Diamond Life

Smooooooooth

Perfect background music for getting a tooth drilled.

Great, one listen and now I'm pregnant.

Nice album. Obviously Smooth Operator is an iconic song, but I really think I liked Cherry Pie the most, very good

Summer in the 80s—smooth jazz

Album 100. Diamond Life — Sade (1984) It's the 100th! So, it'll be not just a review, but a little reflection on the challenge too. What's the album! Absolute banger. It's a streak of really good albums, I love it. It's a pleasure to listen to her less popular songs. This album has so many great-sounding sax solos. We need more..sax🎷 Sound is so smooth, jazzy and funky. Sade's voice is fantastic. The album feels relaxing, emotional, chill, tender. It's a crime that her Love Delux album isn't on the list. Fuck you Robert Dimery. During the first hundred albums, I was already tired of listening to one shitty British rock album just after another. It's so fucking annoying to get 5 shitty noisy or just almost similar albums that I can hardly distinguish the next hour after listening. Sometimes it feels like torture. In everything else, I only see advantages and I enjoy the process. I learned about new bands. Expanded my playlist. It gives me a push to listen to more albums that were not included on the list, like it'll be with Sade's Love Delux album. I'm gonna listen to it later off the challenge. And English. It has become easy to write, my AI tutor has to fix fewer and fewer of my mistakes. It means it's time to make my texts more complex, to reach new altitudes. There are more than 980 albums remaining to listen to. Yeap, on the website list almost eleven hundred albums because it includes albums from all book editions. 4/5 Liked songs: — Smooth Operator — Your Love Is King — Hang On to Your Love — Cherry Pie

Jeg hadde begynt å ane at jeg kunne være en Sade fan. Sophisti-Pop, Smooth Soul, Doomsday... Men det er først nå jeg har satt meg ned med et album. Konklusjon: skiva fucker. Jeg er klar til å krone en ny dronning av 80-tallet. Da jeg så at dette var den eneste(!) skiva hennes på lista (hvor mange hadde Morrissey igjen?) måtte jeg sette på det som visstnok er hennes opus, Love Deluxe, med det samme. Sjukt digg. Produksjonen er off the charts. Hører at Everything but the Girl har hatt Sade som et av de store forbildene. Walking Wounded er basically Sade: club edition.

Dette var smooth. Da er det vel per def yacht rock? Fin popmusikk og plata føles ikke overprodusert som så smoothe plater pleier å være. Har hele tiden trodd "Smooth Operator" var en Sting-låt, så det var greit å få puttet halen på eselet. Hadde ikke hørt noen av de andre låtene før, men er flere perler. Særlig "When Am I Going To Make A Living", bare gi meg enda litt mer av det orgelet i starten.

Dette var den første LPen jeg eide. I åttende klasse kjøpte jeg den billigste platespilleren på Clahs olson (tror den kosta 400kr eller noe), så gikk jeg rett til gledeshuset og kjøpte denne for en tier. For en plate! Jeg var bare 12-13 og ante ikke at dette var sexy musikk engang, bare digga musikken i seg selv. Når jeg hører den igjen nå står den seg fortsatt veldig godt!

Decent the first time. No need to listen again except smooth operator was fun because I already knew it

Dope

Auch viel Schmalz

Je connaissais uniquement le morceau 'Smooth operator' de Sade, en particulier sa superbe ligne de basse. Les autres morceaux, plutôt soul que jazz, sont sympas à écouter : basse, sax et clavier (accompagnement et chorus), et voix plutôt agréable. Mais parfois les morceaux sont inutilement longs, avec trop de chant et pas assez de chorus pour relever l'ensemble. Je l'écouterais probablement de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra donc pas ma collection. =>3/5

Damn Sade fire

O álbum começa só com Smooth Operator. Só. Pqp 6 estrelas. A Sade é muito pica

Sade é rainha absurda, esse album é um dos motivos do amor existir.

This is a classic from my time! Solid album...4 stars because it is great but don't think I would buy it

One of the best albums ever made. I listened to this one in the 80s until the cassette wore out.Sade has a voice like it’s floating in the clouds

SMOOOTH OPERATOR

Sade doesn’t make many bad songs huh? It all just sounds so smooth, I could listen to this all day long

Smooth jazzy pop, pleasant singing over elevator music but in a good way. I enjoyed it

Jazzy and poppy and pretty fun but chill. I like it

Love makin’ music

One of my little musical theories is the better looking an artist is, the duller their music will be. Generally, it’s a sound concept, but Sade is a definite exception. I saw her once, around about the time of Diamond Life, shopping in a London market, and she was utterly captivating, like she’d been beamed down from another planet to cheer us all up. As for the album, Diamond Life feels like a midnight tour through the capital’s classier joints, cool, confident and pleasingly smooth. Pop, jazz and soul fuse effortlessly; emotionally punchy but never oversold. It’s remarkable how well it holds up. 9/10

This is a fabulous album. It is also *very* much a sound of it's times. It is dripping with the sort of 80's production styling that has not aged well and makes albums from this era sound dated and cliche. But for this album, it *works*. This album is what all those bad 80's albums desperately wanted to be, but could never achieve. In fact, it does those 80's stylings so well that I can't imagine this album *without* them. If this had been made 10 years later with different production sensibilities it would not have been as perfect as it is.

