Reviews (page 13 of 13)
Now I can answer the trivia question: who sang Smooth Operator. I don't like her voice. She sounds like a female Boy George, whih confuses my genitals.
It's pretty. It's soulful. But it moves me not. Sorry Lady Sade. 1 Star.
I found zero enjoyment in this. I also cannot stand pop sax.
Smooth operator is the only slightly good song.
Was okay not my cup of tea, listened right through - background music
too slow and mellow for my liking
80s music for suburban moms with bad perms.
Bad smooth jazz instrumentation. Bad lyrics. Bad vocals. This is a record that would be liked by a middle aged woman with the worst taste in music that you know.
I didn't like her singles back then but I'm trying to go in open-minded. Smooth Operater isn't a good start. Too slick. Next song is better but it's like a chocolate tart. Too smooth and rich. When we get to Frankie's First Affair, which is the first unfamiliar song, I'm in the land of don't care. This is a collection of dreary songs that are making me sleepy while drinking coffee. Sade: All filler, no killer. Now I have to decide if the good musicianship gives it two stars. Nope. Those cookie-cutter songs are unforgivable.
There’s nothing like this in my collection so I guess I’ve learned about something new. But there’s also a good reason I have none of this in my collection. I can’t stand it.
I'm proud to say I've been making fun of this cheesy crap since the day it came out.
Like taking a warm, candle-lit bath in porridge.
Terrible.
Argh, this makes me wish I could go back to 1983. Smooth? Sure, it's as smooth as a whisky-drunk-hangover-post-coffee-morning-after-a-triple-shot-of-metamicil-sit-down, but nowhere near as satisfying. Shar-tay on.
uninteresting soft rock
Nope. Can’t do it.
Everything I hate about 80s neo soul. Like drowning in vat of magnolia paint.
First song is iconic. Rest doesn't go anything for me
Nee, dat is echt te smooth allemaal
Just some monotonous tunes for people who appreciate 80s cheesy music exclusively made for sex time. Not my cup of tea, actually I really disliked it, I would have given it zero if only it was possible.
This is INSANELY 80s I fucking hate that but I guess a bunch of people would love it.
Going from Throbbing Gristle to Sade, ha ha. I love this app, lol... "Smooth Operator" is an iconic track. So eighties. Feels like I'm in a taxi in New York or Chicago at night, going down an avenue lined with skyscrapers lighted like so many christmas trees. The cab driver is listening to news about Ronald Reagan on the radio, and then this hit single turns up. I'm looking through the window, and I watch all the people going in and out of buildings and subway entrances. It's beautiful... All trips down memory lane aside, let's just be honest for one second, though. What Sade performed was the worst kind of elevator music, was it not? And yes, this even includes "Smooth Operator", which I *like*. As fine as that single is, after so many clones of it in the tracklisting, I feel like it is just impossible for Sade's music to be taken seriously. Because *Diamond Life* did not age well, to say the least. All the sounds are conventional (apart from a discreet synth in "I Will Be Your Friend"), the melodies, chords and harmonies are rather unremarkable, and the rhythm section ticks all the boxes of what a band playing in a hotel lobby is supposed to do. Having a competent band and a beautiful voice is not enough: you need some sort of creative spark somewhere. And this LP doesn't have it. I also want to strangle that sax player, by the way. If I ever hear another one of those bland cheesy solos, I'm gonna go positively insane, lol. *Cherry Pie*'s groove was quite OK--one of the rare tracks that was so--and I couldn't help noticing that no saxophone was involved in it. So when said saxophone reappeared in the very first seconds of the next track, I burst out laughing. Listening to this album is like playing hide and seek with that lethal saxophone, hoping it never catches you again in your scariest nightmares. *Diamond Life* will now join that Throbbing Gristle album in my list of one-star albums, very ironically. Mark my words, such a low grading is only done for the purposes of this list of so-called "essential" albums. It equals a 6/10 grade for more general purposes: 5 for the competent songwriting, the skilled performance, and the professional production values, to which I would add 1 point for the inspiration and memorable results that are mandatory for an "essential" record. Maybe without that damn saxophone I would have added two points instead of one. Sadly, we'll never know... Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 491 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 240 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 115 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 151 (including this one)
smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth
Smooth, bit boring
Vajoaa jazzahtavuuden ja päämäärättömyyden yöhön liian kepeän biisintekoasenteen vuoksi. (Positiivinen huomio: vaikken pidäkään laulajan äänen käyttötavasta, pidän sen luontaisista taajuuksista.)
