Reviews (page 11 of 13)
Good looking girl with a nice voice phoning it in 1.5
Nice enough but not something I would regularly listen to. Background music really
Música de ascensor
"Smooth Operator" is a classic, and some of the other tracks on this album are mostly in the same in vain. A decent soft rock album. Highlights: "Smooth Operator"
noia
Smooth and slow. Didn’t hate jt but it also didn’t really draw me in.
I wasn't around for when this was popular, and frankly most of the appeal is lost on me. It's easy enough to listen to, just nothing here that makes it special to me.
first song good, rest mid
Very repetitive. Not my thing.
Nah I'm good...
20 - Sade - Diamond Life - Rating = 2 Opens with Smooth Operator… such a dated sound and soft-jazz… but this is a smoooooth song… gotta sort like it. Goes really soft jazzy from there… I can’t say it gets that interesting but it’s a sound… like the Sade sound… has a place, but not a big one. Much like other albums, the monster song really saves the record. Definitely not something I’d go to, but if it’s on at a cocktail party it certainly offends no one.
I'm definitely not gonna be a Sade fan, but happy to discover here more than ever before. I don't feel that CLASSIC quality, but the second half finally feels like something.
smooth operator is a classic, rest are not really memorable, but okay i guess
Dull. Repetative.
Slinky jazzy adult contemporary. Lots of Rhodes, fretless bass, sax, and bongos. Perfect for the elevator and retro boutique hotel lobbies. Nothing to complain about, but nothing particularly amazing either.
4/10 I just really dislike this. It's so smooth it is causes a kind of nausea on me. And so much bloody sax - yuck.
The sound of 1980s dock lands a warehouse redevelopments , too smooth too sweet too predictable. I’m being generous with 2 for the so gwriting
I'm not sure how smooth jazz has become such a running gag in music culture, yet Sade's snoozy-ass smooth soul music gets a pass. I'm sorry! I just find Diamond Life overwhelmingly polite, an adjective I never want to use to describe a soul album. all the elements of quality pop music are present here, but they're presented in a package I find kind of sterile. in undergrad, one of my music professors told me I had "the heartbeat of a hamster," which I felt a bit slighted by at the time, but I'm starting to understand what he meant. this challenge has made me realize how apathetic I am about albums where every song rolls along at more or less the same slow-to-medium tempos. the understated nature of Sade's voice, and her eponymous band's blends of soul and funk with a subtle undercurrent of jazz, are sort of the whole appeal. unfortunately, that's my main gripe with the album overall: it feels like elevator music. if I'm listening to soul music, I need you to hit me with everything you've got more than once per LP! actually, no. my main gripe is with the saxophone playing, which is uniformly garbage. I hate those scoops, the total lack of articulation, the tone that sounds like it has a sock in it, the vibrato that sounds like teeth chattering in the cold. any song without sax here is so much better for it. strong 3/10.
Ouais c'est un bon album mais pas pour moi.
Not my jam
Uncomfortably easy listening. Good thing about the streaming era is that now you don’t need to make an album full of filers if you really only have one song.
First is a classic, rest was just unmemorabe
Reading the reviews, I can see why people seem so split on this album. It has all of the trappings of yacht rock/easy listening but there's more going on under the surface than all that. Aside from Sade's great voice, the band does a great job comping and playing off one another, particularly the sax and keys. However, it's not that far under the surface. I find I mostly fall in with the "meh, boring" camp here. Like, I can tell this band doesn't have a drummer, because rhythm truly seems like an afterthought in this songwriting. That, and they really make you wait for those few nuggets of fun. It's just not for me. If you like this album and want something with a similar mid-80s vibe but musically WAY more interesting, just put on some Donny Benet and get 100x sexier.
27-28/02/26
Not bad and there are good songs, but it didn’t make any lasting impression.
too smooth 2 jazz
I was quite enjoying this at first, but every track was so similar. Probably a lot of them, including the album tracks, would work as stand alones, but as an album it didn't quite hit it for me.
This was fine. I love smooth operator. The other tracks sound similar but don’t hit the same for me. What is shocking is I thought this album sounded like it was from 89-90, but it’s from 1984. Crazily ahead of the curve.
Easy listening
Decent the first time. No need to listen again except smooth operator was fun because I already knew it
Didn’t love
Not my thing but still good music
I know this is good music but it’s just a little boring to me. I do love a sassy sax, though.
Great voice but meh
Smooth cool and jazzy. Feels so designed to sit in the background that it draws very little attention to itself. Pleasant enough, but otherwise unremarkable.
Smooth Operator Hang on to your Love When am I Going to Make a Living Cherry Pie
Smooth Operator Your Love is King When Am I Going to Make a Living
It's not personally my taste, but she does have that whole niche absolutely dialed right in.
Sade Adu as a person is a graceful seraphim walking among us mere mortals. That said, her band makes music that is utterly not my thing. Notwithstanding, someone's great aunt is sipping chardonnay somewhere near a marina at sunset listening to this sexy saxophone music on a dockside restaurant PA system, or leaning on a champagne-colored 1998 Chrysler Sebring convertible with the stock radio set on a smooth jazz station being caresses by some liver-spotted geriatric hands. And that great aunt is getting absolutely soaked with the whole experience.