Sade is underrated!

Smoooootttthh operator

Fantastic debut album from Sade with a super strong opening to the album. "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love is King" both still get regular plays on smooth jazz radio stations to this day and other songs like "Hang On to Your Love" and "When Am I Going to Make a Living" have also had great staying power. Sade's voice is iconic and uniquely hers and the album is altogether a great jazz experience.

I enjoyed this album quite a bit. The fact that this was her debut album makes it even more impressive. If I had one complaint, I would say the basslines get a little repetitive. Four stars. (Favorite track: Smooth Operator.)

This album packed a lot more bass than I expected. It was pretty great. Smooth Operator will probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

Who knew something so smooth could come from England? Major respect to Sade, although I love this kind of music anyway.

A very smooth listen. 3.5

even great music can become torture when you work at a barnes and noble and it's one of the only albums that can be played in the store, so i was wary of a sade album i hadn't heard before but it was pretty good and i hadn't heard all of it a thousand times

moving through space with minimal waste and maximum joy !!!

Didn’t love

Smooth. Always loved a bit of Sade. Tight band. Good groove and Sade’s smooth as silk voice. Time travel back to the 80s thanks to the sax, but stands up really well. Arrived fully formed and mined the same seam from here on, so the debut is the best for me. Solid 3

Nothing I didn't already expect going in. Sade is brilliant, but I already knew the vibe. Maybe I wast feeling it that day

Smooooooooooth operatoooooooooor Je savais pas que c'était d'elle Et je pensais que c'était un mec qui chantait, un peu le grain de voix de George Michael je trouve :') Mais quoi qu'il en soit un banger d'album, c'est soul et groovy

J’ai le vinyle, j’aime trop Sade, la vibe autour de ses chansons…. C’était pas compliqué de noter !!

C'est marrant je suis tombé sur un reel de Sade ce matin sur insta et je me disais que je voulais écouter sa disco davantage. Smooth Operator est vraiment iconique, Sade a une voix sans faux

A voice as elegantly smooth as the correct pronunciation of her name.

More complex than expected for R and B.

Turns out, I'm an 80's vintage contemporary adult. Who knew? Amazing singer w/good lyrics. Band is tight. And all this time I thought they only wrote 2 songs.

I mean it's Sade... Timeless classic. Incredibly soulful instrumentals and silky smooth vocal delivery. I feel like the Album loses it's momentum towards the end a bit but it still manages to deliver an overeall very enjoyable listening experience.

Not my thing but still good music

Banger

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

I don’t really know what to expect out of this one as I’m going in completely blind! Smooth operator, as an opener was cool. I liked the smooth jazz vibes and the beat. There is a lot to listen to with this track! I’ve heard this song before but not in its entirety, and definitely not a close listen. Your love is king reminds me of the music my mom used to listen to when I was growing up. That kind of slow, rhythmic, melodic vibe. Hang on to your love was a brilliantly groovy little track! This was a highlight for me for sure! Moving forward, Frankie’s first Affair brings back that melodic vibe. In the best way possible, I could fall asleep to this. The vocals, the jazzy piano, the horns, it’s all very relaxing. I love the percussion in When am I going to make a living, and I think I’m going to be humming Cherry Pie for the rest of the day. The way that Sally escalated at the end was awesome! A really cool piece of music. I’ll be your friend had some really nice vocals! Why can’t we live together was a good closer to this album! Pretty vocals, music that I really like, and recognize, but I can’t place, and a nice vibe. Overall, 8/10, 4/5 ⭐️! Thought this album was really good, loved the way it carried itself the whole way through. 26/1089

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.

Solid stuff all the way through

Beautiful voice but nothing stuck out beyond the opening track.

Perfecta

SADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FAVS (top 3): smooth operator, your love is king, i will be your friend mençoes honrosas: when am i going to make a living, why cant we live together ela meio q arrasa nota final: 4/5

Pure class

Mais um álbum que surpreendeu. A faixa que abre o álbum eu já conhecia e achava boa. O disco possui outras excelentes músicas. Curti. QoA Cloudscape.