Smooth, jazz-lite, syrupy, sweet... awful elevator music. My first one star review - and well-deserved as there's literally nothing redeeming here. Awful music that makes me feel the world would be a better place if this album didn't exist. Sounds like someone with no soul, singing with a backing band of B-rated session musicians. This is radio 2 music, the sort of music that is so bland and meaningless that it can only offend by being so incredibly cheesy and dull to listen to. This is what sad hotel bands play to fill in the time between Chris de Burgh and other lobby music that give people indigestion. I spent 45 minutes feeling that I was in a telephone queue and someone had put this hold music on to try and discourage people from waiting for their turn.
Nope
This is the music that transitions a film scene from the beach to the dinner scene in a rom com. This isn't a compliment. If you like real jazz you will hate this. If I had never heard music before I would still think this sucks. Why do people like bad things? I don't understand it.
almost literally nothing interesting to me about this record. Total snoozer. "Smooth Operator" was a recognizable track and not bad actually. The rest of the record I don't have much to say about really.
Not entirely sure it’s for me. There are a few nice tracks on there but overall too bland.
I've got a hunch that the protagonist in American Psycho would have been a huge Sade fan. If AI was asked to produce a stereotypically 80's album they'd pop this out. Man it leaves me cold, everything about it is devoid of any feel, its detached air is in itself detached from the idea of music moving you. And where's my filofax when I need it? What time is Miami Vice? Hawkie still Prime Minister? And how's about those tenor sax solos? That said, Smooth Operator and Hang Onto Your Love, I'd think Grace Jones would have been slightly and rightly peeved as to what was going on there. Oh hang on, here comes the opening sax solo on Frankie's First Affair, it's got me rolling up the sleeves on my suit jacket. And I really despise what she did to Timmy Thomas's classic, ruined it. The only thing this is missing is a duet with Stephen Stills or a Brian May lyric. Minus 10 to the max. Now to go and turn on my Amstrad green screen.
It was really boring.
1 I’m sorry, this was sooooo boring. There’s nothing interesting going on musically, vocally, or lyrically, and it just comes off sounding like lame lounge music… or even elevator music at times. I feel like every 80s pop star attempted a song like one of these on at least one of their albums, and they were never good or memorable. This is like a compilation of those. I’m trying to think of more to write about, but I really feel like there’s nothing remarkable to comment on. This was a realllllly long 44 minutes.
‘Quiet Storm’. Thanks to this process, I’m learning to put a name to that type of bland-smooth-muzaky music my ears instinctively reject. At least the Anita album had one legitimate banger I’d choose to revisit. Also, Sade is the name of a whole band?! Makes me feel less bad about dishing out a scathing review, at least. 1.5
Sounds like perfect music for a somber episode of Miami Vice, or maybe for a cheesy 80s porno. Meant for the background, not really the kind of music I want to actively listen to. I appreciate the nostalgic slick retro vibe this album gives off, but I'm not into the music
Smooth jazz from the 80s. Was this the soundtrack for a coked-up finance bro scoping out the fern bar for the woman with the biggest shoulder pads in her suit jacket while nursing his Bartles and James wine cooler in the corner? This is unappealingly bland, and every musical choice made by the band and producers seems to be the least offensive one possible. Nice job mixing the bass front and center; unfortunately the album has no groove at all. I never need to listen to this again.
I'm not the target audience. I can't do the cornball 80's sax and smooth background tracks
1.5
Never been a fan.
sm000000th operator
Insipid 80's nonsense for people who don't/didn't care.
this is shit. zero talent. nothing stands out. elevator music for a bad dentist office
Never been my thing.
Ughhhhh
I knew Smooth Operator and Your Love is King. Both inoffensive enough, if a little standard and overlong. By the third track, I'm worried that the whole album is going to be this sort of coffee table jazz inflected background music. There are occasional suggestions that there are good bits to come. A Chic sounding guitar here, some interesting percussion there. It never gets beyond the blandness. A whole album of filler - there may be some good lyrics but that's it. The cover of Why Can't We Live Together wakes me up a bit... And then I realise it's because of Hotline Bling. Bleh.
Very much not for me
I'm still too seething about Brexit from yesterday, but here goes. If this is one of the top 1001 albums of all time, then I voted remain. A complete waste of time and money - not Brexit, this album.
Not good
1984. Key Songs: Smooth Operator