Rapture

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Anita Baker before, but I’ve thought that about other artists, and then wound up recognizing their work (David Gray and Everything But The Girl). I love listening to eighties music, so maybe I’ll recognize a song or two off of this album. Either way, I’m excited to listen to a new artist today! I think Anita Baker is a talented singer, but this album wasn’t really up my alley. There were some great bass lines throughout Rapture, but there wasn’t much variety in the sound, and the keyboard and synthesizer arrangements were pretty forgettable. For a soul album, this album didn’t feel like there was any emotional weight to it. I’ll admit that there are plenty of soft rock songs from the eighties that I enjoy, but an album full of feather-weight pop tunes without any catchy melodies isn’t really my thing. The last three songs of the album the best part of the album, but even then, those songs were relatively forgettable. I can understand how this album won a couple of Grammy awards, but Rapture isn’t an album I’ll be coming back to.

A good singer but not much else for me here.

dawno nie bylo czegos tak generycznego dla swojego gatunku, tym razem wylosowalo latwe granie w stylu r&b, dzisiaj sie dowiedzialem, ze radio przyjazne r&b mialo podgatunek quiet storm, gdzie zaciaga bardziej coolowym jazzem niz soulowymi ciagotami, to nagranie z 86 jest drugim krazekiem w dyskografii pani baker, jak przystalo na gwiazde r&b to jest ona glosem plyty i na czesci utworow jest creditowna jako autorka, co do pozostalych nie jestem pewien ktore to covery, a ktore orginalne kompozycje pisane specjalnie na ten albumik, bo lista creditsowa jest dluga i szeroka, a to zaledwie 8 kawalkow w 36 minutach, ale na kazdym prawie ktos inny stuka w klawisze, czy brzdaka delikatnie po gitarce, nawet bez sluchania a sam rzut oka na tytuly jasno nakresla zawrtosc liryczna zawarta na tym krazku, wiec smutne romansowanie od poczatku do konca, jestem pewny, ze sporo sporo intrumentali z tego krazka slyszalem samplowanych w latach 90, no i u pana dooma, bo jestem prawie pewny, ze te klawisze ze sweet love na jakiejs metalowej masce slyszalem, chyba zbyt zmeczony jestem na latwe sluchanie dzisiaj, bo po przesluchaniu czuje sie jeszcze bardziej sprasowany niz przed, no i jeszcze kwestia tytulu rapture ktory nawiazuje do traka caught in the rapture, to slowko rapture chyba zawsze bedzie mialo silniejsze polaczenie z czyms smutnym starym i zrozpaczonym przez bioshocka, ciekawe jak slowa nabieraja swoich znaczen przez wlasne doswiadczenia, teraz na repeacie polecialo been so long i moge potwierdzic podejrzenia, ze bylo samplowane u dooma na special herbach z tej plyty, ten utwor na zatarze, na plejke dodam wspomniane rapture

Undoubtedly a great singer, just not really excited about this 1980s smoothness here. 2 stars

Meh, it was okay.

I'm not all that sure about this inclusion. There are numerous 80s and 90s female pop/soul vocalists who have surely produced more valuable and influential albums. It was 'nice' enough, but mehh.

Just not for me!

a deeper voice than I expected! sweet love is a good song but this just isnt my type of music .. 5/10

An enjoyable enough late night album, she has good soft voice, and the music is inoffensive and calm though really not memorable. The production is over the top for my taste, very mid-80s. Overall a fine listen but not good enough for a stronger 3 stars.

80s mom cleaning the house music

Pleasant listening. 2.5/5

Nope

I’m not into R&B as a genre, and Rapture doesn’t change that. Anita Baker undoubtedly has a beautiful voice and delivers everything with elegance and control, but for me, it just becomes too dull over time. The album is filled with love songs, and there’s only so many of those I can take in one sitting, especially when the tempo and mood barely shift. I can understand why it resonates with others, but it doesn’t connect with me. 2/5

Have never liked this phony-sounding type of music. Nothing stands out as special or interesting here - why is it on the list?

Very little to say on this one … not really my thing but pleasant enough as background music.

Fantastic voice. She has a lot of talent, but I just couldn’t get interested in the music. It’s like bad 90’s R&B. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again

Sweet Love is a great song, lovely opener and the only thing of note on this run of the mill soul album that descends into scatting and aimless warbling. It's all a pretty sound but it's short of any depth

I am sure this is great as far as 80s soul go, but I just do not care about it at all, and it did nothing for me.

I nearly gave it a 1, as this is really not my style. But it gets an extra point for some tasty basslines.

its good but it just don't excite me that much. She can sing great and had good songs on it but it doesn't stand out to me. (2.5/5.0)

Every song sounded the same.