3.5. Very smooth and engaging in the moment, I thought it was going to end up being 4 stars, but it hasn't really stuck with me into the next day. I'd listen to it again though, and definitely see what people like about it.

Fand ich geil

Chillige Background-Bumsmusik

Solido

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

6.5/10 - Not a genre or style that I have a lot of experience in. A fine album but not one I would revisit often.

It's easy listening and there are some great songs here, but it's not anything that blew me away. 7/10

this is so catchy! I wanna have it. 5/5 Doesnt feel british at all!

Dated 80s jazz based soft rock. Smooth Operator still sounds good. The rest works as background music, but is boring if you are actually concentrating on it.

Hot take but kinda whatever

It’s definitely smooth.

Fenomenal!!!

Not my style at all but I like her voice. A very good, peaceful album.

Imagine having Diamond Life as your debut and then going on to make even greater albums. That’s Sade for you. The band is smooth, funky, jazzy, and razor-tight. Sade Adu is one of the most elegant singers of all time, delivering effortless vocals while strutting barefoot across the stage. It honestly doesn’t matter which song is on. Everything Sade touches is a gift to any music lover. 9.5/10.

Yea idk I dont really have any strong opinions on this one. It's not bad, its just not really my thing. I liked Smooth Operator tho, 6.5/10

Favorite Songs: Cherry Pie, Smooth Operator, Sally Least Favorite Song: Why Can't We Live Together This being the only Sade album on the list deeply saddens me. Even though this isn't my favorite album of theirs, I love Sade more than words can express and this was automatically going to get a 5. Listening to Sade reminds me of my mom in a really comforting way. Sade's music feels like drinking an ice cold glass of water while relaxing on the beach.

This got a 5 for me

Classic 80s bath in smooth saxophone sounds!

Carlos Sainz dancing in the background hahaha

From the very first notes I could tell I would not enjoy this album. Why does Kenny G get the brunt of the ridicule when this is essentially the same except with a female vocalist. Awful

in breve: bello ma monotono

Non l’ho sentito

This was a nice album. I had heard Smooth Operator. The longer this album went on the more I liked. It may be one that I come back to as I expect it is better on a relisten

Smoooooth operatoooor

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.

oh yeah...smooth operator!!

Definitely didn't realise a few of these songs were Sade. Liked it - definitely smooth and funky, but still a product of the 80s which I'm yet to be converted to. Can see the vibe, but not totally feeling it.

Great vibe and voice

Great first album for Sade. Love her sultry voice. Great mix of Pop, Jazz, R&B.

3.5

3.5

2.5

There is so much about this album I can admire. She's got an incredible voice. The musicianship of this album is impeccable. I can truly see how this can move people. But it only moves me so far. I don't totally know if I can 💯 pinpoint why. But my only two real critical notes are the keys (and somewhat the production as a whole) has a that mid 80s glossy sterile feel. Sometime the playing overcomes the production, but there is an overall lack of grit to the sound. The second is this album picks a lane right at the beginning of the album and stays in it for 45 min. Still, I have an admiration of this album. It be wasn't until this fouth track that I really started to get restless listening to this. And quite frankly the closer "Why Can't We Live Together" has a kind of dirty instrumental vibe for the first half, even if the lyrics from the second half came from the 60s hippy dippy playbook). It at least made me take note where the rest of the album blended into each other I've often been torn about where to place this in a ranking because I think I have total admiration to the style, but for some reason I have always felt disengaged from the actual product 7.4 ★★★½

Nice playing, but very much bachgroune music. 3.5 stars

Apologies in advance to those that enjoy this, but this album doesn't do it for me. I think it both sounds incredibly cheesy and the songs just don't resonate with me either. I guess "Cherry Pie" is my favorite track, but I enjoy it significantly less than the Warrant song of the same name. 1.5 stars.

4.5

Diamondlicious! Sade a bit of a reedy, parched sounding goddess on this one. A lot of cocktail-splishing smooth jazz/sophistipop supremacy with Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King and the like. Plus a damn fine slice of Cherry Pie! Does end on a sour patch though with the cobwebby, crumtacular Why Can’t We Live Together. That one be more like rhinestones. High 4.5 overall.

Solid from front to back

Helt okej, kul med Smooth Operator, antar att detta är originalet men visste inte att de var en kvinna.

Desde el arranque es un discazo: "Smooth Operator", "Your Love Is King" "Hang on to Your Love" o "When Am I Going to Make a Living". El sonido de una época con unos directos que hay por YouTube que merecen verse con tranquilidad.

Nice

Smooth Operator, definetly a classic. Very average album in other aspects.

This was smooth.

I LOVE everything Sade does. This album is just precious.

