Rapture

First one is an absolute banger. The album is generally very enjoyable but not too sure how often I’ll listen again

of its time, enjoyed some of it, some a bit meh

Baker's voice, which is very "full" (particularly in the lower register), has an almost Cher-like quality to it. Coupled with the cliched heavy piano chords and light drumbeat, the album has an aggressively 80s feel. The opening track ("Sweet Love") is very catchy, and an easy playlist-padder. It's pretty infectious. The following tracks, "You Bring Me Joy" and "Caught Up in the Rapture", are also strong. The song "Mystery" almost reads like a slow disco song, with its outspoken electric keyboards, wiggly bassline, and call-and-response backing vocals. "No One in the World" is similar, but commits the sin of distracting the ear with too many incongruous elements (possibly a failed attempt at emulating MJ). The track "Been so Long" is a slight stinker, mainly for the vocals being nonsensical and lacking any kind of hook. Same Ole Love is almost good, although the use of lyrics with any number greater than 100 is always risky because it often just sounds clunky. Also, the phrase "365 Days a Week" is part of the song's title, but the word "week" doesn't appear anywhere in the lyrics. Strange. I'm a sucker for iv-I chord changes, and the final track, "Watch Your Step", is drenched with them. (The entirety of every verse is just those two chords.) Not too much else stands out, except for the "you fall and hurt yourself one day" hook performed by gospel-esque backing vocals, and the cool sax solo. I'm very surprised this track has the least listens on the album, because it clears all the other tracks except "Sweet Love". Still, the inconsistency of quality means this album gets 3 stars from me. A high 3 stars, but 3 stars nonetheless.

Blues

This 80’s production… oof. Still, pretty nice sounding album. Boring though.

I liked it more than I expected to, but I will never seek it out again.

Liked this, I liked the dated sounding 80s production, it reminded me of the video game Shenmue.

A time capsule of 80s smooth r&b

Good enough to listen to.

Clearly couldn’t go less than three stars—can sing, what pipes, etc.—but honestly it didn’t put me in sexy time mood, which was really what I was going for.

Anita is talented, but the production of this album doesn't help. For example, "Caught Up in the Rapture" has too much cheesy synth and drum machine. I understand that Anita's voice is the main instrument, but her supporting cast sounds like the weak part of '80s pop/R&B. Plus, this is just too much modern R&B, where the desire to wow with loud vocals and melisma (which I like to call warbling). The reviews at the time were so-so, and I think some of the retrospective reviews rely too much on the popularity of the album vs. it's actual merit. I think this probably deserves 2 stars but given it's history in R&B and Anita's talent, I'll bump it up to a 3.

The vocals are impeccable. The production is lush. And yet on the face of it, Anita Baker’s “Rapture” is a fairly mediocre 1980’s pop record: nothing particularly leaping out, no jaw-dropping surprises, no unforgettable ear-worms. It’s Baker’s story, though, which makes her hard not to root for: a struggling waitress, dropped from her first band at the close of the ‘70’s, later giving the music industry one more go and striking gold with “Rapture”. It’s every underdog’s dream scenario, played out here with often stunning control and passion. Instrumentally, “Rapture” marks the calm before the quiet-storm boom of the mid to late ‘90’s: these songs seem as though they could have fit in anywhere from ten to fifteen years later. While the sweeping synths and twinkling electronic keyboards became a little grating, I still enjoyed the broody, quivering basslines of “Been so Long” and “Mystery”, alongside some tasteful palm-muted guitar. But the best contribution of all comes from the soulful backing vocals: listen for them sweeping in during the coda of “Same Ole Love (365 Days a Week)”, or the chorus of the magnificent “Watch Your Step”. They prevent “Rapture” from being all quiet-storm until we fall asleep, rousing the rabble at the eleventh hour. Elsewhere, though, the album seems content to frame everything around Baker’s performance without reaching for glory anywhere else. “Sweet Love”, the lead single, has what could be a soaring hook, but ends up stifled a little by a plodding rhythm and corny electric piano. The ballads like “You Bring Me Joy” are well performed, but syrupy enough to slow proceedings down a little too much. Perhaps, though, these moments just aren’t for me: the commercial and critical performance of “Rapture” attests to the underdog’s dream, as it reached 11 in the Billboard charts and won 2 Grammy awards. Ultimately, these hits may sound modest and unassuming, but they were hits nonetheless. Elegant; classy; vintage… it secured Anita Baker’s legacy for many years to come.

красивое

соул в целом не для меня, но если остановиться и сконцентрироваться, проникновенно

Not a bad album. Very 80's. Probably not anything I will be coming back to.

Very pleasant.

Very nice, very smooth, I also don't know why I would listen to this over the 1 million other artists in this genre. I would like this if it showed up in a playlist of mine but wouldn't seek it out. 6/10

Very nice voice with music that’s trapped in the 80s. This is a dated album that sounds of its time. Doesn’t mean it’s not good just kind of left in the past. This is the 80s music that just didn’t make it to the modern age. 5/10

Música elegante para momentos de ocio

Had not listened to this album for quite some time. A very smooth 80s soul/r&b megaseller and easy to listen to once and a while.

I can't deny this is pretty and well executed.

80’s r&b by a talented voice. nothing too special, but a decent album.

I remember some of this. For what it is, it’s pretty darn good.

Nice album. I like this kind of soul although I‘m not often in the mood to listen to it

Lovely soul voice, but dated 1986 style of music.

favourite song: sweet love undeniably fantastic singer just not the biggest fan of the songs themselves

First two singles didn't really stand out but enjoying the soulful basslines and keys on tracks like Been so Long. Mystery is a highlight - atmospheric and catchy - and No One in the World.