Not for me

I don't like it at all. It doesn't sound like they mean it. Maybe she does, but the band doesn't. They know how to play, but they sound uninspired. Favorite song: sweet love.

Great voice. Bored me to tears.

2.5 Pretty slick production, typically there are some pretty talented session musicians on these 90's R&B albums, this is no different. Just don't think this will find a place in my rotation

This was nice enough but not quite a style I gravitate toward. 2.5

anita baker has a nice voice but this is super boring

First listen. Familiar with the hits: Sweet Love and Caught Up in the Rapture. Brilliant voice. Songs are all fine. However, the 80s instrumentation and flourishes don't hold up today, unless that's your thing. Feel bad giving it a two. Might be higher if it was more my thing.

Not my cup of pee

A soundtrack for all the drug stores out there.

It's very 80s R&B/soul that kind of reminds me of soft rock in a lot of ways. Sweet Love is definitely the highlight for me. Even though the album feels very competently done, it's not something I found particularly interesting or enjoyable.

I quite liked this, but the production is horrific.

# 445 : 27/03/2025 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. A couple of things stood out but I thought it was very ordinary quiet forgettable and like everyone else said… Shopping centre music.

Anita Baker undeniably has a great voice, and Rapture features some solid tracks, with highlights like "Sweet Love" and "Caught Up in the Rapture" standing out as particularly strong. However, while the album is pleasant and well-produced, it doesn’t feel groundbreaking or particularly memorable for its time. It’s a good pop record with smooth production and some nice moments, but it lacks that spark that would make me want to revisit it. It’s easy listening, but nothing more. Favourite Songs: Caught Up in the Rapture, Sweet Love Least Favourite: Nothing was outright bad—it’s just middle-of-the-road overall. Album Artwork: A nice, classy cover.

I wasn't crazy about it but I respect her talent. It's just was a bit too generic 80s.

I don't particularly care for the music, but bonus points for making me realize that yes indeed I DO need a baker.

So smooth….

I am just not very into this kind or smooth, synthy 80s R&B.

Great voice, Excellent to eat dinner too.

Only 4 songs on Spotify, but that's enough to know this bored me.

Initially, I thought who? But I vaguely recognised the opening track "Sweet Love" from somewhere. A quote on the Wikipedia page says "an acquired but enduring taste", which sums it up pretty well I think. Not bad, but not great, and not really my style of music.

2.25

Had to find this one on YouTube. She’s got a good voice, but these jams are way too smooth for this rough, calloused human. I couldn’t make it through. I would never revisit this, though I guess it has some artistic merit for pure talent? I hesitate to give it a 1, but this just isn’t for me.

Not bad, but just didn't do it for me. A bit boring.

Sweet Love is a brilliant song, really jazzy, and Caught Up in the Rapture is also alright, but the rest of the songs are rather dull. Pretty voice, but too forgettable overall.

While I cannot say enough about her voice, the easy-listening vibe is a great detriment. Add eighties saxophone, and I'm looking for the door. Soft rock stylings and the door is hitting my butt on the way out.

Everyone knows Sweet Love and it’s ingrained in people if a certain generation - we all know the words and the time and the voice! Nothing else on this album has quite that power or effect.

Boy, did I hate the bass sound on this one. She's got such a beautiful husk to her voice, but these tunes were not great and the production was so stuck in its decade, it dragged the album down and made it hard to endure. Could this really be the best Anita Baker album? Hard to believe.

Boy that first track brought me back. What a timeless and distinct voice she has. The production and arrangements really zap this thing of any life. But her voice is foine. I really would have loved to hear her with 1960s production values. Imagine her singing with the Coltrane Quartet, a la Johnny Hartman.

The Good: First ‘80s R&B album on the list The Bad: Rapture not being the best ‘80s R&B had in store, IMHO The Ugly: Having to sit through almost 40 minutes of this… Quiet Storm, that is what they call this genre… I did not know that, so I guess there is a positive to having to have sat through 40 minutes of near agony. Was it really that bad? No. For those of us who lived the ‘80s, we’ve all danced at least ones to Sweet Love, and probably made out to it, or better… so there is a bonus point for Mrs Baker! Yet I can’t but sit here and cringe while thinking how awesome the producers thought this record to be! Hey, why don’t you sing this bit about "three hundred sixty five days a year” like this, and then repeat it ad-nausea just so people can see how wonderful we are?!??!!!? Production wise it is through and through what the genre gave us, all the way through the mid ‘90s I’d say. Loads of treble, and mids, muted bass… I was listening to Aretha belting out “Do Right Woman” the other day, and I will take Mrs Franklin over Mrs Baker any day of the week… So, 2*, because it isn’t absolute crap, but I doubt I will be listening to this again soon.

