Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

I know TTD’s “Wishing Well,” but I don’t know any of his other songs. However, yesterday, I had Sade’s Diamond Life, and I think this album might make a good spiritual companion. I find the late eighties to be such an interesting time for pop music. As hip-hop reached a wider audience, some pop artists embraced its influences, while others tried to stay more traditional in their sound. Due to that, I find that when it comes to late eighties pop artists that I’m not terribly familiar with, I never really know what I’m going to get. If this album is as bop-infused as “Wishing Well,” I think I’ll be in for a treat! As much as I enjoyed “Wishing Well,” I didn’t care too much for this album. There were a few songs on this album that stood out to me as pretty strong pop songs, but overall, I felt like TTD was throwing all of the popular sounds and production techniques at the wall to see what stuck, and for me, it resulted in an album that sounded really dated, and I got pretty bored with it. On the songs that I did enjoy, it was the musical sound that drove my enjoyment, and I didn’t really find the lyrics to be particularly interesting or well-written. I know I criticized this album for sounding dated, but there were times when that dated sound was really fun. “Wishing Well” is great because of its dance-worthy rhythms and TTD’s unique vocals. The drums sound great, and the keyboards and bass guitars are excellent too, and even that little whistling sound on the chorus is fun. It’s just a great pop jam. “If You All Get to Heaven” was good too. The keyboards and the drumming were outstanding, and I loved the lower register of the overall sound. It felt like something that Quincy Jones could have produced, and I mean that as a high compliment. “If You Let Me Stay” had some great keyboards and vocals, making the first three tracks of this alum really strong. After those first three songs though, the only thing that really stood out to me was the keyboards on “Let’s Go Forward.” It reminded me of that early nineties R&B sound of groups like Boyz II Men, and I thought it was a beautiful song. Now that I’m thinking about it, “Sign Your Name” was pretty good too, and I enjoyed its softer sound. Before I typed out this review, I thought I’d be giving this album two-stars, but I’m realizing that the even though this album had some glaring weak spots, its best moments were really strong and enjoyable, and it probably sits more middle-of-the-road with me, and I think it deserves a three-star rating. This album was an interesting slice of late eighties pop music, and even though not all of it lands, it’s very unique and well produced.

Decent sound, not something I would purposely put in but I wouldn't skip past it.

Not as bad as I feared. It was surprisingly ok. As yet untitled was nauseatingly pretentious but other than that it was a reasonably easy if unmemorable listen with a couple of really good tracks. He’s basically Prince but without he sex and humour.

“Wishing Well” is a helluva song. I never took that much to the rest of the album, though, and that remains true. The 80s-trappings on the album are something. Something too much, I mean. And *I* love the 80s. But, here, they too often get in the way of stellar vocals.

Prima

Technically strong - the vocals, the musicality, the energy. However, I find the album a bit stylistically saturated. Instead of being 80s influenced its almost smothered by it. Like an 80s blanket had been popped over the top of the record. Not that I dont enjoy some 80s music but its just a bit overly steeped in that production aesthetic. Kind of like a Michael Jackson / Prince cover act. Well, cover act is harsh, but the delivery leans so much into that style it does occasionally edge towards imitation rather than originality. I am being perhaps a little too critical. There are rawer moments, screams that cut through the polish. The chap is clearly very talented and the album is great at doing what it does. Favourite track - Sign Your Name. 7/10

Appreciate the introduction. Recognized Wishing Well when it came on - likely never would have come across this otherwise. Probably a 3.5 for me - better than average though I doubt I’d reach to put it on.

Funky, soulful, 80's greatness. Solid production, great voice.

I had forgotten about Terence Trent D'Arby. Actually quite talented.

Enjoyed this more than I expected, some serious bangers on here

Can see the talent here but not my thing. Who's Loving You the highlight if I had to write one. Maybe depends on the atmosphere.

not bad

Not unpleasant

I don't think I've heard anything from this artist or album, despite recognizing the cover. Post-listen: I definitely recognized "Wishing Well" with that unique whistling-like chorus, assuming that was the "big" single here. There are some other hits, such as "If You Let Me Stay", and the more sensual "Sign Your Name" The rest of the album was mostly enjoyable. Everything sounds very much of contemporary rock, with a twist of soul and some slower ballads mixed in. It's almost uncanny how much this guy resembles Prince.

Wasn’t sure about this at first but it was really fun to listen to! Great vocals over some solid, poppy instrumentation

this was nice!

Full of spirit, I'll give it that. Not the most memorable songs and too 80s for me but it's got a little pep in its step.

Going with a 3 TTD is talented no question. Just listen to the acapala “As Yet Untitled” which is a testament to the talent. The hits sounded a little of the 80’s for my liking.

Has its moments. 3.5 stars

It's very 80s and I thought it was a woman first, but it doesn't suck

This was nice. Nothing more, nothing less. Simpsons: No

Bueno

This is okay but it kinda just feels like a Michael Jackson knockoff.

Reading about the identiy change of Terence 'Trent' D'Arby to what he's referred to now (Sanandra Maitreya) was pretty interesting. I didn't hate this record, it's just not really my vibe. Respectable, though!

solid album. terence trent d'arby has a really nice, soulful voice and it is definitely highlighted here. it does get a bit slow in the middle for my taste, which does drag it down a bit. but there's also some nice stuff on here too. i really liked the classic soul cover of 'who's loving you.' a mixed bag but ultimately i lean a little more positively over true neutral on this one.

Incredible debut. I was 16 when it was released, feels like last week.

Well. I wasn't expecting this to be this good. I avoided this with professional zeal when I was in my teens, but apparently the circumstance of being 17 does not qualify you as a seasoned music critic... Still a 3. Would listen again.

A decent listen.

3 1/2 stars pretty great but not everything

Meh. Not a lot to get excited about here. Some ok sounds, but just ok. A 2.5 or a 3.

Якийсь британьский Майкл, в окремих піснях на межі байту. Досить приємний альбом зі звуком епохи. Скоріше сподобався, але додати собі щоб переслухати пізінше не захотілось.

Думаю що в нас цього тіпа всі знають переважно через пісню Delicate. Я власне теж. Але не так вже й давно, під час своєї улюбленої розваги - перегляду телеканалу "мтв 80х", побачив його кліп на Sign Your Name. Здається ще якраз під іншим ім'ям. Хороший артефакт того часу, як і багато альбомів в цьому списку.

I did not use a private session for Spotify on this one. I remember when this album came up and my mind went to "Wishing Well", but after listening to it I now recall all the different great songs on this album. Lots of fun songs with a good beat, some R&B songs, and I like Terence's voice.

Vooraf bestempel ik deze muziek als een verzameling verschrikkelijke oorwurmen uit de slechtste periode van de jaren '80. Het toppunt van het overmatig gebruik van synths en drumcomputers, al ver nadat het experimenteel of hip was. Dit was het hoogtepunt van commercialisering van de muziek. En dat hoor je ook op deze plaat. Al valt me wel op dat ondanks alles het wel prima liedjes zijn. Het is vaak wel ter ondersteuning van zijn overigens uitstekende stem. Die stem is wat hoger en het heeft wat weg van een hese vrouwenstem. Zijn vrouwelijke collega's gooien er vaak te veel oehs en aahs door en dat voorbeeld volgt terence ook te vaak. Het is een beetje too much, al die ad libs. Of opeens een schreeuw of een gil. Toch kan ik dit wel prima luisteren. De ondersteuning is poppy en funky. De gitaartjes zijn soms Nile Rodgers-achtig. Ik kan dit toch wel een aardige 3 geven.