Album tres jazzy, réconfortant à écouter avec des classiques de Sade. Album iconique mais parfois légèrement redondant, voix grave qui emporte facilement. Saxo qui ponctue l’album

Muy bueno, a mi mami le gusta mucho

Starts off really strong - Smooth Operator and Your Love is King are certifiable bops, but the rest of the album feels underdeveloped.

2.5

She’s got a great, soulful voice. A groovin’ band behind her. I mildly enjoyed Smooth Operator, but the rest of the album is a surprising delight. It takes some real musicianship to keep it funky in such a laid back platform.

Really nice album. Sade has a beautiful voice, accompanied by some really nice jazzy instrumentation. I had never listened to Sade before, but I really enjoyed this one.

Если это и попса, то попса здорового человека. Не скажу, что понравилось, но для фоновой музыки пойдёт.

Pretty great. Listened to it twice over the course of a few weeks after my first listen, and hearing it again I feel more comfortable with this rating than I did my first listen, as I probably would've rated this much lower had I not given it time to settle in. Great songs and pretty easy listen to have on in the background

molto carino, le ho aggiunte tutte per risentirle quindi top in più ho scoperto Smooth Operatooooor

My first Sade album. Never realized “Smooth Operator” was her. Appreciate her distinctive husky voice and the general atmosphere of this transfixing album.

Ja ok kult ikkr hørt så mye på pop soul men veldig frisørsalong typ greier jeg likte det var funky rolig beroligende kunne sovnet til noe av dette veldig smooth musikk jes men sånn samtidig ikke noe veldig spesiellt liksom litt søvnig litt treigt ofc det er ikke noe galt med det bare ikke helt min greie men jes greit nok album 3/5

This is a really good background album. Good vibes all the way through. Instrumental is top notch.

Not for me

Love

In some ways Sade was a direct influence on Red hot chili peppers (horniness)

Diamon Life is incredible. I only knew Smooth Operator going into this, but after listening to the whole album, wow! Every single song is a hit! No one’s doing it like Sade.

it was really good!! it was unique i loved the percussion

Another brief but very positive review. Perfect family vacation album. Cool, relaxing, smoky sax. My 91 year old mom had no complaints.

It's a classic, three back-to-back hits. But the album becomes background music for me in the second half. But still beautiful music.

Great intro album. Having listened to later Sade albums first before Diamond Life it’s exciting to hear her early sound and think about how she evolves over each work.

Nice chill album for a smokey cigarette filled bar in the 80s. 5.5/10

i love sade and i can’t believe it took me this long to listen to one of her albums, overall i rly liked this album

Not sure I knew much of Sade beyond Smooth Operator but this album of smooth jazz went down smooth. Glad I got introduced to her more than the one hit.

More than flutes, great storytelling! But, who is aqualung? Cross eyed Mary? Sone scary characters... So glad i listened.

Banger van een album, 9,5/10

What a great album, love it!

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.

Smooth Operator the BANGER that you are. Γενικά όλο το άλμπουμ σε αυτό το vibe συνεχίζει και είναι εξαιρετικό. Βγάζει γενικά έναν ερωτισμό και groovy vibes ιδανικά για dinner parties (τρομάρα μου)

Love the vocals, like the overall funk, great sax, some nice piano. Pretty decent album. Highlights: "Smooth Operator" - obvious classic for a reason. "Cherry Pie" - involuntary-head-bob song.

Easy listening at its finest. Every bit of this record is enjoyable. The lyrics are great on this. Heavy focus on the love songs but Sade has the voice to match the love song vibe. There is clearly a lot of talent in both Sade the singer & Sade the band. The music sounds so neat, and displays a nice balance of R&B and jazz. A particular bit that really stood out for me was the saxophone solo in ‘Sally’, absolutely astounding. I love the freedom they had in there sounds and that they pushed there experimental ideas, although minimal, if you listen properly you can hear all those fun ideas and sounds they’ve put into this record. Favourite tracks are: ‘Smooth Operator’, ‘Sally’, ‘Your Love Is King’, ‘When Am I Going to Make a Living’, ‘Cherry Pie’.

Decent album, nothing crazy but decent

Lovely

3.5

Jazzy and easy, moody and rhythmic and more timeless I thought it'd be even though it was full on 80s. I've never heard of Sade even though they're apparently really popular. Definitely not what I normally listen to but this was pretty good. Liked the bass part on When Am I Going to Make a Living and the slow start of Why Can't We Live Together.

Listening Notes Band sounds great and Sade's voice is the main attraction here Some good jams on here but not a ton going on at the same time? Really solid debut Standout Tracks "Smooth Operator", "Hang On to Your Love", "When Am I Going to Make a Living" First time? Yes Will it go into your rotation? Probably not

Awful.