Watch Your Step on this one. I didn’t get Caught Up in the Rapture this time around.

Anita Baker has an interesting voice, but these songs just lack some sort of kick that would make me really invested! This album really reminds me of a boring American version of Japanese City-Pop. Best Songs: Sweet Love, No One In The World Worst Songs: Been so Long

Smmmmoth Jazzercise. 2 stars for them memorable 80s mom hits.

Tried to listen to it, and I couldn't do it. Her voice is fine, I guess.

La primera canción es un buen single, pero el resto del disco, aunque se deja escuchar y refleja una clara capacidad y talento en la interpretación, no es muy memorable.

I just watched a TV show that made me really anxious so honestly this was the perfect time to listen to this one. It is a very safe sound and feel, no tension being built. While I was fine with it now, this is some of my least favorite music. Just junk. Rating: 2.0

2corny 4me

There's no denying that Anita Baker has a powerful, beautiful voice, but it's too bad that these songs do nothing to support that voice. The entire album is just overproduced 80's blah.

No doubt she is a good singer but this is so dull 2*

fine, but equally totally forgettable 3/10

It's not bad, but I don't resonate with this at all

I didn't like it. It's good but I just couldn't get in to it

Not my thing and extremely forgettable. There were a few funky moments to bop around to, but overall I could pass completely.

Am I supposed to be fucking to this? Because this would be the most soulless uninteresting sex imaginable. The voice is pleasant though

Okay, album. Didn't enjoy it much. Probably not my genre.

She has a good voice but the 80s production and overly schmaltzy tone made this a tepid and forgettable listen.

níunda áratugur sálartónlist. syngur vel en hrútleiðinlegt.

I think this album is forgettable, especially compared to the music from other soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. Anita Baker's voice is fine enough but the songs aren't particularly special: it sounds like music that'd be played in a grocery store. It's smooth but too smooth, as if all the interesting parts of soul and jazz were ironed out.

Not my thing at all. Glossy and light, which is undemanding, but across thirty-six minutes the tracks become less demarcated, dissolving into a haze of tasteful grooves and twinkly pianos. Anita Baker is a fine singer for this quiet storm-type of soul, but Rapture is too one-note to do her talent justice.

Time was deeply unkind here. Music that should have died with the 80s. Glassy synthesizer lounge jam sex music for my parent's generation. The music has a smell about it and I want to leave. She's clearly very talented, but also, her voice has an uncanny resemblance to Michael McDonald. I didn't enjoy any of that, but I reserve 1/5 for far worse offenses. Time is the real criminal on this one. I'm sure this is still a lot of people's jam. 2/5

Great singer, not my type of music unfortunately. All of the songs melted together in my mind.

Not for me.

Alright but there are other soul/motown albums I'd listen to, she does have a great voice

Not offensive, for sure. Pretty meh for me. First track was by far my favorite 2.75

Let me tell you a story about Anita. In a land far, far away, there lived a man who owned a bakery with a young daughter. After she was born, he quickly recognised her beautiful voice and said to her: "You must sing to bring glory to your family!". "But dad... I want to be an astronaut!" "No, child. You must do it!" The whole story is fake, that's only a justification why I feel she didn't love what she was doing.

For 80’s Neo-soul pop things pretty good. The hits took me back and made me realize how good those songs really actually were. That said- she ain’t Aretha, she ain’t even Carole King- meh

What did the helpless cookie dough say to the oven?

Despite being initially comforted by Sweet Love being on this, it all went fairly downhill after that track. All felt pretty forgettable if I’m honest!

She’s got a great voice. But the adult contemporary category is not for me.

this was too repetitive in terms of subject matter. but this bitch can sing

🎧Anita Baker sure can sing but this is drenched in bad 80s production that I can’t really get past. It’s not on Spotify so I listened on YouTube where every top comment is “who’s listening in 2024?” Favorite track: Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)

Sweet Love //

Fine but probably won't listen again, not into the style/genre and it sounds even more outdated than older music.

I had flashbacks to school clothes shopping at JC Penny when listening to this. And boy I did not like clothes shopping.

Boring

The 80s were sometimes terrible

Cheesy music for people 30 years older than whatever age I happen to be at the time.

Very boring. Sweet Love was supposedly the best song on the album, and even that was underwhelming.

Thought I would love it in a nostalgic way, and whilst I do like the two I knew v well (Sweet Love and the title track) I did find the rest a bit forgettable. It was nice enough aural wallpaper.