2.5
2.5
It's fine. Good background music. Highly polished soul/pop. She's got a great voice, of course. Musicians are all solid. Sounds nice. 0 feelings stirred or generated.
It’s funky, there’s so much sax, it’s a good time, just not really my kinda vibe.
not my scene but appreciate iconic songs
Some catchy hooks, but it just doesn't resonate with me yet. I was hopeful this whole album that something would really impress me. Smooth sax just simply ain't my vibe. The use of the name Frankie for that song just doesn't work. So many lyrical choices are so cheesy and difficult to get through. The quality musicianship on the instrumental unfortunately can't do much to cover for that flaw. The hook and general vibe on When Am I Going to Make a Living is the best on the album so far. By a lot. I enjoyed this track enough. It's not all bad. I was hoping to be swung by one of these last few songs. Didn't quite happen. I respect the artistry, and I get why some people really enjoy this, but I am apparently not some people. It seems to land in this spot where to me it's easy to have on, but hard to listen to. 1.5/5
I really want to like Sade. She has an objectively lovely voice, but her music is dreadfully boring. I don't dispute that a list of 1001 albums to hear before you die should include Sade, but it just wasn't my thing.
Smooth, but that's kind of it?
I fell asleep multiple times while listening to it, but it wasnt bad
I can tell ”objectively” that it’s a great band. They do their thing and they’re great at it. I understand why so many people love Sade. But for me it’s too smooth and too stylish.
This album has the song "Smooth Operator". Described as "Sophisti-pop", this album is mellow in sound and non-controversial in topic since it's mostly about love and relationships. I feel like this album was ahead of its time in this genre but it's not for me. It reminds me of elevators and doctor offices.
Not a fan, composition is fine and mix is all good, clean and balanced. But man this didn’t age well to my ear, sounds like corporate music. Lyricism feels pretty uninspired to me, vocalist performance leans amateurish sounding to me- not particularly interesting or inspiring. Sax sounds good at times, a few melodic lines that are nice and satisfying but overall sounds like elevator music to me. Not for me.
Slightly better than lift music
Timing is everything I guess. Coming up in the list immediately following Kanye West this mediocre music sounds positively impressive by comparison- but she’s just another 1980s one hit wonder. Nothing more or less.
Smooth sound from Sade. First time listening but no real suprises for me. The album begins with the well known singles and the sound continues in same vein throughout. Late night music.
Technically competent, thoroughly not for me
The hit was a hit for a reason. 1 other decent track id say.
Good Voice...Good Instrumentals...Just Kind of boring...2 1/2*
Lovely voice and lots to admire, but not really to my taste.
Checks all the boxes for my Cheesy Eighties bingo : - Keyboards and fake claps everywhere. Who needs actual drums ? - Pseudo-soul voice that will make actual soul singers cringe. - Over-the-top "smoothness" that people somehow used to find sexy back in the days, but now sounds like the soundtrack of a softcore porn flick. - Kitschy sax oozing with bad taste. For the love of God, LEAVE THE SAX ALONE. Saxophones are for jazzmen, funk bands and Lisa Simpson. - Oooh-hoo, yoo-hoo ! Pa-pala, pap-palala ! - I think I’ve literally heard this music in an elevator. I’ll admit that Smooth Operator is a nice hit, and Hang On To Your Love is a semi-enjoyable song... But everything else just painfully reminds me of all the reasons why I hated pop music during the 80s. Still, the 80s produced far worst crap. This album feels caricatural, but it's not entirely unlistenable. 3/10
Thanks to a tube and the voice of a "smooth operator", the rest of the album is just to be forgotten
Lovely voice but god I hate smooth jazz
It’s nice and soft, however the songs are too long and didn’t draw me in. It can’t be called bad, cause it is definitely not, but it just didn’t grab me the way I would have liked. Smooth operator is a highlight, but everything else kinda meshing into eachother and I don’t really want to listen to it again
Banda que soa aquele som genérico dos anos 80, como algo superproduzido tentando ser jazz mas sem muita alma, soa mais como música de elevador na verdade. Dois está ótimo, até pq tem muita coisa pior por aqui...
Smooth. Easy listening. Good quality pop though I guess. Too cheesy for me.
I don’t like this type of music. It’s sax heavy, dinner party jazz, as favoured by yuppies in the 1980s, and I don’t think it has aged particularly well. It points to mid eighties aspirationalism to my mind. Sade’s smoky, smooth voice is perfect for this polished, wine bar vibe. Definite nods to the Crusaders and Minority Report in this, and it will influence all the super-polished RnB that comes later. I still didn’t enjoy it.
Not my type.
Descrição retirada das notas do livro: "sonoridade elegante, contida e sofisticada... experiências sutis com ritmos latinos, caribenhos e outros sons exóticos". Nada de meu interesse. E o título da faixa 6 (Cherry Pie) resume meu sentimento em relação ao disco, doce e enjoativo.
Eh
Too smooth? Well played, though.