At least 2 things were born in the 80s. Me, and this album

3.5

my thoughts on “sign your name” - I KNOW THIS SONG!! very MJ vocals and Prince sounding.

A load of quality hits here. 3.5 stars.

Mum would love this

Good voice!

Мелодия и текст классно, но чего-то не хватило и на альбом маловато реально качающих песен

If you were to triangulate a point perfectly equidistant from Lenny Kravitz, James Brown, and Michael Jackson, you may land here. The only question that remains, is if all that triangulation was necessary.

3.5* and I can't round up. It's solid pop. Well written, good singer, but it doesn't hook me. Just not my thang.

Overall a decent album. Kind of goes back and forth between up tempo, nearly Stevie Wonder-esque songs, and slower vocal focused tunes. The more uptempo songs are pretty good. Wish the album was more of that. 3/5 Probably won't listen again

This guy was Michael Jackson without the baggage. Some great songs, and then a bad second album and he disappeared. Sad.

Has a Michael Jackson-esque feel to it. Good songs, but definitely feels 80s

Really enjoyed this. Some really well crafted songs on here and the album is consistent. Needs more listens. A nice 80’s vibe, not sure if that helps or hinders it. Either way, very enjoyable.

A couple good singles off this album. It’s very 80s. The sexy time,creepy,cringe 80s. Not my favorite but I tolerated it.

It was a solid 80's pop album, I liked the singles, but I wasn't blown away. 3 Stars.

not my thing 2.5

Funky side of Stevie Wonder. This was pretty good but it all sounded pretty samey. Fantastic voice

Vocals worth the listen General Notes: Gorgeous. Vocals. Yes. Please. Pleasantly surprised by this first listen on my 1001 journey. However, most of the album was too repetitive and lyrically simplistic (laughable even, in a few spots) for my taste. Apparently classified as neo-soul, this album worked best for me in the moments of obvious blues, doo-wop, and gospel influence. Songs of Note: Seven More Days The first song on the album that really worked for me. Moving and bluesy with a lyrical subtlety that the previous tracks lacked. The repetitiveness works here, as it would in a blues song. Let’s Go Forward The high, airy sustained note around minute 4:00 is just so, so pretty. But the song as a whole feels like a missed opportunity, as the length (too long), disjointed and immature lyrics, and general repetitiveness diminish the impact. Sign Your Name Being unfamiliar with Maitreya, if I had been asked to guess the artist on this song, I would have guessed Prince. The influence is apparent. Still, this song is beautifully performed; and while I feel that Maitreya’s vocal mix of angelic airiness with forceful growls, whoops, and hollers does not work for every song on the album, the mix is subtle and affecting here - nothing jarring or out-of-place. Nice song - smooth and cool and perfect for an 80s playlist. Who’s Loving You This is a favorite song of mine, and I listen to MJ’s version in my car all the time. Maitreya’s cover is superb. His voice offers a perfect narrator for this song - one who is growling and bird-singing his confession, vulnerability, regret. Believable from the very second it starts. I will listen to this one again, I’m sure. Gorgeously performed. Those vocal runs: yes, please. Probably the best cover I’ve heard to rival MJ. A nice surprise ending to the album as a whole.

3/5

Unfortunately when this came out I was completely ignorant of the genre and uninterested. I do look back fondly on "Wishing Well" and love when the video comes up on MTV Classic. We enjoyed listening to this while driving around Maine today. Kind of sounds like what Bruno Mars did decades later. (And the mix of "suggested music" that came up after the album was over on Apple Music was fantastic.)

Felt like a very long visit to the hairdresser. It was a relief to recognise a couple of tracks at the end of this, but it still felt like "Disney does Prince".

drei plus if you let me stay / wishing well / sign your name

Aika perus tälläistä radioon sopivaa soulahtavaa, herkkää, vähän rokahtavaa funkki poppia. Ihan mid. Parhaat: Seven More Days, I'll Never Turn My Back On You, As Yet Untitled

I feel like this album suffers a bit from the era it was made. It's got some pretty good stuff. But the production sounds dated today, and uses a lot of those gimmicks that were very prevalent in 80s and some early 90s music. If he had just toned that back a little bit, I feel like it would be a stronger album and have a better lasting power. As it is, the production choices can be a little distracting from the quality of the songs themselves. Like things are going good, then there's some unnecessary keyboard-y/synth thing that comes in and detracts from it. Just for an example, I felt like Let's Go Forward could've been a much more impactful track without all the reverb and synth taking over its sound. It doesn't ruin the album by any means, but is noticeable, especially when listening to the work as a whole. Dude seems like a very talented singer. When he shows the skill off, it's impressive. He has a lot of soul and feel behind his voice, which I always appreciate. The songs are also well constructed and have interesting vibes that kept my attention. Minus what I said above, there's not much to complain about. It felt like it got a little weaker at the end, but they may have just been because I'd grown tired from the critiques I had. It's a good, if somewhat flawed album. I had never heard it before, so I'm glad I got the chance to listen here. I feel like I'll come back to at least a few of the tracks but maybe not the whole album given my thoughts on the production decisions. Overall: 3.3/5

not my usual bag but there's some bangers on this album

not heard this in a long time still enjoyable some nice songs

Some good stuff on here.

A bit different given the time it was released. Very soulful. Sign Your Name a goat.

Not really my thing at all. But hes really going for it and the songs are different enough. I'll never listen tk this again but it wasn't terrible for being late 80s r and b

I enjoyed this more than expected but probably won't think of it ever again.

Han gar nüd mitüberchoo, das er jetzt anders heisst. Solids Album.

papi hetmer mol gseit ich söll das lose, bitz mitem debüt gepeaked glaub. verstoh nöd gaanz waser will. hani scho letstmol gfunde. singt hammer, d hook vo all get to heaven isch mega depeche mode. if you let me stay chli aggressiv happy aber sehr sehr cute. cools orgelsolo. find de sound vom album liidet drunder dases endi 80er entstande isch. d 808s drum machines künstlichi blöser sind alli nöd ideal. wishing well sehr sehr cool, au lead single gsi glaub. chli meh lowkey. sehr prince production und sini stimm chunt richtig zur geltig. i'll never turn my back on you hani biiitz langwilig gfunde. dance little sister groovt sehr. irgendwie tönt alles sehr dünn? chli wenig punch. seven more days nice mit slide giti und so. aber haut mi au nöd um. haha rain rain go away go away? würkli? sign your name wieder chli cooler, check waner harmonisch macht aber finds echt echt dünn. bridge isch super. as yet untitled zeigt er wiener cha siiinge aber finds au bitz pretentious das ganze. sehr JAAA MUSIG JAA. who's loving you tönt so als gäbses scho vorher, cute soulsong findi geil. isch glaub e 3 aber s album liidet würkli under de dünne production, will chli viel stil abhooge, und d text sind seehr möchtegern deep. git e wohlwollends 3

also komische guy wo sin name gänderet het, zeig wasd chasch! wiso tuter sini nase zuedrucke währendem singe? d perkussion gfallt mier iwie nöd megaa? hans gfühl die 80erjahr drums passed nöd so zum rest musikalisch jaa es chunnt langsam für mich wishing well isch easyy funny und cool! wow let's go forward hani insane scheisse gfunde und au rain isch jz nüt wo würkli öppis mit mier macht as yet untitled chammer mache! no easy schön who's loving isch na schön gsi aber sini stimm het mich nöd so überzügt wie sie ein glaub hett sölle naja. es drü wirds scho

This is one of those nice sounding albums on this list that I really enjoyed and will likely not listen to again. Terence sounds great on this record, the production is fantastic (it’s 80’s but not super duper 80’s sounding). It could be mistaken for a politically conscious Michael Jackson record, and has some MJ/Prince crossover appeal.

