Diamond Life/Promise - Sade

Advantages: Sultry sexy music,easy listening and a great distinctive voice
Disadvantages: only 9 tracks

...Sade Adu was an artist that I always associate strongly with the eighties but the music was not eighties. Of Nigerian descent she and her band managed to fuse together American and Eurpean jazz grooves with African rhythms.With her sultry looks and distinctive cool exotic voice she burst on to the scene in 1985 with 'Diamond Life' , an album that perhaps she never managed to surpass. 'Smooth Operator' with its languid beat was perhaps a flag bearing single for the album.Lazy and Summery and with a great sax solo in the middle it parodies the eighties yuppie man with a great lyric 'his eyes are like angels but his heart is cold'. 'Your Love Is King' was another single and has a similarly laid back bass groove.Its a lazy song but with a great melody.The lyrics can be read in two ways but I firmly believe this song... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Smoother than a triple-blade shave
Disadvantages: No Saxophone from Stuart Matthewman!

...delivers - with smooth and sultry sentiments. Most tracks are written by herself and the ever present Stuart Matthewman (Guitar and Woodwinds). With Andrew Hale (Keyboards) and Paul Denman (Bass) the signature sound lives on from the days of 'Diamond Life' and 'Promise'. Matthewman's influence is un-mistakeable however, his sexy saxophone playing seems to have taken a sabbatical on this particular album. If Sade flicks your switch, this is a great album for a top-up. For the first-time-buyer, it is the perfect start to take a ride of retrospect and discover why you never bought any of her earlier material.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Smooth and mellow
Disadvantages: A very samey kind of smooth and mellow

..., atmosphere and vocals and instrumentation. That's the idea, though. Look at her other albums and even her greatest hits collection (her style never changed over 18 years of recording). And that was the point. Diamond Life was never meant to change the world, just to evoke a feeling. Chillout before chillout was invented? OK, so perhaps the album can't be classed as chillout but it's still quiet, sulky, mellow, relaxing and subliminally uplifting all the same. And isn't that what chillout's all about? But whisper it - despite my assertion that this is a love it or hate it album I do find that if I'm not in the mood for it, Diamond Life is a BIT BORING! OTHER SADE RELEASES Promise (1985) Includes the Glamma Kid cover Sweetest Taboo Stronger Than Pride (1988) With a very fine song called Paradise Love Deluxe (1992) More... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful