blues contemporain.
Still associated with Bruce Iglauer and his Alligator label, Son Seals delivers his best album yet. Supported by a dynamic and compact backing band, he offers his best compositions in an impeccable tracklist : “Buzzard luck”, “Leaving home”, “Landlord at my door”, “Gentleman from the windy city”, “Watching every move you make”, “Crying time again”. A fine singer with a powerful voice and a guitarist with a flamboyant and creative style, Son Seals gives without doubt one of the great achievement of contemporary Chicago Blues.
BLUES DELUXE
Alligator
August 1980
Une belle reprise du "Don't throw your love on me so strong" d'Albert King jouée sur la scène du Chicago Blues Festival de 1980.
A nice cover of Albert King's “Don't throw your love on me so strong” performed on stage at the 1980 Chicago Blues Festival.
BAD AXE
Alligator
Sonet
1984
Un bon album studio bien que moins percutant que les précédents opus du guitariste. Un programme de bon niveau mais parfois inégal dont on retient "Don't pick me for your fool", "Going home", "I think you're fooling me", "Can't stand to see her cry".
A good studio album, albeit less inspired than the guitarist's previous releases. A good but sometimes uneven program, including “Don't pick me for your fool”, “Going home”, “I think you're fooling me”, “Can't stand to see her cry”.
LIVE AT BLUES
B.L.U.E.S (only on cassette)
Late 1980's
THE ALLIGATOR RECORDS 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
Alligator
June 1991
Une reprise du "Sadie" d'Hound Dog Taylor en live en compagnie d'Elvin Bishop.
A live cover of Hound Dog Taylor's “Sadie” with Elvin Bishop.
LIVING IN THE DANGER ZONE
Alligator
1991
Voici un excellent album enregistré à Chicago par Son Seals et ses musiciens lors de plusieurs séances. Ils délivrent ici un blues puissant et brûlant avec des morceaux percutants comme le superbe "Frigidaire woman" mais aussi "Woman in black", "Arkansas woman", "The danger zone", "Bad axe".
Here's an excellent album recorded in Chicago by Son Seals and his musicians over several sessions. They deliver powerful, searing blues here, with hard-hitting tracks like like the superb “Frigidaire woman”, but also “Woman in black”, “Arkansas woman”, “The danger zone”, “Bad axe”.
THE ALLIGATOR RECORDS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Alligator
1992
Dans cet album pour Noël, Son Seals propose le bon slow "Lonesome Christmas".
In this album for Christmas, Son Seals offers the good slow song “Lonesome Christmas”.
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Alligator
1994
Un disque inégal de Chicago Blues contemporain avec une poignée de titres intéressants comme "Good woman bad", "I'm gonna take it all back", "Life is hard" sans oublier une belle reprise du "I can't hear nothing but the blues" d'Albert King.
An uneven album of contemporary Chicago blues, with a handful of interesting tracks such as “Good woman bad”, “I'm gonna take it all back”, “Life is hard” without forgetting a fine cover of Albert King's “I can't hear nothing but the blues”.
LIVE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
Alligator
June 1996
Après près de 25 ans passés au sein d'Alligator, Son Seals donne avec cet album live son dernier opus pour le label de Chicago. Un concert capturé sur la scène du Buddy Guy's Legends et bénéficiant d'une excellente prise de son. "Don't pick me for your fool", "No no baby", "Sitting here thinking", "Landlord at my door", "Don't lie to me" figurent parmi les meilleurs moments.
After almost 25 years with Alligator, Son Seals gives with this live album his final opus for the Chicago label. A concert captured on Buddy Guy's Legends stage, with excellent sound recording. "Don't pick me for your fool", "No no baby", "Sitting here thinking", "Landlord at my door", "Don't lie to me" are among the highlights.
BLUES GUITAR SUMMIT
Charly
1998 ?
Six morceaux enregistrés sur la scène du Buddy Guy's Legends avec ses musiciens réguliers (dont une bonne version de "Don't lie to me").
Six tracks recorded on Buddy Guy's Legends stage with his regular musicians (including a good version of “Don't lie to me”).
LETTIN' GO
Telarc
August - November 1999
En janvier 1997, sa femme lui tire dessus au pistolet et le blesse gravement à la machoire. Deux ans plus tard, il est amputé d'une jambe suite à son diabète. Malgré ces difficultés, il parvient à graver ce nouvel album pour le label Telarc, co-produit avec Jimmy Vivino. Malgré une tracklist trop longue, on apprécie, en particulier, "Bad blood", "Let it go", "Give the devil his due", "I got some of my money", une nouvelle version de "Funky bitch" ainsi que la tentative Country "Rockin' and rollin' tonight". Participation remarquée d'Al Kooper à l'orgue.
In january 1997, his wife shot him with a gun, seriously injuring his jaw. Two years later, his diabetes led to the amputation of a leg. Despite these difficulties, he managed to record this new album for the Telarc label, co-produced with Jimmy Vivino. Despite an overly long tracklist, we particularly appreciate “Bad Blood”, "Let it go", "Give the devil his due", "I got some of my money", a new version of "Funky bitch" as well as the Country attempt "Rockin' and rollin' tonight". Noted participation of Al Kooper on organ.
HEY BO DIDDLEY - A TRIBUTE
Evidence
Blues Boulevard - Music Avenue
2002