This is the definition of 80’s adult contemporary.

Yeah, it's alright. Maybe it was ground-breaking and/or innovative in its time, but unfortunately to my modern ears it just sounds a dated

Pleasant enough. Killer voice. Same ol love was my favorite from the album. But I’m glad it was a short album. Not much variation.

Not my thing

This is so typical average sing-song of the eighties. Not my music although one must say, that she is a good singer

In order: Excellent Voice Good Musicianship Decent Production Below-par Songwriting Terrible personal enjoyment

This isn’t music for music’s sake. This is just 33 minutes and 37 seconds of vaguely pleasant background noise for old people to fuck to. I feel like Robert Dimery just walked up to me and handed me a condom and lube and a scented candle and I said, “No thank you Robert Dimery. I do not need these items at this time as I am not about to engage in the physical act of love, rather, I am driving to Lowes to buy a shower arm” and Robert Dimery said, “That’s okay. Just hold this condom and lube and scented candle and - you know - appreciate their beauty as objects” and I said, “No, that’s weird. I don’t want to do that”, but here I am anyway, sitting in the Lowes parking lot listening to an aural geriatric erotic aid.

Anita has a fine voice, but the 80s production and sensibility has aged like milk.

Great voice but soulless music

gross

Ugh this album really did nothing for me. The instrumentation was blah with a lot 80s production. With her beautiful voice it could have been so much more with some 70s soul. Very disappointing.

She has a beautiful voice and this was a nice album. There really is nothing more to say about it. Pretty bland.

Hard to give this a fair review as only 4 songs were available on Spotify but this was not my taste.

I thought I might appreciate this more but it mostly just sounds incredibly dated.

This reminds me of a cafe my best friend and I used to go to when we were kids. Not as customers, of course, our target was the PC for customers right in the middle of it. We would occupy it for as long as the staff would let us, then go to a nearby electronics store to play on the consoles there or to annoy the cell phone salesman who seemed to not like us but still would come up with something to keep us quiet instead of just kicking us out. The exact type of music you would play if you wanted as few people as possible to be aware that anything was playing at all.

during no point did I think "Man, I wish I was paying more attention to this music"

Ultimately slightly boring elevator music

I recognized a couple of the songs but not really my cup of tea

Some catchy songs. Standout songs: You Bring me Joy No one in the World Watch your step

2/5 not for me

Ok album. Nothing groundbreaking

Sort of most of what you probably hate about 80s music. He voice is good but the high gloss and void of personality production makes this all sound the same.

Pas mon genre mais écoutable.

Great vocals but sonically just not for me at all, all a bit one paced and tedious.

Boring ass album. Great voice but otherwise very mediocre. 4/10

Decent enough 80s pop

Beautiful voice but not my cup of tea.

It was... fine? I just can't see much reason for this to be included on this list. It sounded like every other smooth jazz song from the 80s.

80s Soul just doesn’t do it for me. Her voice is not bad, but something about the overproduced sound of the 1980s that just robs it of any power.

Can we all just admit we've gone out of our way to overrate her? There are at least 100 better female singers I'd put ahead of Anita Baker. There's nothing special here. It only broke out because a soulful adult contemporary song crossed over to the pop charts and somehow became a huge hit. Only at that point in 1986. Timing, as always, is everything.

I'll admit I wasn't to excited to see this one pop up as it's not really a genre I typically listen to but its a solid album. If I was streaming an R&B station or playlist, I wouldn't skip any track from this album. Note: This is not on Spotify. I had to use Amazon Prime.

Very middle of the road 80’s soul, not sure why this needs to be on the list.

No jos joku ei-niin-megasuosittu (?) 80-luvun balladilevy pitää listalla olla, miksei tämä. Kaunista laulua, ihan hitusen raakuuttakin saa välillä eli tulkintaa. Hyvin tylsät sanoitukset. Mutta söpö. En vaivautuisi kuuntelemaan uudelleen.

Ansaitsisi ykkösen silkasta banaaliudestaan, mutta - ei helvetti - himoitsin levyn melkein nimibiisiä koko homman jälkeenkin. Lopullinen todiste melodisuuden transsendenssista suhteessa juustoon.

2.8

I'll go 2 because she has a great set of pipes but the production and songwriting (sweet love aside) is really lacking

2.5 Girl has one song, said sang differently each time.

Easy listening, they were all pleasant but nothing terribly memorable for me

Makes me feel like I need a perm and a track suit.

No amount of emotion and vocal control can make up for bad taste, but it certainly helps.

Typical normal R&B/soul. Good voice though.