Leuke achtergrond muziek maar te eentoning om de echt naar te luisteren luisteren. 3/5

Sade has a beautiful voice. Nothing too crazy here though.

It’s funky, there’s so much sax, it’s a good time, just not really my kinda vibe.

This album is so good, their music always sounds kind of timeless bc it doesn’t chase trends and Sade’s voice is so ethereal and otherworldly.

Ah I remember this album fondly back in the day, I would use this as my love making music. It was so enjoyable I would play this back to back each time as I gave my lady 44 minutes of undivided attention, then preceded to make love for the second 44 minutes under the ceiling mirror and on the silk sheets covering my heart shaped bed.

Very chill vibe, love smooth operator of course. The rest of the album wasn’t bad at all and was easy to listen to. Did not enjoy the last 3 songs nearly as much as the rest.

You can feel that 80s groovy love oozing from this one

Very smooth bass. Deliciously 80's drum tracks. Jazzy guitar. I was previously familiar with Smooth Operator and was delighted to find that the rest of this album carries the sounds and vibes of that song. No surprises or excess, and definitely no risks taken - in the end, you get only what you expect from this album, so you'd better enjoy this 80's style of saxophone-Casio-jazz rock.

All Timer

Gostosinho e sensual Porém não me pegou muito

Nice

Honestly, get why it’s a classic. Fantastic mix of soul, jazz. You can feel her emotion in the way she sings.

- tää on jo mun 'lp levyt jota pitäisi hankkia' listalla - on hyvä meno

didnt listen to all of it, but i did while playing a game and it was peaceful

Sublime.

absolutely love this album, the voice, the lyrics, the sound, it’s just perfect

9/10

what a VOICEEEEE. I want to play this at a schmooozy dinner party where everyone is dressed up and drinking wine. favourite songs - smooth operator (obvs), cherry pie

It’s really good but not my vibe. Didn’t wanna keep listening

My 4/5th favourite Sade album, still great though. 8.something

great music

Somehow empty. This record contains a lot of things that feel like maybe they should appeal to me. Unfortunately in this finished package, they just don't. There's something about the execution that just feels empty and shallow to me

Smooth

Not for me

I just could not finish this - so boring and dated.

I liked it more than I thought I would going into listening to it. Lots of sax.

Chill 80s music, a couple of known songs, I listen to this album while doing my monthly recap and it was a good vibe for the tasks. It had some song that I wanted to skip, but it was entertaining

Smoooooooooth operator

For old time sake...

My rating 3.3

What a banger album! One after the other, how do you pick a winner? I'm biased but this will be a 5/5 for me

If you’ve heard one Sade album, you’ve heard them all. She’s like Bjork. Never straying from her typical sound. This is mid in any category she’s supposed to be in. I will say, I like how hard the drums hit. Great production move. Choice cut: Smooth Operator

You can't knock Sade, really people?! He voice is like pure gold silk threads caressing your mind. A lot of key tracks on this album. it's smooth, jazzy, just enough pop and that cool jazz is to die for.

imagina debutar com uma pedrada dessa

Had so much fun listening to this album :)

I completely understand why this is on the list cause it’s very good but it doesn’t immediately speak to me. BUT Sally is an incredible song and I keep randomly singing sallyyyyyyyy around the house.

Overall Sade is beautiful, her voice complements the jazzy instrumentals so so so well. Everything about the album feels so smooth and ethereal. I just can't comprehend the level of talent here, and it sounds like it's done so effortlessly. But, as a collective of songs, some of them just kind of let me down, it somewhat ruins the album as a whole. Particularly 'cherry pie,' 'Sally', and 'why can't we live together' Majority of these songs will be added to my liked songs, but the album won't be on repeat. 1. Smooth operator ⭐ 2. Your love is king 👍 3. Hang on to your love ⭐ 4. Frankie's first affair 👍 5. When am I going to make a living ⭐ 6. Cherry pie 👍 7. Sally 👍 8. I will be your friend ⭐ 9. Why can't we live together 👍

Jazzy

For what this is it’s pretty much a perfect album. Just wouldn’t want to listen to it all the time.

I love Sade! Just not what I thought it’d be

Instrumentals are unique and calming. Harmonies are nice. Not my type of music. Sally was my favorite song.

yessssss 10/10 no notes

Tellement bien de réécouter Sade - quel Groove de si bon matin - je prends autant de plaisir à l’écouter - well done

15/20 Album difficile a juger A la fois, il est très agréable a écouter, plusieurs musique qui restent dans la tête (dont Smooth Operator évidemment) et un goût de reviens y (j'ai probablement écouter l'album au moins 4 à 5 fois en deux jours). A la fois, je l'ai trouvé un peu plan. Je n'ai pas réussi a accrocher pleinement a l'album, ni a distinguer les musiques entre elles. Musicalement, il manque quelques chose. Ça reste une belle découverte.

