Reviews (page 7 of 13)
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Standout voice, very good singles (first two tracks) and the remainder are pleasant enough if not essential listening.
This lady can sing. The first two tracks were the best. Not quite my genre, but good for it's type.
I imagine all the videos to this album take place at an open window with soft lighting and a light breeze. Not offended in any way, just slow vibes and sensual. Decent album and a very 80s distinction
I hated this when it came out, and it’s very redundant. But if you listen to it late at night, it is so much better.
All the songs sound the same, but it’s not bad
Smooth 80’s yuppie pop…I sort of dig it. 3.1
2,5
Album super chill et relaxant. Son seul problème est que chaque son se ressemble dans l'ambiance ce qui devient assez vite répétitif et lassant.
7/10 - some classics here, nice relaxed pop vocals, also not overly long or dragged out
Diamond Life arrived the same year as Private Dancer and represents the opposite solution to the same problem — where Tina Turner buried herself in big production and processed drums, Sade stripped everything back to candlelight and negative space. The restraint is real and it's a genuine artistic choice. The late-night, smoke-and-jazz atmosphere is completely controlled and completely intentional, and "Smooth Operator" remains one of the most recognizable songs the decade produced. The honest limitation is the same one that kept The Stone Roses at three earlier in this project — same samey. The emotional temperature that makes the record distinctive at the start is the same temperature it holds all the way through, which means the qualities that initially seduce gradually become the qualities that numb. A record that opens cool and stays cool has made a choice, but that choice comes at the cost of the peaks that earn replayability. Sade's voice is the genuine article — warm, precise, completely unshowy in a way that suits the material perfectly. The jazz harmonic language the band borrows gives the whole thing a sophistication that separates it from standard 80s pop. But borrowing jazz's vocabulary without its capacity for surprise or emotional shift turns out to be a ceiling as much as a foundation. A solid three. The atmosphere is real, the voice is real, and a record that does one thing this consistently and this well deserves its place. It just doesn't generate the pull that earns more than that.
Smooth Operator is instantly recognizable, probably because it's been overexposed as part of advertising almost as long as the song has existed. The rest is pretty meh, IMO.
The silkiest and smoothest music ever recorded. “Smooth Operator” is an all timer.
I feel that whenever I am traveling with my parents, Sade is playing on the radio. Some of these songs are certified radio hits. I didn't know they are a part of the same album. Especially the first part of listening to this album was me being surprised song after song. To me this is a solid pop album with. It is way more diverse than a lot of pop albums and even has some enjoyable funky turns and rhythms. Sade's vocals shine throughout. I think that the last three songs are a bit weaker. The whole album is consistent though and never gets stale. My favorite songs were "Smooth Operator" and "Hang On to Your Love".
Solid album.
It’s like a marketing company has paid for the ‘premium’ version of their hold music. It’s pleasant enough, and it passes the time without getting you pissed off, but it’s still hold music. The musicians are all good at what they do, but there is something about the sax in this that just makes me wince. This is a generous score as, for an easy listening album, I struggle to see how they could do much better.
Smooth musik. Bra album.
I like
smooth, misschien te smooth
6.17.26 Solid and smooth album, though it often dissolves into background noise (albeit enjoyable background noise!). That girl can sing. Favorite Song: Cherry Pie Rating: 3/5
i was expecting more
Ok but not for me, some classic songs
Great album. Love Sade.
Sade - Diamond Life - 3/5 I'm really surprised that this album is on the list instead of Love Deluxe, but then again, the author does have a clear tendency to favor debut albums. I must've heard "Smooth Operator" about a billion times growing up and I honestly never realized Sade was the artist behind it until now. It's a super solid, sleek lounge song. "Hang On to Your Love" has an incredibly catchy bass line, and really, the bass work across the entire album is just fantastic. It keeps everything moving with a perfect, smooth groove. On top of that, "Why Can't We Live Together" has a really good, timeless message. Sade's vocals are incredibly effortless and soothing throughout the whole record. Easy listen but not my genre.
Okay I love Sade but this album not much compared to others….
Smoot operat. 6/10
I don't feel like this has aged well. I liked the lyricism and storytelling, but the musical arrangements overshadowed her voice.
S'alright.
Not that bad. I don’t know why you would listen to a whole album of this kind of music.
Above average R&B slop
Nice chill, cool album. Nothing very exciting, but very well performed. Love her voice.
not her strongest and a little one note, but her vocals and production ALWAYS hit
Some good songs but idk it wasn’t amazing
Smooth operator is voor mij wel het bekendste liedje van Sade. Heerlijke plaat, zeker om in de mood te komen. Niet superbijzonder.
