Reviews (page 13 of 14)
Extremely bland and inoffensive.
Heel soulfull! Top zangeres ook
Well the singles are the singles, there's no denying the production (gets a star) it's is as good as it gets, it worked as background while I did dishes and tidied up the living room, but didn't inspire me to do it quickly, by the end I was happy when Ozzy osbournes voice kicked in on my regular spotify stream. wouldnt listen again, but wouldnt change the station if it cam e on the radio, would prefer to wear headphones if it was playing in the supermarket
Smooth
I didn't expect to give this five stars but then I listened to it and here we are.
A fabulously smooth jazz album, perfect for enjoying a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. The main attraction here is Sade Adu’s gorgeous voice; it slinks around a lyric like a silk scarf, finding the nuances with the greatest of ease.
Very smooth and very dated, with way too much saxophone for me. Good vocals, but not a lot else worth revisiting. Torn between 2 or 3, I will err on the side of generosity!
Diamond Life is the debut album by the band Sade. This soul/pop album contains elements of jazz, and can be classified in the sophisti-pop genre. This is a highly acclaimed album, because it won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Album, has been certified 4 times platinum in the UK & US, and was the best-selling debut album by a lead British female vocalist. Diamond Life is an easy-listening album - perfect for a casual cocktail-lounge environment - as the soulful and jazzy, but poppy and funky beats will appeal to most listeners. This was a well produced album and I'm happy to have listened to it. If it wasn't for this site, I would've never heard this album.
Diamond Life is a great album with a ton of killer tracks, and it makes up as a total one of those perfect cross section "sounds of the 80s" kind of vibes. 4/5
I like Sade - but this record is basically Smooth Operator - and a few more A side tracks but not much more. It tapers quite a bit towards the end and from something special it turns into an easy listening 80a album.
THIS GOES HARD.
R&B, Soul, 1984. The vocals on this record are extraordinary and the whole LP feels like a deep experience full of passion and love. The songs on the album are really sexy and smooth, and "Your Love Is King" is a hit which is still iconic nowadays.
This album deserves 5 stars almost solely for Smooth Operator, fucking dynamite. And the smooth jams just keep on coming. Fantastic voice, and everything works together well, they found a sweet spot with this one, that despite sounding somewhat 80's transcends the decade because it's borrowing from other eras and the quality is high.
It's a vibe. It's a mood. It's a groove. It's smooth.
Chill and nice, but beyond that it's just ok for me.
An enjoyable listen, mainly due to a strong melodic presence and powerful vocals from Sade. Some tracks (mainly those that lean heavily on the auto-wah) do feel a bit outdated, but most are still engaging and fresh enough to warrant a relisten.
A lot of never before seen bands this week, some decent parts in this album.
huh. i mean. sure? i liked some of the music but i'll be honest, i think i'm lacking some of the language required for talking about it. like it's objectively good but i think my reaction to it warrants 3 stars? idk. actually it gets 3 stars for when am i going to make a living jumpscaring me.
Funky, really like the basslines, and keeps my attention, smooth operator is catchy as
I’ve herd of her and seen the album art but I don’t know her as such… Smooth operator is a fairly good opener I like how the instruments build up at the start and the fact that she drops the album’s title. The song definitely gets much better after the first chorus as there are added instruments and actual singing as opposed to talk/ singing! Your love is king is decent, I really love the vocals on the chorus and the sax breaks are killer! For a pop album the bass line in Hang on to your love is amazing, this album has to be perfect so far! (but we’ve only had singles). The storytelling in the first non single Frankie’s first affair is top notch and when the it explodes into a jazzy mess it’s amazing but I don’t think sade’s lounge pop style works with these lyrics. When am I gonna make a living is good not a favourite but I do like the more optimistic and slightly funky feeling that the song gives. The bass player knows how to do a cool bassline and the band really know how to build up a song cherry pie is no exemption. The only flaw here are the lyrics but at least they’re memorable ( actually a shortened version of this could’ve been a single). Sally is the most gloomy song so far and has one of the best chorus on the album also the fact that it’s apparently about the Salvation Army is cool. I like the Hercules line in I will be your friend but to be honest this one was a little boring compared to the rest of the album. The album closes with why can’t we live together there’s some good bass work but it isn’t a very interesting album in terms of the album as a whole. The last two tracks ruin what would be the 4th 5/5 in a very short space of time as up until that point it’s all so amazing every song was so interesting and provided something new. But I guess it has to be a 4/5.
It’s not really my thing, but I started getting into it the last couple of tracks.
Heerlijk relaxte muziek. Het nummer Smooth Operator is wel de knaller van het album, maar de rest is goed aan te hebben op de achtergrond.
As smooth as can be, but also just a bit bland. Could cope with it as background music in a busy cafe.
Always fantastic. simple and groovy.
Smooooth Jazz great sax Great songs: Smooth Operator Frankie's First Affair Sally
nah
i didn’t really think much of it and i think that on itself explains a lot. i just thought it didn’t give anything…
Today I learned that "Sade" was/is the name of the group, not just the singer. Huh. I kinda hated this when it came out - then again i was a young teenager injecting non-stop Van Halen and Def Leppard into my veins so I didn't allow for this smooth neo-soul to enter into my consciousness. My loss - this is pretty excellent - I appreciate and actually like it way more than I used to and it's wonderfully produced. Personal favourite: "Cherry Pie" - that little echo guitar fill is gold. 7/10 3+ stars
A pretty good album. I enjoyed the instrumentals and her voice. There wasn't a ton of substance to the songs, but I don't really think there needed to be. I really enjoyed it while I was listening, but now, a couple hours later, if you were to ask me my thoughts on it, I wouldn't really be able to come up with much that was memorable.