Anita has a beautiful and multifaceted voice, but the boring, elevator music style production really holds this album back. I listened with my mom and she liked every other song. Some choruses slapped and some were dull. They really blended together, but it is a vibe if you’re in the mood for it. 3/5

Plenty of nice songs in here sung well. It's not something I'm massively into in general, but it's easy listening.

It's fine. Just classic R&B love songs with a female vocalist. Not what I would choose to listen to, but otherwise unobjectionable.

Canta muy bien. Un disco agradable.

It is an album my mother would like. Slow, easy listening. If that is what you like, then it is a good one.

Great voice. Very 80s. Pop-soul with those synth keys. The choir is a nice touch, but could have been perfected a bit more.

Easy going soul music, okay for background.

Good singer but boring songs that don't really work for her style.

It was nice!! None of the songs really stood out but I liked it more than the previous two

A little too produced for my taste. But I hear the quality.

Great singer. All the songs sound very similair

# Anita Baker, Rapture Released 1986 2-3* just too jazzy/swoony/disco for me. But I will gladly admit that Anita's vocals are top notch and that bass on Same Ole Love is fantastic. ## "Sweet Love" Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson, Gary Bias 4:26 3* I remember this jam on the radio and it wasn't my favorite at the time. But yeah, the chorus gets you going. ## "You Bring Me Joy" David Lasley 4:24 2* Just too smooth and jazzy for me. ## "Caught Up in the Rapture" Garry Glenn, Dianne Quander 5:17 2* Just too slow for my taste. ## "Been So Long" Baker 5:07 2* Man she's got an incredible voice. The scatting is top notch. Just not my style of music. ## "Mystery" Rod Temperton 4:56 2* Great voice, too jazzy/swoony for me. ## "No One in the World" (Produced by Marti Sharron and Gary Skardina) Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron 4:10 2* Just sooooo jazzy/swoony. Not my style. ## "Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)" Marilyn McLeod, Darryl K. Roberts 4:05 3* Probably my second favorite song on the album after Sweet Love. That bass is awesome! Great slapping by Freddie Washington. ## "Watch Your Step" Baker 4:54 3* Great voice, too jazzy for me.

Good music for a romantic coffee shop scene, alas I'm here sitting on my ass trying to figure out why my code isn't fucking working. Still really enjoyable. Has that "rainy friday evening" atmosphere that I dig. Makes me want to light a cigarette and lean against a sign post while a raspy-voiced Englishman narrates my inner thoughts.

Was only able to listen to half of the album because Spotify doesn't have it. Thought it was fine. Anita has some great performances, but the songwriting seemed a little lacking

Her voice is beautiful and insane, but the music itself didn’t feel like anything special, if anything maybe stuck in the 80s in a way that doesn’t transcend the cliches of the decade. I’m also not a fan of smooth jazz and the parts that felt like smooth jazz were only resuscitated by Anita’s vocals.

Sweet Love is a banger and it was nice to be reminded of it. Beyond that nothing else really grabbed me, but it was an enjoyable listen and there's no denying that voice.

If you didn't tell me that this album was from the 1980s then it wouldn't have mattered because I would have guessed it. From the diva-like vocals to the large arrangements, Anita Baker tries to embody what we know today of the powerhouse female artists - keyword being tries. Every time I thought she was going to really wow me, it fell short. Best: Sweet Love Worst: Watch Your Step

I'm a child walking around the mall in 1986 with my mother and I'm happy.

Knew some songs, this is a weird feeling of a soul into easy listening which I think it was on the edge of. Not my favourite album I've ever heard but it's worth a listen.

Undeniably she gas a great voice. Solid album to slow dance with someone. The instrument choices aren't my style.

Powerful voice but think I would prefere to listen to other artists doing a similar style

Nice

Anita is packing some killer pipes! Although this really isn’t the kind of thing I go for, I respect the talent. It’s a mellow listen, but worthy.

Kind of cool, interesting voice but a lot of it felt pretty generic to me. Rapture song was kind of groovy. A lot of it felt like gospel. Ultimately not worth the effort of listening on YouTube.

Finally got around to this. There are some cool moments but the songs really all blend together. Her voice is super cool though.

Not bad

I remember well when this came out. Beautiful voice, but sounds dated now.

I didn't sit and listen to the story my full attention but it made really great backround music

Soi kyllä kauniisti. Rahoittava ja tunnelmallinen kokonaisuus joka painuu osittain kutumusan puolelle.

Bisschen beliebig. Trotzdem mittige drei Sterne.

She does a lovely job and has a gorgeous voice but this level of romance has never really done much for me. Can't fault the album, it's just a personal preference. Gonna give it 3/5 stars tho.

No disrespect towards this album for me but I think it's a one and done. Nothing really enraptured me, it was all pretty good sweet songs but except for very specific circumstances I can't see myself throwing this album on again. She's a great singer though, definitely pleasant to listen to but nothing that had me going ~ooh okay~.

Beautiful voice and some good songs in there but didn't really move me

This is far from terrible but I don't really get it's placement on the list. The songs are all 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 but apart from Mystery there wasn't another song that I thought was great.

