Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Smoooooooooth operatorrrrrrrrr
Goed album, maar ook niet helemaal mijn ding.
Pretty nice sounding jazzy album.Very relaxing.Sade has a beautiful voice.Great instruments as well.
This was a welcome change from most of the generic pop of the early 80's. Sade's sound oozed feminine cool and was anthemic for many at the time. Very nice.
« Smooth jazz » est devenu synonyme de générique et cheesy; ceci prouve que ça peut être mélodieux et très travaillé. Interprétation vocale impeccable
Excellent
Yup
Rolling stone sucks. This singer isn’t in the top 50 but bob dylan is. Shame.
This is the smoothest smooth jazz I've ever heard. She is the definition of this genre. So beautiful, but I do feel like I'm walking around a Macy's when I hear this style. But I like it
Love deluxe>>>
Ook een erg lekker plaatje, en wat een openings nummer. Ik heb hem op vinyl en hij staat regelen aardig op.
Gewoon lekker. In het zonnetje in de auto rustig naar huis gereden
Sex
отличный альбом. 4++ прям, до 5 не хватило немножко разнообразия и динамики отдельно порадовал оригинал Smooth Operator
вокал и электронщина - это суперкрутое сочетание, которое может многих зацепить
Женская версия Maxwell. Ну может здесь поменьше драм-машинки. Такое всё лёгкое, воздушное, чилловое, спокойное... Под такую музыку приятно круизить на кабриолете где-нибудь по тихим дорожкам. Любителям соула рекомендуется. У Аду очень классный вокал, с лёгкой сипотцой, которая делает его ещё более "релаксирующим"
|Great album
Beautifully done album here. Favorite track: Sally
Buena voz para un estilo definido, con toques de blues y de jazz. Pop ochentero.
Some good tunes on here. Groovy. Soulful. Nice sounds. Great voice. Sot Smooth operator Hang on to your love I will be your friend Why can’t we live together 4/5
otappa metaforinen CHILLI, PILLI ja kuunteleppa... sataa sataa ropisee...pili pili pom, varpaitakin palelee, pili pili, pom pom pom...helppoa kuunneltavaa. laulun lurvotus vähän turhaa.. mielummin olisi pelkkää instrumentaalismia. korvat olisi HÖRÖMMÄLLÄ.. noh pitää niille LISTOILLE PÄÄSTÄ... bilboard top 239320 songs of all time... saatana...liian lähellä 'merikkalaista 80luku pop r ja b esquetta... cherry pie
Great album! I could only listen to it once though, because I can only get so aroused, even while working from home.
Very smooth and chill
love it, perfekt rolig men gøy
Wow, dette var som om noen injiserte fløyelsmyke trøfler inn i ørene mine! Hvis noen spør meg om definisjonen på sexy kvinnestemme så kommer jeg til å sende dem dette albumet :o
Another one I normally wouldn’t have listened to but I like it
Honestly, didn’t start off with high hopes. Smooth Operator was always a fringe song in my mind that lived somewhere between a cheesy Jimmy Buffet song and Faith Hill. However, i really listened to it instead of passing it off and I was pleased with the song itself. What’s more is that as this album went on I really grew to enjoy Sade’s voice. The tracks are minimal and backed with simple drum tracks that appear to come from an electric piano, but are saved by some beautiful sax. Ultimately, her voice is what carries the album and conveys thoughtful lyrics and style. I enjoyed this album.
Some really lovely classic R&B, would have liked a little more variety in style and tempo but I really enjoyed this listen
AAWESOME SAX
loved it- felt like i was in a nightclub i loved the rhythm beat and flow of the music. will definitely listen again
Etwas zu langweilig, repititiv. Songs sind gut aber fast keine stehen heraus. 7/10
enjoyed
Smooth, sexy, beautiful. A very easy listen. The perfect album to relax to. I am already familiar with Sade and have listened to this album many times before. It's not one that I frequent, but one that sometimes pops into my mind, and listening to it again always feels like sinking into a warm bath, or curling up all cozy in bed. Favorite tracks: "Smooth Operator," "Hang On to Your Love," "Frankie's First Affair," and "Why Can't We Live Together."
