Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Very solid album! Thought I wasn’t going to like it and it had me locked in.

That is such a good album. Great voice, great use of choir. Give me more of it.

There were a lot of singles on this one. He has a great voice. Very good album.

Well performed, overall lovely music

Wow! Incredible debut

An incredible debut album with some excellent soul and funk R&B. I thoroughly enjoyed listening with only one real complaint: Many of the tracks get repetitive to the point of annoyance. It's personal preference but I feel like there was so much room to get creative that was missed.

Q magazine liked to offer up one word reviews to sum up an album back in the day. I recall 'sultry' being offered up for TTD's debut. I also remember mis-reading this at the time as 'salty.' Both descriptions do justice here. You forget how huge TTD was in 1987. What happened next is the more interesting story. But Introducing the Hardline remains great fun. There's a distinctive 80's production. It's very funky in places. The vocals are fantastic. A sultry, salty 4 stars.

Lots of songs I already knew!

A classic of its time. No suprises, no mystery, just solid good R&B. He never managed to repeat the quality of this recording, and slowly (or rather quickly) faded from sight.

I was surprised this album was on the list

Aww, made my day this. My sister had this album back in the day. What a debut. He had it all: talent, a fantastic voice, good looks. But I reckon nobody liked Terry D’Arby more than Terry D’Arby. His hubris did for him I think. And he went a bit bonkers. Shame. So much promise

Awesome 4.5

A little dated but still solidly entertaining. At its best when most influenced by Stevie Wonder. I've never listened to the whole album before and I'll definitely be back. 3.5 stars

I finally know who is author of "sign your name". Quite good, not everyday album but added few songs to vaes.

This is some kind of soul, pop, dance, funk hybrid. It works pretty good in most moments, yet I'm not too keen on the vocals. The album is soulful and catchy, it was kind of lightning caught in a bottle as he never really reached the same success later on. The opener is solid! 8 out of 10

It would be interesting to see where this guy could be if his ego hadn’t gotten the best of him. Unique voice and a lot of great songs.

Cool, clean 80s neo-soul. Some lovely warbles and a sexy new-age energy throughout. If I was a 40-year old woman with a penchant for crystal healing , D'Arby would set my soul alight. As it is, he gets a four.

A great voice, and many great songs. Sounds just a wee bit dated, but in a way that might be fairer to call "of its time". He was certainly a big fan of himself, but he was talented enough to back it up.

A great Prince mimic, even the dance moves. Arrogance weakened his later works although his third LP is underated and fantastic.

Some songs were very fun and some were very meh. Good ones sounded like a happy Michael Jackson

Favorites were "Dance Little Sister" and "Sign Your Name". Honorable mention to "As Yet Untitled"

A solid album, with some really lovely, soulful vocals by Terence Trent D'Arby. The production by Martyn Ware is really interesting. There's definitely this stylish, "new wave" or British pop kind of vibe to the music that made it sound really fresh at the time. The flip side of that is that some it sounds dated, but the overall quality of the album is inarguable. This was an excellent debut by an artist who should have been more successful. Fave Songs: Sign Your Name, Wishing Well, If You Let Me Stay, Who's Loving You, Dance Little Sister, I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)

fucking crazy vocals. arrangements are glossy and punchy. classic 80’s sound without being cheesy and dated. the song writing is very strong. the acapella number at the end was absolutely beautiful. over all an incredible record. i won’t give it five just because he’s not quite as good as stevie or prince…

I really enjoyed the soul vocals over 80s pop production on this album. Standouts: Seven More Days; If You Let Me Stay.

vibezzz

Pretty good. Only knew him from Wishing Well previously. Beautiful voice.

One of the most amazing debut albums ever. So many great songs… what happened to him after this? Standouts: Wishing Well, If You Let Me Stay, Rain, Dance Little Sister, Sign Your Name, Who’s Loving You, If You All Get To Heaven. Wow. 4.5/5

Strong neostalgia

Quite good, only one bad track and a few classics. It's- a bit mainstream but a good listen

Yea man this was great. Wishing we’ll kiss and tell

full disclosure, not to be “that guy”, but i own this on vinyl. a magnificent album with both upbeat and slower songs. definite michael jackson vibes throughout. this is another album that puts me in a good mood when i listen to it. just solid. highlights: “if you let me stay”, “wishing well”, “sign your name”.

Never heard of this dude before and it's some really nice tunes, but the 80s production does shine through and while it gives it a very unique sound, it's not the sound I particularly love. Still shines through in places and was a fun listen.

Pleasant surprise. Maybe not quite sgt pepper but good album

Veeeery good voice, coole 80s Tracks

I enjoyed this listen today. It’s somewhat nostalgic since this was extremely popular in France when I lived there in 1988. Is it a little pretentious at times? Sure, but that goes along with being a 20-year-old study-abroad student. For the most part it was a sound I quite liked.

Some pretty solid bangers

Now here is a pleasant surprise. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to listen to this album.

Wishing Well is great. What a phenomenal voice, this album is so bouncy and energetic. Really enjoyed it.

Beautiful

Finally, some good fucking r&b. This thing is soulful and catchy, but it’s also weird as hell at times, in a bold and clever way. I like the weird synth instruments. They really help push this album from ordinary to extraordinary.

The man formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby is a very interesting guy; a man with a vision that firmly supported a boatload of talent that was best exemplified with this album. Introducing the Hardline According to... is a tantalizing hodgepodge of late 80s musical excess and a musical future that only he could see lain ahead and what would later inform his successive work. No wonder he went ahead and did what he felt was for the benefit of not only the industry (who coolly thought otherwise) but for himself in the long-run. Favorites: If You All Get to Heaven, If You Let Me Stay, Wishing Well, Dance Little Sister, Let's Go Forward, As Yet Untitled.

Enjoyed the album, good singing and funk

Just a little too much filler for a 5-star. Otherwise iconic

Unbelievable as it seems, I've never listened to this record. The hits from this are amazing, the vocal only track is great too!