This album sounded like your classic 80s soul music. Her voice and the background music never seemed to change from song to song, everything blended together. 4/10

Gute Stimme, seichte Arrangements

Blind album and artist. Short and boring. Too calm for me. This would belong on a generic CD compilation set.

2 Yeah, this really didn’t do anything for me. It very, very much feels like a product of its time and dated by 2024 standards. Her voice is of course nice, but it doesn’t come off as particularly standout or unique nor does anything about the music, so as a whole, I really couldn’t point out any one moment that stood out to me. In fact, I’m really trying my best here to think of anything to add to further flesh out my thoughts or maybe just help beef up my review, but I’m just drawing a blank. Can’t say that it’s bad, but I can confidently say it’s not for me. I guess this won 2 Grammys which surprised me and made me think that I’m missing something, but then I remembered the Grammys committee has the most middle-of-the-road, borderline awful taste, so I feel like my opinion (or lack thereof) is reinforced.

A nice listen is about as much praise as I can give this one

Pretty music, that I’m just not into.

Big yawn. If this is adult contemporary then give me something juvenile and retro because this crap sparks no interest in me whatsoever. (Anita Ward did Ring my Bell - now that’s a tune.)

Yep ... it's dated. I suspect that this album, with all its hilarious little synth effects, was already old when it was released in 1986.

Decent record. Sweet Love is a classic, but the rest of it is pretty blah.

Good voice, chill vibes but ultimately nothing stands out. Also half the album is missing in Spotify...so did I realllllly listen to it? Hmm...

You don't have to hate music to like this (if you do then listen to noise rock or avant-garde), but you DO have to be totally disinterested. 2 stars because she does have a great voice. This album would be in the top ten examples of ultimate cheese.

mediocrerandb i dont know

I mean... this must be pretty close to peak 80's schmaltz, right?

Soft-rock cheese. Meh.

not my style.

I actually like this a fair bit, but I'll never listen to it. Cool yacht rock sound musically but I don't like the lyrics. Too cheesy.

I can confidently say that my mother probably loved this album. As for me, quiet storm is not my type of genre.

Zzzzz

Laadukas ja tyylikäs toki, mut tylsä

Meh.

Very 80s, very smooth, nice voice. Ideal for putting on in the background for a romantic night....but wouldn't liste to it otherwise!

It’s hard to hate on such an inoffensive album, it’s just not something that moves me in any particular way. I can imagine this being used at hifi stores to show off a system, but that’s pretty much it.

Jaja

A little too easy-listening for me.

it's not for me.

Was probably 2 stars

Just really not my style. An album full of mid-tempo songs about love. Not for me. I can't really judge it harshly if it's you're thing I'm sure it's great. Anita has a wonderful voice. 2.5 stars

It's OK I guess. It's not really my kinda music.

Only had a quick listen but nothing pulled me back for another go.

It wasn't quite bad enough for 1 star, but it was pretty meh. Syrupy pop/ soul stuff that is radio friendly and instantly forgettable.

<Radio voice> Now, the best romantic directly from the 80s. Here are your favorite songs. Just at the 102Mhz </Radio voice>

not bad but boring soul

This was fine. Felt like something I would hear at a JCPenney in like the late 90s.

Beautiful voice, but the songs are just not good.

This isn't very interesting. She has a voice of good range but nothing that hadn't been done before or since, the opening track is the highlight, but she doesn't seem to care about any of it. This was four years before that George Michael album we had recently, similar eras and a similar style of music, but the emotion and quality of his voice made that several tiers better than this by comparison.

This is... fine... Nice voice without being noticeably brilliant, perfectly solid R&B but nothing more than that. Songwriting isn't particularly special, a pleasant but not exciting listen. 2/5.

Too smooth 2/5

an undeniable talent and great band but it all feels… sterile.

I can smell the Pledge already! And I recognise this song!! The 80s called and said "Hi". I like the bass, very punchy. The rhythm section is tight. Eh, what to say..? A brilliantly produced, crafted and recorded record and Anita has an incredible voice. Once or twice I listened to the intro of the track and expected Michael Jackson to start singing, and more than once I thought I was listening to Whitney Houston. Do you like the genre or not? 2 / 5 stars.

I think this is sexy music for your grandparents which makes it super creepy.

This wasn't a bad album, but it all sounded pretty much the same to me. Anita Baker has a lovely voice but I couldn't tell you any songs or anything that made me sit up and pay attention. 2/5

The 80s were a mistake.

Good enough voice but nothing I haven't heard a million times before. The album also lacked anything even close to a hit song

Great voice, kinda boring songs

Tråkigt.. bra röst dock

She has a great voice but I find this adult contemporary stuff a slog to get through.