Score: 80 Album art: 70 When am i going to make a living? This album is produced and mixed impeccably, and not in an annoying squeaky clean way either. It just sounds fantastic. Every single track is good with the exception being the last one. It's just a tad too slow but the lyrics are just not very well thought out or interesting and just come off as corny. I'm not disbelieving that Sade's feelings are genuine but they just don't seem to fit here on the album. Make a living is a much better seriously toned song. Was a very fast listen. Not sure how other people think this is worthy of a 1 or that her vocals aren't good. You're on crack bruh
This is sexy, saxy music! Patrick Bateman would love this shit. There is A LOT of hate on this album but I love me some smooth jazz because I grew up listening to it and I just love this sound. It's perfect background music, but with a little funk added in. Sade has such a pleasant voice and I think she adds enough soul to make this not so incredibly bland. I can agree it probably is too boring and clean for some people to enjoy, but it's a winner for me. Fave Tracks: Smooth Operator, Hang On to Your Love
Bardzo się ucieszyłam gdy trafił mi się ten album bo od dawna planowałam przesłuchać go w całości. Uwielbiam i mam ogromny sentyment do Smooth Operator - kojarzy mi się z moim chłopakiem, który słucha Sade i nocami spędzonymi w Zezie z przyjaciółmi gdy leciał tam ten utwór. Płyta jest bardzo klimatyczna, chillowa. Czuć w niej też lata 80 co jest dla mnie plusem. Myślę, że będę do niej wracać, szczególnie do When am I going to make a living, Frankie's first affair i Your love is king. No i oczywiście Smooth operator. Te utwory spodobały mi się najbardziej, ale album broni się w całości. Brzmi jak jesienny wieczór w jazzowym klubie w latach 80/90 i jak słoneczny poranek w kuchni która ma podłogę w czarno-białe kafelki i pachnie kawą i papierosami.
Funky
Bon album bonne ecoute, tres smooth , se mele bien a ma situation samedi soir feu 5 a 7 4.85
Good album, other great vocals other than Smooth Operator. Of my favorite 80’s pop singers, Anita Baker and Whitney still lead out, but Sade’s voice is also amazing
I enjoyed this quiet a lot. I'm pretty new to Sade and the only other album i've listened to is Love Deluxe. I much preferred how this album took the jazz rnb route as I think it fits Sade's voice really well. This album had some great sax playing and solos but some of the songs didn't go the jazz route and I would've preferred if it stayed consistent throughout the album 8/10
Nice feel throughout the album. Overall quite smooth and soulful.
Smooth and very relaxing
Nice surprise. I had heard of Sade but never got into it. Well written, very smooth songs.
This album was so smooth
This album fucking slaps!
So, usually, I don't like 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.
Nice vibes
Smooooooth
Very smooth sound.
Reference for Jazz
It doesn't get much more smooth than this.
it sounded nice to me
Lovely album. A little low key for me, but very smooth
Really cool and catchy album. Definitely will be listening again. 4
Don't care what anyone says...this is great. Happy, chilled and smiling.
Lovely, really enjoyed this on a Friday afternoon
Actually like this one a lot - 4 stars
Trailblazing R&B sound. I definitely get lost in these songs and feel like they have been going on for much longer than they have. Such a nice smooth blend of jazz and pop.
Flawless production front to back, lined up with Sade's vocals sounds very nostalgic. However, some of the hooks could've been executed better. PROBABLY DO COME BACK TO (A FEW SONGS)
Silky smooth soul. Most will of course gravitate to the big songs like ”Smooth Operator”, bit the others aren’t bad either! Very good debut, and she only got better coming out of the 80s
So smooth, So groovy. Need more albums like this. Such a vibe. So much charisma and style.
An album that emobies confidence sexiness and class. As diamonds are forever so is this album. Sade and instrumentation complement each other so well adding to the whole experience. Beautiful instrumentation, tight jazz arrangenements paired with glamourua song writng and story telling make this an album worth a listen. Highlight tracks Your lovw is king and smooth operator
Silky smooth
Great R&B tracks, soulful, subtly profound lyrics
Somewhat hit or miss, but the highs were incredibly hight and the lows were still enjoyable to listen to. A few songs went on a little long, but the vibes were solid so I definitely didn't mind it. Top tracks: Smooth Operator, Hang On to Your Love, and Sally.
no need to ask, he’s a smooth operator
Good
Notes - Smoky voiced soul & R&B singer’s debut album - Themes of love, life as an artist - Some latin influences especially in the percussion - Just a great sounding album front to back - The band knows when to keep it reserved and low key and when to kick in - The keys are so good on this album, perfect compliment to her voice - Listened to this album for the first time a couple months ago and enjoyed it, still enjoyed it this time too! Fav - Cherry pie - Cool bass line and chorus Least fav - Sally - Cool lyrically but a bit of a let down instrumentally 4/5
Sade is always classic, and I haven't listened to this album yet but really liked it. Saved Hang On to Your Love. I love her voice and it's a beautiful blend of easy listening and R&B.