If You All Get to Heaven- 8.4 If You Let Me Stay- 7.8 Wishing Well- 7 I'll Never Turn My Back on You- 8.6 Dance Little Sister- 8.5 Seven More Days- 7.6 Let's Go Forward- 7.8 Rain- 8 Sign Your Name- 7.6 As Yet Untitled- 7.3 Who's Loving You- 7.8

80s but good. Huge choruses that work due to pure power. A maximalist sound that fits with the artists character, and a general cohesion that makes the record work in an albun format, rather than feeling like a singles collection. A great record.

Solid

Если бы на этом альбоме не было инструментов, он бы всё равно мне очень понравился. Теренс Трент Д'Арби обладает настолько потрясающим голосом, что он мог бы вытащить один альбом целиком на чистом вокале. Меня очень порадовало что фокус здесь не только на его голосе, но и на замечательном инструментале, который привносит немного души в каждый трек. Также стоит отметить очень чёткий и точнейший продакшн, который радовал мои уши на протяжении всего альбома - каждый инструмент слышно чётко, никакой музыкальной каши. В общем и целом прекрасный альбом. (7.5 - 8)

I LOVE Michael Jackson. I LOVE Stevie Wonder. I DON’T MIND Prince. I’m not that bothered about 80s power-pop-soul. This album has some decent tracks on it but it’s not anywhere near as good as it thinks it is.

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. The music incorporated elements of soul, funk, R&B, as well as some more latin flavored genres to create something that had a great groove that held throughout while exploring more unusual rhythms and melodies. I was only familiar with 'Wishing Well,' but I found the rest of the album to be just as memorable.

funkeeee cewlllllll

Really good 80s album I had never heard of before.

Liked it! He has a great voice

not mine but epochal

I thought this was a really good one. Though I have to say my favourite song was probably the first one, and the others on the album weren't quite as good to me, but overall this was still a great album with some 80s pop. Favourite: If You All Get to Heaven

Oooo, very soulful. Love the 80s sounds (drums especially). Huey Lewis meets Marvin Gaye.

I always have a fable for essential 80s, and this hits a nice note, but never breaks through to be truly extravagant. I could listen to it all day on loop though.

Really enjoyed it

I enjoyed this album. Clean late-80s soul, reminded me of Stevie Wonder at times.

This is a case of an album, that has a very well-known song ('Sign Your Name'), but you had no idea who the vocalist or the band is. And I have to say, that's a real shame, because Terence Trent D'Arby, or Sananda Maitreya as he is known now, is a really talented and entertaining singer. The album started on a very high note with a great 'If You All Got To Heaven'. Funky and with some rock influence, masquerading as a soul song.The rest of the album is leaning more into a mix of funk and soul. And although it is not my favourite combination, I really enjoyed listening to the album. Very solid record, I'm happy that I found out about this album.

Brilliant. When this came out, everyone thought Terence Trent D'Arby was the next big thing...then... what happened? This album is brilliant. But, TTD turned out to be a one-album wonder... like so many before him and since... 4.5/5

Elska þessa plötu. Nokkrir bangerar og afskaplega falleg lög þess á milli. 35 ár og 1 vika síðan hún kom út og hefur elst afskaplega vel.

Enjoyed it, has some good songs.

6/27/2022 - ALBUM #151 Today's Album: "Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby" by Terence Trent D'Arby - This is a really great late 80s R&B pop album that demonstrates the talent of Terence D'Arby. The sound of this record is very reminiscent of sounds I've heard before from artists like Prince and Michael Jackson, but this time it feels like there is much more soul involved, with a lot of the more commercial and synthetic sounds that Jackson is known for being replaced with more creative auxiliary percussion. I particularly like how on some tracks, the guitar is used as more of a percussive instrument, only being placed in the back of the mix to serve some rhythmic purpose. The flow of this album is also something to compliment, with a really solid crop of tracks to start things off before transitioning into some of the slower or more experimental cuts, and then finally ending off with the extremely artful As Yet Untitled and the great closer, Who's Loving You. D'Arby maintains such a cohesive sound to this album, while still offering a lot of different kinds of tracks. If You All Get to Heaven is a heavier song, commanding the listener to pray for D'Arby's entry into heaven. If You Let Me Stay and Wishing Well are certified R&B bangers, Dance Little Sister is an energetic dance track, and As Yet Untitled is this slow spoken word poetry piece with harmonizing vocal lines splitting up the quiet verses. There are moments where the album does trail off and get a bit boring and I specifically think the track Rain sort of jumps the shark with the instrumental and gets a little too goofy, but the fantastic moments of this record demonstrate that this is not simply someone messing around. Overall, this is one of the most unique and fresh R&B albums I have heard and there are a ton of fun bangers in the track list to keep me coming back to it. Give this one a listen if you like Prince or MJ and want a new R&B pop influence. Highlights: If You All Get to Heaven, If You Let Me Stay, Wishing Well, I'll Never Turn My Back on You, Dance Little Sister, Sign Your Name, As Yet Untitled, Who's Loving You Score: 8/10 Some funky, soulful, and earthy R&B bangers

Good jams, especailly the cover of Who's loving you!

This was pretty nice.

Funky, soulful 80's pop. I actually like this guy better than Stevie Wonder - he's less saccharine. 4.5 stars.

Ah - ah. Why do this to me? Didn't know until recently that Martyn Ware produced this album

Actually pretty good.

Great hybrid fusion of pop, soul, rock, and funk! While he's no The Beatles or Mozart, this man always keeps the audience on their feet.

A very good album.

Thoroughly enjoyable..

Je tenais d'abord à préciser que cette critique sera probablement impactée par le fait que je me sois brûlé une partie de mon index gauche hier en mettant une bûche dans mon poêle à bois. J'ai beaucoup & mais alors beaucoup _-_ beaucoup aimé %%% cet album $$. Terence Trent D'Arby semble être né () d'un mariage entre Michael Jackson et Stevie Wonder "#/# à cette différence près qu'il possède un timbre immensément plus flûté. @@

J'ai eu la chance de tomber sur la version "Alben für die Ewigkeit" de l'album du jour, ce qui m'a permis de profiter d'une performance exceptionnelle. En effet, en plus des enregistrements originaux de Sananda Maitreya (ou Terence Trent D'Arbanville, c'est au choix), des adlibs issus des plus grandes personnalités de la musique allemande ont été rajoutés à chaque pré-refrain. Ici, c'est RIN qui vient nous gratifier de son "oh junge" legendaire. Là, c'est Sido qui vient répéter sans interruption "der beste Rapper ich bin". Nous avons même la chance d'assister à un salut nazi parfaitement efectué de la part de Xavier Naidoo en fin d'album. Une version collector à mettre entre toutes les mains.