不感兴趣
A bit too sickly smooth for my liking but inoffensive
2.1 1x catch up 11/18 - nothing wrong, just not my thing
A little monotone to my ears.
Lite FM staple and the soundtrack of Boomer mom's who weren't getting enough attention at home. At least that's what I think of when I hear this. Also, porno backing music.
Not for me
Extremely not my shit
The last song was the worst. It was all okay. If it wasnt 1001 albums to hear id say 3.
Then it’s are fine but not my jam; the rest does little to elevate it to something I’d want to listen to
This is not for me. Every so often there was a great baseline, like Quincy Jones was suddenly there, but alas, it didn't turn into a Michael jackson hit, it was just another slow Sade track invoking a nightclub with dim lights in a seedy area of town. If it wasn't teasing Jackson pop it sounded like the music backing to an 80s film I really don't want to watch. If anyone asks me why I dislike the saxophone they should sit through this and it should all be explained. Like the vibe wasn't intrusive. And the odd bassline was great.
Perfectly pleasant. A must-listen? Absolutely not.
Litt dølt
This type of music is not for me.
Remember some from watching vh1 as a kid.
Very 80's feeling. This type of R&B/adult contemporary is not my vibe. Nice voice, I guess. Was this really groundbreaking or something?
Something about Smooth Operator is like nails on a chalkboard for some reason…the rest is nice, but not my tempo or what I really connect with.
Sade has a great voice for this kind of jazzy soul. Good stuff on the background but not one i would listen to with intention
Not really my vibe. Okay album.
My mom used to listen to this in the car when I was six or seven years old.And I swear it used to make me car sick
Hell have no fury like a woman scourned kinda vibe, going thru the emotions 😭
98/1001 Sade - Diamond Life Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There's nothing offensive about this, however, even at 44 minutes this album seems to drag, as it just seems so monotonous. It's too polished and for want of a better word, too smooth for my taste.
Smooth.
Smooth Operator ist cool. Der Rest war leider nur so zum nebenbei hören und hat nicht meinen Geschmack getroffen.
15 mins was all I needed to hear. Not for me
2 out of 5. I have been pondering how LA to Chicago is considered coast to coast for 40 years.
This should be right up my alley, but I didn't quite click with it. I enjoy Smooth Operator, but much of the album just struck me as being too pop.
I recognize this as being good, but definitely not my thing
Not my style I think. Fav song was “your love is king” otherwise it was maybe a little boring.
Smooth Operator is OG, and this is a nice, chill, easy-listening album. She has an amazing voice, but this just isn't my type of music unfortunately. 2/5 stars.
I was broadly aware of who Sade were coming into this, at least _Smooth Operator_ which is really unavoidable in life. This was my first full taste though. And unfortunately that blend of smooth soul and sophisti-pop is just not for me. It's too smooth and too clean and the bright, jangly production makes it sound very much of its time. I suppose it's pretty inoffensive to listen to but there's just no bite to it. What it really needs is a little more edge and a few sharp corners.
Smooth operator is good, she has a great voice but just not for me.
"Yeah, but that's Liz's!" "Yeah, but she did dump you." *throws Diamond Life* Through this project I've identified adult contemporary as one of my least favorite music genres. This is possibly a better example of the genre, but I still wouldn't want to return to this.
So much saxophone. 80s R&B has never really been my thing. There’s nothing bad on this album, but there’s also nothing I loved. Without Sade’s smooth voice, it’s just synthy elevator music. Her voice is very soothing, though, so it was kind of relaxing. But definitely not something I will ever listen to again.
Was pretty bullish at first. That evaporated quickly. This album is so one-note it’s unreal.
Sultry vocals tried to entice me, but ultimately, the smouldering tones failed to light a fire in me.
Just not my cup of tea
Two hit songs. Songs are well written and the performances are very good. Songs are recorded terribly. All treble and too much separation.
The very best of Mom Jazz/Yacht Rock. Not really inspiring stuff. I remember my mother listening to this in the early 80s. As a kid, I didn't register how bad a singer Sade was. Now, I hear the flat notes, the constant corrections, and I'm in disbelief as to how she was considered a quality vocalist. Oh, she was gorgeous. Now I've got it.
The smooth sounds of Sade are pleasant enough, but time has damned it to the kind of light, jazzy music that soundtracks any number of public spaces. Put "Smooth Operator" on a playlist, and you're good to go.
All songs kinda sounded the same. Knew smooth operator.
Inoffensive background music. Formulaic and bland.
