Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

poor

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

He’s like a budget Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder combined - and that’s not an insult. It’s hard to get to their level but he comes damn close - voice and performance wise. Songs are ok, it’s a good record overall - although not my cup of tea per se.

I think this is an album and talent that got severely ruined by it's timing and production. I was ready to give it a 1 until As Yet Untitled really showed off how strong of a vocalist and even lyricist he is when not buried under a mountain of overblown and overstated 80's soul blah. If this album had came out in the 60's or the 2010's it really could have been something great. But it's not lol most of it still stinks.

I enjoyed it, but I was wondering the whole time if there weren't folks who had done this either earlier or better?

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣭⣭⣷⣾⣿⣜⣿⣯⣹⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠛⠂⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠄⠐⣠⢺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⢿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠛⢷⣿⣻⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢫⣾⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠸⡯⣟⠻⢿⢿⣛⡯⢹⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠒⠃⠄⠄⠄⠐⠛⠑⡇⢼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣇⠄⢀⣢⡟⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡿⠷⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢽⠿⡙⢿⣀⠧⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠯⠝⠋⠁⠄⠄⣦⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣰⣷⠼⣿⠈⠉⠛⠿⠿⠿⣿ ⠛⠓⠉⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠘⣧⣄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣂⣴⡎⡈⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢺⣿⣶⣄⡀⢈⣨⣭⣾⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸⡿⣟⣇⠄⠄⣨⣻⣿⣧⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸⠓⣯⡝⠁⠄⢾⣿⣿⣷⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄80 luku musiikkia wishing welll

R.A.S

album un peu underwhelming pour une 600eme ecoute mais oh well

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

“Dad, can we listen to Michal Jackson?” “We have Michael Jackson at home son.” The Michael Jackson at home: I will say though, Wishing Well wasn’t bad and “GET UP OUT OF YOUR ROCKING CHAIR GRANDMA” is an iconic opening line for a song.

B- If You All Get to Heaven 4 If You Let Me Stay 3 Wishing Well 2 I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words) 4 Dance Little Sister 2 Seven More Days 4 Let's Go Forward 3 Rain 3 Sign Your Name 4 As Yet Untitled 3 Who's Loving You 3 Imagine a world where Michael Jackson had a normal childhood. He wasn't used as a circus act by his abusive father. Instead, he went to school, wasn't a star, and lived like everyone else. He inevitably turns to music as a career when it's time to go to college. He goes to Julliard and for his senior thesis, he makes this album. Convinced yet? Off the wall, am I right?

Not my thing. Found his voice very irritating

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

Michael Jackson son

Soul with some funky moments. Not really my kinda thing overall, but has some enjoyable parts.

Stone big pop classics here but not really for me

Hard one star. This dude works really hard and it's still crazy boring. Despite his claims, this is no Sgt. Peppers. This just sucks.

I’m really confused by this

Good album but dated

He's trying to hard on if you all get to heaven, but by the time we get to wishing well, there's a freedom and energy that is a bit infectious. How weird is it that there are two songs back to back to begin an album with the word, 'if'? If this was a baseball game, it would be a record of some sort. Get it?

I loved this album when it was first released. His soulful voice and catchy melodies... nearly everything is perfect here (though Dance Little Sister and As Yet Untitled are kind of duds to me). An incredible release. What I remember most about this album is how bad the follow-up was. Terence Trent D'Arby is my vote for the artist that fell the furthest from Album #1 to Album #2. Still an amazing release.

Big 80s drums, generic pop stylings from a guy who was in his right era but doesn't need to be relevant 40 years later. This is weak.

Yeah, this was pretty dull. Vanilla pop/soul stuff that doesn't say enough to make it interesting, and isn't funky enough to really get you going. Not unpleasant, but felt very dated. 2/5.

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.

Heard this a lot when it was released. Pros The voice. The hits Not that 80s sounding. Cons Some tracks a bit bland.

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.

This was decent pop soul music that didn’t really make that much of an impact on me. Overall the singing was good at times but also pretty bad. This is a genre of music that may have fit the 80s a bit better than hearing it now. Overall it wasn’t for me but I can see how some people like it. Not sure if this was really an album I needed to hear. 4.3/10

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.

Mom, can we get Michael Jackson? No. we have Michael Jackson at home! *Michael Jackson at home. To be honest, he’s talented and has a great songwriting ability. His voice is interesting. I’m not a fan of the boring song structures, but everyone once in awhile it clicked. Just a little too experimental without the ability to make it really pop.

Meh. A few songs I could attach to, however nothing spectacular. 2/5

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

Généralement très solide, voix assez incroyable. La qualité de production est présente. Ce n'est pas exactement mon style donc à la longue je me tannais, mais pour les fans du soul ce doit être un excellent album. 7/10

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)

Liked the vibe but it got old fast

Nostalgia vote.. the last time I listened to this entire album was 1987

I really enjoy The Hardline 5.0. The addition of Gen-X Davey is a huge positive and allows Bob and Corby to stay in their respective lanes. Hot dog. Best track: As Yet Untitled

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…

He's very good at what he does but boy does that sound dated. It's not for me but I didn't mind listening to it, and there are definitely bits I like more than I thought I did.