More 80s weird pop. Terence Trent D'Arby's voice is melodic and calm and passionate all at once and he carries these funky tunes with his performance. Dance Little Sister has hints of a much better Michael Jackson performance. Good - Wishing Well, Dance Little Sister, Sign your Name, Rain

3.5 stars but I'll round up. Not something I would listen to regularly but I generally like it.

Big Michael Jackson energy. I enjoyed the heck out of this. Some great hooks, and romantic grooves.

Dance Little Sister is a brilliant song guaranteed to make me dance. His other hits are good too and the rest of the album was mellow. He has a lovely, soulful voice. 4*

Reminded me a lot of MJ with a few other vibes thrown in.

Fanastic debut

Thought this might be pretty good. Sgt pepper it ain’t but still enjoyable!

Pretty cool album that blends R&B and rock in a prince-kinda way. Some pretty fun lyricism combined with funky beats and layered vocal arrangements. A fun time, would definitely listen to again- not a single bad song on the album.

I should listen to more 80's music that didn't become super popular hit singles, although the singles on here were also really good.

I recognized Wishing Well and Sign Your Name, but not the artist. It's a time capsule of the late 80s.

This was a fun poppy kinda album, it probably had some deep and dark brooding message that went right over my head but I enjoyed the sound to my ears

Smooth, ret nice.

What a blast from the past. Great album

Very cool album. After reading the AM description, I can definitely see how Neo-soul followed this. Bring on D’Angelo, baby!

Some really nice songs, but I doubt I will remember it in the future. Worse 4.

Nice and funky

Eigenlijk 4.5 sterren. Heel fijn album. If you all get to heaven is ook sterke opener, maar As Yet Untitled is de echte uitschieter hier.

👍

Good album, nice vocal performance and interesting lyrics. 8

Really good! A solid 8, would relisten

Chłop ma flow jak GEORGE MICHAEL a wokalizy jak PRINCE kurwa sztosiwo ale szybko mnie męczy

I really liked this album! It was so funky and dancy, quite different than a lot of the other stuff we have listened to so far

Some hits. Creative. Acapella

Dance little Sister, sign tour name, Wising well , if you letr me stay

Pretty unique, but good.

8.5

Surprisingly good R&B+Pop album

Fantastic late 80s nostalgia

Both classics (Sign Your Name) and songs that cannot be listened (As Yet Untitled)

I was feeling indifferent about this album until I heard Who’s Loving You. Woah.

Angelic voice

I enjoyed this! The lyrics to Wishing Well surfaced from the deep recesses of my brain; I wonder if this is an album my mum had in the rotation way back when.

Was alright. Nice and chilled. Good voice.

It was nice listen. Jut can’t realy remember much except the ‘meanwhile on the other world’ part.

Voða hugljúft á köflum en smá pirrandi líka. 2-3 mjög flott lög þarna.

Not sure how I felt about this one. A weird mix of Prince and Michael Jackson. Really don’t know.

favs: wishing well i’ll never turn my back on you (father’s words) rain sign your name as yet untitled who’s loving you rating 2.7/5

His voice is the big selling point and it kinda worked, but it sounds as 80's as it gets, and therefore a bit dated

Would listen to this one again. Can tell it’s 80s but I liked it

Loved this album particularly Wishing Well which is such a great song. Sad that it imploded on the second album.

"Wishing Well" is a neat late 80s pop track. Always thought Seal really had the edge over this guy in terms of making this funk/rock/r&b sound work. Production is very dated.

This album sounds like the 80's. A real time capsule. I like the vibe.

Like others have said, the 80's sound was too much for me. Still, I didn't hate it. Didn't like it either. I will say the songs kind of stuck in my head afterwards (surprising since I hadn't heard them before). I liked the ending track "Who's Loving You" the most.

Iconic! Glad to have heard this album in full for the first time. 3.75 rounded down to 3.

This is very okay (will probably not listen again), and the second half built and built, concluding the album much better than it started. Overall I felt like the production on these tracks muddied the waters too much, and neither the voice nor the music had a chance of standing out. I am surprised that it could be considered an "essential" album but I don't regret listening to it. It's nice to know that there will at least be some non-old-white-dudes on this journey.

First song is pretty great, weird and soulful. Point off for the acapella one where you can hear him swallowing. The rest of the album doesn't quite hit the highs of the opener, but is good enough.

Not my usual listen but good. Lots of variety. Kinda made me think of Michael Jackson but less annoying.

#376/1001. File under: - 80s - Artists formerly known with another name - Soul, R&B, funk - Multi-instrumentalists - Music producers - Sex symbols - Black male singers with androgynous personas - People with too big egos - Pop stars searching for spirituality - Not so innovative musicians as Prince

A mixed album for me. Was a bit dull in places. Smokey Robinson knows how to write a song. I've never heard a bad cover of 'Who's Loving You'. 3.5

EH

I was totally unfamiliar with this artist, or at least I thought I was, until I listened to the album and vaguely remembered a couple of the songs from back in the day. I have always thought that in Wishing Well, the melody of the musical interlude between the chorus and verses, and also at the end, reminded me of an old timey cartoon where the skeleton plays the xylophone on his rib cage. Anyway, I digress. I have to say that I enjoyed this record a lot more than I anticipated. I probably won’t purposely listen to it again, but if it happened to be playing somewhere randomly I would be totally okay with that. I give it a strong three stars.

Marked the start of a very welcome move from saccharine early-mid 80s pop towards something that rediscovered soul & integrity. It’s still a bit too light for my taste but there’s more interest here.

Not bad. The 80’s production holds it back a little, as well as the obvious comparisons to Prince and MJ. But listenable.