Look: it's not that I don't get this album. It's "cool music." It's the kind of smooth rhythms, silky voice and soaring sax you're supposed to look over a nighttime balcony and smoke a cigarette to. I can totally picture that, and I get it. Here's my issue: what if I **don't** actually think this is all that cool? What if — and follow me here — I think it's, at best, incidental music for a hip 80's TV show? And at worst, extra-produced elevator muzak? I didn't wanna be too unkind to this album. I mean, Sade Adu herself is obviously not a bad vocalist, not by a long shot. Besides, while I might implicate this album as "background music" to insult it, I'm by no means someone who'll hate an album for being wallpaper. If it fits the room it's put in, how can you complain? But this sound, sophisti-pop: it just glides right by me. It's too smooth, dangerously to the point of almost being plastic. If I'm supposed to feel cool while listening to this, I don't. I feel like this should be hearing this stuff play over a department store PA system. And not a cool department store, either, if those things exist; I mean shit like Zeller's or... I'unno, Big Lots? It just feels like they're trying so hard to come across like they're not trying hard. I can see them playing this stuff on stage, trying **so hard** to make it look like they're effortlessly cool, but it's just not working for me. I mean, I said it before: "sophisti-pop" comes across like a genre of music made by assholes for assholes, who act like they're **so much better** than **regular pop artists**. And like with Everything But The Girl, I don't wanna accuse Sade of being assholes; I'm sure they're nice people... But it's a **lot** harder to **not** think it this time around, y'know? Really, more than anything, it's just a feeling like every song is going on ten times longer than they actually are. This smooth jazz soul thing wears out its welcome **real fast**, and there are still 40 minutes left in the album when it does. I hardly ever actively wish for albums to end, but if I wouldn't have preferred to listen to anything else towards the end of this... Again, I didn't wanna be so unkind to this album. I'm sure, in the right atmosphere, it'd hit a lot better. Hell, even with my complaints I can't say it's a totally bad vibe. It just didn't inspire any stronger emotions in me than, "Yeah, sure, fine — can I move on already?" And I do love me a good sax solo, so the fact that this one couldn't deliver for me says something. I mean, I really wanted to give this thing the benefit and give this thing a 3. Honestly, I did. But when I checked where I was in the album, and I saw I was in the middle of "Sally" and had two songs left, and my legit kneejerk first thought was, "Oh, my gawd, why aren't you **done** yet?" Yeah. Yeeeeaaaahhh. I gave this album a shot. Believe me, I did. Honestly, I get this album and what it was going for. But I also get that this album is **not** for me. I'm gonna get the hell off of this elevator.
Dated. Makes you wish every song was Smooth Operator. Did people listen to this full album in the eighties?
Not bad, but definitely not my kind of stuff. Smooth operator is dope tho.2.5/5
None of it is "bad", not at all. Completely inoffensive, perfectly adequate, laid-back background music. I'm fond of jazz, even smooth jazz, but this just feels so sterile and lacking in nuance. She has a wonderful voice for sure, but idk this just doesn't do it for me, there's no soul in those horns man. If I wanted to throw on some jazz I would choose almost anything else.
Very dull overall! And a particuarly meandery underwhelming end to it. Even Smooth Operator was more dull than I remembered.
Didnt like
2.5
Great voice, repetitive songs and album not exciting.
Talented but not my style at all.
Lovely voice but becomes boring after a couple of tracks.
I found this album very dated sounding and more muzak than expected given I generally respect her as an artist.
That album was like one long boring song.
Ooooh, haven't had many of these. Very firmly in the "deserves to be on the list even though I can't stand it" category. Can fully appreciate how different this was, and how well the album is put together whilst it absolutely bores me to tears.
this was better than i thought it was going to be but it was still pretty bland
Les morceaux sont trop ressemblants.
Smooth Operator was a big hit middle 80's and the entire album evokes images and memories of TV shows and movies from the 80's of NYC yuppy apartments, dinner parties, candle-lit dinners, etc. This is upper middle class mixer music...very smooth, inoffensive but, in short, really boring. Just not my thing. 2/5
Very much the definition of easy listening. It wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t really my thing.
Not my cup of tea
Not at all my jam. Didn't dislike it enough to give it a 1 but I also didn't finish it.
I don't dislike this album, but apart from Smooth Operator I just didn't really feel it.
I tried to like this album, it has slick arrangements, hits and the beautiful voice of Sade....but it just didnt do it for me.
A better singer than Maxwell but the same sort of relaxed/smooth vibe that isn't really for me,
"Smooth Operator" is excellent. I listened to it twice. The rest of it I can take or leave - though in fairness I'd probably grow to appreciate it over time.
No era lo que me esperaba realmente. Estuvo bien. Pero hasta ahi.
I really really dislike smooth sax-heavy 80s R&B. Smooth Operator? Much too smooth for my liking.
One song (I don't remember which) had nice vibes. Rest were shite
hang on to your love was kinda interesting but the rest of it was just not for me. i can't listen to this kind of 80s soul and not cringe...its like it was designed to be a satire of itself
Duidelijk geïnspireerd door Soul en Jazz, maar niet ontkennend in welke tijd ze leefden op het moment van opname. We beginnen met de hit Smooth Operator. In het begin maakt dat enthousiast. Maar eigenlijk raak ik het nummer halverwege wel zat. En dan wordt het vervolgd met het tergend saaie Your Love is King en door een Long Version van een nummer dat echt te saai is voor een lange versie. De eerste klanken voor 30 seconden in een loop gooien voegt buiten extra seconden echt niets toe. Ik word hier dus niet vrolijk van. Maar tegelijk ken zelf ik de eerste drie nummers al en is er weinig op de kwaliteit af te dingen. Ik snap dus best dat dit in de lijst staat.