Ganske nice

Not for me this.

Gets the job done, if the job was being a mediocre Prince

First listen Saved 3/11 Top track: Sign Your Name

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

An average album, pretty solid all the way through. I hear Wishing Well a lot, and it's the best track.

Unsure how this album made the list. It's not bad just not what I find essential.

I remember my roommate had this in college. I like several of the songs, and others not so much.

не люблю такое рнб, хотя восхищена общей плодовитостью чувака

vibezzz

Mooi rustig

Sign your name oli entuudesta tuttu, mutta muuten aika taustamusaa.

Ihan ok. Uus nimi, pari tuttua biisiä. Ei kuitenkaan mitään ihmeellistä, perus-2

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

Found on Wikipedia: 'In 2012, journalist Daryl Easlea said the album was crystallized as Trent's moment, "a soundtrack to the turning point when the 80s turned from austerity to prosperity. It's as central to that decade as the much-seen image of the city trader waving his wad of banknotes to the camera. It remains one big, infectiously glorious record."' If this is the sort of thing this album evokes to "music experts" decades later after its release, then it fully deserves the one-star grade I would have given it even if I had not read that ridiculous comment. Wave your wad of banknotes someplace else. The production values of this LP have aged horribly, even if you follow the standards of commercial music during the eighties. Worse, Terence Trent D'Arby are extrememly grating for the most part. So, next, please. Number of albums left to review: 526 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 227 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 109 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 139 (including this one)

3.5

A lot of records like this out there.

Not a bad album, I liked the variety of all the songs. But he had way too much confidence in his high note/belting abilities....

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

Liked the jolly little flute (?) tune in Wishing Well. That was probably my highlight. Obviously good at what he does, but this aint for me. Times he reminds me of a less interesting Prince. the more it goes on the better it gets, still not really for me but it does grow more than I expected

Never heard such a strong Michael Jackson influenced singer, which is weird considering how popular he was. Michael should have brought him out on tour, following this guy would have made him sound even better. MJ sounded ridiculous even though he was really talented, this guy giving it the woos and that is cringe inducing. Definitely not my sort of music and I didn't find anything to enjoy here, but it went by reasonably quickly so a 2 will do.

I didn't think was as bad as the other reviews suggested. Some heavy repetition within songs themselves, which often drag on, but the range of styles and themes, whilst remaining cohesive as an album, is impressive. Quite pleasant as background music (apart from As Yet Untitled, which is a bit harsh, like a drill).

Found little to like about this album, it just wasn't my type of music. Its not bad just not for me.

Sounds pretty well put together and he has a good voice. Just not for me. Really wasn't enjoying it by the end. 1 seems harsh, but there's no way I would be going back to this

When you order Prince from a scam website.

Strong neostalgia

Nimi ku iso kirja heh.. musiikki yksinkertaista mielekästä ja helppoa..

I've always liked "Wishing Well" but I'm not a fan of the album as a whole.

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

I remember watching “Wishing Well” on MTV and thinking these are the coolest MFs I’ve ever seen.

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

so so

This is one of those cases where the single he's remembered for is really the best song on the album. I appreciate the soul, but the songs aren't great. Especially when he urges his grandmother to get up out of her rocking chair and dance. It just feels very 80's. And I swear he musically quoted the theme to Green Acres. Terrence Trent D'arby is "We have Prince at home."

I gotta say that the late 80s is really not my era for soul. I like this album well enough. He has a great voice, and the songwriting is always competent, but the music just leaves me feeling uninspired. I'm not sure exactly what it is, though I find the tone on the bass to be really grating. Wishing Well is my fucking jam, though, as is Sign Your Name. The highs are high with this album, but the lows taste like coconut, and I really don't care for the taste of coconut 3/5

Not a one hit wonder of the 90s. Enjoyed it.

Soul. Una canción conocida.

Bien. Varios megahits: If You Let Me Stay, I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words), I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)

mid 6.5/10

Eh. It's got it's good qualities. I'm not really a big soul guy and I think that Darby is bit of an over-singer but I can recognize the talent and quality of the songs. It's nice to know who sang that Wishing Well song now.

Incredibly 80s, like, almost absurdly so. "Wishing Well" is of course instantly recognizable and iconic, but the album in general doesn't quite work for my sensibilities. I do like "I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)" however, and "Dance Little Sister" is fun! 3/5

Funky fresh ballady stuff. Not massively my bag but was a vibe

Funky stuff! I did really enjoy it but can't imagine listening to it again.

Very reminiscent of Prince and MJ. However, feels a little derivative.

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”.