For a long time I didn't know who this guy was while his name would sometimes pop up. Well, his old name. Wishing Well, Dance Little Sister and Sign Your Name still get decent radio play. I always found Wishing Well quite silly sounding. I'd say Dance Little Sister is probably the best one. Rain was quite a fun song. Decent album. I think sometimes his singing is a bit much, but I guess that adds personality.

C’est sympa sans plus on va pas se mentir. Les « Ouh Ouh ouuuuuuh » m’ont rendu fou

Plutôt chill mais pas transcendant

Sympa, un peu funky, j'aime bien. Assez entrainant, je l'écouterai pas comme ça mais c'est sympa en musique de fond un peu complexe.

This was funky and had some cool moments. It got superrrr repetitive tho. The vocals are fantastic. This was groovy Liked Songs: "If You Let Me Stay" , "Wishing Well" , "I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)" , "Dance Little Sister" , "Rain" , "Who's Loving You"

This record was kinda generic r’n’b to me, with at least one song that’s a straight-up MJ impression, vocal tics and all. There are a few standouts: “As Yet Untitled,” acapella and heartfelt, felt more real and showcased his considerable vocal talent. His cover of the classic “Who’s Loving You” is great. And “Sign Your Name” remains one of the great yearning love songs of pop music.

This stands up pretty well after all this time. Always liked his voice, shame he kind of imploded after this. But at least he got one good album out.

It's VERY 80s but I like a lot of the songwriting here and the vocals are excellent. Clearly a lot of talent on display. The production just isn't my thing and hasn't aged well.

Some good songs but a bit too 80s pop. Never was an mj fan. Either way I could appreciate it

I remember the plaudits this guy debuted with, quite a bit of noise in the press. I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. I enjoyed a few tracks, but the musical and vocal style is really not to my taste.

Not really my thing, but he has a really good voice.

Got quite distracted reading about TTD's name change. That's probably on balance better than this album, although there's plenty of good stuff in this. It's not really memorable enough to get into the four category, but still, it's good solid and catchy pop.

Enjoyed

Great voice, decent songs, questionable production.

Great voice, interesting enough, but rough 80s production. Perhaps better enjoyed by Prince-fans.

His voice is a rich combination of Seal, Little Richard and Michael Jackson. The music is typical late '80s fare, with sparkling digital synthesizers and drum machines. Terence / Sananda has the unfortunate tendency to reach past his grasp vocally, resulting in some awkward moments of strain. The songs would be stronger if he reined himself in. Still, he has a compelling presence and could have matured into a great artist following this album.

Impressive vocals, impressive production on this release. No song really had the hook to be memorable for me so as far as a Pop album goes, it was kinda disappointing for me overall. Also, I really didn’t appreciate how wet he sounds on As Yet Untitled. 3 stars

Like Michael Jackson but without hits

So close to a 4… and a 2. So much worked for me, so much didn’t.

117/1089 - Music is decent. Not a huge fan of the voice but it doesn't sound bad. The a'cappella track "As Yet Untitled" was alright. I honestly think I'm burnt out on most 80s pop sounds (except for New Wave, the best genre) because of all the 80s throwback music today in shopping centers.

Overall, this was a good listen. You can hear the potential all in this debut. Tracks like “Wishing Well” and “Sign Your Name” stand out as highlights, smooth, soulful, and catchy. That said, not everything on here lands quite as well. A few songs drift into very generic 80's territory, with dated production and overly polished arrangements that don’t bring much new to the table. Still, when it hits, it hits. A good album with some bright moments, even if it doesn’t fully escape the sound of its era.

Tyylikäs. Koko ajan odotin, että minkä biisin näistä tiedän, niin tutulta koko levy kuulosti - ja se tuntui oikeastaan hyvältä tunteelta. Sign your name se lopulta oli, ja se onkin hyvä biisi (mukana laulamiseen vähintään).

I don’t know what’s going on with the name, but the album was okay.

Massive throwback - I had no idea I knew a few of these songs

It's a nice soulful pop album but sometimes I feel the album was made by someone who know they are too talented. I miss friction and the not-so-perfect moments.

This album is a good reminder of how overly dramatic the 80's were. It was good, not amazing. The one thing I will give it props for is that it fully embraced the 80's era. Reading a bit about Sananda, I wonder if he continues to embrace a similar sound or where he has gone from here.

This was dripping with 80s cheese. It did have some nostalgic songs that were fun to hear again (Wishing Well, Seven More Days, Sign Your Name). And I enjoyed If You All Get to Heaven. Ultimately though, despite some good societal commentary here and there, the song structures felt pretty basic and formulaic, and it’s just hard to take this album very seriously.

Over-produced in parts, but overall I enjoyed this.

I agree with folks on the production of this album. It does hold back some of the songs. However, there’s a lot of great pop R&B tunes here so I won’t complain. Closer to a 3.25

Sananda Maitreya, formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby, is at his best when he's full of shit in the right way: 'If You Let Me Stay,' 'Wishing Well,' 'Dance Little Sister,' 'Let's Go Forward.' Yes, three of those are the chief singles of the record, but that's the point: he ain't that deep. He puts his best foot forward by sticking to the horizons of pop. It's when he belts a thing like 'I've gotta hold on / Struggle through another day / To see the fire in my baby's eyes' that he becomes an ordeal. Maitreya can undoubtedly sing, but loads here is pseudo-gospel and pseudo-soul. Besides, even the standout tracks do not match the power of superiors: Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael and Janet Jackson, DeBarge, Smokey Robinson.

no nice gsi, chönnt mer weder lose.

Decent listen.

Fun album. A couple gems in here

Like picking Mario in Mario kart, if I ordered a default 80s rock/soul album this would be the end product. It wasn’t bad but like other reviews say it’s just got the most basic 80’s production with the synths and drums and the songs themselves were, for the most part, extremely radio friendly, I would happily listen to it again though if I had to, he’s got a good voice and it was engaging enough.

pretty sweet great great great

2.75

на любителя, мне не сильно зашло.

There's a few great songs on this, Wishing Well and Sign Your Name are undeniable hits. Sananda's voice and vocal performance is outstanding. A bunch of the songs suffer from the overtly funky 80s cliche sound though, which the quality of the songwriting only partially makes up for. Overall it's an alright listen, the aforementioned singles and the mellow ending to the album are the highlights. If it wasn't for Sananda's amazing voice this would've gotten a 2 star rating.

Wishing Well is an undeniable hit. Could go without the rest of the album tho

Wow did TTD'A get the wrong idea about how good this was, which was pretty much pretty (good), like not that much above decent. One likes the voice and vocal style, and thinks "Wishing Well" is perfectly fine, better than a lot of other throwaway hits that became songs of the season, and unaccountable that it ever did in the first place. And weird he changed his name, but this music is not intriguing enough to figure out why.