I enjoyed this album. A chill and soulful listen. This is an 80s sound that feels ahead of its time. I did feel like a lot of the songs felt samey, but they all sound great, so I wasn’t too fussed. Would give 3.5 if I could.

By the time I got to 'Frankie's First Affair' I couldn't believe there was another sax solo. Some undeniable classics here, all round great album but the opening four tracks just need some variation for me. 3.5

Didn’t do it for me

Smooth, but forgettable

Great, pretty album, good lounge pop, although ultimately I think it fails to keep consistent level until the end.

not my scene but appreciate iconic songs

The bass in pretty much every song was amazing. Pretty decent album, overall.

Smoooooooooth operatooooooor This is chill

not bad

bangers throughout, can not fathom this was their debut. incredible stuff

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

loved it!!! sade is so goated

She has a great lounge bar voice. Unfortunately only a few songs stand out. Overall a bit forgetable.

- love smooth operator so funky and fun - hang onto your love is unfortunately a song ruined by playing at work so much - when am I going to make a living so relevant to me in this moment bc im hungry but I have to wait - loved sally rly appreciate the switch up in vibe to this like story - i will be your friend cute jazzy and sweet - cool album. Her voice is super gripping like very soulful and elegant. I think some songs are ruined for me bc of work which I think makes me connect with it less than I would but some songs especially I like and it’s pleasing and jazzy

4 stars

So good

It may be the start of a new year, but brilliance never needs change. Sade is one of my favorite artists of all time, and the refined and well-curated excellence of their work shines so clearly in this debut.

Faves: Smooth Operator, Love is King, and When Am I Going to Make a Living

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?

Somehow this just barely threads the needs to achieve classic status--instead of floundering into an 80s sore-thumb of synth vibes.

Never much enjoyed Sade, but everyone else’s admiration surely indicates a blind spot on my part.

Really nice.

𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 is smooth, elegant and effortlessly stylish, with Sade’s voice gliding over polished arrangements of soft jazz, soul and pop. The atmosphere is warm and refined, but also very controlled — the kind of sophistication that can drift into sameness when the mood doesn’t shift much. The songwriting is pleasant rather than gripping, and the album relies more on texture and vibe than on standout moments. It’s classy and easy to enjoy, but its calm surface sometimes works against deeper impact.

Genres: Sophisti-Pop/Jazz/Soul Slow 80s chill Musik, durchgehend im gleichen ruhigen Stil. Ein bisschen sehr gleichförmig und ruhig zum Ende hin, trotzdem solides Album. Rating: 8/10 Top 3: 🥇 Smooth Operator 🥈 Hang On to Your Love – Long Version 🥉 Your Love Is King HM: Frankie's First Affair

Love albums with a theme. Fav song: Hang onto your love

Very easy to listen to

Rock jazz, synth pop Smooth operator Hang on to your love Cherry pie

Easy listening..better than I expected.

#224/1001. This is muzak for rich millionaires' paid escorts to slowly strip their clothes off to.

SMOOOOTH OPERAAATAAAAAAAAAH Nicely recorded, not my normal style of music but I can appreciate it.

Sade is one of those many artists of which I am happy to listen to if a single is played on the radio but don’t really want to explore further. This is a nice blend of pop/soul but it didn’t really enthuse me.

НЕВЕРОЯТНО, ШЕДЕВР, БОГАТАЯ ЖИЗНЬ!!!

Really liked this, got me wishing i had a cd of this album. Favorites: smooth operator, when am i going to make a living, cherry pie (HM: why cant we live together, the instrumental is so good that the first 2 minutes without any vocals seemed like 30 seconds) 7.8/10

Finally and album that is not hipster BS. You can have something that sounds beautiful and shows exceptional skill at every position in this group. It is difficult to make something that sounds that this smooth. Frankly this album shows why there should be way more 80s pop albums on here. I mean real pop albums, the albums that were successful back in the 80s, filled with synthesizers and sheen when they were released not retconned to suit some kind of hipster fever dream like this list keeps trying to enforce.

I fell asleep multiple times while listening to it, but it wasnt bad

A great voice and about the smoothest sound you can imagine. Pretty soon, all the songs start sounding pretty much exactly alike, though.

Great album. I only knew Smooth operator, but every song hits just right. Also the album is very cohesive.

Really great in terms of needed jazz for a whole room revamp.

Really excellent album that I have on vinyl, Sade hit me in 1984, and I saw her “live” on this tour in London, what a voice- soul, Jazz rhythms Beautiful

knew more of these songs than I thought

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.