Ik moest even wat moed verzamelen voor dit album, want sophistipop zit ik niet echt op te wachten over het algemeen. En met de openingshit weten we al een beetje wat ons te wachten staat. Maar goed, get it over with, zo snel mogelijk door de zure appel heen bijten. Het is in ieder geval geen hiphop zullen we maar zeggen. Dit is echt van die skyradiomuziek waar ik vroeger van moest kotsen. Ik dacht dat ik een hekel had aan jaren 80 muziek, maar daar ben ik wel van terug gekomen. De jaren 80 hebben namelijk echt wel veel toffe muziek voortgebracht. Deze Sade, dat is precies waar ik een gruwelijke hekel aan had in de jaren 80. Net niet lekkere gitaren, teveel getoeter gesynth en gepercussie, net geen fijne zang, maar zo'n lichthese vrouwenstem die door merg en been gaat. Gelukkig gooit ze er niet teveel gekkigheden doorheen zoals Joni, maar het ellenlang vasthouden aan 1 toon is net zo ergerniswekkend. Vooruit, zo slecht als ik doe voorkomen, is het ook weer niet. Misschien omdat ik me had voorbereid op het ergste. Maar ik blijf niet zo'n fan van de iets te trage jazzy 80s soulpop. Quiet storm kom ik tegen als genre ook, als ik doorklik op de smooth soul. En dat deed een belletje ergens ver weg rinkelen, omdat ik dat ergens als stijl heb opgeschreven. Na gebruik van ctrl-f blijkt het bij Anita Bakker, die een vergeetbare 3 kreeg, uiteraard. Want ik was het alweer vergeten. De oorwurm(en) van Sade gaan we helaas niet vergeten. Dus kan ik geen vergeetbare 3 geven. Dan maar een 2.
nice sounding just not rly my vibe
before my time, my parents and many adults in my life treasure this artist. i did not know it was a British band but that makes sense that there is more life going on in the music rather than solo driven pop. Smooth Operator is at this point a certified old school masterpiece still radio played today. The album is a testament to the 80's style of horns and mellow renditions of jazz/funk/r&b that was goin on in 1984. there is def more behind the vocals that gives a vibrance to the tapestry in the background to the singing. soft and cool is the theme, but there is energy on tracks like Hold on to Your Love. there is a range of ability transforming older methods of music to the modern era. When Am I Going to Make a Living is a good song with heart. its goin to be a 2/5 for me because of how often I would listen to it by myself, but if i was back at my parent's patio having BBQ dinner, we would for sure play it from start to finish. reminds me of Prince on some tracks. its a quick record, but achieves the atmosphere its going for in 44 min. the end starts to slow down a bit, but its par for the course with this mood. the last track is a slow buildup to a final message of peace that has a 60's funky vibe. for a debut album, its hot out of the gate and shows a refined handling of 1980's pop music.
Not really for me
Mostly good. But a bit too mellow and bland for my taste.
I'm one of the 'I don't get this' listeners. I know people love Sade. But this just passes me by and I feel no connection or draw to it. It's fine at best.
Listenable but not really to my taste.
Souly pop record that seems like solid background music. Lacks some spice though.
Great voice. Another album where it seems like it's just repeating the same song though
Feels very much like this was the coffee table CD of 1984 - for those early adopters who already owned a CD player - which, I'm assuming, any self respecting Sade fan would have done.
It was fine. Not really anything that stuck with me on this one. Smooth Operator was a good opener, but then the rest faded into the background.
This never grabbed my attention. I think it might be the high point of a very specific 80's sound... at least I have it pigeonholed in my head. It's like they had a very specific idea of what 'cool' sounds like, and they bought into it and performed it over and over.
Very soul, with some jazz overtones. I knew one song. Kinda chill.
This isn't great, maybe it's not for me.
I remember this from the 80s. I didn't care for it then, and I still don't care for it. The album seems to me to be a succession for very similar songs all in a terribly smooth inoffensive style. But essentially quite dull, and backward looking.
I've heard of Sade, and of course I've heard Smooth Operator before. This album is not bad, but it isn't my style.
Great voice, but once in a blue moon will I find myself enjoying it.
Another artist my parents subjected me to a lot in the 80s. I'm a big fan of brass instruments in general and think they almost always improve music, but by the 400th sax solo I wanted to throw stuff. Interestingly I liked some of the album tracks more than the singles I already knew well (Cherry Pie for example) but I can't see me listening to this again. 2/5
These songs go on for a long time. It's like repetitive story telling because she doesn't rhythm and just says the same thing over and over
Tylko jedna dobra piosenka - smooth operator
Sounds like what was always playing when my mom got her hair permed. Very sterile. No feeling really. Nice voice though.
# 467 : 25/04/2025 : Diamond Life by Sade Bland generic smooth Jazz, Smooth operator was alright, but not something you would deliberately put the on the stereo to listen to. Honourable mention: Smooth Operator
Bland
Meh. Credit to Sade as a person - she always seemed very aware of politics, and for any woman of colour to make a success of herself in the 80s takes talent...but this doesn't do anything for me. You can see why Smooth Operator and Your Love Is King were big 80s hits, but the production is just utterly dull. It's soul music with every possible rough edge sanded away, music for dinner parties where economists and lawyers complain about those dreadful oiks protesting again. Offensive in its inoffensiveness. It gets a two because I can see why it appeals to others, just not for me.