Not on Spotify as a full album, so listened to what I could. Wonderful, soulful singing

A couple of lovely tracks, otherwise quite run of the mill. 3*

I really have enjoyed this album, soothing to listen to

For the most part it was ok. As soon as I heard the opening song I was like, "Oh yeah, I remember this song." But a lot of the other songs? Yeah, not so much. People mock some of the lyrics of the prog rock I listen to, but the lyrics to "Mystery" were as bad as I anything I've listened to. Some of the songs do really showcase Anita's ability, but the songs are pretty standard R&B fare. I was expecting more from this.

Now come one. Anita Baker gets an album on the 1,001 list and Whitney Houston gets zero? That's ridiculous. No doubt Baker can sing but there's only one Whitney. And this album has just as much 80's radio-friendly schlock as any Whitney album. Rant over, let's focus on Baker's album. Her voice is fantastic, the soft rock/pop/jazz accompaniment is cringeworthy. I don't know enough to say whether this album is a pioneer of the quiet storm R&B genre or just a well-polished example of it at its height. Yep, I'm putting this album on when it's throwback or guilty pleasure night. But otherwise? I'm not so sure.

Short and sweet

Soul. Ni fu ni fa.

Canta muy bien. Un disco agradable.

Great voice. I didn’t care much for the backing music.

this is pleasant, but no idea why its on list. and why not on Spotify? Maybe its a rogan thing.

Не поклонник соул,но этот альбом цепляет!

Nice bit of 80’s soul

Liked it but not quite enough to buy it.

She has a good voice. It's not my type of music. you bring me joy

Decently enjoyable R&B album, nothing too special. FS: Sweet Love, Been so Long

3.5

Solid, nice voice. A little uninspiring in places though.

Not bad

Don't get me wrong, beautiful voice, but I kept getting JCPenny vibes. Like if the store my grandma shops at had a gospel choir every now and then. Not in a bad way though, this girl can sing better than most! Just hard to vibe to on the regular.

Yeah this is a pretty decent soul album with some well-known singles but I’m only ~ 140 albums into this project and I’ve already heard more moving examples of 80s soul

the first song (sweet love) set my expectations wayy too high, the rest of the album just felt boring after that song. the bass lines were super groovy and carried every song

Great production, slightly bland songwriting though.

Great voice, but not my thing.

Typical 80's affair. Great voice. reminded me of glass and shiny surfaces in generic nightclubs called Ritzys or Champs.

Great voice

Spotify just removed this album unfortunately, but I was able to listen to about half the songs before it disappeared. Nice, easy listening. Not really my thing, but I definitely appreciate her voice.

Tuommoista ihan menevää rnb poppia

Stolen from another reviewer "feels by the numbers but those numbers are so much bigger than normal". She has a great smooth voice and I enjoyed listening, it does blend into the background however. 3.4

Belle voix, écoute agréable

Her voice is soooo smooth. This is on the better side of 3, but still not something I'd likely revisit anytime soon.

Soulful singer. The pieces have interesting melodies, but the synth and 80's feeling funk seem a bit dated. Overall, it has some interest but doesn't fully pull me in and engage.

Only able to listen to some of the songs on this due to Spotify licensing but I got the gist. Pretty good but nothing stood out.

Very good, although not very exciting to me. She's a great singer though, and following in a grand tradition of soul/disco crossover.

Her vocals are fantastic, but the style of songs isn’t really something I’m drawn to.

This isn't really my type of music, but it was pretty good for what it was

It was okay. Nothing stood out to me.

Liked it more over the listen, surprisingly. Little empty-sounding outside of her voice, which isn't really my thing though. 3/5

I'm not really one for schmoozy 80s fare, but this album was fairly listenable and reasonably uplifting to boot!

Totally inoffensive but I wasn’t really grabbed by anything, other than thinking No One in the World was a fun track. Felt a bit too much like hotel lobby music to me, a little too ‘adult contemporary’, but her voice was great.

Anita Baker’s voice is like butter, but the music is not my style.

Great talent

its like a precursor to Whitney Huston

Baker's smooth, soulful voice is showcased on the album, and the songs are mostly slow and romantic, with lush arrangements and production. The album can be considered as a classic of 1980s R&B and soul music.

Totaal niet mijn muziek. Zat met een twee in m’n hoofd maar werd gaandeweg toch nog ietsjes aangenamer om naar te luisteren, dus hierbij een 2,5.

Great voice!! Just not my cup. of tea

smooth soul indeed. been so long mi je najdraža sa albuma. općenito album nije nešta čemu bi se vraćo, ali mi ne bi smetalo da svira u pozadini, jok.

Nice!

impressed by the voice

Fun fact, I worked for IBM in the late 80's in the Detroit area, and I worked with Anita Baker's then-fiancé Walter Bridgforth. Everyone referred to him as "Mr. Baker". Never met Anita, and I believe Walter took a leave of absence shortly after I started because this album was taking off. That's about as tenuous a connection you could have to a celebrity I guess. Anyway, this is nice. Very smooth and soulful. Not really my favorite style of music but it's pretty good. 3 stars.

great vocals, the backing tracks all feel too cheesy 80's love to me.

HL: Sweet Love, Watch Your Step, Mystery Don’t have a lot to say about this album. Just that it’s really well performed and some sections reminded me of the music behind your local 7 day weather forecast October 4, 2022

This might be an album I should come back to when I feel like hearing something with that classic 80s sound. It's the only thing that is keeping me from really loving it and that's probably only because that's not where my head is right now.