Ik heb de plaat ooit van iemand gekregen en in de kast staan. Het voelt als een iconische plaat die nog nog niet goed ken. Mijn verwachtingen waren iets te hoog. De muziek heeft een warm aangenaam analoog geluid. Het is subtiel en goed in ballans. Na een paar nummers begint het wel wat eentonig te worden. De stem is oké en de hele sfeer is wel goed. Toch had ik wel op iets meer gehoopt. Ze hebben eigelijk niet zo veel te melden. Het laatste nummer lijkt wel een beetje op een hele matige miss world verkiezingsspeech. Laten we aardig doen tegen elkaar en stoppen met oorlog voeren en in vrede samenleven. Daar ben in natuurlijk niet op tegen maar het is wel wat simpel. Het is casual lounge muziek, stijl boven inhoud. Opzicht niks mis mee maar daardoor is het ook geen meesterwerk.
not my prefered genre nor my fav album of sade but SADE ADU THE WOMAN YOU ARE!!!! lemme feel that voice range!! SING ITT!!!!!
The album is okay but apart from a couple of songs the rest for me is just nice music to have on the background.
Lukewarm bathwater feelings about this one. Not bad, not great - might need a dash more hot water and a squirt of bubbles to make it feel just right. A little too slow in spots, a little too jazzy/saxophony in spots. maybe the percussion is a little too bright? Let's dim the lights, imma grab my caftan and a chardonnay. For a debut album, it's better than decent and shows a lot of potential. Sade's smooth alto voice is equal parts soothing and smokey. Fav track: Your Love Is King
I listened to this album so much when I was 15 years old...Sade had (has?) a great voice and a distinctive style. Do these songs hold up? Not all of them. That jazzy sax, oh my. It's fine in the first song, but they keep it up a little too long. Still, there's a nice funky, but mellow, vibe that permeates the album. 3 stars? 4 feels too generous, but actually every song is pretty good. Hmm, I'll decide tomorrow when forced to choose.
Enjoyed smooth operator but nothing else really struck me.
Sade has some of the sweetest vocals, but some of the backing on these tracks don't do it for me. But Sade so got to give it at least 3 stars because she's the shit.
3 out of 5. This album sounds great for setting the mood of needed.
Es un jazz/blues muy lindo.
feels raw, close, personal, exploratory
This album is an 80s smooth soul/AOR album. For that reason alone, I fear it. It mostly sounds like a female-led version of the later Steely Dan albums. The lyrics are pretty much just standard love song lyrics, and the musicality and songwriting are not very interesting at all. It's a cross between jazz, rock, and soul, without any of the things that make these genres great. This isn't a terrible album. Yet it's something that is perhaps worse altogether- a bland one. It's perfectly fine background music for a work party or a nice restaurant date, but not for a serious listen. Granted, I'm 15, so I'm probably not the target audience for this(or really, half the pretentious boring shit on the list). Still, I don't think that this album is anything other than drab.
This sounds super dated compared to Love Deluxe, which makes it harder to sink into. However, I enjoyed it once I contextualized it as a funk album. The band is pretty spry, and her lyrics are intriguing. I initially wrote it off as an album where you can grab the best stuff on a compilation and move on to her masterpiece, but there is really good stuff here.
This is just a very cool album. Starts off really well, wains a little towards the end. Enjoyed it though.
Not my first rodeo with Sade. I've heard her later record Love Deluxe before, and it was pretty decent. Smooth Operator obviously plays the role of lead single: extremely clean production that's just slightly overwashed with 80s sterility. That electronic drum sound might've been innovative at the time, but it has aged pretty terribly and more or less completely evaporates many people's perceptions of that decade of music. I remember hearing Donald Fagen talk about how much effort and money he had to put in to outsource a newfangled drum machine for Steely Dan's 1980 album Gaucho. That record, though, suffers for the same reason as Diamond Life. But I digress. Smooth Operator is very catchy and a solid choice for opening track. Love the brash, in-your-face piano in Hang On to Your Love and Frankie's First Affair. Sort of reminiscent of some of the better parts of disco (rest in peace). But in sharp contrast to disco, I feel Sade is really skilled at making catchy, soulful music that isn't too repetitive or annoying. I'm not as huge a fan of the sax, or at least not of its omnipresence in every track and a seeming lack of desire to change timbre, add some jazz improv, maybe plop a baritone in there. (The song Sally has the most interesting sax part here, by a wide margin.) Quite a lot of the music on Diamond Life feels... lifeless, maybe? It's hard to pinpoint what isn't clicking for me. The vocal hooks are passable, so those aren't the problem. But the songs I Will Be Your Friend and When Am I Going to Make a Living just don't do that much for me – the latter has a cool chorus hook, I guess, but no much else separates it from the crowd. I would like to see some more genre variety in an album, too. 3/5 Key tracks: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair
While this genre of music generally falls outside my personal preferences, "Diamond Life" possesses a distinct originality that sets it apart from its peers of the day - when viewed through the lens of what was dominating the UK charts in 1984, the album is quite striking. Additionally for a style of music that I would not normally gravitate towards it held my interest from start to finish. A significant highlight is the production. It is remarkably disciplined, successfully avoiding the overblown, synthetic techniques that often date other 1980s releases. The opening duo of tracks, 'Smooth Operator' and 'Your Love Is King', remain the standout hits for a reason; they are very well-crafted tunes. The rest of the tracks are equally well-written, arranged, and performed. Sade’s vocals are lovely, and delivered in a characteristically sultry manner, while the band provides solid support - the rhythm section, in particular, is excellent. Though it isn't an album I would typically choose to listen to, the level of craft involved is easy to appreciate. Three stars. 1 "Smooth Operator" (4/5) 2 "Your Love Is King" (4/5) 3 "Hang On to Your Love" (3/5) 4 "Frankie's First Affair" (3/5) 5 "When Am I Going to Make a Living" (3/5) 6 "Cherry Pie" (3/5) 7 "Sally" (3/5) 8 "I Will Be Your Friend" (3/5) 9 "Why Can't We Live Together" (3/5) Total - 29 Average - 3.22 327/1001 179/327 albums reviewed were new to me.