il m’a manqué une baignoire, un verre de vin et un divorce fraîchement prononcé pour mettre la note ultime
Good
Side One is 5/5. Side two is good, but not nearly as good as the first half. 4/5
Very pleasant album to listen to, with smooth instrumental and vocals. Favourite songs: Smooth operator, Your love is king, hang on to your love, cherry pie 4/5
The percussive intro to this album is one of the iconic moments in 20th century popular music. The end.
That was so nice.
3rd Coast represent
Great voice
Vraiment smooth comme album, une très bonne ambiance, une très belle voix
Used to listen to this a lot. Good at the time.
4.1 - Cool, composed, sexy, sophisticated. Sade and band toe all of the lines, and land smack-dab in the middle of a Venn diagram of many emotional circles. Consummately smooth playing complemented with some lusty saxophone and, of course, Sade's incredible voice.
No duds here — just a quiet storm of sultry smooth, jazzy sophisti-pop.
Household staple from my youth - love all of it, with extra cheese
Smooooooth operatorrrrrrr. Similar vibes in all of the songs, she has a great voice.
I listened to this one many times when it was new. On re-listen I found it still enjoyable, if a bit tired.
Smooth
Disc excel.lent de pop jazzístic amb ànima de soul i unes melodies que se't queden gravades per sempre. No només 'Smooth Operator'. 'Your Love Is King', 'Hang on to Your Love', o fins i tot 'Sally' són igual d'atemporals. Tot fet amb una elegància i sofisticació a l'alçada de molt pocs
Music to sex to I wish we came back to R&B without autotune
Not perfect but close. Great listening experience
The vibe is incredible on this. It's classic R&B and pop at its finest. I really find Sade's voice to be unique as it's more of a sing-talk. I am interested in hearing more albums from her now.
Smooth operator
Smooth and charming. A lovely album. Really close to giving it a 5 but it just needed something extra to blow me away to get there.
Heel soulfull! Top zangeres ook
Smooth
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.
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
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.
It's a vibe. It's a mood. It's a groove. It's smooth.
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.
Smooooth Jazz great sax Great songs: Smooth Operator Frankie's First Affair Sally
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I'd forgotten just how good this album is. Smmooooottthhh, but in a good way!
what a bass lines, I loved her
Better than expected. Smooth Operator is a banger
Nice, feel-good music. Elements of blues.
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.
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
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
Enpä tajua, miksen oo tätä ennen jaksanu kuunnella. Varmaan avausraidan kuluneisuuden takia. Mut on kyl todella jees. Sopivan hillittyä ja ehkä vois sanoa urbaania.
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
Powerful voice, gets a bit nothingy at points but still good stuff
Honestly great.
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.
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
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 🤤😍
classic
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.
Sade has a great instrument. Classic mid-80s with sax and fretless bass.
Very smooth and nice to listen to
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.
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.
4/5. Easy listening indeed, only one snoozer or so, tasty sax ngl
Where are my ski pants and shoulder pads?
beautiful
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!
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.
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.
Smooth
Smooth operator, indeed
Kind of easy listening... enjoyable but not one I would think of.
Het is lekkere rustige muziek die iedereen wel aanspreekt
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
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.
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.
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.
This was a surprise knowing the first song to kick off the album. Really enjoyed this jazzy soul like album!
Very good start with smooth operator. Pleasant background listening. I was surprised when it was over, left wanting more. Good album I think
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.
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.
Her voice paired with the soothing jazz music is so impeccable.
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.
Sexy
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
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.
Smooth, sophisticated, but not over crowded jazzy pop music with THAT voice. Very cool, good for sunny days and relaxed evenings.
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.
Good vibes & memories of lyrics long forgotten
Una mezcla de jazz y r&b, 80s, un timbre algo grave para ser una mujer pero es lo que la hace especial <333
What an album, what a woman. I grew up on Sade so this gives me so much nostalgia. Her voice is like listening to silk, I loved it!
Good Sade album, not Love Deluxe tho
Smooth 80s neo-soul vibes. Pleasant!