Okay album with 2 hits.

Acho que provavelmente merecia que ouvisse mais uma vez ou duas

enjoyable but pretty derivative

Like if Lenny Kravitz and the Fine Young Cannibals had a baby. Found this to be a little toothless but still an easy listen

thought "this is like prince mixed with raffi" like immediately and couldn't shake that. it's better than that but the wheels on this bus do be going round and round

Surprisingly good...

I wanted to love this so much more. But its a little messy, and just not really hitting that hard. Funky groovy, but only a solid 3

Good

Wishing Well and Sign Your Name are among the classic picks you will often hear on 80s-90s pop radio stations in my region. And I really like those songs

3,5

Honestly it was nice to hear some mediocre music that was R&B rather than new wave. Inessential but fine.

Dude can sing, but sadly the songs didn't go over well for me. "Wishing Well" is a cheesy song that I was never really too into, but his cover of Smoky Robinson's "Who's Loving You" is pretty good and really shows his voice off. Considering his ego and how he thought this record was better than Sgt Peppers, it really made me hear this and go... huh? so yeah idk it didn't age well imo.

I expected to dislike this because of the 80s of it all, but actually found it kind of charming. Wishing Well and Sign Your Name really are bops. 3.5

Talented musician, great voice, but the 80's production just ruins it.

Die Musik finde ioch gut, sie mach mut und docch stärke

Dober

Plainly he was talented and the singles are pretty good. They deserve the radio play they still get. I found myself less bothered about the rest of the album.

I’m all about respecting artists creative choices and their freedom of expression. Doesn’t mean I can’t think that changing to using his real name as his stage name isn’t a major aura loss. This album is super 80’s (complimentary). His vocal performances are consistently great and these songs are solid. Favorites were If You Let Me Stay, Dance Little Sister, Seven More Days, and Rain.

I know "Sign Your Name" but not much else. It's very late 80s

This album definitely gets a few points for nostalgia! I must admit I forgot the phenomenon that this dude was, and reading his Wikipedia page reminded me how 'up his own arse' he was at the time. The most important album since Sgt Peppers! My arsehole!. It's interesting and definitely marks a time in my life, but there is not much staying power, and I can honestly say I don't recall listening to this during the last quarter century! To be fair, he has pumped out a bunch of albums (that are not on this list) since he changed his name to Sananda Maitreya. I did like this quote regarding his name change. "D'Arby legally changed his name to Sananda Maitreya on October 4, 2001, explaining "Terence Trent D'Arby was dead ... he watched his suffering as he died a noble death. After intense pain I meditated for a new spirit, a new will, a new identity" The wank continues!

The dude can really sing - but I just find it really hard to get on board with the distinctly 80s production, drum machines generic sounding synths etc. I wish I didn't feel that way - because it ruins lots of what could be great music on this list for me!! 10/10 would bang to Sign your name though.

Not my cup of Michael Jackson. :)

This is the most average, no-thrills album I've ever listened to. There's nothing in"ItHAtTTD'A" that distinguishes it from other albums from that era. I do like it, though, as an album to have on in the background. "Wishing Well" becomes the best song on "ItHAtTTD'A" with its deep bass, which I enjoyed. However, since I'm not keen on acapellas, "As Yet Untitled" is my least favourite. 3 stars for "Introducing the Hardline According to Sananda Maitreya (formerly Terence Trent D'Arby)".

So soulful.

technically, amazing. however, none of those songs needed to be longer than 3 minutes. 3.5

resina

Funky and smooth, very enjoyable

Thought this was a nice album. Good for listening to during the work day and overall pleasant on the ears. Great voice. Definitely reminiscent of the late 1980s, a music era that I really enjoy. Thought there were some good stand-out-ish songs, but nothing major. Also nothing major in a bad way. Found myself bopping along a few times, but couldn't tell you the names of anything at the end of the day.

Love the opening track. Recognized track three. This is decent.

Very good album. "Sign Your Name" and "Who's Loving You" are amazing.

Overall: 6/10 This album is pretty good but it's so much a product of the late 80's that I just couldn't get too into it. Still, the vocals are great and the best songs are very sexy. Fav Song: Wishing Well

We all know that one song, right? The Album is surprisingly tasty, combining pop, R&B and gospel. And there is Mr. D‘Arbys very unique voice. Unfortunately you can hear pretty well, that all this was produced in the 80s, which does take it away a little for me. But overall it is better than expected. Fav: As yet untitled

Great voice and interesting blend of genres. Not my style but still an enjoyable listen.

Better than I expected, but still not something I would seek out.

Ålreit

Nice voice and tunes but couldn’t keep me interested. 3.5 goin down.

The songs are well-crafted pop songs and he is a very good singer. This is a good record.

The entirety of the three stars I gave this is based on my fascination with “wishing well” which I randomly found last year and played on repeat for a couple weeks. It’s angular, surreal, it’s I think the one track he gives a rasp to his voice which is very effective. I’ve described this song as bubblegum soul, it’s so buoyant and dreamy, almost Lynchian.

Ok

3+ Stars (9/15)

This album is like pure 80s nostalgia. The monster hits I remembered ("Wishing Well", "Sign Your Name", "If You Let Me Stay") are still amazing pop/soul jams. The rest of the record settles into a soulful, smooth groove that really showcases his incredible vocal range, which often feels like a fusion of Michael Jackson's energy and Prince's funkier edges. The production is a bit of a mixed bag though. It's got that classic 80s sound that can sound a bit dated, but he's super talented. Tracks like "As Yet Untitled" show he didn't need all the effects to be awesome. It's a little cool, a little funky, and a little over the top debut that's a great listen.

Perfectly fine. Good vocals, good music. Solid R&B/soul. Not likely to stick with me.

3.5

If You All Get to Heaven - 4.5/5 If You Let Me Stay - 4/5 Wishing Well - 3/5 I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words) - 3.5/5 Dance Little Sister - 3/5 Seven More Days - 4/5 Let's Go Forward - 3.5/5 Rain - 4/5 Sign Your Name - 3.5/5 As Yet Untitled - 3/5 Who's Loving You - 3.5/5

Great voice, nice mix of ballads and funky jams. Any song from this album would fit perfectly over the credits of an 80s movie.