Track 1 This dude has some pipes. Track 2 B: This is very MJ. E: Can't blame him. It's like a cross between Mikey and Stevie Track 3 I thought Tina Turner sang this. He apparently lost the best new artist to Jody Watley formerly of Shalimar in 1988. Track 4 Okay Track 5 Would you care to dance grandmother? I'm in. This was boppy. Track 6 Oohh. Getting srs. I could do without the screeching. Track 7 E: Reasonable and measured romantic gestures make terrible songs. B: you were just complaining about the misogyny. E: there are other options B: you do like the rapey songs. Track 8 This is where I list track. Meh

All I know about TTD is the song Wishing Well and I really like it. Always been a favorite of mine and I still even occasionally whistle that whistlin’ part. But that’s all I know. This album started kinda weird talking about Heaven and sending his mom prayers and stuff if you get there or something. But that first maybe 5 songs are all pretty good, to varying degrees. The album kinda slows down after that and I lost interest. As Yet Untitled should stayed off the record. No wonder it didn’t get a title. Nothing bad, nothing great (besides WW). I’m thinking he’s trying to be Micheal Jackson and naw, he ain’t no Mikey Jacks. This would get a 4 on a scale of 1-10 so since nothing is outright terrible or annoying, I’ll give it a 3. Mighta got a 4 if the second half lived up to the first but even then, probs nots. That mighta been a 6 out of 10. Meh. I dunno.

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.

Excepting 1 or 2 songs, it sounds exactly like a Flashback collection from the 80s. I expect to listen to some of these songs in a restaurant or something like that. It's not that bad, but totally forgettable.

The Michael Jackson we have at home:

No 1/5

Too much hoot and holler

First listen. I knew the songs Wishing Well and Sign Your Name. Not bad at all, really (except that As Yet Untitled song, what a bore). The two singles are pretty good and I really liked the upbeat James Brown inspired "Dance Little Sister." But nothing really made me want to explore his music further either.

Soul, pop e funk com marcas dos anos 80. Reconheci alguns hits.

Wikipedia categorizes this record as "funk rock." In my opinion its not funk if it hasn't been sampled on any hip hop record in the last forty years. Also, TTd'A refers to himself as a genius which throws some red flags. He has a great voice. That's undeniable. However the songs and instrumentation are a little too serious. All in all its not a bad record. Ultimately its a couple of Top 40 sounding singles with some filler and a Miracles cover.

'Wishing Well' is a good song. 'Sign Your Name' is ok. The rest of the album is a 'no.'

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.

I guess that this album made a star of Terence Trent D'Arby/Sananda Maitreya, but I was not all that impressed with it. There was a moment or two, but overall, as an album, I have no desire to revisit again.

Welp, I really shouldn't have read his Wikipedia page or the iMusic description or talked to my friends about this album before doing today's homework. It was super hard to give this an unbiased listen. I personally have always loved Wishing Well and might even place it in my top 100 songs of all time. (Might. Definitely not top 10. Probably not top 50. But maybe top 100.) But it seems some of my friends hate it and I don't know who they are anymore. Also, TTD', now known as Sananda Maitreya, sounds kind of insufferable and I kind of couldn't stop thinking about that today. I'm not completely sure why this album is here.

I know the songs Wishing Well and Sign Your Name. I don’t completely hate them but I don’t like them either. The opening track wasn’t as I expected and piqued my interest a bit… maybe there will be more variety than I thought. The next song, If You Let Me Stay, underwhelmed and after that I was back to not loving Wishing Well. Not too excited at this point. After the first listen I didn’t hate this album. I tried two more listens to see try to discern why this was on the list. While I ended up feeling that most of this album was serviceable, I can’t say anything really jumped out and made me think I really needed to hear this. It’s alright and I didn’t mind having it on, but as I approach 600 albums on this project I’m expecting more.

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.

2.8 - “Sign Your Name” is still a jam but the rest sounds dated. And not dated in a good way either. “Dance Little Sister” sounds like it could be part of a dance montage in a forgotten 80’s flick. We’d see shots of John Candy bopping along to the beat wearing sunglasses and a goofy grin. “As Yet Untitled” could be an arresting a cappella performance if only it were 2 minutes shorter. “Let’s Go Forward” is the dumbest love song I’ve heard this year.

Beautiful

Seems like the name Terence Trent D'Arby was not this artist's real name. The songs on you tube music all say Sandanda Maitreya as the artist. Strange! I had this casette once upon a time and liked a few songs, but now it sounds very dated.

Never heard of TTD before listening to this, good album deserves to be on the list, but just not to my personal taste to make it 4 stars.

Discount Michael Jackson. Decent enough

Its OK. Decent, but not great. 3/5

><

Average. Nothing special nothing terrible.

Terence's comment that this was the most important album since Sgt Pepper has not aged well. I like the blend of soul and 80s synth but not that epic.

not into it

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.

I recognized a couple of the songs. The album was alright and I would listen to some of the songs again.

This feels like it was included because it was a #1 album in England and not because it's actually good? I actually liked a couple of the songs here, but mostly kinda sounded like blander and not as good Prince? *Shrug* I'll pass.

3.75

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.

Maybe it's because it's already a familiar song but the cover of Who's Loving You was the best song here. The record is a fun, soulful dancing affair but I spent most of the time listening to it wishing I was listening to someone like Michael Jackson instead.