Nikad album njen poslušala al uvijek mi je bila jako draga. Jako mi se svidio cijeli jazzy pop lounge zvuk albuma i sviđa mi se što joj volkali zvuče jako prirodno. Želim ovo na ploči.
SMOOOOOOOOOOOOTH OPERAAAATOR! Ta pjesma je vrhić. Album je groovy, dobar soul album, sviđa mi se, više je za noćnu šemu, i toj dobro.
As smooth as a fine scotch. I can’t get enough of her smoky voice. “Smooth Operator” has slowly worked its way up my list of favorite songs over the years. Any time I hear a cover of it on the radio or in a department store, the song makes me happy. And the original is incredibly seductive and sultry. The opening 1-2-3 punch of “Smooth Operator,” “Your Love is King” and “Hang On to Your Love” is really impressive and the record continues with a string of very strong album tracks. I’m loving this.
So silky and smooth! This album was part of the "cleaning the house" rotation of CD's my dad would blast through big speakers growing up, so I somehow smell Windex now.
Production is really crisp "Smooth Operator" "Your Love Is King" are two nice album starters. I feel like there are a lot of nice songs on the album and only a few that stand out. I think that's kind of her thing though? Smooth and sultry R&B doesn't usually have big banger tracks. I do wish some of the tracks had more direction to them. Maybe a second half key change, a shift in major/minor tonality, or even instrument changes just to add some excitement.
Nah
Mostly the same. Chilled
So soft, so smooth
Was really enjoying the first three tracks and then it kind of fell off a cliff
3.3 - Relaxing, mellow soul with solid vocals.
Too smooth. Yuck. Like a barbie crotch.
Very beige
So, usually, I don't lie things that are too smooth and polished. I like a little bit of grit. But this album is an exception. I really love it. I love her voice; smooth and airy, no over-singing, just a little bit of breathiness. The lyrical content, I think, adds just that little bit of frisson. The romantic situations described a bit seedy, a bit gritty. I was interested to read that, because they were working at a relatively inexpensive studio without automation, they recorded live and with six people working the faders to mix, so I think there is a touch more human feel than something recorded to the grid, with samples and lots of synths and super smooth mixing. This sits right on the line between smooth jazz that becomes wallpaper lite and a laid back, mellow reverie. A quiet storm. I think this is on the right side of that line, and set a path for a whole range of British jazz-inflected music to come (Soul II Soul, trip hop, etc). Really, though, the reason I love this album is because my first girlfriend really liked it, and we listened to it a lot together. So, some fond memories there.
I'm trying so hard to approach this album objectively and failing. British sophisti-pop is possibly the most obnoxious genre of music ever created and Sade is the epitome of the genre. I found nothing redeeming in this album. The vocals are lazy, the melodies are sleazy, the lyrics are insipid, and DEAR GOD WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SAXOPHONE SOLOS. "Diamond Life" is absolutely infested with saxophone solos and it's not good. It's not good at all. I hated literally every moment of this album.
sm000000th operator
It’s fine for background music.
Sade’s music is so damn cool. So damn sexy and so damn well made. I enjoyed this album from back to front. Excellent listen!
Enjoyable, very smooth and listenable albeit nothing special
Ahh 80's Smooth Jazz/Pop.... Sade was a sensation on the Live Aid Wembley show, super smooth and so elegant... I bought this soon after seeing her on that show. Love "Smooth Operator" "Your Love Is King" "Frankies First Affair" and "Sally" Worthwhile addition to this list in my opinion.
Back to the '80s with you Sade!
Bit bland.
Fantastically produced, warm tones, expert instrumentals, and soo soo smooth.
Solid album. Very well mixed and mastered. Smooth operator is a banger.
i thought this was pretty good! not sure if i’m gonna come back to it but it was a fun listen
An absolute masterpiece. Sade was a god of this shit.
Just incredible
I'd forgotten just how good this album is. Smmooooottthhh, but in a good way!
Haven't heard Smooth Operator in decades. Which is good because wow did it get a lot of play. With fresh ears it's still smooth but together with the rest of the album the songs are lyrically pretty thin. Ideally suited to background/mood music when the mood is jazzy saxy.
So very good. Sade's voice is amazing and this entire album is a masterclass in storytelling. Great stuff.
Really liked it! I'd never heard of Sade before and I found some new gems.
what a bass lines, I loved her
Better than expected. Smooth Operator is a banger
Another one I skipped because I wasn't in the mood. Doesn't sound nearly as 80s as I expected it to in 2022. maybe if i played it through my mum's kitchen radio then it would. It's a very nice sound - but it doesn't take long to fade into the background. samey. Frankies first affair was good. As was I will be your friend. Not very likely to come back to this often but it was good.
Nice, feel-good music. Elements of blues.
Solid album but it did not leave the biggest impression on me.
Soulful music, but not my favorite genre.
Wow. Pretty much everyone associates "Smooth Operator" with Sade. And thinks the one track, because that was her big crossover hit. But MAN this whole album just exudes sultry. I didn't think it was possible, but she was able to outdo the sax there all throughout the album. "Sally" really struck a chord with me, not sure why. I really liked the lyrics and how she brought those out. I had to listen to more of the band's stuff after listening to the album, which says a lot about that first album. Really enjoyed the whole first album. Close to a 5-star rating, although the "Why Can't We Live Together?" seemed kind of forced. Still, all in all a really good album.