Loverly, but a bit too smoooooth in places
I think you’ll find that it’s Sade who is the smooth operator. It's impressive that she can maintain such a romantic, cosy vibe for the full run time without the spell breaking or becoming cloying. It is a very singular approach bookended with the obvious hits that works a treat.
Better than the last couple we’ve had at least Smooth Operator is far and away the best song on here, couldn’t place the name but I’ve 100% heard it a bunch. Didn’t actually like the first 30 seconds or so but love the way it builds. Album is pretty easy on the ears, the use of jazz backing sounds pretty solid throughout. Vocals are not bad I really don’t have a whole lot of impressions after the lead single, just feels like everything kinda blends into each other and nothings interesting enough to get your attention. It’s far from bad but it’s just not memorable enough. I really don’t have a whole lot of other complaints though, kinda hard to explain why it didn’t resonate for me Wow I really just typed a bunch of words for this one didn’t I? Kinda fitting in a way, good enough to not hate on but too mediocre to actually discuss in detail
Pretty smooth (operator) I like the sound, not terribly exciting but I don't think I'd complain if it came on
Sade suffers from a peculular problem with fans like me. I REALLY like her music… One song at a time. Ok, maybe two or three, but every time I have ever sat down to listen to all of any of her albums all the way through... I get kinda almost, but not quite, bored. Ok. Now. Some bands are kinda boring because they are one hit wonders or generally not interesting. Others are kinda boring because they have great music intermixed with fodder. Sade IS quite great all around and some of her stuff is sublime. It is to do with the similar sound and vibe. Great one song at a time or two, but they all end up sounding the same.
Some songs are really good, the band is really good, but she doesn't always sing well, didn't like most of the songs of the album.
3.5
Very soulful and 80s
Nice!
More than a few mid-80s albums sound like Diamond Life but none feel this authentic. Some arrangements sound a bit Steely Dan-esque and there is quite a bit of saxophone but it's all tasteful.
Another album that I quite enjoyed but wouldn't gravitate to on my own
Groovy!
Mukavaa nais ääntä ja tunnelmallista, romanttista säveltä. Aikansa musiikkia
Smooth R&B album from the mid 80s. Hasn’t aged very well, but it’s a nice relaxing listen. 3.0/5.0
Every morning in the summer of 1984 we would pack into my mom’s car to go cleaning houses, and every morning started with Smooth Operator in constant rotation. I discovered then that I am not a fan of smooth jazz, which was the preferred sound on KOSI radio. Now that I’m older I appreciate this album more, which says something about me that younger doesn’t want to admit. Smooth Operator is still a bit twitchy for me but due to memory and not Sade’s work, which is musically catchy and well orchestrated. I would have to say that key songs for me are Hang On To Your Love, which has a great bass line, and Cherry Pie with the post-Disco vibes. I don’t know if I would look for this album, but I did enjoy listening to it twice today! …apologies to my seven year old self.
Random thoughts: * Chill jazz/pop to throw on for background music. * I'm not sure this is really dedicated listening music. * Smooth Operator is still awesome and should be on a makeout mix tape. * Sade is the name of the band, but also is the first name of the singer. Kind of a Santana situation. * Sade has sold more than 23 million records! Damn!
Some really strong tracks, but also got a little same-y. Second to last song kind of sounds like Smooth Operator but worse. So, a nice sounding record, great voice, but the arrangements didn't grab me.
its fine. prob foundational. too slow and not enough emotion for me; put it in broadening anyway
Smooth Operator is a great song. The rest of the album has the same mellow beat, but the songs aren't quite as strong.
First Listen; 3.5; I'll start this by saying that this is pretty far outside of what I normally listen to. With that said, I actually really like the production and instrumentation, and as a whole, I found the album to be an enjoyable listen. Sets a laidback mood and is extremely smooth. It does feel like there's more here than is apparent on the first or second listen, and something that I would listen to again depending on what I am in the mood for. Favorite Track: Sally
First track obviously bangs, rest is alright
Pretty good, but perhaps not too memorable. A perfect three in my eyes.
Ok
Pretty smooth lounge music.
RATING: 6/10 HIGHLIGHT: Your Love is King LOWLIGHT: Cherry Pie
😮💨