A good voice, otherwise ok

I mildly enjoyed the few songs I heard from the album. Anita’s voice is good but not great, which is very apparent throughout all the songs. Decently catchy songwriting though. 5/10

Started listening to this in my car but quickly realized that it truly deserved being played on my actual hi-fi system instead. The production is insane! I had absolutely no expectations going into this… If anything I wasn’t that hyped. But I genuinely really enjoyed both Baker’s incredible tone and range and the extreme smoothness of the production. Everything single detail stood out clear as day - especially the bass. I probably enjoyed this way more than I should have; but what a voice and what a collection of musicians. I almost gave this a 4 due to the taste of red wine during my listen and the fact that it sounded incredible on my speakers. But on any given weekday I don’t think there’s quite enough memorable moments for it to actually deserve it.

Not my kind of music, but she has a good voice.

Great singing voice. Some funky grooves. Good example of R&B soul music.

Always have and always will love the 80s. Just something about that gated drum sound and the atmosphere. Nothing too special on this, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.

Short album I wouldn’t mind making a few babies to. Great vocals. The 80s romantic soul sound is very easy listening. Now I know why Kanye and Jamie Fox consider her a Slow Jam.

great voice, has aged decently. easy breezy listening jazz. faves: no one in the world, same ole love, watch your step.

Smooth sounding R&B. She has a strong voice and delivers these songs really well. Just a bit too "Adult Contemporary" for me, so giving this a 3. Need that half star option as it would have gotten 3.5.

Anita Baker does have a very good voice that takes from jazz and gospel and brings it into what was then contemporary R&B (especially well showcased on "Watch Your Step), but the whole album sounds incredibly dated. Unfortunately a lot of 80s albums just have not aged well and though this is not her fault, it's very noticeable throughout. On the positive side I do respect the 8 track length and the cohesive vibe created here. No track is out of place or a waste of time, but I don't think I'd listen to this again

My original review got deleted by 'human error'. To summarize, this style of music isn't my thing, but I ended up liking it more than I expected. I wonder how many children born in late 1986 / early 1987 were conceived to this album. 3/5.

80's sloooow jams. It won two Grammys, so there is that.

dunno, sounds decent, needed more time

Its hard to rate this. Brilliant voice, immaculate production. Everything polished. Decent songs but its all a bit smooth. Its very good at what it does but its all so safe and nice. 80s soul queen. 3.5

Muy buena voz con grandes acompañamientos e instrumentos. Voz templada y calmada

Throwback to the sax solo.

A little smooth and maybe too MOR for how I was feeling today.

That was a nice album and she had a powerful voice!

Very smooth soul. Some jazzy scatting. Good voice, and very accomplished performance, but nothing apart from Sweet Love is really gripping me. Pity, because this was in all the shop windows for a year or so when it came out and won lots of awards. I'm giving a 3 because it is well sung and smoothly made, but not a soul record I'm going to reach for again.

Anita can really sing and there is no questioning that. However, the issue is that the music did not really appeal to me. No songs really stick out as a must listen. Although I will not listen to it ever again, I will round up.

Anita is smooth. A little too mid-tempo/bland, but she’s a queen for a reason. 2.5 but rounding up for the icon.

Had this, loved it, but actually, loved just a couple of them. I seem to have gone past this kind of music now

Старый добрый соул в отличном исполнении. Так и хочется налить вина и посидеть при свечах. 6 из 10

Un petit moment de fraîcheur

It's okay. I can't really judge the album fully since Spotify omitted like three of the tracks, but I got the gist of it. After getting the Sade album two days ago, I realized that I kind of like this era of R&B before Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson ushered it into the 90s. This isn't on the level of the Sade album, but it's not bad.

Nice R&B and soul album. Starts with a killer opening track! The songs after weren't that exciting, but this album might be worth it for a second listening.

Probably a nice 4-star cafe soundtrack, you know, pleasant enough, and reliable. Fave track is Same Old Love, but no idea why spotify has it listed as (365 Days a Week).

Relaxte muziek, mooie stem! ***

Decent

Great voice, probably heard this a thousand times when it came out in the background. Very 80s!

A perfect middle of the road

It's a slab of 80's soul. Right up there with the very best slabs of 80's soul.

She's got an excellent voice and puts it to good use on this album. I'm just not a fan of this style of music, but I'll still listen. Some okay songs, but I have no need to buy this. Thank you streaming sites.

Really good album. 3.5 / 5

3.5 - The genre designation “quiet storm” perfectly evokes the vibe on this album. The sound is very dated but it’s comforting. I’m reminded of being a kid, holding my dad’s hand as our family spends a leisurely afternoon strolling around at the high-end mall in our neighboring town. It feels safe, warm and worry-free. I probably won’t return to this particular album but I enjoyed the memories it brought back.

3-; great voice, nice instrumentals, album wasn't too long, great experience but could be better

So sweet that I think I might get diabetes. It is soft R&B infused with Jazzy vibes. Super cheesy, easy listening, but, you know, it is cute. And thankfully the album isn't that long (36 minutes), which makes it easier to sit through - would probably give it one rank lower if it was 10 minutes longer.

This is miles away from what I normally listen to. Certainly not offensive, but unlikely to revisit!

Easy listening for the background but the songs itself were too similar to not make this another decent album that will be forgotten after a few days

Smoky and lovely voice

Ok cute little album, not amazing. 3,5 but rounding down because I probably won't put it on again.

Beautiful voice, but difficult to rate for me. Most songs are nice, but I'm not sure that I'd ever really seek them out. Same Ole Love was definitely a stand-out, though.

3/5 too sensual for my taste

This album was incomplete and scrambled for me on spotify. So take this rating with a grain of salt.

Soul. Ni fu ni fa.