This album was kinda like candy, it tasted good but lacked pretty much all nutrients. It also started really sweet but then quickly lost its flavor. So while I greatly enjoyed it, it didn’t provide much meaningful substance and lost much of its appeal a few tracks in. I think it’s mostly the lyrics to blame for that as often the instrumentation and his voice were amazing, creative, and extremely varied. Actually I take that back, sometimes the instrumentation was a bit lackluster. Overall fine album though.

Wow, this was wonderful. It's kinda making me want to go back and re-listen to INXS.

Way more fun than the album cover discloses!

Suprisingly good. He has a good voice and heard at least 4 of these tracks before. Great range in his voice. A bit background if i am honest cannot get massivley excited but pleasant enough

A couple fun r&b hits

3.5

seemed good enough but not my style Will I listen to again: 10%

This was fun for me. A trip back to the first couple years of college. I remember thinking he was going to be a much bigger deal than he ended up being.

Didn't mind the listen and also didn't mind the tracks that popped up after.

21 year old me listened to this album in cassette tape form over and over again. No denying that the vocals are amazing. I’m enjoying a quick trip down memory lane, but 58 year old me is finding it easy to leave this back in the 80’s.

First listen I really enjoyed this, second time round a bit less so. Still some good tracks to be had though.

fun listen, probably won’t go back but enjoyed

Somewhere between Prince and a soul singer… not bad at all.

Who’s loving you is the one. The rest is averagely vibey

agood 4 songs on here, great cover at the end.

Pretty cool

6/10 This is one of those “I get that it is good but not for me” albums. Lots of variation showcasing an obvious vocal and production talent, but still somehow a little boring to me. I knew way more of this than I expected to. Best: If You Let Me Stay

A competent R&B/Soul/Pop record. Love the '80s production. In later years I could have dealt with less of his identity crisis bs and his narcissism. Despite what you think Terence, you are not as imaginative or skilled as Prince or Michael Jackson, but you are ann above average 80s soul artist and that is good enough. I definitely enjoy him more than D'Angelo tracks from the 90s and 2000s. A good mood record, but only the singles "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name" live in my library. And yes, they were there before this algorithm recommended this album. Like other reviewers I had wished that he had leaned into a little more funk and dance with some of his tracks to increase the variety.

“GET OUTTA YOUR ROCKING CHAIR GRANDMA!!! is a quote and a half. Really Caught me off guard haha. Overall this was pretty enjoyable. Wishing Well was great.

never heard it before ... and I liked most of it.

Like Michael Jackson but less iconic. Still pretty good, it just isn’t my favorite genre.

Ok 80s album.

Fine but not really my type of music.

I thought I had never heard of this guy- but I actually knew a few of these songs (Wishing Well being the big one). 80s synth soul, not earth shattering but not horrible either

I really enjoyed the last 4 songs. So much that it brought this album up from a 2 to a 3.

It's an ok album.

(1) Lord, I hate 1980s pop production styles. The sound of these drums makes me want to smash a pair of Oakley sunglasses. (2) I discovered as I was searching for this recording that the artist eventually went back to his birth name. I feel like that is a positive sign about our progress as a species.

I remember what a big impact this album had when it came out, and while it wasn't really to my taste, it's hard to deny that it's a well-produced and entertaining album with a surprising number of singles, especially for a debut album. I remember thinking at the time that there wasn't a lot of range to the tracks on this album, and nothing has really changed re-listening to this album as part of the collection. (I was also amused to watch the *very* 80s video for "Wishing well", complete with him doing some weird combination of Michael Jackson and James Brown moves, a surprisingly small guy playing a surprisingly large sax, and a taller backup singer who looks suspiciously like Will Ferrell (playing a backup singer). It's also impressive that the live video of "Dance little sister" from The Roxy in 1987 has all of these elements too--he has good live energy, but also a weirdly limited range of styles and moves.) I never really wondered what happened to him after this album, but the Wikipedia entry on him seems to reinforce that this album was probably his career's highlight, despite producing plenty of music afterwards, as both Terence Trent D'Arby and then post-1995 as Sananda Maitreya. However, it also sounds like his confidence and self-esteem never flagged in the years afterwards.

Some real nostalgia on this album, I had no clue some of these songs from my childhood were all the same person. Some solid grooves and soulful tracks on this album, but it's definitely dated (production sounds exactly what you'd expect from something that dropped in the late 80s).

That was pretty enjoyable, especially the late 80s rnb vibes. I get the criticism that it tends to treat itself too seriously - as if, instead of being content with making a great pop album, Terence tries to make it like a big piece of art, which it really isn't. And yeah, the acapella song is a perfect embodiment of this, annoying as hell.

Sounds like typical 80's radio to me. You can sing with passion but there's not much point of you don't actually take any risks

- It is a disservice to Maitreya to say that he is the "We already have Michael Jackson at home" of singers. But the similarities in vocals kept bumping me. Maitreya is more raw and that can be exciting. - Some of these are very dated ("Rain"), but others still stand out in a good way, most notably "If You Let Me Stay" and "Let's Go Forward." - Some interesting lyrics. "As Yet Untitled is particularly beautiful.

3/5

Ich wusste nicht das der "Sign Your Name" gemacht hat, so ein geiler Song :D "Wishing Well" auch super, aber der Rest hat mir nicht so zugesagt :( Als Gesamtwertung für das Album daher dennoch nur 3 Sterne, auch wenn die beiden bereits genannten Songs echte Banger sind.

Fands okay, fühlte mich verführt. War überrascht, als man das eine Lied kannte.

listened to again it's not the worst but i don't think it's great

I really wanted to like it, but I didn't.

Pretty decent album. Some great tunes from my youth.

I’m loving Who’s Loving You.

Voice of an angel. Music that’s only ok. 3/5

I enjoyed most of this album. Some of the songs are a bit too much "crying" for my taste, but not bad overall.

Wishing well is elevated by the quirky woodwind breaks, but otherwise this is pretty unremarkable 80s pop R&B. Not great, not bad.

I can see why some people really like this album. Sadly I’m not one of those people. A few good songs.

Not that I was wondering what happened to D’Arby…he changed his name and I must’ve missed the memo. Not that I was looking for it. The guy has got the talent and I liked “Wishing Well” back when.

2.7 Progressively got worse as it went on. What started as a pretty good, MJ-esque visit got quickly tiring. I think my enjoyment also took a sharp nosedive halfway through when I read that he said this was the most important album since Sgt Peppers, and that his disappearence into obscurity in his later career was a result of 'bias'. What a bellend. The music is particularly bad, it's just not particularly good. The best song is not even his own, which shows the weakness of the song writing. And even then it's not a candle on the Jackson's version. Scrapes a 3*

Really good singing, but the songs are just good or decent.

I’m so torn by this record. It reminds me of my first term at Uni when all the cool kids loved TTD and played him non-stop including my room-mate. I was not a fan and never claimed to be cool! And he came across as a smug, arrogant tosspot. If you notice any theme in my reviews is that any one who displays these traits annoys me. So he rubs me up the wrong way. But I do know all the tunes and words and I didn’t hate them this time around.

Terence Trent D'Arby Sananda Maitreya may be many things, but modest doesn't seem to be one of them. Which is fine, except it mars his artistry in that he can't seem to stop himself from trying to hit his highest vocal note in every song, over and over, which gets super tiresome. I own a couple of his albums, including this one (I like "Vibrator" better), but it's telling that I only uploaded half the tunes to my Apple Music app, because I tire of listening to D'Arby stretch himself constantly in the name of emotion. Or something. So perhaps not a coincidence that the massive hit on the album, "Sign Your Name," features none of that bluster. Neither does "Wishing Well," which is my favorite on the album. Those two songs make me think D'Arby was very influenced by Prince's 1985 "Around The World In A Day" album, and if the rest of the material was on par with them, this would be a 5-star album. But I think D'Arby just couldn't get out of his own way, which means there are flashes of real brilliance amidst a whole lotta too much.