Enjoyed the album, good singing and funk

I think the self-aggrandizement sabotaged folks' perception of what was a solid debut. Decent album, got a lot of airplay on college radio stations on release. Never noticed how much the refrain to Dance Little Sister sounds just like (Heaven 17) Penthouse and Pavement.

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

I find that the singer does it best with funk or doo-wop, but the slick 80s easy listening romance isn’t winning me over. Such a voice though.

D’Arby has an extremely dexterous and soulful voice. Sadly, the production and arrangements are painfully dated.

3 Easy listening but it's not my thing

One of the weirdest things in pop music history. One of the best singers of the last 35-40 years makes, out of the blue, a smash hit debut album second half 80s (8M copies sold): this album which contains several great songs, including two absolute classics, and is nearly perfect in terms of production and flow.. .. then has some moderate European success a couple of albums later down the line (with songs just as strong as his debut modulo "Wishing Well" & "Sign Your Name").. ...and then changes his name, and just disappears to Italy, where he regular goes on tour, while all the time releasing 75-min to 3-hour albums, most of which could have easily been cut down to 3*-4* albums of 35-40 minutes. It is a bit of a mystery why in 1995 the Vibrator tour (with a great band with amongst others, Kevin Wyatt) did not put him back on the map - just listen to the impressive live version of "Let Her Down Easy" recorded in London '95 on Youtube. ..or not? -> check a 2017 Guardian interview or Nick Duerden's Exist Stage Left...

Not a very convincing effort, though there are several great songs (Dance Little Sister, Sign Your Name, ..) on this album.

I recognize one of the songs from family guy. Other than that, did not know much about this artist going in. Some really nice stuff in here!

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.

Like Prince nothing new

Solid

reminds me of tracy chapman

1/26- Driving to school

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)

Music is treasure because it evokes memories both remembered and forgotten. 1987 was a magical year for me and this album evokes that magic. Love it.

look if you can't get laid when you put on "Sign My Name" on the stereo then man you just can't get laid.

A little dated but his voice is still beautiful

pretty good sound, enjoyed it.

Pop-soul con buena voz. Demasiado tranquilo y monótono para mi gusto

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.

It's really hard to define what this is. Is it pop? Is it soul? Is it rock? Is it all of the genres, or is it none? A real quandary. A well produced record that was probably ahead of its time in 1987, but not really my thing. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: If You Let Me Stay Date listened: 01/01/23

i hated it. 80s leisure, exposure, thoughtlessness. it was bad.

I dislike this guys music. Clearly MJ inspired but not bad because of it only, just feels extremely dated, basic, lacks originality. Good Singing on I'll never turn my back on you. Wishing well Chorus may be able to be used in a sample. Seven More days is actually a cool song.

Enjoyable, with a pair of recognizable songs.

Imagine a wistfully smiling face at the end of a 1980's buddy comedy and then the black screen with white text comes up. These are the songs that get played over that. Best Tracks: If You Let Me Stay; Wishing Well; Sign Your Name

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.

He's got a great voice, but other than "Wishing Well," "Sign Your Name," and his cover of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You," this album didn't do it for me.

Terence Trent D'Arby has an incredible voice. I've always loved that raspiness. I actually own this album so I could play Wishing Well on repeat. That song and music video are sultry (it's one of my all-time favorites). Sign Your Name is great, but the rest of the album is a miss for me.

funkeeee cewlllllll

What the fuck was that

The best I can say is I don’t hate it. But how this could be worthy of anyone’s bucket list escapes me.

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

A guilty pleasure every year or so.

Great album, not my cup of tea

Some great song on there but not all are winners.

Jai un mix feeling. Je ne sais pas trop le sryle ca va a plusieurs endroits tout au long de l'labum. Il y a beaucoup d'espace pour la creativité mais ce n'est pas tout sur la meme ligne directrice. 3.5

Great voice powerful songs

Liked it! He has a great voice

not mine but epochal

Zeikerig

I mean how good a song is Wishing Well? Just outstanding and right in my wheel house. Too bad the rest of the album can't match it. Often sounds like TTD is a Michael Jackson wannabe. 3 stars

The slyly catchy "Wishing Well" alone proves that Terence Trent D'Arby, these days known as Sananda Maitreya, was the ambassador of soul at the time. The album still sounds good today, despite the typical production cues of the 80s, such as the drum beat with echo and the keyboards on "If You All Get To Heaven", the album's opening track. The sultry "Sign Your Name" sounds modern still though and is one of the highlights. He also shows remarkable singing talents on the a cappella "As Yet Untitled". Later he would not be a musician so much as a personality with grandiose opinions on himself, which distracted from his work. This multi-platinum and Grammy-winning album is a worthy memento of his considerable talent. 3,5*

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

Not sure I needed to hear this again

Nothing special

really quite good

Better than I was expecting, honestly.