Mf doom samples the first track. That was sort of the highlight for me. I do miss the time when big pop diva albums sound like Sega genesis tracks

Canta muy bien. Un disco agradable. 3.

definitely not bad but far from my tastes.

Sweet Love is a good song, rest of the tracks are ok, but slightly forgettable

Half the album not on Spotify so this unfortunately only gets one listen on YouTube. Really like the opening track and thought this was a great listen, but the tracks bled together a bit for me. Still something I think I would return to more if it was on Spotify Saved: Sweet Love*, You Bring Me Joy

Really nice beautiful album. Soothing voice. Really pleasant front to back

Nice voice. Not my style music hard to be objective.

Exquisit disc de r&b/pop amb producció totalment vuitentera, però que en aquest cas encaixa com un guant amb les composicions de fàcil escolta, on destaca la poderosa veu d'Anita Baker, que va ser arribar i moldre, però que endavant mai va aconseguir arribar a les cotes, de qualitat i ventes, de 'Rapture'

I do enjoy this kind of soul music sometimes. It's a little cheesy in places, but still some great tunes

Album was not on Spotify apparently due to the artist's request. I was able to track it down and give most of it a listen

Baker's Rapture helped define contemporary R&B from the mid-80s onwards. She's a sexy singer, and the use of jazz and synth accommodates for smooth, easy listening that gives off calm 80s nostalgia. "Sweet Love" and "Captured in the rapture of love" are my favorites, and other first side tracks appealed, but I felt the tracks sounded too much like each other, and hardly contrasted each other in subject matter or technique. But that's fine. It's not a masterpiece, and her fanbase tends to hit a very targeted audience, but this album is a soothing, luxurious listen, and that's enough for me to give a re-listen in the future.

Not my deal, but nice voice and production

can’t listen not on spotify- gave avg rating

Beautiful voice, and a great soul album.

Good R&B. Not my typical genre, so nothing really stood out to me.

I imagine this is an album that was played on many occasions in the late 1980s to signal it was time for sexy times. The slinky bass and emphatic saxophone layers say “Hey there, are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Ms. Baker’s mesmerizing vocals say “Yes, let’s get down.” According to expert resource cosmopolitan magazine (2017), the average sex session lasts 19 minutes, including foreplay. Rapture clocks in at 38 minutes…plenty of time.

Anita Baker sure can sing. Beautiful voice. The mid 80s adult contemporary production is what makes this a 3 out of 5 for me. Not really my cup of tea even if I really enjoyed certain touches like a fun bass line here, great sax solo there. Won't be revisiting anytime soon but I'll definitely always remember Baker's voice.

R&B, pretty good

What a great voice, and recognized Sweet Love. All and all a nice album to listen to. I'm giving it a 3 only because it is a bit sedate for my liking.

Good R&B album....unfortunate that Spotify doesn't have 3 of the songs so couldn't give it a proper listen

Not quite my thing, but it is a powerful soul album. Anita's got chops.

Ok

smooth, slinky, just not my taste though

It was okay.

Not my jam. Feels very 80's.

R&B music sung by a powerful voice, this album sits along side of its contemporaries in Tina Turner, Sade, Whitney Houston & others. Unfortunately, Baker doesn't display the same range or creativity that these others do. As a result, while solid, this album comes up short when compared to classics.

Interesting album cover, makes you wonder what instruction the photographer gave during the shoot. Lovely album.

I somewhat liked it. Very pleasant to listen to while working. But not something I'd listen to with full attention.

Nice little album. Basically Smooth Radio manifested in album form. I knew Sweet Love but none of the others. Best song: Same Ole Love.

Steengoeie zangers! Maar niet direct een album dat ik opnieuw zou opleggen

great voice, some of the tracks just felt a little lacking in energy and could have used something to push their sound more. not bad though, 3/5

Such a wonderful change of pace. Really lovely to listen to while doing school work.

meh

"I won't be neglected I won't be denied The pleasure of your kisses The pleasure of your smile" (Been so long) ¡Qué voz! Por lo menos terminamos bien esta semana <3

Recognized one of the tracks ("Same Ole Love"), otherwise I had no clue about this artist.

6/10.

Rhythms that almost make you forget you’re slowly being lulled to sleep in the warm embrace of the laundromats heat and wafting scent of fabric softener.

SWEET LOVE is a 4

1986, Soul rnb, gutes Album, gefällt mir besser als mama's gun, starke 3

Beautiful

Soul. Coñazo.

Not really my thing, but not overdone diva-style antics which I can sometimes find grating. A pleasant background listen. Fave track - "Sweet Love" is undeniably iconic

I'm normally not much of a consumer in the whole chanteuse vein though I certainly recognize vocal talent. This was definitely a cut above though. The lyrics though solid were just not that interesting.

Le son des années 80!

2.5

Very different than anything I've listened to. While I can objectively say her voice is amazing, this is not my kind of music.

Okay, I went into this album expecting to dislike it because of my general disdain for Jim Morrison. Honestly, I thought it was a pretty fun album. Morrison's attempts at poetry bog it down at times, but the music is great throughout. 4/5

Pretty good. I dont listen to this music that often but I enjoyed it

Only about half of this album was available on Spotify. Fun 80s R&B

Couldn't listen to the whole thing, but what was there was good.

These are those late nights you are watching Tubi, and you fall asleep and wake hours later, where Tubi has auto selected another movie for you. Its an 80s steamy romance, filmed with a grainy video camera, and you think, "what the hell is this!?" Also Anita Baker is all over the soundtrack. Then you turn off the TV and go to bed.