Wikipedia mentions "sophisti-pop" and that's a great name for this. It's a jazzy, r&b, lounge music with svelte vocals that's sometimes sultry, sometimes lamenting. like sitting in a hotel bar after being stood up for a date
pretty good
So far very smooth and easy to listen to. Seems like to what one would relax on a beach at sunset. Reminds me a bit of James Bond music. Overall not bad.
This came at a good time for me as far as this list goes. I was happy vibing on something different. +1
I thought this was really good and can perfectly suit a certain mood. “Smooth Operator” is the standout but really everything in the first half was really good
You can’t really go wrong with Sade. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to anything by her that I didn’t like. May sound a bit too 80s for some (that sax!) but it’s hard not to enjoy her silky voice.
I knew what I was getting into kinda with sade, but was very pleasantly surprised, actually liked it more than I expected :)
An album with one of the most ubiquitous songs of our generation and one of the most elegant & iconic performers. I was hoping the songs that I hadn't heard didn't turn out to be too sugary and they weren't. Socially conscious lyrics and beautifully understated delivery as always. The band and studio musicians provide a nice jazzy, soulful background and never get in the way. Quite a debut!
Astonishing that this debut album has so many solid, solid tracks. This is probably the only mainstream easy-listening jazz/pop album that I'll ever admit to liking. I was also surprised that its from 1984, I thought it was from the 90s, so that cheezy sax didn't date it too much.
Awesome 80's bass "Diamond Life sold over 10 million copies worldwide ... becoming the best-selling debut album by a British female vocalist, a record that stood for 24 years"
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Spent my morning drive grooving to this and feeling like a sexy adult.
got an old sound to it that's more unique. vibes
Definitely cool and seductive soul. Still enjoyable and worth revisiting.
Love Smooth Operator. Great drum sounds on Hang On To Your Love
Groovy. But not my cup of tea.
Not a big r&b fan but her voice and the band are awesome
soooo good, sade is so sultry
Tight
Like it
nice
This one was good. Smooth Operator was one I'd heard a ton, but never knew the artist. Not a genre I get super excited about generally, but you can't deny that this music is very enjoyable.
I mean it’s Sade!
Such a beautiful voice. Great laid back background music. Will be adding this to my record collection someday.
Perfectly smooth, excellent lounge music
Nice
Funky and very 80s
Excellent jazzy soul music
Very good but not my thing
goddamn can Sade sing, guess shes the city-pop inventor. so fuckin gud. words cannot describe, i understand the praise
2/12 Great, sophisticated R&B. Standout Tracks: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair
Sexy. Smooth.
jazzy !
Smooth as a tiger in a tuxedo
Envie de Sophisti-poper
Smooth operator - 4 Your love is king - 3 Hang on to your love - 4 Frankie's first affair - 3 When am i going to make a living - 3 Cherry pie - 3 Sally - 3 I will be your friend - 3 Why can't we live together - 3
yeah this exists
Sade is great. They have some standouts, like (for me) Smooth Operator, Hang On to your Love, Frankie's First Affair. But this one isn't really my favorite. And, like with more albums, I kinda lose interest after the halfway mark.
Okay, the song “Sally” has me in tears. Cherry Pie is a bop.
3,5
I remember this album coming out. I was waiting to go into the Marines. I was also a punk, and preferred Black Flag and Gang of Four. However I also loved Prince. I had begun my journey into jazz with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. So I liked what I heard, even though I knew it wasn’t jazz but a soul with jazz inflections. This made for great mood music. While I prefer her third album Stronger than Pride, this album has many memories. She has a distance in her voice that can feel cold, yet warm energy flows thru it. There was nothing like Sade in 1984. The third person portrayals, which tell stories that aren’t judgmental even if they are surgically precise. Aretha was my previous listen here, and there’s no comparison as to vocal skills, but Sade’s confidence creates the ambiance that these stories deserve. The last song asks why can’t we be together? Together. It’s the only rhetorical moment of an album that maintains a detachment throughout. By the way, why Diamond Life?
3,5
Brilliant moments and filler as well. Their great work comes later.
Heard before?:❌️/✔️(not entirely) Will listen again?:✔️ 3.5
First time I'm diving into a full Sade album, and I can see why I admired her/their work only from a distance. Perfect radio music, but once you start listening more intently, you hear the flaws. Sade's voice is beautiful, but the accompanying music is inoffensively bad, so all the songs, bar Smooth Operator, sound the same to me. It's all too polite without a lot of moments that make you think "damn, this is good". It's too clean and sterile, much like the cafe this usually plays in.