No. This is no Sgt. Pepper, this is no Mozart, and this is not the best of the decade. Not a huge fan of Michael Jackson but everyone would agree that he can easily blow this away. This is generic '80s pop. With zero special things in it. Hardly a must listen. Also, why didn't he just name it "The Hardline"? Isn't the unnecessary length of this album the reason he thinks it's in the level of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"? But don't get me wrong, it's decent, and it's getting a bonus star for that.

Stevie Wonder vibes. Sometimes. 3 2

did not care for this, not much of a pop fan

Nice music, he has a good voice. I don’t know if I’ll be going back though, but I didn’t dislike listening to it.

Holds up well, only knew the single Wishing Well. Great vocals and musicianship, album does fade out near the end

I forgot to review this when I initially listened to it but ye so um

Horseshit!

The album cover led me to believe that this would be a slow, Tracy Chapman-type thing but it was actually a lot more lively than that besides the untitled track. It starts out as like a sort of activist album that was typical for the 80s in the first song but ended with neo-soul which was interesting.

Kinda boring

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

Pop, soul.

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

The rest of the album is much better that the top 40 hit "Wishing Well:

Somewhat of an interesting listen. Seemed to have a mix of soul, early r&b, and maybe a bit of jazz all mixed together. He’s pretty talented, but the songs didn’t particularly grab my attention. Not an album I particularly loved, but I didn’t hate it or count down the minutes until it was over either.

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

Átti þessa plötu. nokkrir góðir slagarar en annars bara miðlungsverk.

Mmmm ok

Genio

Huge play of Wishing Well and Sign Your Name in my high school days, then this artist fell wholly from my awareness. Hearing it again the first time in a long time, it strikes me as pretty straightforward Soul.

What can I say? it's nice music, doesn't inspire me or particularly grab me. That said I could happily listen over and over. strong 3

Some undeniable bops here. Dude is talented, and I like the way he brought something more soulful to 80s pop. A solid debut, not the best ever made, but solid.

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.

Terence, ik vind je hitjes leuk, de rest... meh!

Dit is echt jeugdsentiment. Kan hier nog steeds naar luisteren.

Jeugdsentiment! Uren en uren zat ik als tiener in de jaren 80 naar de radio te luisteren. En Terence Trent was een artiest die ik wel kon waarderen. Nu ik het hele album eens een keer hoor moet ik zeggen dat zijn zangkunsten me nog altijd positief stemmen. Met plezier naar geluisterd.

Best een verademing dit tussen de best veel grauwe muziek uit deze lijst. Ik kende er meer van dan ik wist.

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

I remember owning this album back in the late 80s because I liked "Wishing Well" but I remember, too, that even though I won't go as far to say I disliked the rest of the album, I never got that into it. In the long stretch of time since then, other than seeking out and listening to "Wishing Well" once every decade or so and maybe once or twice wondering about whatever happened to him and whether he released any more music after this album, I had mostly forgotten about him. It was good to hear this album again and to follow the prompt to read up on this album and the person behind it. As I listened to this album all the way through for what must be the first time in over 30 years, my reaction is similar. After a while, most of it gets a little muddled to my ear as similar-sounding 80s pop/R&B, and talented as he is, I would've loved to have heard him find more of his own signature style. I was engaged at times but more often than not it didn't have enough going on musically and stylistically to really grab me. Some of the tracks don't come across as standouts. There is nothing wrong with them per se, but if you had played for me the ones I didn't recall, the best guess I would've come up with is maybe the decade in which it was recorded but not the artist's name. I had not remembered, either, that he not only wrote all the songs except the Jackie Wilson cover and sings them all, but he plays several instruments too. Very impressive. I might go seek out the music he's released since then. Curious about it. Maybe he developed more of his own voice and style as he grew.

It's ok.

There's no doubt about the voice, but let's be honest: this was a diabetes inducing affair even when it came out, let alone now in old age (and it hasn't aged well).

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.

It was ight

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: If you all get to heaven, If you let me stay, Dance little sister, Seven more days, Rain, Sign tour name, Who’s loving you

Enjoyed it, has some good songs.

Pas très inspirant. Il y a bien 2 hit sur cet album qui sortent un peu de ce qu’on entend habituellement et ça, c’est très bien. Le reste sonne comme quelqu’un qui cherche à faire ses preuves en se montrant excessif.

On n'est vraiment pas dans mon bag ici, donc gros effort d'ouverture pour cette écoute. Finalement c'est pas si pire. L'époque fait un peu mal à la production par moment, mais on fini par passer par dessus. Pas mal certain d'avoir déjà entendu Wishing Well qui est le plus gros hit de l'album et probablement aussi Dance Little Sister et Sign Your Name. On a une belle intensité dans la voix sur tout l'album. Ce n'est définitivement pas l'album le plus important depuis Sgt. Pepper comme il le prétendait 🤣. Je ne crois pas que ça a rien révolutionné, mais ça cadrait bien dans ce qui se faisait à sa sortie. Donc pas une écoute essentielle, mais tout de même intéressante pour ceux qui s'intéresse aux succès des différentes décennies.

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

He is a good singer and his hit "Dance little sister" it was in all the radios years ago.