Honestly, I can't remember hearing any other songs by Sade between this album's Smooth Operator and their 1992 album's No Ordinary Love. But reading up on them, each album in that time (4 of them) plus their next one in 2000 were at least triple platinum. Wow. Maybe their sound was too steamy hot for radio? I still do not know jazz, or soul, so this album was just okay. I listened to it over and over, but I couldn't shake that it sounded like muzak with a very talented singer to boot. Admittedly, the lyrics are pretty good - it's not sex-based drivel but really complicated musings (listen closely to Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair, When Am I Going to Make a Living, and Sally). Put this on my list of potential future regrets but I couldn't get past 3.5.
(3/5) fue un buen álbum pero siento que ninguna canción es memorable, no hay nada que resalte ni que te haga recordarlo.
smooth. sleepy
Stylish, soulfully smooth, musically flawless, timeless album. I love every song on it. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Your Love Is King, Hang On to Your Love, Smooth Operator, Cherry Pie, I Will Be Your Friend, Why Can't We Live Together, When Am I Going to Make a Living, Sally, Frankie's First Affair
I kept picturing someone like Christian Bale in American Psycho putting this on the stereo after bringing a date home. I dug it, some great sax on here
Well done but not for me
Wish it was more compelling. Great voice, incredible bass lines. Not a whole lot more that grabbed me.
I could seriously listen to Sade all day long.
Kinda soulful, but TOTALLY cheesy.
Kind of smooth jazzy. Smooth operator.
Love it, jazzy pop songs. Right up my alley, would definitely listen to again.
Mostly forgettable soft jazz
Smooth Operator is great, but the rest of the album doesn’t keep up.
Smooth Operator en Hang on to your love waren bij mij al bekend. Rest van het album klinkt vrij hetzelfde. Goed voor diner of s'avonds. Stand out van het album is voor mij why can't we live together. Soms herhaaldelijk maar zeer goed album
Muito bom! Outra artista para conhecer mais. Melhor música: Your love is king
ok.
super cool album, I’m a sucker for 80s pop like this, Anita Baker, Madonna, Mariya Takeuchi and Miki Matsubara are some of my other favorites - 10/10
Mä itseasiassa oon aina tykännyt tästä levystä vaikka tässä on nää siirappiset hetkensä. Mut onhan tää niin smoooooooooooth ettei tolkkuu. Todella kasari olematta sillai ihan liian huonolla tavalla kasari. Et esim jos tää levy olis turboahdettu huonoilla syntikoilla niin tää olis tosi raskas. Okei muutan mieleni: toi Timmy Thomas cover Why cant we live togetherista on niin hirvee että alennan pisteellä. 3/5
Melkoset saksofonirevittelyt. Mutta muuten oli kyllä aika juustoista kasaria. Smooth lauluääni pelastaa aika paljon, mutta kyllä tää silti tippuu mun mielestä huonon kasarin puolelle. Ei tarpeeks överi, mutta ei myöskään tarpeeks tyylikäs.
Enpä tajua, miksen oo tätä ennen jaksanu kuunnella. Varmaan avausraidan kuluneisuuden takia. Mut on kyl todella jees. Sopivan hillittyä ja ehkä vois sanoa urbaania.
Kahden avausraidan lisäksi mikään ei kyllä herättänyt juurikaan tunteita. Ehkä ei vaan oo mun genre. 2/5
This album ultimately just didn't impress me. The vocals weren't very strong, the lyrics were kinda boring and the music faded into the background as "muzak" or cocktail lounge-y
She had a nice voice but the music just wasn't that interesting. Not bad but not great either
While I didn’t see much excitement with this album, I thought the vocal was unique and I enjoyed listening to this as an easy listening type album.
Mostly boring
Para ser sincera, no esperaba mucho de este álbum, lo subestime mucho pero me lleve un gran sorpresa. Tiene una melodía que es simplemente buena a lo largo de todo el álbum
I feel an uncontrollable, visceral revulsion for almost every element of this. It's canned, bland, and impossible to stand. I can't discern any semblance of genuine human emotion from it. The sounds are flat and textureless, the songs plod along interminably, and the lyrics seem like they were written by a concussed android. Whether they're celebrating promiscuity and duplicitousness, as in 'Smooth Operator', or criticising it in 'Frankie's First Affair', (it's genuinely hard to tell), they are abject with an almost impressive uniformity.
Not bad, but also not really my style of music.
That’s back to back days of just vibes
Just a really nice album, love her voice and the piano and the smooth pop/jazz/rnb tunes which have a style of their own.
The songs + her voice are absolutely beautiful. This is not my style of music but the merit rates it
Saxy and Smooth!
Powerful voice, gets a bit nothingy at points but still good stuff
Wasn't in love with it on the first listen, but I liked it more on the 2nd listen. I don't really have any touchpoint for this style of music. I enjoyed it, but probably not enough to revisit. 3.5/5
"Smooth Operator" is smooth indeed and the only song I know by her. Very catchy and a great voice. Not really my thing generally but enjoyable enough for sexy-time-soul. Bassline in "Hang On to Your Love" is sick.
Despite my appreciation for R&B/soul/jazz, I never totally got into Sade. Giving this a spin, I kind of see the appeal, but it’s not especially for me. I can get behind bits of quiet storm, but it’s just not a sound that I can spin for a full LP. I’ll give it credit for some solid jazzy interludes and killer vocals, but I don’t think I’ll ever fully get into them. Solid C
Love. Love. Love.