Naw

Yet another generational vocalist wasted on this awful style of production. What a voice this woman has, but I just can't look past the shitty 80s production that makes it no better than all the other crap that was popular around the time. And on top of that the music itself is just so boring, I barely even registered that I was actually listening to anything. Anita's voice alone was just about enough for me to actually find this tolerable, but everything else about it completely ruined what could have been a great album if it weren't so damn commercialised.

Porn music with nice singing

My first album in the challenge and I hoped for something alse entirely ;) "Don't you ever go away; it will always be this way. There is no stronger love in this world." HELLO? The lyrics are so good for the first song, "Sweet Love"; not my type of music, but absolutely amazing. THE WAY SHE SINGS "SWEET LOVEEEEE" The second song, "You Bring Me Joy," I just wanna ask if we are okay?? SHE'S A YEARNER. Not my type of music at all again but I feel I would listen to this if I yearn while screaming "You Bring Me Joy" "Caught Up in The Rapture of Love" is definitely one of my favourite songs on the album. Again, not an everyday type of music to listen to, but this song will definitely be on repeat when I love. I can imagine me and my bf swaying and dancing on it, while screaming the lyrics. "Been So Long" again; the lyrics are SO GOOD, but idk about this. I don't think I was able to imagine myself listening to it in any scenario. "Mystery" okay, this one is actually cool. The lyrics are about her missing the tender love he used to give her. But the instruments are actually cool. I loved it, and it probably could be in my top 3. It also feels a lil whimsical. "No One in the World" without another single word is my top 1 on the album (I haven't read the rest of it yet, but I know). The song is competing with Jeff Buckley in my head now, and yes... I got flashbacks (except that he didn't love me back ;D). "Same Ole Love" Again, another banger, and again I want your same ol' love, baby. "Watch Your Step" Okay, thanks, Anita Baker, for actually writing what I've definitely thought about before, 'cause now you just reminded me after I've been trying so hard to move on, so you owe me something. Now, after listening to the whole album, my rating is 5.5/10. The songs are absolutely good; they are so yearning in style, which is... so me. It also gave me flashbacks, and I guess I can deal with it, but the genre is just not my style, and that's why it got that rating. But yeah, definitely gonna listen to some songs again.

3/10

Súper vintage el sonido. Los teclados sobre todo. Buenas rolas, pero nada memorable.

I listen to this yesterday and already can’t remember much about it, feel like that says a lot. Pleasant but in the way where you aren’t really in the mood to actually listen to music just have something cushioning the air

Music for mums

Got a good voice. Couldnt be arsed with rhe yoping though Its someone's cuppa tea. I prefer fucking Bovril. 2.5

My mum used to listen to this. She also voted for the Tories and thought Vienetta was 'exotic' so make of that what you will.

It was an album

Bland as a block of ice

Beit meh

Perfectly fine voice, but dwarfed by Whitney Houston

1986.

Sweet love - 2 You bring me joy - 3 Caught up in the rapture - 2 Been so long - 3 Mystery - 2 No one in the world - 3 Same ole love (365 days a week) - 3 Watch your step - 2

I feel like sometimes OP puts albums like this on the list just to check boxes.

Only yesterday my selection from the list was a Dusty Springfield album and I intimated that she was the pathfinder for many female singers yet to come and an undoubted big influence. I don’t know much about Anita Baker but there is no doubt that she is in a long line of female singers who can trace their pedigree back to Dusty Springfield. Whilst that might be the case this album is just a pale imitation of the album I reviewed yesterday. I also said that despite my appreciation of Dusty I rarely played her music but was just glad it existed. That being the case there is no chance that this album would make it anywhere near my turntable. Yes Anita may have a great voice but she ain’t no Dusty. 2/5 18/8/26

Is Jazz/Soul a thing? I guess so but this isn’t for me.

My god I did not enjoy this. I had forgotten that music like this even existed. Thankfully only four of the eight songs were available on Spotify. I will give it an extra courtesy star based solely on the hope that surely there’s some value in the other four songs not heard.

Think Spotify only had 4 of the 8 songs and that was enough for me. She’s certainly talented but I really couldn’t stand her voice. Also the chimes and stuff was just too much. 1.75

Man. This is one of those albums that just misses all the marks for me personally. Sounded corny and lame. I’m keeping out of the basement considering some of the true trash that lives down there but this one was dang close. 1.5/5

Oddly, Spotify doesn't have this album for whatever reason. My heart is not broken. I remember "Sweet Love" was a huge hit in '86 but it wasn't me or my friend group jammin' that slow groove. It sounded like a late 60's/early 70's soul throwback when it was released. This was old people music then and it sounds truly dated today. She can certainly sing, but did she ever do anything else? I firmly don't feel this is a Top 1001 album. You never hear the one hit song anymore, no ground broken, no influence that would matter in my musical world, one hit wonder status. 2 stars, boring and dated.

Nothing wrong with this, but nothing makes me want to hear it again.

No disparagement intended but this is one of those things that I'm always astonished there's a market for. Are people really that dull that they enjoy listening to the exact same cliché-filled, saccharine love song over and over and over? Sure, it's pretty (and very 80s). I enjoyed the vocal performance on "Been So Long". But that's about it.

Sorry man. The 80s cheese is too much for me today. She has a great voice. That's the only good thing I can think of saying.