80s rnb pop movie montage music. hasn't aged super gracefully but it's an interesting time capsule

Great songs but horrible, dry late 80s production.

Was ok. Single tracks were great everything else was ok. Vocals were great. Rain rain go away was weird

Nice — he has a style like Michael Jackson. His vocals are great — he’s very soulful and a showman too. Solid, funky 80’s pop. Highlights: “If You Let Me Stay,” “Wishing Well,” “Dance Little Sister,” “Let’s Go Forward,” “Rain,” “Who’s Loving You”

Interesting sound, it's like 80's electronic soul funk. Some of the mix / post production decisions are interesting and I find some songs have moments that sound pretty dynamically weak or a little thin. I do like the overall flow of the album; I think the artist did a good job at placing the tracks and there is a great mix of longer songs that explore / develop more, and shorter tracks that hang around a single hook and repeat it often and this was a standout idea of the album for me. Some of these tracks repeat the hook SO much that you can't really help but get them stuck in your head. "Wishing Well", "Seven More Days", "Let's Go Forward"... they are so short, repetitive, and romantic that it kind of feels like a.. love-making album? lol.

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

3/5 good but not enough

Lost me at the first MJ hee-hee

This was pretty nice.

Okay daddy

Muy muy fresco Me ha gustado mucho

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

the beginning is neat but it gets boring fast 2.5

Somedays I have an instant lol reaction when the new album pops up as the screen refreshes. Shame about the late 80s production, some great vocals The big question is do I keep going onto 'Neither Fish nor Flesh'?

This version of James Brown is more slick, but something's missing.

Kenne ich tatsächlich von damals™️. Er denkt, die Platte sei das beste seit der Srgt. Pepper gewesen. Ich denke, er ist ein riesengroßer Schmock mit einer zwischenzeitlich vollzogenen Namensänderung zum bekloppteren. Dennoch: geile Stimme, hochtalentierter Musiker. Die Singles kennt man heute noch, zu recht. Album durchwachsen, insgesamt ganz schlechte drei.

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

Not for me: Soul music done well against dated instrumentation. The artist seems more interesting historically than on this record.

Not bad.

Outside my usual preferences but pretty decent. As Yet Untitled makes a better closer than the actual last track.

Hi- Wishing Well, Sign Your Name I was legitimately excited to hear the rest of this album, because Wishing Well and Sign Your Name are such influential tracks, I was hoping to hear more of this otherworldly groovy sound...instead what we got was a mishmash of really generic R&B and soul, that while competent, didn't offer anything unique like the two aforementioned hits. I'd rate this higher if more tracks pushed the envelope, but they just didn't and I'm disappointed in that.

Actually pretty good.

A fantastic album.

I love this album, there isn’t a bad track on it and it flows from track to track. It’s been many years since I last listened to it, it’s now on my repeat playlist 5/5

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..

10th February 2022 Didn’t listen until the 11th, drove to pick up Wi-Fi extension and sainsburys before Caroline and Ian etc stay for the weekend. Michael Jackson, Prince and Stevie Wonder’s love child. I like the poppier tracks over the ballads.

Anoter good album, with some bangers on it. This guy should had released more albums!!

Brilliant - what a voice! At least 7 world-class songs on this album. Shame he went nuts after it.

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.

meh, 3

Easy listening progressive soul. Similar to - but not quite as catchy as - Stevie Wonder. Some songs (Wishing Well) are pretty fun but others are less memorable and makes the album feel a little long in my opinion. The more engaging fun songs don't quite make up for the cheesier overarching story of the record.

I have mixed feelings. The songs are quite catchy and well written, and Terence's singing is quite fantastic and almost carries the entire album. On the other hand, it seems like the album is afraid to commit too much to one single genre and hops around. The lyrics are also a little cheesy and gimmicky. 5/10

p584, 1987. 5 stars. 2022-01-25 1980s electro soul. Great voice, catchy hooks, great songs. Production a bit dated - cheesy synths - but still excellent and still sounds great today. I'd forgotten what a great album this is.

This was the first big miss for me. I honestly did not enjoy any aspect of it. I'm sorry to anyone who has positive feelings about this album, but it just did nothing for me. I listened to it all the way through with good headphones, but it took a lot of willpower to make it to the end.

Not for me.

2 stars is generous. some songs were way too long.

It's alright. His voice is enjoyable and some of the tracks like "Dance Little Sister" and "If All You Get To Heaven" are some undoubtedly funky tunes. Overall not very memorable though, seems like a fairly above-average 80s album, not something you "must hear before dying".

Ok...so...Im shook. I have two songs, of course they were all over radio but I never listened to the album. This is surprisingly good. I mean really good.

Pretty unique and compelling R&B from the 80's! I'm not a huge fan of it but it's pretty good for what it's worth.

Really didn't grab me.

Pretty much sums up the sound of 1987 as I remember it. The late 80s was a transitional time in pop music production. Like a teenager awkwardly growing into their new features. It's funny cause if this album were recorded just a few years earlier, or even a few years later, I would probably like it alot more than I do. As is, it just sounds too clean and polished to my ear, to the point of being antiseptic to the soulful qualities that he obviously exudes. The best track by far is "As Yet Untitled" where he is unaccompanied by instruments and you can finally get a real sense of the raw power he is wielding.

