Songs from the Crystal Cave

Songs from the Crystal Cave
Studio album by Steven Seagal
Released	2005
Genre	Rock Blues Dancehall Reggae
Label	Nonsolo Blues WSM
Producer	Al Anderson Tyrone Downie Shaun Fisher Steven Seagal Ric Wake Chris Wonzer
Steven Seagal chronology
Songs from the Crystal Cave (2005) Mojo Priest (2006)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Songs from the Crystal Cave is the debut album from actor, musician, and martial artist Steven Seagal, released in 2005 on Nonsolo Blues and Warner Strategic Marketing. Seagal is credited with "Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitar" and appears on the cover and throughout the liner notes emotively playing and posing with a guitar. The style can be described as "outsider country-meets-world music-meets-Aikido." Many of the songs reflect Seagal's esoteric Buddhist and spiritualist stance while also incorporating standard song tropes about relationships and other things.

The album features a mix of musical genres, including rock, reggae, and country music.^[2] Musicians collaborating on this album include Stevie Wonder and Lady Saw.

Seagal has sometimes provided soundtrack music for some of his movies. The track "Don't You Cry", among others was featured in the film Into the Sun.

Reviews and responses

Sputnikmusic ran a scathing review that labeled the release "worse than Sid Sings" and condemned Seagal's "laughably badly" done guitar playing.^[2] Allmusic published a mixed but supportive review, the album's mixture of styles and emotional tones from song to song getting highlighted for criticism as being slipshod and haphazard. However, the review also credited the album for being "endearing in its own way" and presenting the listener with a "good-vibes experience".^[3]

Popular celebrity Conan O'Brien endorsed this album, although Conan admitted to not listening to the release first. Rather, he based his endorsement on the album's cover, which he praised.

Track listing

1. "Girl It's Alright" - 3:52 (Steven Seagal, Greg Barnhill) *
2. "Don't You Cry" - 4:59 (Seagal, Barnhill)
3. "Music" - 4:15 (Seagal, Patrick George Barrett)
4. "Better Man" - 4:29 (Seagal, Barnhill)
5. "Route 23" - 4:32 (Seagal)
6. "My God" - 3:59 (Seagal)
7. "Lollipop" - 4:36 (Cover of "My Boy Lollipop." Writing credited to Seagal & Shaun Fisher)
8. "Not for Sale" - 4:58 (Seagal, Fisher)
9. "Dance" - 3:34 (Seagal, Fisher)
10. "Jealousy" - 4:22 (Seagal, Marion Hall)
11. "War" - 3:47 (Seagal, Cleve Laing)
12. "Strut" - 3:06 (Seagal, Hall, Saw)
13. "Goree" - 6:00 (Seagal)
14. "The Light" - 4:55 (Seagal)

Personnel

• Steven Seagal: Vocals, Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Clay Pot
• Greg Barnhill: Acoustic Guitars
• Al Anderson: Rhythm Guitar
• Tommy K.: Acoustic, Rhythm & Wah-Wah Guitars
• Russ DeSalvo: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Synthesizers
• Stevie Wonder: Harmonica
• Marty Grebb: Keyboards, Organ
• Veit Renn: Keyboards
• Patrick Carroll: Bass, Drum & Percussion Programming
• Habib Faye: Bass, Keyboards, Drum & Percussion Programming
• Shaun Fisher: Keyboards, Bass, Drums, Percussion
• Rhonda Smith: Bass
• Frank Valardi: Drums
• Babakar: African Drums
• T.H. Subash Chandran: Ethnic Percussion, Bowls, Tabla, Jew's Harp
• Remi Kabaka: Talking Drum
• Mani Subramaniam: Violin
• Lady Saw, "Lieutenant Stitchie": DJ
• Tony Rebel: Rap
• Rose Banks, Sharon Bryant, Dana Calitri, Ripley Fairchild, Lisa Frazier, Curtis King, Michael Okri, Janice Brocking-Renn: Vocal Backing

References