Super saxo mais wow qu’est ce que c’est répétitif
It starts so strongly, I was fully ready to pair an off-the-shoulder top with a bold red lip and throw a 1980s yuppie dinner party, but by the end I was getting a bit bored with it.
Super solid, but not really my vibe
I'm being hit hard with neo-soul and neo-soul precursors recently and I dont like it. Smooth Operator is great and all but this is very samey to me. I'm not the audience. Weirdly think some of these would transition well to disco music. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.
It’s Jazzy and it’s cool but not some of Sade best. Still a solid album but sometimes I feel the songs blend in one another with it not being as sonically distinct as I would want. The tracks that I do like on her do save the record because at its strongest it gives you some really good R&B and pop. Fav songs: smooth operator, your love is king, hang on to your love, sally, and why can’t we live together
Smooth Operator is a classic and a good description for how this album feels. Solid 3.5/5.
Vaca catch up
2-3 really good songs and the rest are okay too. Decent album.
186. Diamond Life - Sade (1984) 8.27.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 2 = 3.4 rounded down to a 3 "No place for beginners or sensitive hearts/ The sentiment is left to chance/ No place to be ending but somewhere to start" Sade is an artist who I've come to appreciate more than love. Already very familiar with the huge single, I picked this up in a lot of records I bought and didn't much care for it on first listen, other than the hit. I then listened to a LOT more 80s "sophisti-pop" stuff and a LOT more modern jazz and R&B, and ended up revisiting it years later, long after I'd since sold the album. I liked it quite a bit more in with all that context, and while it didn't jump up into my favorites, I was able to see the appeal. I think whether you comes at this as slow motion disco for corporate raiders, or as somewhat funky, aspirational R&B all depends on your point of view I think. THE TRACKS "Smooth Operator" - When I was a kid, this was still ALL over the radio and the music video was still on rotation, at least on VH1. My only context for what a "operator" was had to do with telephones, so this tale of a high priced gigolo or whatever he is sailed fully above my head at the time. Now when I hear this, I'm picturing a Tom Ripley-esque, sociopathic conman, living the jet set life while leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him. This was catchy as hell back then, and remains so. Sade's delivery is smooth and sensual, and while full of expression and emotion, it's subdued and world weary. This song was the definition of "classy" pop, and because it opens the album, it maybe sets up some unattainable expectations that the rest of the album. "Your Love Is King" - Much lighter, and a LOT more romantic and fluffy. This was fine stuff, even if it suffers a bit from the laid back and sparse feel. Soulful and with some great hooks and a pretty vocal melody. For a hint of the warmness and emotion that's buried under the somewhat sterile production, check out the performance of this from Live Aid in 1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDjJP_l5AY "Hang On to Your Love" - This was the other song I remember hearing before I ever threw the whole album on. I think maybe because it also had another cinematic music video. The driving rhythm on this is pretty danged cool, and we get another catchy multitracked lead vocal from Sade, and an assist from some funky scratch guitar licks. This is like a disco song as filtered through molasses, and just as sickly sweet. Easily the most danceable track yet. "Frankie's First Affair" - Not a stinker by any means, but the first one that falls just slightly flat for me. A tale of someone in over their head, Sade excels at the very straightforward and tight storytelling yet again, but the saxophone and the mechanical rhythms put me in mind of similar feeling stuff by Steely Dan that I don't much care for. They almost win me back with the bridge, but not quite. Too sedate, and not enough hooks. "When Am I Going to Make a Living" - The band steps on the funk pedal a bit for this one, leaning into latter day Marvin Gaye terrirtory with the instrumentation. This ode to self reliance in the face of hardship lands pretty well, in no small part to the great vocals, and Sade gets help here from the guys in the it sounds like in the harmonies. "Cherry Pie" - The funk is gonna stick around a bit it seems, especially in the great bassline and wah-wah guitar, and "Theme From Shaft" cymbals. This one felt like much more of a showcase for the players, as Sade seems to leave a lot more room for them to do their thing. That second bridge is where the song finally evolves into its full form. "Sally" - Things slow down here for a several brief, sad portraits of some people fallen on hard times in the big city. This works pretty well for what it is, with another very solid core vocal melody, and maybe Sade's most emotional delivery yet. It's a bummer of a track though, and could see it bringing the energy down way too far for some. While musically unsimilar, I'm reminded of "Smalltown