80s as hell. Reminds me a bit of Michael Bolton mixed with Prince. He's clearly a talented singer but definitely not my style.

Very 80s. The spotify bio describes the artist as a grittier Prince. I see that to a point. Dude's got a lovely voice. It should be noted that this artist now goes by Sananda Maitreya.

Alle de gode lyde. Funky, soul-y og masser af den søde søde blæs

føler den ikke rigtigt

Poprock, singer/songwriter, Prince-agtigt

Soul, Pop Kram. Teilweise wie Micheal Jackson. Bestimmt wichtig für das Genre, aber nicht mein Ding. Habs vorher ausgemacht.

Didn’t care for this album.

2021.12.15 if you all get to heaven sign your name as yet untitled who’s loving you

I wonder if it's unfair to judge an album for sounding too much like the time during which it was made, but here we are... Some minor positive surprises among the tracks, but probably not much I feel like I need to hear a second time.

Extremely 80s and not in a good way.

Definitely has an 80's sound. It was okay, but not my favorite genre of music. 1 recognized song

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

It's an alright album but have to give propts to Terence Trent D'Arby's vocals here. So lively and brilliant piece of soul, just unfortunate the production is very dated here and gets a bit annoying. I did like half the songs on here a lot actually but the remaining were skippable. Let's Go Forward and As Yet Untitled were the best songs here and can see why Wishing Well would've been a big hit.

Loved it! Keep in rotation!

It’s good, but some parts feel dated. Like he’s very talented, but there were only one or two songs that stuck out to me. Certainly sounds like it was monumental perhaps at the time, but now it’s a bit dated.

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

Maybe this album is a victim of mood listening to it but like stfu Terence, she said gtfo.

Some interesting instrumental moments and good lyrical content make for a mixed bag of enjoyable and skippable tracks. Can definitely see how this album helped pioneer RnB as we know it, not my cuppa tea. 6/10.

JoJowa referencja pelna geba, ale w stylu soulowego r&b, brak opisu, darby multiinstrumentalista jednego krazka i to debiutanckiwgo, opening na plejke

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

This isn't all that great. Even the most played songs aren't good - not sure how they get tens of millions plays. 4/10.

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*

There was some decent songs but didn't grab me.

I vaguely remember this dude from when I was a kid, I don't recognise any of these songs though. It's pretty cool, bit of a Michael Jackson vibe going on. Rocking and funky at the same time, solid bit of 80s pop. 3/5.

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

Потрясающе!

"Wishing Well" sounded familiar. A good album to relax to!

Fanastic debut

I try to be open minded with all of these, but I’ve never loved R&B and the more I hear it, the less I get it or enjoy it. The instrumentation in this album sounds very simplistic, the compositions sound underwhelming, and not one song stood out to me. The singing in it was great, but that’s not the only thing a good album needs in my book. Benefit of the doubt from me not getting R&B plus good singing take this from a 1 to a 2

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

когда впервые увидел обложку, подумал какая красивая девочка, а это не девочка..... опять наш братишка чернорус жалуется и ноет, чтобы бох ему помох, а то живётся тяжело в гетто, ой тяжело, и так плохо все к нему относятся, но они всем районом не унывают и пляшут в церквях + лутают магазины эппла. заебало уже это всё слушать, честно говоря. с одной стороны негатива резкого нет - ну на фоне поёт и поёт, а с другой - хочется уже чего-то блять северного и злого, сколько можно этих африканских напевов, зига ой. ладно, в целом для любителей такого - наверное супер охуенно будет. но мне наскучило мгновенно, плюс в некоторых песнях настолько уебанский звук синтезатора, что я даже не понял сначала, может это комедийные песни? ну реально жесть звучит как издёвка над инструментом бедным. можна послушать: Wishing Well, Let's Go Forward, Rain (зависит от настроения, вот это одна из дурацких песен, которые как пародии звучат, но в целом хоть внимание цепляет), Who's Loving You (кавер неплохо вышел) ни в какие вороты: Dance Little Sister (хватит плясать, пацаны, давайте поработайте что ли), As Yet Untitled (это вообще невыносимые стенания какие-то, ни одна песня такого рода не может быть оправдана) 6/10

I didn't really care for him when Wishing Well was all over the airwaves, and I don't care for him much now. He's got a soulful voice that got ruined by '80s production. Most of what I heard here sounds like what would later go on to be the Dave Matthews Band. Do with that what you will.

Every song I thought I’d finally got the measure of the music (not quite MJ, not quite Prince…) but then in would roll another irresistible hook, and, well, it all ended up being rather undeniably its own thing.