Not for me
Just a bit meh for me.. some catchy tunes in here, but not really my cuppa tea
Meh
Easy listening jazz. not my thing, but well executed
good listen, not very memorable for me though
smOOOoooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOthhh operatorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Listenable but doesn't stir me. Fun thing I found on the internet... "To pronounce "sade" accurately, follow these steps: The name is a single syllable, pronounced as "shahd." Begin with the "sh" sound, produced by placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and forcing air through a narrow gap."
Sade has a great voice and I don’t disagree with this albums inclusion on the list— I’m just not someone who ever finds themselves in a Sade mood. I guess I just don’t want to be a mother figure to the men I bang.
I absolutely hate this. I fully accept that there is some skill on display here, but it's absolutely not for me. It's not just that this overly smooth music isn't my taste, or that I'm bored, it makes me irrationally angry. There's nothing in the sound that's the least bit challenging. Vocals are uninteresting, even if the voice is great. There's a thousand sax solos, but none of them are interesting.
On the album review page, among the 100 reviews that you can read by default, there are more than 50 occurences of "smooth". That sums it up.
This doesn't do a whole lot for me, even though sophisti-pop is something I like a lot, in the Destroyer/Prefab Sprout/Julee Cruise vein. This is too lounge-y, too atmospheric? Closer to a 2.5.
It's a perfectly nice-sounding album, I enjoy the saxophone and synthy instrumentals. It reminds me of being a tot at my parents' parties or my nan's house - it sounds dated. It's sepia, a VCR blur of vague smooth jazz and funk. It's perfectly fine, I enjoy nostalgia. But this is best albums of all time, right? It doesn't set itself from the rest, it's timeless in that I still hear "Your Love is King" or "Smooth Operator" in an elevator or on Magic Radio. Just didn't do enough. High 2.
I love Smooth Operator. The rest of the album isn't as interesting to me.
What was it about Sade that made her an international hit? Just good timing? Deal with the devil? It can’t be off the back of this distinctively average offering. Nothing special here.
Smooth operator? 10/10 The rest? Absolute snore. I thought “hey, maybe it’s just the genre that’s not for me.” No, every song that came on recommended after was a banger. This was just so same after Smooth Operator
Great voice, outstanding production, boring as fuck.
While I like soul and neo-soul, I'm not sure if this hits for me. A little too easy listening and not enough oomph. Would consider chucking at a zombie.
Smooth Elevator
Reminds me of something I would hear at JCPenney at 9pm or Foust’s car on the way to mars hill
Smooth Operator is peak Sade; on the other tracks her voice sounds a little tuneless and the songs aren't too interesting.
SMOOOOOTH OPERATOOOOOOOR 🌶 Never really cared for that song before, but now it has become iconic for Carlos Sainz fans I didn't like the album version of Smooth Operator with the talking. Much prefer the single version. I also knew Your Love Is King. Those two songs aside I found the album pretty boring. It all sounded the same and I was bored. Sorry, Sade Nice voice though A 2.5 rounded down 2 ⭐️
I can appreciate the craft of this and the vocals, but I just do not enjoy the lounge-y, smooth jazz-pop which is a big ingredient here.
Yeah, no... Not bad but I really wouldn't play this record again willingly
I mostly know Sade from references from 90s rap songs as baby making music and that pretty much checks out. Not a huge fan for the most part, but I did like “hang on to your love”.
Mid, couldn't get through the whole thing.
feels very similar to everything else like it
One good track
2.5 the production was really good but the content was a bit to smooth for me
Definitivt en av de bättre soul album jag hört. Fin röst känns inte som hon gör till sig, kan fortfarande kännas långsamt ibland men de första låtarna är långt ifrån det
Not my cup of tea
The perfect soundtrack for mindlessly browsing the clothes section at a Sears in the 1980s. Not a genre for me and this album does nothing to change that. 3.5/10 (1.75/5)
Great voice, but her album felt too much of its time. Too cliche 80s R&B sax sounding.
A reminder that the expectation of bongo drums is far less exciting than the reality of bongo drums.
I didn’t expect to like this, but was pleasantly surprised. Production is okay for 1984. Sound is smooth as silk. Too smooth? Not sure I’d just sit and listen to it, but it was perfect to throw on while I was sanding some walls.
Is this the smoothest album ever made? The answer is yes. Two stars are automatically removed for such a heavy use of saxophone, but one star is added back for the thrusty bass playing on the lusty “Cherry Pie”.
Man, sexy sax and electric piano are just a little too smooth sometimes. I guess once you’re old enough to appreciate Steely Dan, you kinda have to open your mind. The most 80s production I’ve ever heard. Surprised it’s not a Quincy Jones project. Nice and sexy, perfectly pleasant, not something I imagine I’ll come back to though?
Boring. Except for the first song. The rest all sound the same to me. Kinda bland elevator music. But it makes good background music while doing something else.