This album displays a beautiful voice that was caught in the trap of uninspired, cheesy 80s music.

Ok, so I can see how some people would appreciate this M.O.R. soul record. Not me though, this was pish.

2.5

A Hubba bubba beep-n-deeb-y-beeby-dee-bee. Dreadful, but probably my favourite part.

Anita Baker has a fantastic voice but I find this type of music just so boring and has nothing to grab me.

I've lost all respect sorry this is absolutely rigged for money... Or ratings in not sure which. I won't be silent . Just saw it live sry. nosti pojolla lopussa hyvä trio biisejä... tulee albumi kuitenkin unohdettua... no one in the world

a bish be beltin

Not my jam

Good music, but I don’t like the style.

boring eighties

Can’t say anything bad about the songs, her voice or the album in general other than it’s just not my style. I understand why it’s on the list, but it just doesn’t do anything to me.

Not my cup of tea.

I can appreciate her voice but I am not very into this style of music.

Genres: R&B, soul, quiet storm Formed: 1983 (solo) Run time: 8 songs, 36 min, 17 sec The second album by the vocalist. With only 8 songs and a play time of 36 minutes, it’s not much “bang for the buck” as the Americans would say. Spotify: Least popular songs have just over 1M plays and the most popular song: track 1, “Sweet Love” with over 95M plays. The first song is great, very catchy and upbeat. Most of the album is quite restrained and bland (if I’m honest). It doesn’t showcase Anita Bakers’ fantastic powerful voice. The production team needed a kick up the arse for making this record. It’s like they took a Ford Mustang out of the garage to nip round the corner to the shop. It needs to be let loose on the open road, i.e. she needs to be letting rip, not talking quietly. What a waste. Listen Again?: No My Rating: **

Talented but dated

It’s very good at its job

super Stimme, super Musik, aber die Texte: immer nur über den / die andere in einer Liebesbeziehung. Ein ganzes Album davon wird schnell langweilig, trotz der herausragenden Musik.

Sweet Love is a great track, but a whole album it does not make. Most of the rest of the album is filler, though the last track isn't bad.

Too smooth.

Great voice but doesn't blow me away.

It has some potential to make some excellent vapourwave but as it is I struggled to enjoy it. There were some glimmers of potential interest here and there. 1.5/5

This has to be one of those albums whose airplay was limited to department store perfume sections. I was going to give it a grudging 3 for being technically proficient, but by the end I was rolling my eyes. Half an hour shouldn't feel that long. 2/5.

Pretty dull. Nothing memorable about it.

I didn't notice anything in particular

Beautiful person with a beautiful voice. My wife really loves Anita Baker and used to play this frequently. I dislike this music.

It’s better than Bjork. Other than that… other than smooth production, and some tight bass I find it nothing special.

There are obviously some very talented studio musicians present here (and a lot of them!). And Bakers deep vibrato is smooth as silk. But overall the record is quite non-memorable, save for some few moments sprinkled throughout. The funky bass on 'Sweet Love' and 'Same Ole Love'. The discrete funk guitar on 'Been So Long'. And the layers upon layers of percussion on almost every track. But all in all the album is much too polished for my tastes. I understand why it was Baker's commercial breakthrough, because every track feels as though it was written and produced with the sole intention of maximizing airtime.

Eh

nah

Whilst she does have an authentic soulful voice - and Sweet Love is an excellent song, (that I had forgotten about) - the rest of the album feels like it should be relegated to 80s telephone waiting music. I suspect if she was around a decade (or two) earlier, then would have been much more appreciated. 2.5

Baker has a nice voice but none of these songs really stood out to me

Too much for me. Sweet sweetness

Sleek soul from the 80s - didn't really dig it, 'tho it all sounds good.

I don't know, she has a good voice, I guess. This 80s R&B is just so cheesy, though. It's all drum machines, shallow lyrics, and saxophone solos. I was glad when it was over. She has a good voice, though, so there's that.

Maybe an inspiration for 90s r&b. Some decent bass at parts but overall pretty bland. Nothing really sticks out in this album

This may sound cruel but it sounds like the end of every early 80s rom-com credit. Another one of these albums that is just not my taste.

Rapture is Anita Baker's second album, and it's her breakout album. It won two Grammy's, was certified platinum, and the first track "Sweet Love" won the 1987 Grammy for Best R&B Song. This was a popular album in the late 80's among adult R&B fans, especially black fans. Baker has an amazing singing voice and that's what made this album so special. I did not find this album to be good, but that's because I am not a fan of slow, soulful, R&B music. However, I can appreciate a great singing voice.