Wishing Well is a clear standout so I guess it was a great choice for single, otherwise many of these songs wear out their welcome. I don't dislike any of it really but it's just ok. Not really hearing what made him so hyped back in 87.

It's OK. I remembered the critical hype when this album came out.. Never matched the public disinterest as a whole.. Me too... 6.3, ★★★

Just found out that he no longer goes by Terence Trent D'arby and now goes by Sananda Maitreya. They even re-released this album with his new name, which is cool, but I had the original on CD. It's a good, not as great as he thought it was when it came out, but it's a good listen. Does it need to heard by everyone before they die? Not at all, but it's decent. Good tunes: Wishing Well Dance Little Sister Sign Your Name 3/5

It's very rare that you get to see "one-album-wonders", especially on this list. I can smell the Prince production all over this. Even a lot of the vocalisations are similar to Prince's. I think our overexposure to 80's nostalgia these days is really what detracts from this album. It's not q bad album and I enjoyed it, but it just sounds like EVERY other piece of music from the 80's: Rhythm trumpets, that tinny reverb drum, deep bass, expressive vocals and heavy synths. Switch the vocalist and you may as well have a Prince song, or Depeche Mode, or Peter Gabriel, or any of the 9000 other artists from the 80's that sung over instrumentals exactly like this one. It's a shame because this bloke has a really good voice, he's just a product of the time, and once you get a few songs into the album you really do realise this production style is a one trick pony. It runs out of substance, and fast. If You Let Me Stay seems like the standout song from this record in terms of theme and tone. Apart from that, the song where he just sings a children's nursery line over some shitty 80's synth drum beat and ad-libs "PUT ON YOUR WETSUIT YEAH 🤘🤘", Jesus that was horrible. That being said, Who's Loving You was an incredible song and probably my favourite on the album. If I could give this a 3.5 I would, because it's not bad, but it just lacks flavour in a lot of the songs. Also recency bias makes me like this album more because the final track is such a colossal banger.

This fella is a pretty solid vocalist but unfortunately for him I am absolutely uninterested in his music. My rating: It's okay I guess.

An album that knows the vocals are the most important instrument here. Some of the songs here are a bit repetitive at times and the extreme performance of the vocals coupled with the at times goofy production can pull me out of the experience. But the songs here that I enjoyed, I enjoyed quite a bit even if I can't see myself coming back to them super often unless I feel VERY much in the mood for some 80s sound. Also this guy said that this is the most important album since Sgt Peppers lmao. Highlights: I'll Never Turn My Back On You, Dance Little Sister, Who's Loving You

I had literally never heard of Terence Trent D'Arby (now Sananda Maitreya). But this album reflects an interesting case of someone who I feel like could have been more famous but just didn't break through, for whatever reason. He often sounds like a mix of some of the top acts of the 80s; I hear the likes of George Michael, Michael Jackson, and Prince in this music and voice. There's a lot of soul, a bit of funk, and some good old fashioned 80s pop charisma on display here. Not only does Terence/Sananda play in the genres that all of these greats were known for, but he does so while holding his own. Terence/Sananda also wrote most of the lyrics for this album, which are also well done for a debut act. He ALSO participated in the stellar production for this album. While he did continue making music, it's interesting to wonder what he might have accomplished and created, had he taken off in the same way and gotten the same resources that some of his aforementioned peers did. But in any case, this was a nice treat to discover today.

P good

6/10 - some of the songs sounded like 80s and the others were kind of boring. The second to last song was playing while I was doing some longer sprints and it was not the right time.

Some very unexpected high points, but some very expected mid 80s neo soul pish

not really my vibe, can understand how other people enjoy it

Sananda Terence Trent D'Arby Maitreya So he changed his name over 20 years ago and has release 9 albums since and this is the first I've heard about it. I was singing Sign Your Name when I first saw this album come up, not even knowing that the track was on this album. The track is definitely a highlight. Seven More Days was another standout track.

3- meh

It was as expected. Few good songs, the rest not bad.

Soul

-this was maybe a little uneventful / generic by the standards of most soul music, but it was still nice to listen to. idk who this guy is, apparently he has a different name now? his voice is really beautiful though, and I like the wide variety of sound and genre used throughout -Favorites are Dance Little Sister, Rain, and Who’s Loving You

Sounds like Michael Jackson or Prince at times. OK overall. 3/5

good, soft pop with a bit of funk in it, would like to have heard him really go for it with his voice as liked the sound of it

It’s a bold mix of pop, funk, and soul. The confidence in the delivery recalls early Michael Jackson, but with more edge. The beats are tight, but the melodies don’t always land. It feels like a spark that’s still finding its fire. A good listen, though it doesn’t demand a replay.

Couple good songs, boring stuff otherwise.

Easy listening soul album. Mostly forgettable but overall an easy listen

A little torn on this album. I do think there is some really good stuff here and I really can see Terence Trent D'Arby has some talent. However I think the time period actually holds it back for me a bit. I found myself wishing and wondering what this artist would have done in later time periods. I kept thinking it was a real shame we never got to see him grow and evolve. It's also possible every album after would have been worse, it's truly impossible to say. The biggest thing I got out of this was "potential". Just rating on this album alone however, it's a like for me, but not approaching a love.

Great voice but the songs and production just don’t hit the mark for me

A very good album, aside from the synth- and electronic percussion-laden atmosphere. Nearly every 1-star review on here cites "80s production" as being the main factor that overshadows anything good about Introducing The Hardline..., but that's not a great way to judge every form of music. Other than the production (which admittedly is pretty bad), the music is honestly great; I can't really see any sound justification for anything less than, say, 3 stars. There are some solid horns, bass, and of course the vocals (lead and backing), which are excellent. I don't tend to pay much attention to lyrics, but from what I picked up, the poetry here is a little subpar. Lots of fairly bland lyricism without much clever wordplay or variation of topic. There's no depth. Take the first verse of the biggest hit on here, Sign Your Name: "Fortunately you have got Someone who relies on you We started out as friends But the thought of you just caves me in The symptoms are so deep It is much too late to turn away We started out as friends" Pretty unremarkable, no? The same is true for the album's remainder. I'm surprised Sign Your Name is (apparently) the most popular track, because it isn't exactly a sonic standout. 3/5 Key tracks: If You Let Me Stay, Dance Little Sister, Who's Loving You

Super 80’er lyd, som trækker ned. Sangene er ellers helt fine, og han synger rigtig godt, lidt Michael Jackson agtigt

You know what this is still a pretty good pop-soul album. TTD delivers 4 monster singles familiar from bar one to anyone who listened to daytime radio one. His singing is great and even the 80s production isn’t too annoying.

I feel really bad for this but I thought this guy was Lenny Kravitz and I was gonna go on a rant about how are you gonna go my way wasn’t on here. I mean they’re both singers with dreadlocks who are from a similar time and both from New York. Their musics completely different so I feel horrible about it but still. Have I accidentally become a racist??? Oh shit! I find this guys name change a bit weird as well, I don’t know if it was a marketing decision or something but all it did was confuse me. Now on to the album… very 80’s. Except the a Capella track which is so boring 3/5

# Album Name: # Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby # Artist: # Terence Trent D'Arby # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: I dont recognise the name but did recognise a few songs. The album has a very 80s RnB vibe to it. Some great bass and guitar work. Great singer too. He has a excellent voice. A few good tracks on this but overall it doesnt hit the mark for me. Im still glad ive came away with a few for my playlist. # Top Tunes: Let me stay / Wishing well / Sign your name # Would I listen to it again? Only the three tunes.