Boy" by Bronksi Beat, in the tone and bit of sad biographical storytelling. "I Will Be Your Friend" - The saxophone has not irked me very much on this album despite my general dislike for it, especially in the realm of smooth jazz that this album dances around. Here though it finally starts to wear a bit. I think in combo with the synthy keyboards, it's a bit more exposed. This is a bit too far on the "lite" end of things instrumentally, and I think sounds the most dated of any of the tracks on here. It's not garbage by any means though. Sade rescues it a bit, especially in that third verse where the band finally throws some real energy into things. "Why Can't We Live Together" - Things end strongly though, with this sparse, bossa-nova infused cover of a Timmy Thomas soul track, which I think does it a good amount of justice. Timmy Thomas original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYx2uZRlJCk HIGHLIGHTS - "Smooth Operator" - "Your Love Is King" - "Hang On to Your Love" - "When Am I Going to Make a Living" - "Cherry Pie" - "Sally" - "Why Can't We Live Together" MIDLIGHTS - "Frankie's First Affair" - "I Will Be Your Friend" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS What remains clear on this listen is that this is music for adults. It's not concerned with getting you too needlessly excited about anything in particular. This is the kind of music 30-something yuppies in 1984 would pay too much money to see at a nightclub. It's a sultry jazz pop act for those with champagne wishes and caviar dreams. But... it's also an impeccably performed ad produced piece of jazzy R&B and smooth soul, that has had an outsized influence on a lot of modern performers, well into the 2010s. Sade's icy smooth vocals on this album at first glance might make you think her heart is cold, much like the protagonist of her biggest hit, but there's plenty of emotion in her voice. It's just subdued and delivered with such a casual smoothness, and the energy in it is brought down even lower by the ultra slick production and equally ice cool playing, so that the overall effect seems sapped of real life. I can see this turning a lot of people off, who might find this to be bland, boring, and lifeless. But that feel is also part of what makes it work. Sade's too cool for you, and what she's selling is mature, and sophisticated, and what it lacks in groove, it makes up for in its icy perfection. Sade and her band are forever behind the velvet rope, to be simultaneously admired and despised. Overall, the too-polished production and the languid pace are what work least for me. I think Sade's voice is pretty iconic, the lyrics are great, the playing is all around excellent (if rendered a bit inorganic by that production) and there are plenty of catchy bits and nice rhythms to be had. It was a very pleasant and easy listen. With more spins I think this is one that I could see myself aging into, but I don't think it would ever be able to make the top tier for me. I would love to hear what this album would sound like as a Tiny Desk concert or in some more intimate live situation. I think a warmer, brighter, looser version of this would earn it an extra star at the very least. The few live in concert videos I could find indicate that this would be likely. Sade - Your Love Is King (Live Aid 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDjJP_l5AY PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Keep the highlights FURTHER LISTENING - Rapture by Anita Baker - Café Bleu by The Style Council - Eden by Everything But the Girl - Who Can You Trust? by Morcheeba - Baduizm by Erykah Badu - Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 by Jull Scott
Pretty good! I was digging it.
Not bad as background music but didn’t pull me in… 2.6
Elevator music summed up
I am not equipped to rate this as I don't enjoy this kind of music, but it sounds very competent.
*68 Det smager virkelig godt, men når man har fået nok af det samme, så bliver lidt ensformigt.
Tja, ikke hendes bedste, ikke hendes værste. Det er okay, men også lidt "for" lækkert på en Steely Dan-agtig måde 3.0
virkelig lækkert, men også virkelig meget et barn af sin tid
An enjoyable listen and when it hits its highs almost perfect. The biggest high for me is the opener though and what comes after seem like attempts to recreate that and there aren’t the emotional dynamics of a truly great record.
It was beautiful smooth soulful jazz, but the only song I remember is "Smooth Operator", and that was because it had major radio play in the 80's. The rest was good, but not memorable.
Not my cup of tea. Solid album, but will disappear from my memory rather quickly unfortunately. 5/10
Begint leuk met een heerlijk nummertje. Daarna klonk eigenlijk alles als smooth operator. Leuk dat ik 'when am i going to make a living' ken. Geen idee hoe
Decent cup of tea
Smooth Operator obviously a banger but unfortunately the rest is trying and failing to hit those heights. Ah well! an extra star because it was fine to have on.
Ridiculously smooth. I like it. That’s about it. It’s got a really pretty sound though, Cherry Pie is my personal favourite
Very smooth. Contains the acclaimed "Smooth Operator". The 44 minutes go by in an instant.