Has great ambiance but wouldn’t listen to it actively, more as a background

Kalter Wintertag. In der Bahn gehört, Sonne scheint rein, Gesicht erwärmt - 10/10 experience

So vibey, so nice to listen to. It is smooth and satisfying. The songs are a bit long, but honestly, the whole album could be one giant song, so I don't mind too much. The best way to listen to it is as an entire album, while relaxing or reading, and it is perfect for that

Absolute banger. She is the queen of soul pop in my opinion. I don’t understand people who hates her works.

This is one of those albums which has been a staple of FM radio for years, so you think it might be a bit crap. Actually, it's really good!! Sade had that smooth 80s sound down pat early, and cashed in with some great songs and good playing. The first 3 songs (Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King, and Hang On To Your Love) would be familiar to anyone who was anywhere near a radio in the 80s (and ever since then, to be frank), and the 2nd half of the album, whilst less familiar, is also very good.

Kinda liked this one. Smooth Operator is a banger

Hits a sweet spot between clean (bad) and clean (sick) - I'd only listened to Love Deluxe but this felt great to listen to. Had it bumping while walking around the neighborhood on a cold winter night and even over its synthetics, it warmed me up. Favorite Tracks: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair, When Am I Going to Make a Living, Why Can't We Live Together

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.

Perfectly smooth

Favorite Tracks: - Smooth Operator - Your Love Is King - Hang On To Your Love - When Am I Going to Make a Living - Why Can't We Live Together

Nice.

Sade is a vibe. Smooth Operator to kick off the album? Mmm yes lets goooo. Off to a good start, let's see how the rest goes. I've learned to have a bit more respect for some 80s tunes lately, so I'm becoming more of a fan. Some of it is pretty mid. I still just find a lot of 80s music to be pretty meh, but it wasn't painful to have on in the background while I worked. Didn't kill me. I find it surprising Your Love is King has substantially more plays than Smooth Operator or any other song on the the album on Spotify... It's a pretty damn mid song, especially compared to Smooth Operator. I find there are very few gems that come out of 80s music. The way people made music can be so easily so cheesy, but when done right it can be reallllly good and timeless and just unlike any other era of music (Look at Michael Jackson) but unfortunately so much of 80s tunes just aren't great.

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.

It was good. not my favorite flavor of music but i did like I will be your friend.

It’s so very different from everything I normally gravitate to. I love her vocals. Definitely in the permanent rotation

Yellow cabs. Diamonds. Studio 54. Fur coats. Purple. Grapes off the vine

Smooth & classic; soaked in vintage ‘80s style & tones.

perfect

Holy shit holy shit holy shit I've listened to Love Deluxe and I will praise that album to death as well. I'd honestly give it 5 stars, despite not coming back to it very often. But this, THIS is probably even BETTER than Love Deluxe. It's vibrant, the storytelling and lyricism is S tier, the singing is amazing, the backing vocals, the saxophones, the SMOOTH beats, the crisp production, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING about this is just an entrancing and excellent work of art.

Slightly better than lift music

Like it

I liked this Sade album better. Smooth operator is her best song and the vibe on this album is more fun.

Smooth as fuck

1 - its smooth operator what more can I say !! 2 - love the opening. Voice and instrument hit a place in my brain. 3 - love it ! I knew i liked music like this but this is really good 4 - yep. No notes. I enjoy the lyrics and the instrumental 5 - more upbeat. Very nice 6 - nice bass to open it. Not sure it needed to be 6 mins but very easy to listen to. Had a little dance to it 7 - God I love a good saxophone intro. Unlike the long song before it, I liked that this one was 5 mins. A very cinematic song. 8 - probably my least favourite. Still love the instrumental but somethings not clicking 9 - different to everything else on the album. Necessary.

Listened to it while falling asleep

Absolute banger

gorgeous

vrmt carré, j'ai rempli mon carnet de culture en même temps, il met dans un tres bon mood + il entre dans des genres que j'apprécie beaucoup genre jazz, soul tres smooth et avoir pondu cette masta dinguerie comme premier album c'est carrément iconique

Timeless classic, foundational for soul and r&b. Smooth Operator is such a strong opening. Gets a bit redundant towards the end.

In the lineup for best opening three tracks on an album... This and the 1985 follow-up are incredibly strong releases. It's 5 stars but I'm saving those for opus-level albums so crazy high 4.

didn’t totally listen but love smooth operator, and i’ll defo listen to more of Sade’s stuff, i like her voice.

Love her voice

Just a truly lovely album. Will listen again for sure.

fine

Smooth but unforgettable.

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.