Distilled 80s pop sound that has clear links in the 90s r&b scene

A little over-produced, but of it's time. Great voice and a few good tracks.

Great singer and 2 really good songs but I would never revisit

some classic 80's schlock on this one!

Some solid late-80s RnB-pop, not unlike the sounds of superstars like Prince and Michael Jackson - though it hasn't aged quite as well as the music from those artists. I liked certain songs, like 'Wishing Well', and especially 'I'll Never Turn My Back On You', with its sentimental messaging, and Sananda is a great vocalist in this lane, but my biggest gripe remains - this album is just too derivative and all over the place. 'Dance Little Sister' tries to go in a Wonder-esque funk direction - which I didn't particularly enjoy, given how clean and one-not it all felt. 'Seven More Days' was pretty interesting - like a few other songs here, it's religiously themed and gospel-inspired but, mainly, I found the inclusion of a steel-pedal guitar in this song made the whole thing stand out. The instrumentation here is nothing to cry home about either, though I appreciated the acapella song 'As Yet Untitled', showcasing Sananda's vocal chops in this echoey, sparse, environment - though maybe it didn't need to be 5 minutes. None of this music is bad or anything (I think the closing 'Who's Loving You' is as perfect as RnB can get), it's just that if someone were to ask me "What makes Sananda Maitreya's music special in terms of '80s RnB" I wouldn't know how to answer - at least not after this first listen. If anything, It just made me want to listen to Prince.

This is perfectly fine, if tepid and poppy, soul(ish) music, but really somebody should have told these cats the '80s were going to end one day and so lay off some of the cheesy studio effects. Dude had a voice, but still hard to avoid the one-hit-wonder stigma, huh?

I remember the massive hype about this at the time of release, and instinctively avoided it. Listening now.... I was right. Hype over content. It's an OK album, but nothing special.

Let's say a prayer that we get some more interesting albums than this on the list. I can see why this was hot upon release, but I don't think anyone's talked about this album in 20+ years. Production is as plastic as it gets, and the hooks just aren't strong enough to keep me invested. Bit of a snoozer, but makes sense why it was chart topping in 87.

Enjoyable! I had a colleague in my car en route to a site visit ... she's maybe 10 years older than me ... and my music app kept trying to start playing this album even though I kept pausing it, so I eventually explained to her the 1001 project and she was like "oh let it play, i liked this way back when!" 3.5

Opening track If You All Get to Heaven was a great start. It has a unique sound and a catchy refrain. I have fond memories of Wishing Well when I was a kid. It’s still a great earworm. Sign Your Name remains a total bop. Who’s Loving You has a great retro sound. The rest of the songs were ok but not stand outs for me. D’Arby has a powerful voice and is very talented. 3 for me - he has a great voice and there are some great songs but I probably wouldn’t listen again, it didn’t vibe with me.

Pretty good fun, sadly not as memorable as I was hoping though. Would listen again but not in a hurry.

As I've said for a few albums already: contemporary R&B is a genre I am useless on. I don't particularly enjoy it, but mainly I just don't know enough about it to sort the wheat from the chaff. This record sound pretty good. Some nice funk-rock elements. Strong singing and instrumentation. Balance between soft ballads and upbeat tracks. The wilder funk-soul sections even remind me of Prince in a few parts. However, this album doesn't really do much for me. The use of synth across numerous tracks sounds super-dated - like many 1980s albums, I'd guess they were using the synth pre-sets that sounded futuristic at the time, but now sound cheesy. Definitely not a bad album, but it's not standing out as a special record to me. 3*

fínn söngvari og lög inn á milli. en þetta er ekki minn pissbolli.

great voice, nice melodies

6/10

There was was some cool stuff about n here. Maybe a little dated at times.

Very 80's. Great singer, not bad music. Wouldn't listen again, but worth listening to once.

Pretty catchy, fun.

Neat stuff!

Not bad

Fine. Just became background noise at a point

A lot of this cheeks. Dance Little Sister is great.

I do like the late 80s/early 90s R&B vibe.

This gets an extra star because mom and dad had this cd when i was young.

Remember this being a lot better in 1987

Más allá de la producción de los 80, que algunos aquí no parecen poder superar, aquí hay un gran disco debut y de Soul. Sign Your Name es un clásico y no tenía idea de quién era ni nada de eso, así que 5 puntos para este proyecto que sigue sorprendiendo. En cualquier caso, no es la única canción recomendable, ya que para eso están joyas como Who's Loving You y Wishing Well.

This is okay music. Good voice, good groove. Basically a late '80s amalgam of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, but not as good or innovative, which is why it's just okay. "Wishing Well" is catchy, though. Update: Just started listening again, and it's catchier the second time around. Hmm. Maybe this is worth revisiting. 3.5 stars.

Male Sade (which is a good thing.) The whole album has a smooth vibe, liked it, will check out more (3.4*s)

I don't know what genre of music this, I don't know this guy's original name or his new name, I don't know why his career didn't take off, and I don't know if I recognized some songs or not. One thing I do know: this album is dripping in terrible 80's production effects. There's something really catchy here but it's just so stuck in time. It's a shame because based on this debut, he had really high potential to make it big. Instead, no one's ever heard of him. I don't know what happened in 1987, but I liked a few songs here and overall it's pretty good.

So Terence Trent D'Arby died in the early 2000s and was reborn Sananda Maitreya. Could tell by the album this guy is a bit "meta world peace." Vaguely recognized a few tracks even with "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name" bests. Rename "As Yet Untitled" to "Skip Me" and you have a decent album...2.8.

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this. Wasn't aware of the name change so needed to confirm I had the correct album. It's a decent listen that I would say is a little more upbeat and rock version of Stevie Wonder which I appreciate. None of the individual songs standout but the overall album is a good background album that I was pleased to be introduced to. Nothing special but better than a lot of the unknowns on the list so far. 2.77 stars

Decent. Great voice. Wishing Well is a great song, and I’m sure I’ve heard it in movies or tv shows. Although at times this album sounds very dated and very ‘80s (and not always in a charming way).

First off, someone needs to update the list because he changed his name to Sananda Maitreya. But yeah, pretty good though I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to listen again. I’ve always enjoyed Wishing Well, and the rest is good also. Just to me not great.

I had mixed feelings about this. I didn’t think the song writing was very strong, and his vocals weren’t great. But, overall, this was fine and I didn’t dislike it enough to give it a 2.

Sounds extremely dated, but there is some decent songwriting here.

So 80s. So so 80s

The ultimate two hit wonder plus hubris. TTD comes up often in our house.

En handfull fina låtar.

Terence Trent D'Arby (or his real name Sananda Maitryea) definitely shows that he has a lot of talent with Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby. The music here is super relaxing and soothing but can get more energetic when the time calls for it. I also liked Terence's singing which kinda gave me Michael Jackson vibes (they look pretty similar too so that probably adds to it). My only real gripe with this album is the second to last song which has no real music which would be fine if it was a short song but it was 5 and a half minutes long. Other than that though, this was a pretty good album. Best Song: If You All Get To Heaven Worst Song: As Yet Untitled

A polished album with some classics. Not quite Sade level of dinner party music but not far off.

sounds very 80's. Wishing Well is as catchy as always and is stuck in my head now. didn't realize he changed his name and even Spotify changed the name of the album.