Will try to overcome my existing opinion that is 80s muzak. It's tough, smooth operator is nice enough, but it quickly blands it way into the background. So smooth and clean and sleepy. 2.5 rounded up 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No, 103/388 (26%) Will I get: No
Pleasant enough. I’ve never really been into Sade, but have heard plenty, as Shea is a fan.
Listened
Nice record with smooth (no pun intended) production, but thematically quite similar across the whole thing. Favourite tracks: Your Love Is King, Hang On to Your Love, Frankie's First Affair, When Am I Going to Make a Living.
It was fine
Brings back memories…
I’ll be honest, I was a bit disappointed when this was my album for today. Prior to listening my knowledge of Sade began and ended at Smooth Operator, and seeing that it’s the opening track I was preparing for a bit of a let down with the following tracks. But honestly, I enjoyed this album. It’s not one I’ll probably come back too, but it’s smooth, soulful and just the right amount of jazzy. I can imagine this being played at dinner parties through the late 80’s and early 90’s. Smooth Operator is great, also really enjoyed Cherry Pie which I think is the best song on the album. A few of the songs do outstay their welcome a bit, but their wasn’t a track I felt overly compelled to skip. Can really hear that alot of modern artists like Arlo Parks and Celeste being influenced by this album.
Some very 80s production, but it was the 80s. The voice is timeless though.
After listening to the previous album, this actually sounded interesting. The best song featured the saxophone, but they all had the same secret sauce.
Not really a genre I’m familiar with, but had a nice listen
Smooth, easy on the ears, great voice. Not my cup of tea, though. After the first couple of tracks it remains background music. Good production, which nods the album to 3 stars
It seems that Sade is quite polarizing from the comments I just read. I don’t quite understand why that is: there is nothing wrong with the music, though I found it to be less memorable than I would like. Also, it feels like a situational album, one for a candlelit dinner date night. For my ratings, the music needs to touch me somehow, but Diamond Life simply doesn’t. I love Sade’s vocals, the instrumental playing is great, but it’s not my style today. 3 stars
In 1984 pop radio was drowning in synthesizer hooks and hyper caffeinated drum machines. Into that neon noise walked Sade Adu using silence as an instrument and space as a luxury good. The press immediately decided this was yuppie music, which Sade found so distressing she retreated from public life entirely. She was right to be annoyed. Smooth Operator is not yuppie music. It is just very good music that yuppies also happened to own, which is not the same thing and not the artist's fault. The band recorded fifteen songs in six weeks at Power Plant Studios in London, selected nine, and delivered an album that won Best British Album at the 1985 BPI Awards, sold six million copies worldwide, and influenced every sophisticated soul and neo R&B artist that followed. All of that happened in six weeks. Most bands spend six weeks arguing about the snare sound. In 1984 I would have probably given this was a 4. Heard now it sits in the elegant company of things that were genuinely radical in their restraint and now simply sound like themselves, which is a fate that befalls sophistication more often than noise. The 3 is my honest feeling today. 3 out of 5. All three stars awarded to Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King, and the audacity of making silence sound expensive in the loudest decade in pop history.
what a sexy album. I feel romanced just by putting it on in the background
Sweet and soulful, Diamond Life by Sade is a well done example of 80s R&B. That said, I wasn’t really a fan overall. Her voice is sultry and full, but the bass and drums are both dated and boring. Add the keyboard and, I think, lead guitar, and this album feels pretty weak. The smooth jazz saxophone also feels silly nowadays. That said, I enjoy Smooth Operator, and Sally was a well crafted and meaningful song. So I give it 3/5.
10. avgust 2026. 14.18h i am ALWAYS in a place of idgafing with Sade mislim kao fino je i sve ali ne mogu da se povezem sa njenom muzikom znam 4 pjesme sa ovog albuma i od tih pjesama ako nikad vise ne cujem smooth operator it will be too soon, ostale tri su dobre
C'est pas que c'est nul, c'est qu'au bout de 10 minutes j'avais un peu l'impression d'être dans une boucle infinie.