Slaps. Some turns carry this, some are mid, but overall smouldering smooth, sensual, well produced, great low voice. It’s heavy on style and more rather than less backs it with substance. So 80s with the sax and keys but in this case it’s aged well. Can be prone to background musicitis, but nonetheless likeable

3.4

This album, though mellow, is a thing of beauty. The musicianship is fantastic and Sade's sultry vocals are phenomenal as well. The sax intro on Sally...lovely. Listened before? N Saved some tracks? Y Favorite tracks? Smooth Operator, Sally ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved it. Saved several tracks.

Quite mellow for my taste, but great vocals and sax.

Bought this when it came out. Great album

I liked it!

Smooth and perfect, just like the first time I heard it back in the day!

It's fair to say I didn't get this at all when it came out. The singles got played to death, still do I guess, on some radio stations. Listening to the whole thing for the first time ever, 40-odd years later, it still sounds pretty bloody good.

Slow and sexy

Sade is living right. Make an album, go on tour, make a bunch of money, chill out for a decade or so, come back with another album, make more money, go back to your cottage in England and live a happy life, rinse, repeat. The fact that people always show out for the new albums and tours in enviable numbers means she's doing something right. I'm not the best person to judge what she's doing right as whatever this kind of music is (Wikipedia lists the genres as "smooth soul," "sophisti-pop," "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz," and I can only say the last one is wrong, because this isn't any kind of jazz) really isn't my bailiwick, although I certainly don't mind having it on. It's pleasant and polished, and the music production side of me approves. Even though the album is forty years old, it doesn't feel like it needs a remaster. It's not very exciting (to me), but if I were in the mood to just listen to something to chill out, you could do far worse.

Definition of bland.

Not really my bag, but appreciate it's beautifully made.

Too easy for my listening

It's probably a bit "smooth" for my liking, good background music.

Really enjoyed this album. Production is insane and Sade is an amazing vocalist

Not really my type of music but damn she can sing and her band is pretty damn good as well. I wanted to hate this since the 80’s but after listening to the whole album I just can’t be a hater any longer.

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.

Beautiful, gorgeous, jaw dropping, a spectacle. And that’s just me describing Sade’s looks

A few real gems here surrounded by 80s waiting room (yes I was there)

Day 122 My penis has a Pavlovian response to this album, probably shouldn’t have listened whilst I was out shopping. Anyone have the number for a good lawyer? Highlights Smooth Operator Cherry Pie

Technically competent, thoroughly not for me

Consistent. Brilliant. Smooth.

Good study music

fav songs: the whole album now that's what I call peak music! I feel happy and chill and like hopeful at the same time. I would for sure play this if I had aux at a function

Wonderful album. As an 80s kid, I enjoyed their hit singles and I watched their Live Aid performance on TV. This, my first run through of a full album, was every bit as good as I had hoped. This doesn't suffer "dated-ness" as much as a lot of early/mid 80s music does. For example, the drums are mixed like real drums, synths are kept in check, etc. It's a great performance. It's no surprise this band has been uber-succesful. Focusing, and excelling, in a Jazzy Dance genre (whatever name you call it) gained them chart huge crossover acceptance. The songs are almost a little too immaculate. But, that makes two songs particularly shine out: "Frankie's First Affair," where Ms. Adu's vocal is the most free, open, and soulful on the whole record (She should to do more like that), and "Sally," a beautiful and emotional tribute to the selfless work of the Salvation Army. That song was the unexpected standout of the album for me. I've added this album to my library and will return again.

Nuthin' but sax and sex on this LP, baby. Sade can hang. 80s as hell, but this time it works for me. Maybe I can rock with pop when you stir some R&B in there too.

Love some of Sade’s songs and others not my cup of tea.

Very chill music with great instrumentation and vocals. This is a great listen both as background music and music to relax after a long day. I enjoyed it pretty much, but it's not a 5 star record though.

fuck yes

Smooth operator may be overplayed, but it's a strong track. The rest of the album is fine. Standard 80s love anthems/R&B. The jazz influence elevates it, but the grade stays a 3.

Smooth Operator holy shit

80s soul debut. Sophisti-pop, very unique voice and characteristic style. Smooth and sexy. Bonking music. Genre is kind of boring to me.

It's a bit cheesy but there's some solid groove in there and even if something feels slightly passé about it, there's loads for the listener here, worth a shot certainly but don't know if I'll ever get back to it (except for Hang On to Your Love maybe).

The hit was a hit for a reason. 1 other decent track id say.

Songs I like -Smooth Operator -Your love is king -Frankie

Better than I expected!

Inoffensive pop masquerading as Jazz, not as bad as modern pop for my tastes but still not worth anything more than a no. Smooth Operator is the best track and every single one is just the same song over and over, so it wins by default.

Opening with Smooth Operator – absolute banger. Sax for days, smooth as you like. Big fan of some tracks on here, which I wasn't expecting. Exceeded expectations!

Baby making music …. lol

4 star elevator music