| | |  | Music | Home » » Diamond Life | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | It could have been that Sade (collectively, the vocalist Sade Adu and her band) would have remained the darlings solely of the British underground rare-groove scene, but their sound proved irresistible to the mainstream, and the rest is history. Caught at the beginning of her career in 1985, Sade's cool vocals and exotic looks grabbed everyone's attention. But equally as important to Diamond Life's success was the velvet muscle of the band's accompaniment, a sinewy after hours groove, laden with minimalist funk. Eight of the nine tracks are self-penned. Straddling R&B and pop, this disc lays out the hooks and sultry allure that became Sade's soulful standard--intelligent and sexy at the same time. --Derek Rath | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| November 14, 2000 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Format:
| Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 65 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | Smooth Operator | | 2. | Your Love Is King | | 3. | Hang on to Your Love | | 4. | Frankie's First Affair | | 5. | When Am I Going to Make a Living | | 6. | Cherry Pie | | 7. | Sally | | 8. | I Will Be Your Friend | | 9. | Why Can't We Live Together - Sade, Thomas, Timmy | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Classic SadeApr 29, 2010
"Diamond Life" is the album that made me a Sade fan. I enjoyed her greatest hits but this what got me really into her music. It is just perfect music. Sade has a great interesting voice and her music really pulls you in.
This album has her two biggest hits "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love Is King". Both are classics and get played on the radio even today. "Hang On To Your Love" the lowest charting single is also my favorite. While the other songs don't stay with me as much they are all great.
In conclusion, this is my favorite Sade album so far and one of the best I own.
5 / 5 Stars
SADEApr 27, 2010
this is SADE best albumn, I purchased it in the mid eighties when it first came out still really like it...
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Sade's sax heavy affairApr 16, 2010
Elegance, class, and sophistication barely begin to describe the sound of Sade, the woman and the band. Their debut album Diamond Life shimmers with glamour and style, but it's never stuffy or lacking of substance.
Their debut single Smooth Operator is a samba laced tale of a jetsetting playboy who lives to break hearts while Your Love Is King is a red hot praise to a man that makes Sade's soul sing and cry out for more. Both are top notch jams. Some great advice on relationships is dispensed on the bass line swinging Hang On To Your Love. "So if you want it to get stronger/You'd better not let go/You've gotta hold on longer if you want your love to grow/You gotta stick together/Hand in glove/Hold on tight don't fight/Hang onto your love!"
A heartbreaker gets on the receiving end of heartache on the wintery Frankie's First Affair. "It's a crying shame/You left a trail of destruction/Heartbreaker, you know now/They really did care cuz it's your first affair" Sade gently scolds him. The European flavor of When Am I Gonna Make A Living is a starving artist's anthem. Rather than giving in by working a 9 to 5 job, Sade would go without if necessary in order to chase her dreams. "We are hungry but we won't give in!"
Cherry Pie is THE highlight. Sade positively smolders over a funky after hours groove that recounts a man who was "sweet as cherry pie, wild as friday night", but left her out in the cold. "I'm gonna find out what I meant to you/You're the one broke my heart in two!" Why this wasn't a single I can't comprehend.
The downcast Sally calls for a standing ovation for a woman who "saved all those young men" (one running the streets, one a drug addict, and another a country boy far from home) and "doing our dirty work". It's not clear whether Sally is a prostitute or just a kind woman who took them in, but that's why I love it. The listener can decide who Sally is, but it's very clear that she did her best to care for them. I Will Be Your Friend is the most dated song on the set, but not in a bad way. It's good 80s, trust me. A typical "lean on me" oath of devotion that's made fresh with Sade's jazzy take on it.
Why Can't We Live Together is a cover of a 60s song, but Sade's version is cooler. "No more war, no more war, no more war/Just a little peace/No more war, no more war/All we want is some peace in this world/Everybody wants to live together/Why can't we be together?" Great closer!
Diamond Life is only a taste of what this group is capable of. Whether they're heavy on the sax or workin' with a funky groove, Sade is always on top of their game. Twenty five years and counting.
Great CDMar 22, 2010
If your a Sade fan, you need this CD. It is a classic. Just put it on and let it play. Ms. Adu is so soulful and you feel her when she sings. Very rare in today's music.
If, for no other reason...Feb 17, 2010
buy this CD/Album for Smooth Operator, one of the great songs to come out of the '80s.
| | |
|