2+ Stars (6/15)
It was fine
some decent tunes on here but i didn't like the album as a whole
Not really my cup of tea
If Beige was an album.
Попса, ничего особенного, но биты неплохие
Surprisingly easy listening. Got me through Monday morning.
Nice sound, but every single song sounds exactly the same.
This ain’t it
I saw a review saying some people just don’t get it, and I don’t really get it. Favorite song: Smooth Operator
This album was not for me
I get it. It’s smooth, the sax is lovely, she can saaaang. It’s still dreadfully dull. The vocal control is incredible but the loud power at the end of every other syllable is obnoxious and becomes a one trick pony. Every word doesn’t need to be dramatically emphasized. No thank you, Sade.
a bit too lounge music for me.
Sade’s confidence to name her band after herself AND to be an artist that goes by one name is woefully misplaced. That isn’t to say she’s untalented, or that this album was bad. On the contrary - I’ll tell you now that I’ll be giving it a pretty fitting rating of two stars. But I can’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe it would’ve been cool if the band had a different name. Carlos Santana named his band “Santana” because he was the generational talent at the center of it. Can you name any other members of that band? I’ll wait. Because I can’t. Beyoncé goes by one name because she’s Beyoncé - there’s only one and we all know it. So does she. Madonna did the same. As did Prince. So you can’t just decide to go by an eponym AND name your band after yourself unless you either A: really are a generational talent and know it or B: are marketed that way by your record label because they think they can best sell you that way. I think the latter must have happened here. This album is…boring. Sure it’s got fun moments here and there. Some cool grooves. But Sade herself isn’t, in my opinion, the main attraction. Her voice is good, but is it THAT good? If it is, she doesn’t find space to show it off here. And sure, fine, you can tell me that the genre doesn’t fit a vocal style where she could show off, and you’d be right. But still. Snoozefest. She’s the focus of the band, its main attraction. But I don’t really understand why. Maybe because this is the closest thing to elevator Muzak I’ve had thus far, and the record label knew that and needed to make it about her to sell it better. This is “jazz” for people who don’t really know jazz. Those people hear this and can feel cultured by listening to it. I listen to it and feel disappointed and bored. Standout Tracks: Hang Onto Your Love, Cherry Pie
It all sounded like the same song. She's got a great voice, though. 2/5
Not really my thing. 2/5
I know it’s a classic, it’s just not for me. I was also sleep deprived when I listened to this, so not great timing.
Other than the first two tracks, the rest of the album is just meh.
not my cup of tea, too slow
1. operator - 2 2. king - 1.5 3. hang - 1.5 4. affair - 1.5 5. living - 1 6. cherry pie - 1.5 7. zally - 1.5 8. friend - 2 9. together - 1
Everything sounds a bit samey. All very classical jazz. Smooth operator has a good melody i can listen to over and over, and the only one that doesnt really bore me is cherry pie.
SmooooOOooooth. And also kinda boring towards the end
radio music.... for la noire detective movie women
Not my type of music
Besides "Smooth Operator" the songs just didn't appeal to me. Most of the tracks seemed dated.
Kinda boring
Looking at the top 1001 albums released in 1984, this is one I would probably have picked last to listen to. However, that’s what makes this project interesting, you never know what hidden gems you might discover. Unfortunately, in this case... not much. It’s really not my cup of tea. I was already familiar with the opening two tracks from radio play, and while it was nice to sit down and listen more closely, there wasn’t much beyond that. There are some interesting layers in those first two songs that I hadn’t picked up on before, but that was where the intrigue ended for me. "Cherry Pie" was decent, but the rest of the album felt like background music a wealthy yuppie might play in 1984 to show off their brand new CD player at a party. Overall it's just not my thing.
Doesn't get much more 80s than this. A bit dull overall.
Clearly an influential album and an incredibly successful band, but not really my thing. I struggled to get through it tbh.
This was fine, but uninteresting.
starts strong but then turns into background music quite fast
If it's raining outside and you want to feel sad, this is the album. But today it's sunny, so I didn't love love it.
Good singer but I heard the album too much in the 80s. I simply don't like it anymore.
Yesterday's music, yesterday's sound, yesterday's feeling. Did not age well.
I should have probably paid more attention to this record, but I never really wanted to.
Overall not for me - Smooth Operator and Frankie's First Affair were alright but the rest were incredibly boring and overproduced. She has a decent voice but fairly monotone and the production of the songs doesn't really help - seems to "cover" her voice too much. 1 feels harsh.
If this was the go to album for the dinner party scene in the 80's, id rather starve
R&B. Not too bad but not really my thing.
It’s fine - but I’m not an 80s R&B guy.
Overdose of adult contemporary jazz on this one! I know some folks that loove Sade and I normally respect their opinion on music. Not so sure on this one.
Hát ez nem volt az én világom. Közepes, talán... Áh inkább annyi se.
The epitomy of romantic baby making music.
I remember Sade from the 80’s. Didn’t like this album then, don’t like it now. Granted, she has an amazing voice and Smooth Operator was all over the airwaves. However, I find this album boring with boring themes. Not for me.