Mixed feelings about this one. First four tracks were very not good and then then last four tracks were maybe very good. I like her voice in the lower register and not so much in her higher registers. Love all the cheesy FM synths.

Didn't enjoy this much. Has aged in the worst way. She has a great voice but I didn't think she really took advantage of that on this album

That bass is killer. That's about it. kind of like a knock off diana ross

-Able to find 5/8 songs on Spotify. Deducted a point. -Nice soul music with great singing and solid instrumentals. Never got too crazy or anything. -Potentially 3 stars if the album was on Spotify

She has a nice voice. Easy to listen to love songs. Very 80s sound. Overall not something that I would regularly listen to, but I'm happy to have listened to it and broaden my horizons.

Cheesy love songs

Ms. Baker is obviously a very talented singer but these songs and frankly this whole genre is so dull to get through. I can understand why others might enjoy it but it's a hard pass for me

Groovy, but kinda boring. Not bad but nothing really bringing me back here at all.

I don’t know at first I was assigning between a two or three but honestly her voice kind of just annoyed me she has a very good voice but notes just made me mad for some reason

A good album but not really a great one

Nice smooth soul that is otherwise ruined by cheesy 80's production. These synths are doing more harm than good.

Beautiful voice but seems dated and very adult contempo

Really not for me, maybe some value as backing music in a romantic film but not one to listen to on its own

I really, really don't get along with this type of music. I won't give it one star because 'Sweet Love' is a good song and because objectively it's probably not that bad... it's a close-run thing though.

My bias again, but this sounds like love songs suited for Sunday school. No edge, and honestly, no heart really. It's like powerfully proclaiming your eternal love for the most generic and vanilla concepts in the cosmos. This strikes just as much of a passionate connection as with a rejection form letter - "...but at this time we won’t be able to invite you to the next stage of the hiring process. We wish you the best in your future endeavors." That could easily be the lyrics from this record.

As has been the case before, I fail to see what's so special about this album. At least with this one, it's not from a genre I'm familiar with.

great voice, lame cheessy production.

couldn't finish

Lovely. Zach lip-synchs her so well: https://youtu.be/kFjRyVjFVFE

80's soft soul and R&B. The type of music that gets played when Tom Selleck is looking deep into the eyes of Steve Guttenberg. Best Tracks: Sweet Love; Caught Up in the Rapture; No One in the World

Not for me.

Lovely jazz bass. I got pretty excited for the first thirty seconds, but the rest of the album was too sleepy and schmaltzy. Wouldn't be on my version of this list = 2.

Mja, iets te glad voor mijn smaak. Bijna elevator music.

Aalglad.

Niet zo spannend.

Groovy, bluesy, but doesn't stand out for me. A bit adult contemporary and bland, but good for an 80s background groove.

No es para mí.

Baker’s vocals are outstanding, but the backing tracks fail to live up to the vox with their dated synths (the drums and sax still rip tho)

A significant portion of this is just 80s easy listening with a nicer than normal voice on top. Best track: Watch Your Step

Only a few songs were on Spotify, but from what I heard I did not like it. Boring, annoying 80 RnB.

You can tell it's quality and I enjoyed some of the songs but it's just not my thing so I gave it a 2.

Classy. Don't like it. I'm not classy.

Boring Her voice is impressive but the songs...nothing interesting. The arrangements just studio-made formulaic muzak. Nothing about any of it says to me that these are real people making real music. The antithesis of everything I crave from music.

What'd the overworked pastry chef say to the restaurant owner? Anita Baker! In the late 80's this was the best album to play when hoping to seduce your young Wall Street assistant while doing lines of coke on your mirrored coffee table. Fortunately, unfortunately Spotify only provided access to five of the songs, probably due to licensing issues. So, my rating may have been higher if somehow the rest of the album sounded nothing like those first few...

It's hard to listen to a full album of just one genre of music in the 80s, as a lot of the songs blend together. This doesn't take away from the vocals and heavy jazz/soul feel she creates, but the songs mesh together in a sort of bad way. Its listenable, but is it as enjoyable if there was more variety in the sound?

Sweet Love is a classic I forgot about. It immediately made me nostalgic for my mom's friend's station wagon in ways I don't understand completely. The rest of the album is beautifully sung, if predictable. It is soft, like a unicorn baby blanket. Nice, but maybe not for me.

Not bad, but not my scene.

I was bored. Anita Baker has a great voice, nothing can be taken away on that account. But the keyboard-driven style of this kind of 80s stuff does nothing for me. That was a lot of generic songs about love too - I wish the writing could measure up to her voice.

Great voice, the 80s easy listening is not my thing.

Not for me.

Standard generic 80s sickly soul. Nothing memorable or worth noting.