I get the sense much of this is directly addressed to black people--"dance little sister", "get up off that rockin' chair grandma", "pray for me", "don't give up your birthright"--a feeling reinforced by the way hooks emerge from D'Arby's heartfelt well-wishing. Not as pop device but as a way of unifying people through repetition focussing mental and spiritual faculties. [Something here about the oral tradition]. Just as the drums traverse the spectrum from filler match to main event, his voice traverses the spectrum from rough to honeyed so that, in a way, it feels like he's not only speaking to his audience but for them--in *their* voices. There are a few overstretches and misfires, but his spiritual generosity is catching, so I'll go high.

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.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT ALBUM SINCE SGT. PEPPER! I HAVE TALENT THAT HASN'T BEEN UNEARTHED SINCE MOZART! These were among the things Terence Trent D'Arby was openly proclaiming to the press upon this album's release. Then he backed off a little saying only, "I made the most brilliant debut album from any artist this decade.” After he faced a backlash for making such bold statements, he claimed he was joking. I don't think he was joking. He may not have made Sgt. Pepper, and he may not have been Mozart, but dude was immensely talented. And he wasn't really wrong about that last statement suggesting this was the best debut album of the decade. He reminds me of someone else who released an equally brilliant debut album around the same time: Nenah Cherry. Both D'Arby and Cherry should have been colossal stars. They both should have soared to the heights that say George Michael and Whitney Houston reached. But they both sort of fizzled out after their debuts (my theory is a lot of that stems from the fact that neither of them were really all that interested after their debuts). It's too bad, but at least we have the albums, which remain timeless and belong in the upper tier of this list. Somehow, Lenny Kravitz ended up having the career and fame that should have been Terence Trent D'Arby's. I'll take "Wishing Well" over "Fly Away" anytime. In fact, I'll take anything from this album over any Kravitz record. Lenny is no Terence. Lenny doesn't have anything that compares to "Dance Little Sister" or even "Seven More Days". D'Arby was just ahead of his time. I doubt his bold proclamations would have caused such an uproar had this album come out 20 years later (see: Kanye, among others). I "only" gave Nena Cherry's entry 4.5 stars, and immediately kicked myself for not giving it the 5 it deserved. I'm not making that same mistake again. Apparently, Terrence Trent D'Arby legally changed his name to Sananda Maitreya back in 2001, claiming TTD was dead. He's wrong. Terence still rules. And Wishing Well will outlive us all.

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.

Sounds like the 'best friends' medley on the soundtrack to an 80s movie. Standout tracks: Wishing Well, If You All Get to Heaven, Who's Loving You

It's an interesting mix of styles with an undoubtedly talented singer at the front. But the music is also completely forgettable and too synth-heavy and polished. It wasn't bad. But it didn't stand out as good either.

Good

Very dated 80s R&B production but solid songs and performances.

I like the voice and the clear tone. I prefer a little more rock and that is my opinion so I can't give it the high rating people might think this deserves. It really is good though

It is rare for me to hate hi-nrg pop sound, and fortunately, this is not a member of that club. What is rare is for me to enjoy 80s soul music. This guy does not rival Prince or Michael Jackson, despite what his ego claims. Yet these dance tracks are funky and employ great use of synths and instruments, creating a distinctive 80s sound all throughout while at the same time holding an identity of its own. I did think the choice of the intro song was a weak choice, but almost all the songs were solid (I'm looking at you, "As Yet Untitled"), and it ended satisfactory. I may relisten to this if I'm looking for 80s soul that is not one of the big boys.

Couple of good songs

"If You All Get to Heaven" – 5:17 - Repetitive, with shrill vocalizing and a solid 80s vibe. "If You Let Me Stay" – 3:14 - More of D'Arby trying to sound like Michael Jackson and instead sounding like a forgettable movie soundtrack. Why do I have to hear this before I die? This album was weaksauce. "Wishing Well" (D'Arby, Sean Oliver) – 3:30 - Not terrible for 80s pop. "I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)" – 3:37 - You want to hear a guy talk about dads in a falsetto? This is the mediocre song for you. "Dance Little Sister" – 3:55 - A little funky sax, and yet, it sounds to me like REALLY trying to be Michael Jackson again... or still... whatever. Meh. "Seven More Days" – 4:32 - Pretty but melancholy piano intro... oh, wait, no. That's the YouTube commercial. This is a drum machine and more shrill yet gravelly vocals about... you know, I don't even care what. I'm skipping ahead. "Let's Go Forward" – 5:32 - Digital wind sounds, a click track, some synth... this is what it would sound like if Terence was in my 8th grade electronic music class. "Rain" – 2:58 - I liked the syncopated beat until the synth clavas, chimes, and Terence Trent D'Arby joined in. "Sign Your Name" – 4:37 - One of the better songs on a mediocre album. It's no wonder this was the single. "As Yet Untitled" – 5:33 - Opening vocal harmonies are pretty. So far acapella... not bad, a little melancholy again. Nice harmonies again just as it was starting to bore me, and then back to the shrill and gravelly. "Who's Loving You" (William "Smokey" Robinson) – 4:24 - High hopes for a strong finish... and, yeah, it's a Smokey Robinson tune adequately performed. Not enough to save the album though.

soulful as hell not for me, but good