Up and down but listenable record. Not sure I would come back to it.

Jamais écouté avant. Aucun doute, ça sonne comme les années 1980, pour le meilleur sur certains morceaux enthousiasmants, et le pire quand on se noie dans la guimauve. Du talent, c'est certain, mais pas de génie. Top : ...Seven More Days Flop : If You Let Me Stay

Its not longer Terence Trent D'Arby... that's interesting and so is some of this album

It was quite the debut, but the power of it is rather lost under the 80s sheen these days I guess. Still some absolute bangers on here. Solid 3

It was fine but not especially my go-to music genre...

Corny & goof. I liked it, wish each song was a full minute shorter, but I think I might just have that opinion about every song in existence apparently.

Hasn't really aged well

Waiting for an album that sneaks up on me from nowhere and goes to a straight up 5. This is not it but it is very close and definitely on the right track. I am going with a solid 3. Terence Trent D’Arby’s debut, Introducing the Hardline, is one of those albums that sneaks up on you. Going in, you might expect a late‑80s time capsule—slick production, big vocals, maybe a bit of over‑earnest swagger. And sure, some of that is here. But what’s surprising is how often the record cuts deeper than expected, revealing an artist who wasn’t just chasing trends but genuinely shaping his own sound. The album blends soul, funk, pop, and rock with a confidence that feels both youthful and ambitious. Not every experiment lands, but when it does, it really does. “Seven More Days” is the clearest example: warm, melodic, and emotionally grounded, it shows D’Arby at his most controlled and expressive. And I totally forgot about "Sign Your Name" - what a great tune. It’s one of those tracks that makes you sit up a little straighter and think, Oh—there’s something real here.

Pretty good, very 80's. It was ok.

So, I was originally going to give this album a 4 because I thought it was some pretty good music, but then I was informed that the artist of this album just straight up stole music for this album and now I can't really say I like it.

Yep, this is an 80s R&B album for sure. I feel like he’s trying to channel a little bit of every icon from this era, like Prince, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, etc. But pairing it with some of the most generic 80s production I’ve ever heard. Is it unappealing to the ears? By no means. But is it the kind of thing that sticks with you? Or that you’ll even retain an hour after listening? No, no it’s not. Obviously your mileage may vary, but each song felt pretty non-distinct to me. You can get much better flavors of this elsewhere. The only thing that stood out to me was As Yet Untitled, which I’m pretty sure is intended to be some sort of emotional climax to the album, but it’s singlehandedly the most uncomfortable five minutes I’ve experienced in a while. If I ever listen to this thing again, that track is getting skipped. Not much else to say on this one. Shoutout to this dude for calling it the most important album since Sgt. Pepper’s though! You gotta admire the confidence. Did I need to hear this before I die? It's pretty inoffensive, so I guess

good vibes! lots of hooting and hollering but in a fun way. lots going on protection wise asw would be a nice pres album??

He had a good voice but it didn’t really connect with me especially after a full album. Maybe in a different setting or just a single song it could be more enjoyable

Soulful, heartfelt, with funkiness and funk

Enjoyed myself! Some real highlights on this, including the closing track (Who's Loving You). 3.5, rounding down.

Not quite on the level of Prince or M.J. but suceeded in making an R&B record I didnt hate.

This is the second straight day of me getting music that I am just "blah" on. I don't think Terence Trent D'Arby has as much of a claim to be in this book as PJ Harvey does, though we still did not need 3 PJ Harvey albums. This album goes down easy and I don't feel there is too much to report back on. It's late 80's soulful R&B and the production is not New Jack Swing and not really the late 80's synthesized production. D'Arby has a really good voice and the touch of saxophone sets the album apart a bit. Acceptable, non-offensive but I have no motive to investigate more of his work. My favorite tracks: If You Let Me Stay Wishing Well Dance Little Sister Let's Go Forward Sign Your Name Who's Loving You

comparisons are a hateful nasty thing. but is undoubtably that Sananda Maitreya is pretty similar to Prince. In some sense, the weight of that notion makes it hard to appreciate his work for what it is. In that sense, i feel, that this album made me like only 2 songs. but there's that same sensation i felt with the earlier works of Prince, that assures me his next works will probably be something more interesting for me. in other words: i like soulish heartfelt music from androgynous singers and this album is ok.

Ok. Didn’t seem special to me. 3 star

Symphony or damn was better imho

I liked dance little sister, seven more days, sign your name, and who's loving you but it ultimately just isn't for me

Charmingly era-specific production and strong vocal performances for unmemorable songs

Nice

Something between Michael Jackson and Prince in a good way, a couple of good tunes but no desire to come back to it. The 80s production does it no favours.

Because I like his voice and mainly because of "Sign Your Name" I give it the three stars. "Wishing Well", "Dance Little Sister" and "Rain" are good as well. The rest of the album does me no harm. 3,5

Liked it more than I thought I would. Wish I could give half stars so this could be a 3.5 instead.

Mid.

nice aber ka

interesting

6.5/10

62/100. Powerful and soulful, with a very clear late-80s sound. There are more ambitious soul records from before, during, and after this era that push things further. Solid and well-performed, just not particularly groundbreaking in the bigger picture.

I enjoyed it at the start, but then it started to drag. 2.8.

It's really pretty good for what it is. Does that elevate it to 4 stars? It does not.

I liked the instrumentation best on the songs with more funky rhythms like “I’ll Never Turn m Back on You”; however, I liked the singing best on the more soulful numbers. What I didn’t care for were the songs that leaned towards 80s sophistipop. Sometimes albums that explore many different music styles are better for it. However, sometimes it can make them lack cohesion. For me this album leans more toward the former than latter. I think it would have better if D’ Arby focused on his R&B strengths. The pop tunes sound contrived and out of place in the context of the more interesting soulful tunes. Overall, an enjoyable enough album, but hardly the “most important album since Sgt. Peppers”. I’m pretty sure I will not be revisiting it.