Take soul, jazz, and pop and put it in a blender and what do you get? Yes, you get Sade, but more importantly you get "sophisti-pop." "The term has been applied retrospectively to music that emerged during the mid-1980s in the UK which incorporated elements of new wave, jazz, soul, and pop. Music so classified often made extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers and polished arrangements." It's a bit of a silly name for a genre, but regardless of the name it's not really a genre for me. A lot of sax and smoothness, but not what I'm looking for.
Remember how pretentious-ass couldn't get past the saxophones to appreciate Tina's voice? I feel the same about Sade. I can't appreciate the voice and the general groove because all I hear is the sax.
Classic.
Honestly great.
Smooth Operator was a hit when I was younger. I enjoyed listening to the whole album.
smooth jazz isnt my thing but maybe this one caught me on the right day. thought it was pretty cool
I was not expecting this to be so good. Sade as a whole was ok, but this album was amazing.
2.5
Diamond Life by Sade (1984) With prominent bass lines and soulful jazz/pop arrangements, lead vocalist Sade Adu delivers sensuous sound layered over rhythms that are easy on the ears. Her voice is not strong enough to dominate, but it’s disciplined enough to carry melodies with confidence. Lyrically unremarkable, Sade’s themes treat of the ups and downs of love, with enough standard advice to help keep the listener on the straight and narrow. Wholesome. Comfortable. Two tracks depart from this main theme: a closing cover of Timmy Thomas’ rather bland peace exhortation “Why Can’t We Live Together” and Sade Adu’s excellent “Sally”, a moving and redemptive paean which celebrates the heroics of a woman who rescues the down and out in the ugly underbelly of New York, vicariously “doing our dirty work”, loving the lost on behalf of the rest of us. Musically, Stuart Matthewman provides funky guitar and smooth saxophone, but the bass playing by Paul Denman stands out, occasionally expanding scales and intervals enough to provide countermelodies that complement and amplify without distraction. This album is an easy listen, and it won’t start a revolution or transform your self image, but it’s suitable background for getting your stuff done. No excuses. 3/5
7/10 nice smooth 80s pop with a good vocal performance, kind of cheesy though and definitely got weaker in the second half
7/10.
Solid sound but had its share of sleepy moments. 7/10
nao gostei,,,
Delicate, exquisite, soulful, stirring, eloquent, elegant and a chock full of diamonds. No wonder why the first track was called smooth, hehe. Favorites: Smooth Operator, Your Love is King, Frankie's First Affair, When I Am Going to Make a Living, Cherry Pie.
The sax had me like 🤤😍
First great album, it brings back memories of listening to Sade as a kid with my parents This is real 80s music for me, amazing voice, amazing vibes amazing mix of genres 5/5
classic
A smooth operator. Beautiful album.
Smooooooooth operator
🎶straight outta the 80s🎶 I was immediately at an 80s dinner party with nouvelle cuisine and black dinner plates. Didn’t like this album then, don’t like it now!
Baby-makin' music. Smooth saxophone, Sade singing some smooth jazzy R&B. Pretty much everyone should know Smooth Operator, and the rest of the album is the same style so you know what you're getting into. Not really my thing but it was ok.
Prefs: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair, When Am I Going To Make A Living Moins pref: I Will Be Your Friend
When this album originally hit the airwaves I was so narrowly focused on rock, some mainstream, some not, but especially trying to avoid anything that wasn't rock on the radio. I have since expanded my musical palate and can appreciate this genre of smooth jazz that has a time and place. I always think of smooth jazz as a "pop"-gateway towards "real" jazz that introduces the masses to how potentially commercial this music can be. For me Sade was my introduction to smooth jazz and listening now I can't say I don't like it. Again, it has a time and place and if you want to create a mood of romance and serenity, Diamond Life is definitely your record. Oh, and Valentines is coming up so cue up your Sade albums. Smooth operator, indeed.
This was a lot better than I was expecting. This was always my go-to stereotype song to play when a bar was closing down and you wanted people to leave but I never actually listened to it. Her voice is smooth and the songs are all easy to listen to. Does the job.
smooth operator
If you like the sound of Casio keyboard and drum sounds together with alto saxophone solos and a smooth vocal then this album is for you. I've seen this described as sounding like elevator music and that's probably about right. It amazes me people actually bought this (I'm pretty sure my sister had this in her cd collection). Why, is beyond me. I guess smash hits or just 17 gave it a rave review? And I suppose the cover is quite cool in an art noir kind of way. Um, yeah, not really my bag. Is that 1000 words yet?
Very pleasant. Never heard the whole album
I tried to ignore my preconceptions about this album. Turns out they were right, utter shite.
Insipid 80's nonsense for people who don't/didn't care.
Like being stuck in a hotel lobby in the 1980s.
I like many of the tracks, but it's the nostalgia thing again - my parents frequently played this album. Good tunes, but overall felt dated, 80s bossa nova lounge kinda dated.
Sade has a great instrument. Classic mid-80s with sax and fretless bass.
A superb album. I do love Sade.
All time Classic
Cool lounge album from the 80s.
Not for me
SMOOOOOOTH OPERATOR!!!! #CS55 Also enjoyed 'Cherry Pie' but that was pretty much it
Enjoyed it but probably not something I would listen to again
Very smooth and nice to listen to
Almost as smooth as me
Bueno
Yawn with a layer of cheese
that one song
Relaxing
Boring album. I semi-enjoy Smooth Operator, but the rest of the album pretty much put me to sleep. 2/5
bland generic smooth jazz. feel like I spent the last 45 minutes in an elevator
It was great look into the smooth jazz of the 80’s. I’d heard of Smooth Operator but I never knew the actual song.