Elevator manufacturers called: They want their music back. At least it had some sexy saxophone throughout the album. Favorite song: "Love Is A King".
Smooth and soulful. Not really my style.
Average 80's music. Didn't find anything special here.
Huge back in the day, but it doesn’t really stand the test time and we never hear it anymore on the radio.
I know this is a touchstone record for a lot of people. But I just can't get into it. Smooth Operator is a great song; and Your Love is King is mild fun. But 45 minutes of smooth jazz just isn't my bag.
Nah it's not good
I know this is a well regarded album but something about the very laid back smooth vibe just irks me. I just find it annoying for some reason, and makes me want to listen to some punk. 2 star.
She has a very unique voice but it's not always for me. It's really a 2.5 but I can't rate in halves
Some great songs but mostly ones that weren't good at all
Smooth as a pebble, but unfortunately as interesting as one too. Full of banal sentiment.
It's background music.
bleh
Slow and elegant but not sure I'll give it another listen
Actively avoided this throughout the '80s as I figured it did not sound much like Duran Duran. So it proved when it finally caught up with me today; apart from the ubiquitous first couple of tracks it leaves the impression of very high quality wallpaper. Smooth Operator is the exception, geographic accuracy notwithstanding
I don't agree with the reviews that thought this is artificial or lacks feeling. I did find it boring but I don't think it's fair to say there is nothing here of artistic or musical merit.
Admittedly, I am pretty allergic to the 80s bass tones and keyboard featured here. I am also struggling to decouple “smooth operator” from the office slow jams and hold music that have embraced it over the years. When I imagine this album under different textures I (only) kind of like the vocals, grooves and lyrics.
I would put this on for my gran when she comes round.
Strangely, I can listen to 70s soft rock but have always hated the stuff from the 80s. Maybe because I hit puberty in 1982 and started listening to the Clash and the Stones. In any event, I still can't listen to this. It's like hotel art - so carefully crafted to be inoffensive that it drives me mad. Top-notch production tho.
🤷
Enjoyed Smooth Operator, rest of the album was fine but not my thing.
It was ok, last songs into was far too long though
Smooth Operator is a really enjoyable song but also completely forgettable. Same with the rest of this album. It just didn’t feel really special or interesting.
Smooth operator is perfect, the rest of this album is deeply boring
DNF. Light disco jazz. :(
This was okay. I’ve never really liked Sade though.
Super weak sauce.
Lovely, but very monotonous
Smooth lounge music, but that's about it.
Wasn't really a fan of this one. It's not a music style I like to start with, and outside of Smooth Operator, I didn't really have anything here that I found enjoyable. Not for me, but maybe good for someone else.
Smooth jazz is a little easier on the ears now than it was when I first heard this as a kid. But it's still pretty shruggy for me.
Not good
Instantly transported to sitting in the dentists office waiting room in the 80s.
Smooth Operator Your Love Is King
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I expected I'd rate it a 1 or 2, but the sax has me leaning 2 or 3. Overall, it doesn't hold my attention. But under the right conditions, darkly lit jazz club at 2 am, I'd feel the vibe more.
Ha this was fine, not my cup of tea at all. It was not bad by any means, but certainly not essential.
Nothing wrong with this. Nothing great either.
Well crafted pop music. Just not my thing
So polished that it's kind of boring and nothing really stands out. Highlights: "Your Love is King" (classic 80s sexy sax solo), "Why Can't We Live Together" (the bongos are cool)
Meh
buiten de singles die gewoon goed zijn, is de rest eigenlijk meer van het zelfde... gepolijste 80s rock
Just straight up boring
One of Sade’s classics
I like this about as much as I'm ever bound to like a hybrid of smooth soul and sophisto-pop. Which is still not very much. 2.5/5
Bit sad that I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, but it's okay
Feels as relevant as a lifetime romcom.
One star each for the 80s Hits - Smooth Operator and Your Love is King. A nice background listen, but I'm not sure how important the album is as far as the evolution of music is concerned.
I don’t see myself listening to this again - sophisti-pop (first time hearing of this as a genre) is not really my thing. Both stars are for Smooth Operator
Софистик-поп - это когда вроде и шарм есть, и гармония какая-то, но трэки хуй друг от друга отличишь.
Faded into the background. When I did notice it was hard to tell songs apart. Lots of saxophones.
Not a huge fan of R&B. I just listened to snippets of this and I still feel this way.
Some good
Nice voice but one paced.
Twooooth Operator
Bland, easy listening pop. Sounds a lot like The Most Wanted Music to me.
Sade has a great and very distinctive voice. The sound and songs all seam very similar though. Clearly she has not had any even good relationships based on the sadness of the majority of her tunes.
Might as well add a sad version of Fly me to the moon since it’s so sad
Totally and utterly mid. Her voice is pretty good I guess but the songwriting is just the same sort of feeling over and over. Did absolutely nothing for me. Very boring, very bland, not nearly special enough that I NEEDED to listen to this before I died.
Holy 80's! This isn't bad in any way but it is absolutely not for me. For some reason it reminded me of the mall when I was a kid. I'm glad Frankie had the affair.
Smooth Operator