2.5

I do not typically listen to the genre(s) this artist makes music in, but the lyricism on "as yet untitled" was haunting, and a couple of the other songs had really interesting parts that were pleasant to my brain. According to reviews, I think I would enjoy his later albums more. I'm glad I learned about this artist.

Knew the singles from when they were released. Not bad. Nor amazing

Never heard of the artist, did know one of the songs. I enjoyed a few of the songs on this album

When to listen: Need an 80s synth uplift moment. Some of the elements felt so dated, but damn does he have a gorgeous voice. But truly, many of the songs are catchy as hell I just couldn't get over the overly 80s elements. Def loved his cover of Who's Loving You!

6/10 Favorite: Let’s Go Forward

Huge gap between the highs and lows on this album for me. Throughout all of it, Terence’s performances remain the strongest parts (just listen to the shit he pulls in the final two tracks). But this album also reminded me that I’ve never been able to get into the “singing shirtless in the rain for your love” style songs and there are some long examples on this record. On the other hand, there are some fantastic standouts that just make me wish the album went harder in their direction. Favorite Songs: “If You All Get to Heaven”, “I’ll Never Turn My Back on You”, and “As Yet Untitled” Least Favorite Song: “Let’s Go Forward” High 3.

Fine music, but not my thing.

Buen álbum. Aunque no repetiré, es bueno.

Pseudo-stream of conscious review: this is so '80s - in the worst possible way. Synths and a drum machine? Woof. Why does the editor love Brit pop so damn much? Oh, hey, I know this song (Wishing Well). Okay, the guy has pipes, but the production . . . it's physically painful. All of the actual musicians in the '80s must have been strung out on coke. They were certainly not recording. Songs from this album were definitely in movies. Like the weird jazzercise scenes from the likes of Running Man. I'm not listening to any more of this. Influence 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. Hits 4. Meh. I'm actually bored with giving 2* - it's 70% of this list 3.

Very eighties.

6/10 Definitely enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to. It's late 80s, a time I'm nostalgic for and the songs on here took me back to that time. The songwriting is surprisingly good, I nearly forgot this was still pop music

This cat has a great sound

Very good mor soul music

Never heard this before. Was pleasantly surprised.

The last two songs saved it from being mid. (As Yet Untitled / Who's loving you). Definitely could've died without hearing this. Saved (0): - HM: Let's Go Foward

Turns out I know one of these: "Sign Your Name". That resonates to an extent, because it's such a well-known song. I quite liked "As Yet Untitled", even if if was a bit overdone in parts. The rest does nothing for me.

if micheal j and prince had a long lost cousin

Sound a bit like mical Jackson and it was quite nice if I could i would do 3.5 but ill just do a 3 because I didnt add loads of songs

I believe this guy loves me so that's why I like this album. I think he'd really die for me.

Had no idea going in who Terence/Sananda is... then "If You Let Me Stay" starts - oh THIS song. Totally had no idea who sang this. "Wishing Well" - oh THIS song. Totally had no idea who sang this. I do think the first few songs on the album are very reminiscent of Michael Jackson, similar tone (though I do really like Sananda's voice), even has the vocal tics (high-pitched "hees", "hoos", etc.) in places, and in the music videos, even similar dancing. That said, quite a lot of the album takes a different tone, it's much more solemn/soulful/almost RnB, does really showcase Sananda's voice. Pretty comfortable 3, I don't think this album does anything that hadn't already been done, but Sananda has a great voice and there's definitely a few bangers on here. Honestly a pretty good album that I could happily listen to again - I just think the vocals are the only real draw so can't rate higher.

Terence Trent D'Arby is not a name that I was very familiar with before today. All I knew was that the D'Arby brothers in Stardust Crusaders were named after him. It's been a while since I last mentioned JoJo in a review, hasn't it? I'm so freaking excited for the Steel Ball Run anime to start. I sure hope Netflix doesn't release the series in batches again. What was I talking about? Oh yeah. This album's okay. Introducing the Hardline... is a pretty average 80s pop/soul album. In fact, it's very 80s, especially in the production. I don't really care for this album's production. When I listened to the album, I felt like the music was either too quiet or too loud. I could never quite get it in the right area. Not sure why that is. But yeah, the album sounds a little dated. The writing is okay. Nothing bad, but nothing outstanding. None of the songs really wowed me. The more popular songs like "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name" weren't bad at all, but I feel like there are better songs of their type that other artists like Prince had already made by this point. I can definitely tell that this guy, who I guess is now known as Sananda Maitreya, has some level of talent. He's not bad, and neither is this album. However, it doesn't really interest me a whole ton, and it definitely wasn't the most important album since Sgt. Pepper. What the fuck was he thinking with that comment? 3/5.

I thought this was an interesting album, but at the same time not very memorable. Definitely has a Prince/80s pop sound that is fun, but without ever breaking through to being super catchy or impactful. Wishing Well was definitely a standout and I think I’ve heard it before. Otherwise I can’t say it blew me away. Top Songs: Wishing Well, Let’s Go Forward

Dude is obviously talented, voice of an angel, wide knowledge of instruments, only to be messed up by a weird outlook on life and 80's "Disco" focused producers. Apparently he "intensely meditated in pain while Terence Trent D'Arby died and he forged a new soul" for himself. Hope he can meditate for some new souls that actually make great music. Oh and he also said this album was the greatest thing to happen after Sgt Pepper's, which just adds to his batshit crazy state i guess

He changed his stage name…he is now Sananda Maitreya

Strange album in that the two songs I knew from being released I actually enjoyed less than the ones that were new to me. Can you just change your name and all your album titles whenever you want?

I am surprised how much I enjoyed this album. The 80s production is incredibly dated at a few points and some of the songs are incredibly cheesy, but there are also some pretty great tracks on here. In particular, the opening track If You All Get to Heaven and the closing track Who’s Loving You both do the rocking soul thing pretty well. And the singing in As Yet Untitled was phenomenal

First album of 2026 and it was unfortunately pretty mid.

Had a Michael Jackson meets Temptations feel.

3 stars

Introducing The Hardline According to Sananda Maitreya – Sananda Maitreya I liked the way he wrote the name of the album, it encapsulates the whole record. Great vocals, some hits, it’s definitely a classic for that time. He ate that!!!