In fact, despite being a not-so-special album(for a MUST LISTEN 1001), it's an album I enjoy listening to. Probably because of my love for the saxophone sound and her voice. (6/10) FT: Smooth Operator, Your Love is King , Sally
If you did the lounge-y rhythms are dated you'd be half right. Bust them out now and they'd sound pretty rote, but that doesn't mean they aren't snazzy. The downer isn't the bongos, it's the description to boilerplate ratio, which (BS statistic coming up) is something like 3:7. More Sally, less Cherry Pie.
Very 80s sounding, which is not really my thing at all. One recognized song
Leuk ni echt mijn ding, beetje flauw
Sade's voice is absolutely amazing and I loved the 80's groove to this album, especially on Smooth Operator. I did wonder if there was any connection between the album being produced in 1984 and Orwellian predictions for 1984, but probably not.
Very eighties! Smooth operator- I always thought it was someone who connected telephone lines…
This is probably the most dated thing I’ve heard on here. In a good way. It makes me want to meet glamorous women in hotel bars and drink cocktails. Her voice is surprisingly rough though, I assumed it would be silky smooth, but she strains when she extends her range. Oddly felt like a Karaoke version of Steely Dan.
Liked it! Great voice.
An excellent album, with some great songs on there. And I learned I had been mispronouncing the artist name all along.
When I was a teenager I worked a Ric's Food Center in Mt. Pleasant. Aside from bagging groceries and making sure my cash drawer balanced at the end of the night, I spent a lot of time trying to be cool (not be lame) in front of all the college students I worked with. It was a real point of pride when "Smooth Operator" would come on the Muzak and my coworkers would refer to it as my them song. As far as I know, they weren't being tongue-and-cheek. As far as I know. And that wouldn't be a smooth move, so I'm sure I was interpreting this correctly. When I was 17 I went on a legit date with my 21 year old coworker. That didn't seem weird or illegal to me at the time. Not sure it was illegal. But it was weird. And I was definitely not a smooth operator on that date. Ok, that's enough cringing for me this morning... Getting past that song on this record, it feels like a list of 8 potential b-sides. All are equally smooth, pretty, proficient, and well-crafted. But they lack the hook of Smooth Operator. Music like this makes me think "why not just listen to Joni Mitchell's far-superior mid-late 70s albums?" I'm not sure I have an answer to that question.
Sade one of those smokey, lounge-singer voices - and the hook in Smooth Operator is classic - but I can't really get into this (despite its heavy leaning on the bass guitar). I'm sure it's popular in elevators, department store playlists, and candle-lit motel rooms - but it ain't for me.
4/5. Easy listening indeed, only one snoozer or so, tasty sax ngl
Where are my ski pants and shoulder pads?
beautiful
Rating: 6.5/10 Some very good funky songs on this album.
Always been a fan, a must listen.
6/10
Possessed of a stunning voice, Sade sounds crystal clear and note perfect: and maybe that’s the problem. A little less polish, a little more grit and maybe these tracks would sound a more vivid; overall, then, a disappointment, notwithstanding that the opening two tracks are quality pop singles.
Riktig stämningshöjare! Bra, homogent sound på hela skivan. Väldigt lounge-jazzigt och lekfullt generellt. Smooth Operator och Why Can't We Live Together var bäst. Sammantaget ett riktigt härligt bakgrundsalbum med rejäl 80-talsvibe.
Not unlike the operator in the opening track this album is impossibly smoooooth. The best tacks are the afore mentioned Smooth Operator and the closing track Why Can't We Live Together. These two tracks book end a syrupy smooth collection that is perfect dinner party music. Ultimately a little too polished to get to 4 for me. 3.5 stars
this is shit. zero talent. nothing stands out. elevator music for a bad dentist office
meh
Short album
Smooth operator was very catchy. Her voice is really nice. The sax went hard Your love is king is not the best but the sax carried again Hang on to your love was the best song on the album and sally was the worst song
Slick well-crafted pop. 6/10
Cool
Solid production, sets and hold a cool vibe, good musicianship, excellent use of space. Great for the genre
This is the chillest thing I've ever heard. I would've HATED this 10 years ago. Also I guess this is the original smooth operator song.
East, breezy, and smooth. I liked it!
Takiej odmiany bylo mi trzeba po ostatnich wyjcach, diamond life to debiutancki album brytyjskiej bandy sade z 83, zespol bierze swoja nazwe od nazwiska wokalistki Sade Adu, ktora pochodzi z kolonialnej nigerii, gatunkowo banda gra dosyc jazzowo, ale jest to ten popularny jazz, ktory dobrze i latwo sie slucha i mozna go zarowno puscic w radiu jako wolniejszy kawalek, czy tez w windzie, discog fajnym gatunkiem okresla te plyte, jako smooth soul, co ma sens biorac pod uwage tematyke jaka porusza krazek, czyli oczywiscie zycie milosne i jego wzloty, upadki i roznorakie niuanse, ciekawa rzecza jest, ze sporo referencji z tego materialu mozna znalezc, zarowno w formie sampli jak i liryki na murzynskich kawalkach, chocby u big daddy kane czy rakima, wiec jak na popowy, albo raczej sophisti-popowy album to jego material zyje swoim zyciem po zyciu, ale jednak muzycznie jest on nudny, trio przygrywajace pani Sade, to saksa, klawisze i bas, ale wystepuja takze muzycy sesyjni, wiec instrumentowy count jest troche wyzszy, nie zmienia to jednak faktu, ze jest nudno od strony instrumentalnej, lirycznie takze jest bardzo jednowymiarowo, jedynym trakiem ktory lamie konwencje milosna jest sally, kawalek traktuje o salvation army, wiec moze nie az tak bardzo lamie, ale z pewnoscia skupia sie na mniej romantycznym gatunku milosci do blizniego, ciekawy jest takze zamykajacy trak why cant we live together, ktory ma zdecydowanie inny vibe w porownaniu do reszty albumu, czuje ze moze miec to zwiazek z tym, ze jest to cover a nie orginalny kontent pani Sade, a na plejke leci openingowy smooth operator
Liked this! Very easy to listen to
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I went in with no expectations and no knowledge and I found myself really digging it. Admittedly I am a sucker for brass instruments so that helps. If I could go 3.5 I would.