I really like Sananda’s voice. That’s the one thing I always remember taking away from the many times I heard Wishing Well on the radio. This being my first listen to the rest of the songs outside of the heavily rotated single I can see why he gets the one hit wonder title, not cause the songs aren’t good but more because the rest of the songs are more mature and less catchy. I enjoyed getting to hear these songs for the first time from a singer whose voice I was very familiar with due to radio saturation. 3.5

Hmm, I think you mean The Artist Formally Known as Terence Trent D'Arby. His momma called him D'Arby, Imma call him D'Arby. Well, thanks for getting Wishing Well stuck in my head. It has been about 30 years since I've heard it. He certainly has a set of pipes on him. If he composed all the music, I can definitely respect his game. The music and vocals are solid. It's a good album for what it is. I just wouldn't ride around listening to this. My favorite tune is I'll Never Turn My Back On You (Father's Words). Sign Your Name is dope. That would be my favorite "hit" from this album. As Yet Untitled is great, too. I love a cappella songs.

What the what? Sir Terrance Trent of D’arby? On this list? What next, Fine Young Cannibals? I'm pretty surprised to see this blast from the past here, but I only really know “Wishing Well,” so maybe there's some other cool stuff that I've been sleeping on. Okay, first two songs definitely sound like late '80s R&B, nothing too surprising. Then here comes “Wishing Well,” with its heavy drums and that doot-doot-deet, doodoot-deet, doot-doot deedoot-deet. What an earworm! It goes harder than it has any business to…but the lyrics are perplexing. The rest of the album yielded more R&B typical of the era–with lots of love songs; (the artist formerly known as) TTD is a romantic! I was reminded of a handful of other R&B artists of that time, so I'm not sure that anything was particularly groundbreaking here, but by the end of the album I had been won over. The last two songs especially seemed to showcase his vocals. He can sang! I wouldn't mind hearing this play in a grocery store.

Some chilled songs

Smooth as feck RnB

In Spotify wurde der Sänger mir als Sananda Maitreya angezeigt. Damit konnte ich gar nichts anfangen. Bis ich die Musik gehört habe. Aber auch die ist für mich nur 80er Jahre Durchschnitt.

I'd heard good things but this one felt a bit generic - not bad, but not the first album I'd go to from this era for these vibes.

Pretty good album. I didn’t realize I had heard any of it until Sign Your Name. I also liked Dance Little Sister a lot, but overall I’m not sure why you wouldn’t listen to Michael Jackson instead

3. Didn’t like it as much as I did in 87. Sign Your Name is still pretty.

Man, 'If You All Get To Heaven' knocked me on my behind, I was so ready for the rest of the album if that was the tone it would follow. Very different in the end, at least in the way that it made me feel. Kind of a shame, but still a solid entry here.

I was never a 90's R&B fan, and that's still the case. But the songwriting and production of this album is worth listening to. Still wouldn't buy it, and I'll likely never listen to it again, but it was fine.

Yep. Stuck somewhere between Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz. And by between I mean miles behind. Not even at the same table.

what a period piece to the 80s, wishing well feels like the song I recognize here

Alright I suppose

This was ok.

Overall good album, didn’t really wow me but none of it was bad either. I feel like geezers would probably dog to this album. Fav tracks were wishing well, dance little sister, let’s go forward, and who’s loving you.

A mix of pop and R&B. Sounds like an off brand Michael Jackson. I liked it but didn’t really get me like I wanted.

Kirpparien levyhyllyiltä tuttu. Ihan hieno soundi! 3/5

Apart from Wishing Well & Sign Your Name, which were both killer singles, I wasn’t familiar with this album. So I was happy to discover a bunch of other terrific trax, notably Dance Little Sister, I’ll Never Turn My Back On You, Rain & the beautiful accapella track, As Yet Untitled. And I’d always figured D’Arby was a low-rent Michael Jackson. How wrong.

Entraînant, riche et texturé. Une voix qui rappelle Michael Jackson. Un peu daté dans ses arrangements, mais les thèmes abordés et les revendications demeurent d’actualité

Vaguely remember these songs on the radio growing up. More panty droppers

Catchy at times but it felt rambling and unstructured.

This guy got played quite a bit back in the MTV days when they actually played music. I remember Wishing Well, but man something about that song annoys me. He has a strong, solid voice, but outside of Dance Little Sister, Who's Loving You and Sign Your Name, nothing really stood out for me. Dance Little Sister had to be James Brown inspired. Best song off the album for me. Had to look up and check if it was a Brown cover. Who's Loving You made me think of the old 60's R&B. I would have enjoyed this album much more if the album was more like these 2 songs. Nothing bad or made want to turn off, but nothing I really want to go back and revisit either. It was a nice listen, right down the middle for me. I'll go with a 3......... 3

3 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. (I swear I heard some HEE-hees), 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 this felt pretty non-distinct and unremarkable 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.

smooth but boring

The genres listed for this here and on Wikipedia are interesting, because to me it just sounds like adult contemporary. I'm not a big adult contemporary person but I thought this album was really good! I knew "Wishing Well" already. "Dance Little Sister" was the highlight for me. More of a 3.5.

Funky, prince/MJ vibes.

Not my jam but not distasteful

This album has changed names as Terence now goes by a different name. Wishing Well is a really fun song. I like the little wind instrument sections in the middle. Dance Little Sister feels like a song I should be hearing on the dancefloor, not in my office chair. Besides a few exceptions, this album kind of felt like I'd listened to the same song ten times. It's not my favorite sound, and I probably wouldn't listen to it again. It feels like others have done this better (for me). 6/10

5/9/24. I was not familiar with this artist before today but I was really impressed with his singing ability! I also love how it goes against the grain of the typical 80s sound. I need to listen to more of his work and will revisit this one.

The exception of me hating Smooth music, Dance Little Sisters, sign Your Name and Wishing Well are smoother than melted butter but still I enjoyed them. 1000 times better than Maxwell . So 3 stars, the maximum for this type of music.

Great R&B

It's interesting that Spotify has changed the album cover title to TTD's new name, but here it has not. Strange that there are also 2 versions listed in Spotify, but there really does not seem to be a difference between them. There were a couple of tracks that oozed 80s, ("Rain," "Sign Your Name") that had such a cheesy drum machine sound on it that it took me out of it. Still, "Wishing Well" is still a hummable tune and I'll give him that.

D'Arby or Maitreya, as he goes by now, has a great voice. It can be guttural or high-pitched. He can do so much with it. But I'm not sure he's as good a lyricist. Some of the songs felt a bit hokey (just listen to the opening lines of Let's Go Forward or Dance Little Sister). And very dated - classic albums are timeless but this album's time is clearly the 80's. Wishing Well is such a fun little tune (a deserved hit) but it is so 80's. I don't think any other songs get close to being that memorable. As Yet Untitled is very mature (stripped down and all vocals, decent lyrics) and Who's Loving You is an energetic remake, but neither is as catchy. This album was ok.

I enjoyed this listen, mostly because anyone that doesn't butcher a Smokey Robinson classic is alright with me.