One great song, does not a great album make… However, Rapture is a solid record. A few reviews ago I was not so kind to Mariah Carey and to support my case, I present Sweet Love by Anita Baker. This is how you do it. This song makes me feel like I’m being caressed in a soul sanctuary of divine healing. Ai it’s Baker is like the female vocal equivalent of Barry White. I used to feel ashamed of my love for this song, but I don’t care anymore. It’s the song I like that is least representative of 99.999% of the music I like. The rest of the album is ok. 2.7

Dette er den mest generiske 80-tallsplaten i verden. En dame som er litt flink å synge. Sleng på noen bra musikere og gi ut en skive med intetsigende låter. Radio Tromsø musikk. Pluss for at den er kort.

Musikk for godt voksne damer. Går sikkert godt til ei flaske rødt.

I guess I just need more from my music than a nice voice, and a solid drumbeat, I mean, maybe it's the time period but this reminds me of all the boring nineties, electronica albums that are on this list that can serve as at best background music

Oof, right off the bat that synth sounds terribly dated. And it just never got any better. Her voice is fine, but the music is bland to the point of offensively inoffensive. It’s bad 80’s drivel. TBH when the name came up I thought “oh cool, I like Ring My Bell.” Wrong Anita.

This isn't an album I needed to hear, nor wanted to hear. Bland stuff.

Powerful voice & unfairly seems to have been overshadowed by Whitney, Céline etc. But there’s no soul to the litany of 80s saccharine diva pop. It’s all too much about the singer and not about the song.

This is exactly what I'd expect a "Soul Jazz Smooth Jazz" album to sound like

Is it just me, or is this kinda pitchy, Dawg? Plus, everything is a run, makes it kinda hard to listen to tbh.

Bland as a block of ice

beautiful music that isn't my jam

This feels like eight versions of the same song. Even if it's a good song, this is really repetitious sonically & thematically. While smooth R&B/soul is not my thing, "Sweet Love" was inescapable during my childhood, so I have some affection for it. The rest I don't need to hear again.

Pop genérico e desinteressante.

Great R&B voice, corny 80’s song structure and production flourishes. 2.5 stars

buenas vibes, no me enloqueció

Only 4 of the 8 tracks are on Spotify. I get it though. I just don't care for this music and her voice didn't wow me. 2/5

From the very opening notes of this album, I knew exactly what I was in for: stereotypical late 80s adult contemporary. I guess this production style sounded good to people back then, but listening to it today, all the cheap-sounding synthesizers just sound like total AI slop. I was surprised to read that this glorified elevator music managed to win two Grammys. If this was considered Grammy-worthy soul and jazz at the time, I'd hate to hear what wasn't. To be fair, her voice itself is fantastic and undeniably smooth, but the material she’s singing completely lets her down. The pacing of the record is incredibly sleepy, with track after track settling into the exact same predictable, sterile, mid-tempo adult pop crawl. The instrumentation feels so heavily over-processed and calculated for radio play that it strips away all the genuine emotion and grit you actually want from a great soul performance.

Not my cup of tea at all I’m afraid. Not lean on the production sound atcall

Jeg troede det ville være classy jazz, ikke 80'er synthesizer jazz. Der var egentlig nogle bops på, så det kunne godt have sneget sig op på en lille 3'er hvis jeg ikke var så negativt overrasket

She has a lovely voice but the style and arrangements really aren’t my thing

I was not very familiar with Anita Baker. I enjoyed this listen, but this is another one that doesn't strike me as spectacular enough for this list.

Can't use it cause ill never have sex with a woman

Ei ollut omaan makuun ollenkaan. Taustamusiikkina ihan ok, mut en kyllä kuuntelisi koskaan. 2/5

No One In The World

Ok, adult contemporary. I am a contemporary adult but this doesn't do much for me. Her instrument is impeccable of course, just don't dig on the style. It's not you, it's me.

I wouldn't mind this as background noise while eating at a fancy restaurant, but that's about it. Other than that, it was repetitive, and stale. She does have a wonderful singing voice though. Favorite Track: "Mystery".

DNF. Just not my thing. Amazing voice, but the muzak production detracts from it.

Mid 80s ballads, good voice but it's not memorable

Best Track - "Sweet Love"

This album is so well produced. Anita Baker's voice is beautiful and unique. Great bass - funky at times - but cheesy keyboards. (DX7???) Overall it's a little too adult contemporary/MOR for me.

boring but nice voice. I'll have to, uh- I'll have to put that woman in an oven.

The glossy album of choice for stock market traders in the mid 80s.

Nja-soul

Senare delen av 80-talet var verkligen ingen gyllene era för soulen. Det mesta blir antingen slickt mot gränsen till utslätat och tråkigt eller svulstigt wailande ballader på gränsen till storhetsvansinne. Anita Baker går i den fällan här också. Hon sjunger förstås bra. Men jag lyssnar hellre på Whitney Houston.

Svulstigt och snyggt. Men också lite småtråkigt. Ungefär samma souljazziga ballad som upprepas åtta gånger. Utmärkta att ha på i bakgrunden, men inte så mycket mer.

Sällan har väl ett album låtit så mycket studiomusiker som detta. Allt är superduktigt och livlöst. I grunden rätt mediokra låtar. Bokens artikel om skivan avslutas med konstaterandet att skivan snabbt försvann ur allmänhetens medvetande. Jag kan bara instämma.

2.5

Vwry cheesy and very bland. 2 stars

Pleasant listen but forgettable for me. May take a listen/KM will stick it on in the lab in the future! 2.5

Do not like. Style. Singer. Music. Any of it. Mercifully short, and infinitely pointless.

A bit boring but pleasant enough and inoffensive

Music to fall asleep to. The sound is fine enough but it’s pretty flavourless, and we get no relief from that through the whole album with all songs very samey.