God I love me some mournful saxophone and this has that in spades. Going in I was only familiar with 'Smooth Operator' but by the end of the second listen I'm not sure I'd have that in the top 3 on this record. A joy, start to finish.
STARTS WITH BONGOS OK HERE WE GO first album we've had so far that I've got really no context for - dunno who or what Sade is ah, so it's some smooooth R&B the most-listened track on spotify is Your Love Is King, with like 100m more listens than the rest in the album, but it leaves me pretty cold. I much prefer the tracks before and after. overall though doesn't really do much for me
Still amazes me that "your love is king" has more plays than "Smooth Operator" on this album on spotify. Rest of the album was okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen again. 3.5/5 but rating it a 3 as I definitely don't think it's 4 material.
From the get go, this album sounds like something I should be listening to while sitting in a dimly lit bar staring out over a city skyline. Sadly, this is an activity I engage in on a monthly basis at most, so this album isn't really for me, despite the undoubted talent Sade has. If I want background music there are better options in every genre, so I highly doubt I'll ever listen to this album again under any circumstances.
I saw the cover, and thought "Ah, an artist and album I've never heard anything about, here we go" and then I saw 'Your love is King' and thought "Oh yeah I can get onboard with this". And indeed, I can very much get very onboard with this. Go Sade. Really wanted to turn it off halfway through though. Hitting it with a 3 as it's all a bit too samey for me but really enjoying the smoothness of this.
Pretty good
Soul. Un megahit. Se me ha hecho bola.
oh YES
Never been my thing.
Is ok
Really fun, definitely needs a relisten
Yeah nice, actually gets better as you go deeper into it. I thought it was frontloaded when I saw the two hits were the first two on it, but it's not at all.
This is probably someone's favourite album, but not mine. Sails a bit too close to easy listening. A shame, cause her voice is indeed diamond.
Bought this on vinyl when it was first released way back in 1984. Awesome album and the production is stunning.
I like it a lot more than I expected to. Sade's voice is fierce and sexy!
Hardly unpleasant, but incidental. Not certain when it needed to be listened to, sure it doesn't belong on the list. It's the one piece of Smooth Operator that's iconic, not even the whole song.
Ughhhhh
Yeah, some of it is not too cringey.
Smooth
I don't mind Smooth Operator, but the rest of this album is pretty dull. Seems like a strange choice for this list
80s, sultry, a little hard to take seriously personally
Smooth operator, indeed
I knew Smooth Operator and Your Love is King. Both inoffensive enough, if a little standard and overlong. By the third track, I'm worried that the whole album is going to be this sort of coffee table jazz inflected background music. There are occasional suggestions that there are good bits to come. A Chic sounding guitar here, some interesting percussion there. It never gets beyond the blandness. A whole album of filler - there may be some good lyrics but that's it. The cover of Why Can't We Live Together wakes me up a bit... And then I realise it's because of Hotline Bling. Bleh.
Amazing debut
Kind of easy listening... enjoyable but not one I would think of.
Very smooth indeed and enjoyable. The sac was in trend back then and it shows, but here it’s used in a nice not so much overused way
Het is lekkere rustige muziek die iedereen wel aanspreekt
Knew of smooth operator but never knew the artist. Pretty good album. A few songs were repetitive and slow but it evened out with the first two that were substantially better. It’s a good album that’s a easy listening r&b. 6.0/10
I sit in the global coffeehouse, second hand smoke atop first. Frasier Crane sends me a drink. I resolve to later memorialise him as a neon statue.
Great voice, great band, great production, great debut, fitting lyrics.
Nice enjoyable album, easy listening yet not boring or simple. Liked the saxophone and the vibe
Ajoittain tempaisi tunnelmaan. Ei ihan paska vaikkei soittolistoille tule nousemaan.
Ehjä levykokonaisuus. Ykkösraita toki loppuunsoitettu, mut kyllä sen tässä yhteydessä kuunteli ja loppulevy oli vähintäänkin miellyttävä
Oh man. Silky-smooth sexy vocals over a funky, chill background? Yes, please. More, thanks.
Meh squared
Really not my thing at all. Feels very corporate and slick.
Excellent
Obviamente nunca he sido gran conocedor de Sade, la música que le conocía tenía en memoria que se me hacía aburrida y hasta ahí llegaba mi conocimiento. El escuchar todo el disco desafortunadamente no cambió mucho mi percepción. Simplemente es un estilo que nunca va a ser algo que busque, puedo aceptar que la producción es buena y de hecho también que su voz es mucho mejor de lo que recordaba y tiene un rango y textura bastante agradables. Ese smooth jazz de musica de fondo sin peso alguno simplemente no me va. No hay más que decir, buena voz y música que no toca ni una sola fibra para mí. Me sorprendió mucho ver que la canción más popular del disco no fuera Smooth Operator... creí era su canción más famosa.