It was. an interesting funk and soul album. No track stood out to me aside from the opening track, but it was an interesting listen nonetheless.

Heard some songs from it before. He's got such a great voice and considering the album is from the late 80s it doesn't have any of the annoying late 80s pop quirks so that's a plus 3/5

-wait this actually isn’t bad so far i kinda like the first song -very much a style of 80s song i like -if you let me stay reminds me of another artist idk who though -okay wait i actually like wishing well -middle are all good enough that im enjoying passively listening but no standouts -as yet untitled a little boring -who’s loving you is chilll -overall i probably won’t listen again but if it came on it’d be good chill background music ya know

On first glance, I thought the title said "Introducing the Hairline" and I now refuse to unsee it. Anyway, I was familiar with a handful of tracks here, not least the opener "If You All Get to Heaven" and "I'll Never Turn My Back On You", but the rest of this was new to me. It's very 80s stylistically and in terms of its production values; chock full of snazzy, funky bass lines and quirky brass instrumentation, and it has that "futurist" vibe of the time largely owing to the synth work, which does date it somewhat, but not to any significantly detrimental effect for me. The vocals sit on just the right side of my threshold when it comes to soul - a nice light mezzo register, and not too show off-y as D'Arby seems to have a firm handle on what his capabilities are. His vocals don't dominate proceedings, allowing the instrumentation to shine alongside them. Comparing this to yesterday's offering 3+3, this also felt far more varied in terms of its approach to songwriting - between spacious pop balladeering and more up-tempo cuts, the album avoids blending into one homogenous blob unlike the latter. I do wonder when I'd sit down and actively reach for this again, but it's an enjoyable listen.

I liked this!

Well, Terence Trent D'Arby is strict all right.

Some great pop songs, and a strong voice. What more do you need?

The production definitely feels very 80s at times, in ways that make it feel a bit dated, and the MJ influences are clear as day -- but Terence's vocal performance is raw and gripping, making it a fine debut album from the funk/soul/R&B singer.

Just reminded me Michael Jackson. Not bad.

wishing well, dance little sister, as yet untitled, who's loving you thought i would like this more, at least it finished strong

mid 3 Sounds a bit like MJ

I was totally prepared to rate this a 1 going in, based on very limited exposure to the artist. But, after giving this a listen, I found it to be smooth, soulful and romantic(?). Not bad. Not my genre and a little inconsistent, but overall very solid.

It was fun listening to "Wishing Well"; brings me back to when it was on the radio at the time. I thought as an album that it was all kind of samey, and since stuff like this isn't really my favorite genre I ended up skipping halfway through a number of the tracks. I give it a 3 - I'm not about to buy the record, but none of it would cause me to change to a different radio station.

Pretty alright, but a little long. High 3/5

He's a good singer, recognised more songs than I expected to. Sign Your Name is v good. Gets a bit too 80s at times.

Standouts: If You Let Me Stay Seven More Days As Yet Untitled - A lyrics only track makes it rather memorable I've realised I have no idea how to talk about this kind of music. I found myself enjoying this way more than I expected. The more atmospheric songs are the usual highlights but I feel like the whole album was incredibly solid. Terence's vocals are really evocative of the vibe each individual song is going for. The instrumentation is very 80s but I don't think that's a particularly bad thing and Terence's vocals make up for all that anyway. I wanted to know what "The Hardline" was meant to refer to but couldn't find anything on the internet I was also confused on the difference between the titles on streaming and on this site and it turns out Terence changed his name in 2001 which is cool high 3 - low 4

It's production definitely puts it at a time and place, which I don't necessarily see is a crime. Things being made when they are. Initially thought it was going to be a strong listen and though don't think there was a drop off in songs, I personally got a little fatigued and started losing interest, which is just personally taste I guess. It’s ok, of it's time. Don't mind hearing a few tracks, especially the singles but 40 plus minutes just dragged a little. Side note, this was the guy stating he was Mozart esc. most important album since Sgt. Pepper? Nothing wrong with self confidence but it doesn't always age well. 3 Star

Not bad

This is not my bag, but after 2 runs through i could see the value and the quality. Decent pop music and nice voice well hidden in lots of 80's cliche.

Was a slow start that got better on the back half, a rarity for anything that leans pop. The intro of "Dance Little Sister" was incredibly corny, so it's impressive that it could recover from there. "Let's Go Forward" was pretty catchy and probably my pick from the record. Love the chorus and the warm, plucky guitar that added a lot of color. Actually this album is sprinkled with good ideas, like the 'shoowop' 50's style chorus in "Sign Your Name". "As Yet Untitled" is bold enough to probably tip the scales on this one and make it a firm 3/5. But I do ultimately think people were a little too hungry for anything that resembled Prince, which is understandable. A lot of goodness that falls just short of greatness imo

Interesting. Good vibes, nice vocals. Don't really ever listen to lyrics so all-around pretty listenable.

An interesting blend of 80s worldbeat, rock, R&B, soul, blues, and pop. The vocals are the clear star here, but the music is consistently interesting and complex, despite the late 80s over-produced feel. The songs are undeniably catchy, and the emotion behind the vocals balances out the crisp production. While it's definitely of its time, the songwriting transcends the format and could easily be interpreted through a modern lens.

I had this in my record collection, not sure why, I was never a great fan. Listening back I can see why I bought it. Its not half bad and he has a great voice.

Habilt men ostigt

Jodå, behagligt!

På väg mot 4 flera gånger men i slutändan landar jag nog på 3 ändå.

If you can listen around the clinical 80s production, it's pretty good. It has 5 songs I remember from the radio. That's a lot. I'm not the biggest fan, but I don't hate it. Favorite song: sign your name.

Idk I feel like this is really basic and predictable record. Terence has a great voice but I feel as if so many other people have done this before and better. Instrumentals are lack lustre and his voice and flow is the only thing holding it together. He was able to go from fun dancy song to song to play while it’s raining which I’ll give him credit for. He blended rock and soul seamlessly and quite well. My favourite song was Dance Little Sister. Although it wasn’t anything crazy I still did like it but I don’t think I’ll listen again. 7.2/10 3.6/5

Meh. Not bad by any means. Just not really my type of thing.