Sade is a great vocalist. There weren't too many songs I'd revisit
Didn’t realise this album was from so long ago. Assumed it was maybe very late 90s! Not really my vibe and to me just sounded there
As good as easy listening smooth jazz can get. 3/5
It's cute
got déja vu reading about sade like how do i know this??? then saw the first track is smooth operator and suddenly remembered going down a wikipedia rabbit hole with my friends about that song. unconventional addition to the genre of songs where you can hear the accent. this is good. i don't know if it's reaching great, but enjoyable enough. '80s easy listening. i know that joan armatrading isn't categorized in the soul/quiet storm genre, but tbh she does it better. the thing is, i love thunderstorms. tornadoes. thunder & lightning. deluge of rain. the whole shebang. now i certainly appreciate the huge thunderstorm in the distance, some of the most beautiful lightning you'll ever see is when you're watching a midwest thunderstorm from a distance. you know that if you were 10 miles farther, you'd be in for it, but all you hear are rumblings of the apocalypse. but... if the storm never makes it your way, then it's kinda disappointing. like, all that, for nothing? all that to say, quiet storm is all well and good but i need a freakin crescendo.
Fully expected to give a 1 or 2, but this wasn’t bad. It is a touch too long.
Smooth Operator is a banger but the rest of the album was mostly so-so for me
- The best things about this album for me is Sade's cool, sultry voice and the smooth vibe of the album overall. - I'm definitely here for the resurgence of Smooth Operator. - The album seems pretty front loaded... I was getting kind of tired of it by Cherry Pie. - The instrumentation felt on the basic side - some nice moments, but mostly it felt dated... especially the tone of the instruments.
3/6
Excellent energy.
smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooth operator 3.5ish?
no real notes, i a nice relaxing listen.
3.4
I wasn’t familiar with this album. It was ok, not her best work
I was actually surprised that I enjoyed this just fine. It's one of those myriad number of records that is just fine to listen to but almost utterly forgettable after you do. It's a good collection of r&b pop songs and I can see how it spawned radio hits but I couldn't care much less if I hear it again or I don't.
Enjoyed,
Great opening tracks, rest also pretty good. 3.5 stars
Pretty pleasant ! but it wasn't as engaging as i'd hoped.
Sultry and feminine. What a gorgeous record! Getting beautiful visuals of silvers and satins and pearls. Sade’s voice is round and sweet and softly raspy in a way that is sooo divine. Favorites are Hang On To Your Love, Cherry Pie, and I Will Be Your Friend.
Mdjdosksndjjdoa
Нормас, не мой стиль. Вокал у тетки классный
Not as good as I remembered. The production should have been better. I still love Why Can't We Live Together though.
Couple of classic tracks and way ahead of it's time. But forgettable. Mood music I am not often going to be in the mood for.
It's fine
few nice songs but became a little irritating to be honest
I mean it's alright. 🤷🏽♂️ Smooth operator is my favorite track on this album.
The lyrics are bland and cliche but the presentation is better than I would have expected. Band is good, vocalist is good, still not my thing.
When Sade's debut album, "Diamond Life", was released, it fit perfectly with the British pop music zeitgeist. At the time, bands such as Working Week and Matt Bianco were blending jazz and pop. Sade was the most commercially successful figurehead of this 'new wave of pop jazz'. Everything about their image was perfect: the sensuous yet cool contralto voice of former model Sade Adu and the dominant saxophone of Stuart Matthewman reflected the fashion and approach to pop music of the time. 'Sophisti-pop' was elegant and sensual, yet also somewhat old-fashioned and melancholic. Admittedly, Sade never had anything to do with real jazz. This album features two of their most successful singles: 'Smooth Operator' and 'Your Love Is King'. It was the most commercially successful album of Sade’s career, although all their albums remained successful right into the nineties. "Diamond Life" may not be their best album, but it has a classic 1980s vibe and has aged remarkably well, offering polished, perfectly produced pop. Sade's last studio album, "Soldier of Love", was released in 2010, and the band continued to perform to enthusiastic audiences worldwide until 2011. Despite long intervals between performances, the line-up remained virtually unchanged. Repeated rumours that a new album is in the works have emerged, but so far, only some singles for soundtracks and charity have been released. Sade Adu now lives a secluded life in England.
nice
I made it through. However, nothing but smooth operator really stood out. I didn't hate it, but also not world shifting in my opinion. 3/5
3.5
очень приятно есть хиты, однако после них все звучит довольно одинаково. В конце концов это группа, которая использует один набор инструментов Это хороший альбом, переслушивать буду 3.9
This record is one smooth operator. (smooth operator)
dont really get the hype, smooth pop songs about men with a nice sax sometimes
I think I prefer this to the other Sade album on the list. This is calming and voice is great. For some reason I have a little trouble understanding the lyrics.