Me gustó mucho más de lo que esperaba. Conocía Smooth Operator pero nada más de ella y la fue muy agradable escucharlo. Muy meloso pero sin llegar a cansar, puedo volver a escucharlo aunque seguramente no se volverá mi género favorito. 3.5 estrellas que bajan a 3 porque aunque agradable, tampoco me parece revolucionario ni sobresaliente. Songs: When Am I Going to Make a Living, Hang On to Your Love, Smooth Operator
Este es un GRAN disco de pop ochentero. Por supuesto, conocía Smooth Operator, pero no conocía ninguna de las otras. El álbum tiene un "feeling" muy similar al de 'The Nightfly', y me agradó el uso de instrumentos electrónicos, que le dan una textura muy característica a la música de esta época.
Leyendo el artículo de Wikipedia del disco me enteré que se considera parte del género "Sofisti-pop" y creo que ya entendí que ese es el género que no me gusta. No sé qué se traían en los 80, que creían que toda la música debía sonar "sexy" y de cachondeo. Y la verdad es que podría ser que a ratos funcione, pero discos (o géneros) enteros de eso, no gracias. La voz de Sade (/ʃɑːˈdeɪ/ shah-DAY) es de hecho muy agradable aunque solo a ratos, y encima el resto de los elementos se vuelven tediosos y creo que la principal culpa es el ritmo de bossa nova y el sonido de piano eléctrico como de bar de Sanborn's.
Generic ass middle of the road, nauseatingly smooth and uninspiring jazz sung with a boring vocal performance, what am I missing here? Best part is obviously the instrumentals, they carry Sade hard.
3 1/2
I like her voice. Smooth Operator brings back good memories. This could have been a good R&B album if not for being over-produced; as was typical in the mid '80s. It was a great album at the time, but hasn't aged very well.
its ok, background music for me
Some of it is way too cheesy 80s but Cherry Pie is great. Groove. Gave it 4 stars just because I'm obsessed with Cherry Pie now.
Nearly perfect
Un album très agréable à écouter. J'ai particulièrement apprécié le moment où Sade chante ♫ Shine bright like a diamond life, shine bright like a diamond life, We're beautiful like diamonds life in the sky ♫. Très sympa.
Je tiens a saluer le travail effectué par Robert depuis que mon camarade d'ecoute robpeucher l'a alerté sur la baisse de qualité des albums du generateur. En effet, nous sommes gâtés ces derniers jours, même si je me doute bien que dès l'instant ou je presserai la troisième étoile, afin d'attribuer à cet album une très belle note de 3/5 (le système de notation n'ayant toujours pas changé, une étoile égalant 1/5, deux étoiles 2/5 etc etc), un nouvel album de rock completement oubliable fera son apparition.
Smooth. My employer uses 'Your love is king' as its hold music. Customers have complained that, having had to wait so long, they can't enjoy the song any more. One customer said hearing the song outside of the work environment induced panic attacks.
Fantastic voice. But really, apart from the singles, the album was a bit samey
Bah, normal. Agradable. Electro-R&Balternative R&Belectronica. Un 3
I liked the way that she told stories with her lyrics in Sally, Cherry pie, When am I going to make a living, etc. Kind of a sexual album
This was a surprise knowing the first song to kick off the album. Really enjoyed this jazzy soul like album!
Smooth operator un folded a mini memory tucked away in my brain. Pretty cool
Poorly aged pseudo-jazz for romancing yuppies. And there was I thinking "smooth jazz" was only a radio format. It's real and it's inoffensively insipid.
Very good start with smooth operator. Pleasant background listening. I was surprised when it was over, left wanting more. Good album I think
People do be having sex
Musical equivalent of wallpaper.
fine
Non offensive background music. Is this what easy listening is?
Diamond Life's music is silky smooth and enjoyable to the point that I was pretty frequently bummed when the songs faded out in the middle of the group's musicians picking up business. Sade's a talented vocalist, but on top of the lyrics being pretty generic love song fodder (though a few thematic diversions keep it from being as exhausting as Let Love Rule), I'm just not that into her voice on a lot of these tracks. If you threw someone like Chrissy Hynde on here, though, it'd be the sexiest shit on Earth. Key Tracks: Smooth Operator, Hang On to Your Love, When Am I Going to Make a Living
3/5
From easy listening to soulful punches, incorporating R&B, soul, jazz, and even disco, there seems to be something for everyone... That is until I read the top reviews of this site. Not sure how anyone could hate this. It's not boring or repetitive or annoying but rather borrows from a diverse range of styles with pulling hooks to keep each track interesting. First track is a masterpiece, 2nd track is pretty good, and the rest follows.
This was rad, I would like to put this on again.
Silky vocals, smoothe saxophone, great songs -I love this. This is nice relaxing music. A couple of five star tracks and above average on the balance. Easy 4 stars.
Cool sound to start the album, then it felt like Sade used that one cool sound and worked it to death, not trying anything else.
The Best!
Her voice paired with the soothing jazz music is so impeccable.
I wasn't expecting to be as into this album as I am. It's so smooth, funky, and jazzy. The musicianship is fantastic and Sade's vocals are phenomenal as well. The drums and bass are locked in and are doing really interesting lines and rhythms in the background. This is a marvelously produced album and is sequenced and mixed very well. In retrospect, it makes total sense that I love this album as I love funk and jazz. I was expecting something more dated I think.