Goes unexplicably hard at times and monotonous and boring at times. Huge production and instrumentation creates a sonic experience. Akin to a black Steve Winwood. Unfortunately the 80's pop tropes are high in volume on this album. Theres almost no room to breathe or be creative, just late 80s contemporary. But the musicianship is high so i wont ding it too hard.

It was okay, reminded me of Michael jackson but didn't stick with me very hard and it took a while to finish, by the time it was over it slipped through my mind completely

Bara allt í lagi

Án þess að gefa mér tíma til að tékka á því þá býst ég við að þetta hafi verið plata sem hafði smá áhrif á r&b, þó hún sé ekki fræg eða vinsæl. Áhugaverð plata.

For all its attempts to persuade me otherwise – some efforts entirely captivating; the gorgeous “As Yet Untitled” for example – Sananda Maitreya’s Hardline is a deeply horny record. It’s a specifically late-80s sort of randy, one that begins on this record or one like it and ends with “Like a Prayer” and Ghost. A horny that’s never full goth – but nonetheless works with similar tropes. The Eros of this record – the bounce of “If You Let Me Stay”, a totally ascendant Smokey Robinson cover – strikes a neat balance with the more Thanatos-flavoured elements. The result is a self-portrait in chiaroscuro; and a mirror onto which we may forever project our quasi-religious post-goth pop 80s horniness. Look, I don’t hate it.

I like the groove of it, it's very Michael Jackson, but I found quite a few of the choruses too repetitive and long winded. It feels like the kind of music that's great to dance to but not great to just sit and listen to. There were some unexpected harmonic changes in interludes/bridges that made me happy. I like the vocal harmonies in Sign Your Name, and the syncopation of "baby" in the chorus. The opening of As Yet Untitled was gorgeous, this caught my attention. This song pulled me in, highlight of the album for sure. And the transition to the last song was fun. Overall, the first part of the album was ok for me but the last few songs were better

This is the album you would get if you picked up a 1980s casio electric piano and wrote an entire album around its preset grooves and patches. Not a huge fan of the excessive hall verb, nor the synth patches that, by today's standards, sound cliche and predictable. With songwriting reminiscent of Michael Jackson, but lacking the expressive and polished performance that MJ perfected, you're left with the shadow of a very familiar and popular sound that I think most music lovers know to some degree, but feels lackluster in some way. I stop short of calling this 'temu MJ'. Ironic that probably the best song on the album is a cover song of Smokey Robinson's 'Who's loving you'. That being said, it seems in its cultural context this album did very well. Sounds to me like a bridge between the earlier sound of the 70s to the 90s. I imagine at the time its sound would be more unique and remarkable compared to today's standards. Highlights 'Dance little sister' 'Lets go forward'. Low lights 'If you all go to heaven' 'Rain'. Not my kind of style. But a good cultural artifact- my dad would probably love it.

Solid collection of R&B tunes, great singing all over

Not my type of music. Nice vocals. Generous 3.

Funky rock with a good voice. Perhaps not the most striking but reasonably exciting.

At first I was impressed, despite the horrible 80s-ness of it. Then I started to get a bit bored, but by the end I was sort of impressed again. I think this guy is talented, but it's just not my kind of music and I would never listen to it again.

Fantastic vocals and mediocre instrumentals. Enjoyed the 5'33" a capella track, which allowed for a more refined appreciation of the vocals.

Nice voice, good music, pretty chill, but not really my style.

its was ok but ehh i just dont vibe with it enough

It’s very 80’s, for its credit and its lack of like… uniqueness??? Nice listening experience and the vibes are cool but didnt really get too much special outta this

Cool album, cool concept, I feel like it is missing something. All of the hits sound distinctly like other songs, even if I don't exactly know what they are. His voice is nice, but not particularly special. The production is nice, because it is my favourite era of music. Maybe he will grow on me, but at this moment, it is alright.

Wishing Well was what I remember but also solid otherwise

He’s talented, no doubt, but the album is all over the place. Not quite as funky, emotional, sexy, or cool as his contemporaries.

I enjoyed it.

I understand why this album is on this list. I had never heard of the artist before and enjoyed my one listen. The accaplla track was surprisingly enjoyable and the last track really stood out to me. Overall, not my go-to genre or time period. Bias aside, 3 stars.

Singles are good, the rest of the album feels a little bit like filler

I almost quit on this one. I found it to be fairly by the numbers and I’m very busy in life right now, so I figured I had the gist of it and turned it off with only 2 songs left. I came back a few minutes later and felt guilty with myself for turning it off, and there’s a great a capella track before a decent Smoky Robinson cover. Bumped it up a star for me.

A few classics but otherwise unremarkable. Fine to put on though, it is quite easy listening.

Will definitely go back to this

It's fine, kinda sounds like Disney music though (with a hint of Prince). Mid 3.

Some songs are beautiful, overall I liked the sound of the album, I loved the singer's voice and the soul and blues feeling. I would listen again to some parts, but other songs where somewhat plain. 3/5

Not for me. Gospel but R&B a bit. I like the funny gossip about him comparing himself to the Beatles, great PR strategy.

I think the tension between the two things Terence Trent D’Arby was trying to do with this album are what makes it interesting. He obviously wanted to be an artist but I think he was also trying to be a pop star. His trying to do both those things gives this album more complexity than straight ahead formulaic pop and makes it more fun than just some pretentious jagoff trying to make art. Not everything he tried here worked but this is a good album and worth listening to.

not bad but not for me

Difficult to get past the dreadful 80s production on this one.

Alright, I suppose. Bit dull, though.

Ça groove. Je ne connaissais pas assez pour faire le lien avec la chanson Sign Your Name.

Ça sonne beaucoup comme du Michael Jackson à mes oreilles. Quelques belles harmonies de voix vers la fin, notamment avec Untitled. Assez dansant en général !

This didn’t hit me with the greatest first impression, but it quickly got much better. I remember hearing ‘Wishing Well’ back in the day. 3/5 not really my style today but still decent