The quintessential ‘quiet storm’ album with the 80s production sheen, all synths, saxes and electric pianos. There’s no denying that Anita Baker had a great voice, but the music is far too slushy and easy listening for my taste, and so samey too. ‘Sweet Love’ is the most famous track, and it is one of the better ones, but I can’t see any circumstances in which I’d choose to put even that song on. Like the rest of the album, it felt so artificial and anodyne. As the album went on I found it held my attention less and less.

This kind of vocal is the thing I least enjoy. Sure you have a great voice and sure you have good range but there is no need to warble through it on every line and sometimes one word. All luxuries should be used sparingly. Not anywhere near as bad as Mariah Carey though

Not for me.

This is the PERFECT representation of everything that I can't stand about 80s pop. It is all the same... Sterile inorganic composer created fake instrumentals, with a talented singer who can't write their own music or lyrics. Boring boring boring.

This is the famous concept album about needing a new baker after your strangely pious baker was taken to heaven in what was either a rapture event or an accidental cyanide poisoning via mouse trap. Either way, this penis shaped cake isn't going to make itself. Now Anita Deliveryman/Caterer will have to make the next album. It's been 4 decades. We're still waiting, and I fear that my hot air balloon enthusiast meetup will never receive their "barometric pressure can be a real dick" cock cake. Anita Baker delivers no Rap, no Ture, and zero hot air balloon based material here. She does; however, string together some incredibly hammy ballads you'd hear the instrumentals for at a failing mattress store in your town's industrial area. The deep, gravelly nature of some of the vocal passages elicited a few smiles out of me though, so that murders about 90% of the records on this list. With that said, I will never let this by my ears again. I can only catch so many waves on these eardrums. Precious calories would be wasted dropping my thumbs upon the play button again. 1.5-2 GENRE: Left Below

Being a tween in 1986, I always just assumed that Anita Baker had been around for 10 or 20 years already. Even now hearing this album (for the first time) in its entirety, I still get that feeling. You can tell who her influences were. Sadly you can't tell who Anita Baker is. It sounds a lot like other R&B/Quiet Storm from the time. Maybe she was the pioneer, I don't know. But I DO know that I don't care to learn more based on this listen. Great voice and some good songs I recognize and find nostalgic

This album was so boring. So many better R&B albums are out there. That said, everything is pretty competent. My main issue would be that Anita overuses vocal flourishes to the point that it gets grating. As a guitarist, my best comparison would be constantly throwing in hotlicks in the fills instead of using some different techniques and rhythms to let other parts of the music breathe more. Instead, Anita is on all the time and it wears on you. Not worth being on this list but not a bad album either. Call it a 2.

I had a hard time getting myself to care or get through this 36min album. I recognized a couple of the songs, but didn’t particularly enjoy Anita’s voice, the style, or feel like the songs or lyrics went much deeper than manufactured songs about love. I won’t be listening again.

I thought that Anita Baker was more disco diva than what this was. Meh

Supermarket music

Very undistinguished, could have been anyone. I see no reason to ever listen to this again. Not "bad" just "bland."

Quiet storm R&B has never been my favorite. Anita Baker is obviously crazy-talented, but that's not doing enough heavy lifting to get me to rate this any higher.

I did not care for it sadly :(

This sound just isn’t my thing. Like a lot on here say she has a fine emotional voice, but the syrup production has always made me feel this is too old for me, however old I am. It’s soo middle class smooth. Interesting to know there was a genre quiet storm, didn't know that before. Just not my thing, nothing particularly bad about it, maybe the production, but this was never aimed at me - so find it a hard listen 2 Star

605/1001 2026.05.01 😴😴🌗🌑🌑

Whitney Houston ilman että on Whitney Houston

- A little to sexy for me - Food that would play in a Chinese restaurant - I bet my grandma loves this

This is standard mid-80s soul fare that sounds every bit its age. By far the standout track is “Sweet Love”; it’s a song I’ve always loved, but the rest of this gets nowhere close to those heights. I like the hook of “No One in the World” as well. “Been So Long” gets way too close to sounding like jazz for me, and the rest just sound like any other soul / r&b album of its era. I also couldn’t warm to an entire album of these vocals, which were just not for me.

Steely Dan in slow motion. Completely washes off. Relaxing, like ocean waves.

pa ono, sasvim pristojno unutar svoga žanra, premda si nikako ne bih sam pustio. razmišljao sam da prvo dam trojku, ali kako sam nekim albumima koji bi mi se načelno dopali, a koje nisam smatrao toliko dobrima, davao trojke, ovo je jednostavno za dvojku jer mi se nijedan detalj nije ni najmanje dopao

Post motown R&B is a blind spot for me. The "quiet storm" is a very vibesy specific time period where it was played to ease in people's anxieties about the outer world, something we could use right now. I'm not sure that production style would work in a maximized digital age. Anita Baker is considered one of the forefront smooth jazz/quiet storm singers of her time period. She's got a quite a voice! Unfortunately, every thing else around her sounds dated. The songs from the album are definitely important, the album as constructed is much less so. I mean I like 80s synths, the cheese, and knowing too much about electronic music and synthesizers to hear all the presets from various Yamaha/Korg/Roland synths that were big for the time (especially Yamaha). It's just too egregious of an "80s sound" record. Is this bad? No, but it is lame. This record did sell well for 1986, which gives it the notability to be on the list, but you're better off listening to the singles. Spotify sure thinks so. Kind of a shame.

Not my kind of music

Extremely well made, and she can sing, but 80s adult contemporary is not my thing at all.