54. Treze horas e um minuto, aponta num rabisco que ninguém perceberá. Três mulheres com batas muito azuis e unhas de gel atrozes vão passar a folha de mão em mão, em busca de um sinal, uma letra, um tique de escrita, qualquer coisa. Uma já lhe conhece o estilo. Mas desta vez foi demais. Na sala escura por defeito, duas luzes transformam o momento mais importante da vida da Rainha num talho. Olha para as luzes até tudo lhe parecerem tiras incandescentes. O Rei está calmo por fora. É ele com a faca, a tesoura e a pinças que separam o ventre da Rainha em dois. Beep beep beep. Do balcão, os príncipes sustêm a respiração, já nem parece natural. Para aliviar a tensão, um dos bobos diverte-os. Apanha pequenas bolotas no ar e devora-as, num precário balanço entre o fantástico e o desastre. À quinta tinha de ser. A bolota embate no canto da boca, ressalta no beiral da varanda, queda livre para o ventre, plop!, ligeiro salpico. O Rei não se intimida. A sua fluidez desliza até à ponta do bisturi. MotA: Smooth Operator "He's laughing with another girl / And playing with another heart"
Just okay. Pretty run of the mill 80s rnb pop. Smooth operator is obviously a classic. Nothing really bad but not much really caught my attention either aside from maybe Cherry Pie. Wouldn’t turn it off if it was on, but wouldn’t be the one to put it on.
I like it but nearly every song sounds the same.
Absolute banger. Sax for days.
Get the cultural importance, but not my cup of tea
It was a big joke to listen to Sade when I was a kid. Now that I’m grown, this record is excellent. Smooth vibes throughout and she is in complete control of her voice and sound throughout the record.
OK didnt set my world alight at the time or now.
Fine, a bit samey and borin
If I was scoring a movie in the 80's and there was a sex scene, I'd definitely try to license a track or two off this album. Also, Smooooooth operator.
I recognize that this is good music, but it's just not my bag. It's not bad ('cept for that 'why can't we live together' song, Jesus tits that's bad), I don't mind listening to it so much, but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.
-Smooth Operator was nice -Hang on to your Love is catchy -I like the baseline in Cherry Pie Perfectly fine, just not my style
Kind of lame but good all at the same time. I enjoy the fusion of jazz and pop but the lyrics are really cheesy. Not something I’ll be coming back to. Makes decent inoffensive background music.
Not bad. Like a couple songs but not for me overall
Sexy
Decent album of smooth jazz. A few strong tracks, led by 'Smooth Operator.' Glad I listened to it, but would not put it into regular rotation.
Pretty good album, solid songs.
Not my cup of tea
Overall: not bad - Immaculately produced, smooth jazz feel gets wearing after a few tracks Did I add to library? No Tracks I liked: Your love is king, Hang on to your love Tracks I didn’t like: Cherry Pie, Sally, disappointing version of Timmy Thomas song
Best Tracks: Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King, Hang On to Your Love, Frankie's First Affair, Cherrie Pie
Excellent bass lines with crazy smooth and soulful jazz over it. Can't not groove to it, but so smooth it's always relaxing. Favorite song: Hang On To Your Love
Now this makes me feel like a natural woman
nice and vibey! i get some amy winehouse vibes from it. adds: 0 highlights: frankies first afair, i will be your friend
A little bit boring. 6.1/10
got some good songs in the middle
Very much not for me
Really enjoyable. Nice vibes
Smooth Operator absolute banger
- SMOOTH OPERATOR!!! MY JAM!!!! although i do like the single version better - the saxophone in your love is king makes my heart do rolly pollies - hang on your love is my new fav it's so calm yet catchy at the same time. i'm listening to it lying down in the sun and the experience is transcendental (duh i googled the spelling) - i could never get tired listening to her voice ever. that smoother than butter huskiness. yeah.
Classic R&B with a modern touch.
Gorgeous music, been listening to this a lot.
Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. Nice and funky!
Smooth, sophisticated, but not over crowded jazzy pop music with THAT voice. Very cool, good for sunny days and relaxed evenings.
The music is very well played/sung and very well-produced. But it's slick and inoffensive to the point where there's nothing interesting about it. I can't really see this as anything else than background music.
First 2 tracks absolute Smooth classics. Was really ready to give this a 4 after the first 2 tracks but because its not massively my genre it dipped to a 3 in the middle and felt more like background music. Decent though, last track real good too. Good late night album. M-people defo took inspiration. 3.5 so rounded up to a 4.
I had a visceral reaction to this album, like a child revoking after touching a hot stove for the first time. I was driving faster on my way to work as if I could outrun the music. It feels like robots. It feels like lies. It’s like a nice glassy wrapped package that someone left empty. It has all the heart of the incidental music of a summertime Hallmark movie. Hopefully I won’t cross paths with this album again.
Good vibes & memories of lyrics long forgotten
smooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth pretty inoffensive.
Smooth jazz, nope
Ok but not great
A nice chilled listen!
Okay listening.
Enjoyed this a lot. Only listened once so not completely sure of this rating, but comfortable with a strong 3 Saved: Smooth Operator
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Hang on to Your Love Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Blech. Not for me.
It was okay, but didn't really grab me. 2/5
smooth operator is a catchy tune. beats are pretty neat for 84, but grating cheesy lyrics won out. 2 minutes into frankie, i turned my stereo off from the toilet and finished shitting in silence.
Fantastic
80's slick. Patrick Bateman would murder hookers to this music. Not for me. Best tracks: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair, Cherry Pie
Una mezcla de jazz y r&b, 80s, un timbre algo grave para ser una mujer pero es lo que la hace especial <333