Liked the first track. The rest became increasingly annoying

achei que seria melhor

Good. Just not feeling it.

i don’t dig this kinda music at all

Dull.

Nice and upbeat but not my kinda thing. Best track: No One in the World

Some ok songs, sounds very dated though and ended up being background music

I tried to like this, but I’m just not a big fan of R&B.

Eh, its okay. 0RS

I was thrilled about the prospect of listening an 80's quiet storm album, but this ended up being too poppy and overtly polished for my tastes. Had this been a Latin American album, it would've been part of a telenovela soundtrack.

Tried to listen. Decent.

Hele goede zang, maar te hoog boomer gehalte

Awful and horribly dated. DNF.

Decent but fairly forgettable. A great voice, but no 'wow' factor.

Not on spotify. Didn't listen.

Very sweet and easy listening, "Sweet Love" is indeed a very relaxing bop and Anita has such an amazing voice! Not a thing I'd ever return to, but I dig listening to it :)

Bland. I mean, clearly the woman can sing, but really it goes nowhere, does nothing exciting that we haven't all heard a billion times before. Even in 1986 when this was released it was tedious and overdone. I gave it a 2 to be a bit polite.

A bit too sappy for me! But some nice 80s tunes

It was ok

2,5/5

Der er dælme ikke meget kant at skære sig på her

tipico pop romantico de mujer negra con buena voz cantando, finales de los 80, me gusta 0, no reconozco ninguna, 1/5

I never actually heard the term Quiet Storm before, but I guess that's the name for this style of 80's Muzak-inspired slow jams for mom music. I do not enjoy it. The songs are cheesy, and the arrangements are even cheesier. 0.5 stars.

Not for me. I dont think its objectively bad but I did not enjoy listening.

Just can't get into this kind of music

Anita baker? More like I-need-a break-from-her! This is the music they play in 80s movies during sex scenes that go on longer than they need to. A bit dull.

Boring.

I gotta have more chimes…

Ei

Of all the amazing R&B albums, why did this make the list. She has an incredible voice, but the songs were mid in the 80s and haven’t aged well since then.

Scratching my brain for a hypothetical situation where I would ever put this music on again. Umm? Trying to bond with my future Chinese mother in law who speaks no English while we sit in silence in the shared cabin of a cruise ship passing round the Cape of Good Hope

Just really wasn't feeling it. Maybe it's because spotify only had half the album and it came the day after another soul album, but I was just incredibly sick of hearing "I miss you" sung over and over and over and over again

This is the soundtrack for the end credits of every single movie in the 90s and for that reason, I'm out.

This is really not my thing. Sweet Love aside this is just so saccharine it is sickening. The synths are so eighties. ‘Been so Long’ is frankly irritating.

Look, she has a great voice and I don't mind track 1, which I already knew very well, but otherwise this fundamentally full of the type of schmaltzy 80s stuff I really don't enjoy. So much of the popular music in the 80s sounds so dated, it's fascinating to me - I've heard much older albums doing this project which sound like they could have been released yesterday. But the 80s just has a *sound* - even the 80s albums I adore sound so of their time. I think it's mostly the synths and keyboards. Unfortunately this wasn't an 80s album I adored. And I feel mean giving it this score, but I found it such a slog to get through, so it's an inevitable: 1/5

Elle a une belle voix. Elle a beau avoir été une des chanteuses de soul et R&B les plus populaires des années 80, cet album de ballades et de chansons romantiques relaxes viennent pas du tout me chercher. On est entre le 1 et le 2.

Honestly don’t know why this is on the list. So bland, smooth and safe. There’s a gem of a good song here and there, and the melody’s are ok, but it’s buried beneath this schmaltz and chocolate box production

Nope, not for me. Overproduced, holier-than-thou gospelslop.

I thought Anita Baker was like an Aretha Franklin or Roberta Flack type deal. She's not. She's on the forefront of a music style I just learned, quiet storm (Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style)... Anyways, other than the name sounding like some kind of suburban Aryan alliance, quiet storm sucks. It sounds lik CHFI 98.1 on weekend mornings with the smell of Pine Sol in the air and my mother's incessant huffing as she shows me a hundredth time how to properly dust the top of an unused piano.

I recognize this opening track. I know people love this. To me it just feels like easy listening background music. So an album is uneventful when it ends and autoplay kicks in and you don’t notice.

Really didn’t like this one, i’m not a fan of this type of music. Fav song is ‘No One in the World’.

Kaufhausmusik

Попса((( За що?

1+ Star (3/15)

It wasn’t as bad as Mariah Carey but damn thus was bad.

meh, 2/10