It feels like two things are happening in this album, neither of which are very good. One: he is trying to make music less synth and drum machine heavy, and more gospel-like. Admirable, but does feel generally like going against the grain for the sake of it, as this stuff comes off as just as generic as the music it's trying to avoid. Two: Terence, now Sananda, is doing his best "not Michael Jackson" impression. BY that I mean, he sounds just like Jackson at multiple points, but often goes into ranges outside of Jackson's usual location purely to bring as little attention to it as possible, but it's hard not to spot. That makes me feel that despite this album trying to give off a vibe of the second, err, third, err, fourth coming of soul, it really just wants to be famous, no matter the means. I don't know this for certain, but it certainly gives off that feeling, and hey, I'm all for generic 80s soul if you do it right, but you gotta wear that generic sound on your sleeve, or you'll just be the one looking weird in a crowd. It has some decent tracks on it, and most of it is forgettable, but inoffensive, but I would struggle to sell an individual this record on any means other than maybe his voice, but even that feels fake. It tries its best to avoid the plastic sound of the 80s, and only comes off feeling like a different brand of fake. Alright, but certainly fake, and no amount of frankly terrible breathy pure vocal tracks are gotta fix that. Skip As Yet Untitled to save yourself from the most uncomfortable six minutes of your life.

There were very big expectations of Terence Trent D’Arby that never really panned out for some reason. Great voice, definite “it” factor…not sure if he was a victim of poor management or just decided to wild out instead. I had a poster of him on my dorm wall in college and still enjoyed this, although it sounds pretty dated.

Album 363 of 1001 Terence Trent D'Arby - Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby Rating : 3.5 / 5 Technically, its a pretty good album. Good production, decent songs, decent performance. I can appreciate what he has put together here but it doesn't resonate fully with me. I imagine he liked it enough for us all.

Some interesting songs at the start but I was losing interest by the end of the album.

hard to say whether this is funky pop or poppy funk. either way wish it was better. definitely some michael jackson influences it’s just pretty boring overall

I remember when this came out, Wishing Well was a decent sized hit, and he was sold as being from London which is more exotic than the real story... I thought about giving it a four because his vocals are strong, but ultimately it's not all that creative or groundbreaking.

A bit too pop-y for me but nothing to really dislike

Стандартные негритянские соул и рнб песнопения 90х. Припрослушивании возникает ассоциация что смотришь фильм из 90х где негитянский хор поёт в церкви.

This is a great album but I doubt I'd listen to it again. Everything late 80's/early 90's music should be IMO.

I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. A surprising listen.

Wishing well was great, love the arrangement and his voice. To me, it was a better pop album than sign’o the times…

To echo what others said, I thought he was more spoken word soul man but obviously not. I enjoyed it. He was massive for a very particular moment in time so maybe another album will come up as I’m probably not going to listen otherwise though.

I liked this much more than I thought. I thought he was some overly smooth soul guy but there's a bit more bite to his vocals than that. I couldn't have told you any songs before this but I recognised Wishing Well and Sign Your Name having heard them and not known they were him.

Smoother and more skillful than its mouthful of a title would suggest, this is a nice soul-centric LP with the spotlight firmly focused on D'Arby's powerful vox. The writing is a bit worn (no surprises in the instrumentation or tracks here), but there's a beautiful sense of artistry and genuine emotion that makes this an engaging listen.

Wishing well 5 stars sign your name 4 stars Who’s loving you 3.5 stars Rest of album, meh.

Хз почему, но вторая половина альбома просто мимо. Первая прикольная

Pretty cool, feels like it stands out more from other pop a little.

It’s very soul almost gospel -Sounds like it belongs on a bad movie soundtrack -it’s neither bad nor great for me personally -I don’t dislike this, wouldn’t run to turn it off but not seeking it out, I’m missing the “so what” or what is ground breaking about it -Im really torn between a 2 or 3 rating, because it is objectively good, it’s just not striking anything with me as an album

Honestly this just sounds like pretty standard pop rock album made by someone who is a little better traveled than your average musician. There is a lot of unique instrumentation in this album and it add some whimsey to a couple of these songs that I found pretty fun. He's got a great voice, the horns and synth are nice but I find it to be pretty par for the course for the decade. I like it, but I don't know if there is anything that puts it above a standard bearer of the genre like MJ or sets it apart from a lot else coming out at the time other than really strong vocals.

In the cross section of music that sounds so 80s but is also good If I ever throw a 80s party I have some good songs for it.

Ikone der 80er...

2.5/5. Meh, kind of boring. Also kind of weird.

6 / 10 Pop tipo Michael Jackson. Inevitable comparar, bueno pero no es ÉL.

parece alguien bastante espeso como para cambiarse el nombre, y no está tan mal

I had never heard of this before. Good album, I thought the mixing was great.

Très funky, agréable à écouter.

Introducing the Hardline... was an incredibly successful album. Within days of its release, it sold a million copies. Terence Trent D'Arby's mix of pop, soul, R&B, and rock made for great late-80's pop. His work could be seen as a funkier Michael Jackson, or a more grounded version of Prince. His songs have great range, developed arrangements, and catchy pop melodies that had widespread appeal. This album is very much a product of the 80's, and Trent D'Arby remains a fixture of music of that time. He met with very little commercial or critical success after this, his first album. The limitations of his career reflect the limitations of this work. This album is product of the eighties, and seems very dated in retrospect.

The hits were familiar. The rest was different.

Big nostalgia hit here. All the ballady bits of Michael Jackson with some memorable percussion.

This was an interesting album, like an early 90's pop album but came out much earlier. I could have sworn I've heard Wishing Well before, too.

certainly had its moments, but was long and bit repetitive and very 80s

Very dated sounding with that reverb-heavy drum sound and slick sounding production that doesn't appeal to me at all. Back when this was released, I heard a couple of songs and didn't feel I had to hear more. Fast forward, 37 years later listening to the whole album with fresh ears, I can tolerate it. It's decent 80's R & B pop, but reminds me the 80's had so much better music than this that interested me then and now.

It was fine

Pretty average pop music. Pretty average song writing. Wishing well slaps but the rest is forgettable.6/10

It had some fun moment but overall I didn't love a lot of the lyrics, and his vocals aren't my favorite (they aren't bad! I just don't find the tone my favorite). To me this album was very reminiscent of the 80s and maybe Michael Jackson on an initial listen, especially the earlier songs. I think it might have been the vocals, not sure if that was the popular style at the time or not or just a coincidence. I personally wouldn't listen to this again

I loved this album. His voice reminded me of Micheal Jackson but had a raw and earthy quality that made me love the album. It was so groovy and I was content whilst listening. 3.5/5

Not my style, a more clean Prince. I get that the activist lyrics may have appealed to the right audience at the right time. Now it sounds like a 90s GAP commercial

If I was just rating based on the vocal performance then this would be one of the easiest 5s I’ve ever given. Unfortunately the songs themselves are often quite bland and drag on in places. The big standout is the ludicrously beautiful As Yet Untitled

Good opening and opening song. There is potential here but overall the album does not click for me. I like parts of this quite a bit but it also includes parts that I entirely do not like. Great voice. For example "Sign your name" lyrically and musically just isn't interesting to me. The same with "Rain". There is a sense to me that this pulls together a lot of tropes musically and lyrically but does not really do anything truly new and interesting with them. Rain, butterfly tears, returning -- lyrical vagueness in a poetical form. There is a breadth of materials here pulled from a previous history of music -- but it has not been assimilated and joined into something truly his own.

Solid. Michael Jackson inspired.