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While Adu and her band (collectively known as Sade) have done many memorable recordings since they debuted, DIAMOND LIFE remains their single finest recording: it is pure liquid elegance every step of the way. Opening with "Smooth Operator," which makes particularly good use of Stuart Matthewman on sax, the entire collection flows effortlessly from cut to cut--some dark, some slightly dissonate, some slightly upbeat, and every one of them memorable in the most haunting way imaginable.

Like "Smooth Operator," both "Your Love Is King" and "Hang on to Your Love" actually broke into the charts as singles--a truly amazing feat for a jazz-oriented club band in the ultra-synthetic 1980s. But in truth, be it "Cherry Pie," "When Am I Gonna Make A Living," or "Sally," there isn't a bad cut on the entire CD. Everything shimmers with a sultry yet subtle beauty, pulling you into an atmosphere in which you seem to feel the pulse of a midnight lounge, the atmosphere of the club scene fromw which Sade emerged.

As a band, Sade is sexy, cool, smart, delicately shaded, and brilliantly shaped, and the aptly titled DIAMOND LIFE is perhaps one of the best debut recordings made over the past fifty years. Mix yourself a drink, turn the lights down low, drop it on the stereo, and dream of smoke, the clink of cocktail glasses, and the murmur of voices gone suddenly silent when the band begins to play. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

19 of 22 found the following review helpful:

LUSH SULTRY VOCALS WITH SMOOTH JAZZ & WORLD BEAT BACKINGApr 26, 2002
By Neal C. Reynolds
Sade Adu and her group are unique in their smooth, but always rythmic style, with the jazz interplay, with the Nigerian beat that puts this in a place of their own in pop music.

There's a rythym, a plan, to this debut CD, a placing of four of the best songs at the very forefront: The signature "Smooth Operator", the more intimate "Your Love Is King", the relaxed yet playful and inviting "Hang On To Your Love" in which the instrumentalists have a stronger voice and effect on the cut, "Frankie's First Affair" which seems to me a nod to legendary standard favorite "Frankie and Johnny" (strictly my impression). The next song, "When Am I Going to Make A Living", seems weaker to me, but provides a little balance after the strong opening group. "Cherry Pie" and "Sally" bring us back up, maybe not to the peak of the opening four, but "Cherry Pie" especially is exciting, and "Sally" pretty well keeps us going. "I Will Be Your Friend" and "Why Can't We Live Together" round out the CD, and seem to me more run of the mill, but still suitable to relax, listen to, and enjoy.

My enjoyment of Sade comes from the fact that she actually sings without loud, overly dramatic emoting, and the softer moments of her songs have us listening attentively, in her spell. Those who prefer the loud and the brassy won't likely enjoy it, but if you appreciate melody, harmony, some good jazz, and a spicy African beat, I honestly think you will want this CD.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Diamond LifeJun 13, 2006
By Geminigirl
Thank goodness for music fans that Sade debuted at a time when the music business was truly focused on the music side. I shudder to think about what could've happened if this uniquely original songstress & her dynamic band had debuted in 2006 instead of 1985 - would she be well received or become a one hit wonder?

Overall, this is a strong debut with just a couple of songs that bordered on the filler side for me & since I usually skip them, I couldn't give the disc the full 5 stars. I can't thank Sade enough for opening me up to different styles of singers & music.

My favorite tracks: SMOOTH OPERATOR - midtempo, jazzy song with a story to tell (the accompanying video was also excellent in its storytelling); HANG ON TO YOUR LOVE - the song that introduced Sade to the US, it created a sense of intrigue in me regarding what more this group had to offer, great lead off single; WHEN AM I GOING TO MAKE A LIVING - catchy, love the chorus; CHERRY PIE - love the music moreso than the lyrics; SALLY - very thematic song, precursor of what was to come from Sade, beautiful lyrics & moody music; WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER - same as the aformentioned, Sally; YOUR LOVE IS KING - very smooth, jazzy track.

Even today, I'd highly recommend this disc - since the music production is so excellent & Sade's vocals are so unique the music sounds as fresh as if the disc had been released this year as opposed to 20 years ago!


6 of 7 found the following review helpful:

A Diamond indeed!Apr 14, 2008
By Nse Ette
This is an old album (I never thought 1984 would become old, lol!) but I was reminded of it while preparing my first Listmania list, for my 40 favourite albums (yes, it definitely made the list). This album reminds me of UK music magazines Smash Hits, Record Mirror, and Blues & Soul (ah, the days when hardcopies of magazines and music ruled) as it came out while these were the magazines of the day, and Sade was a regular visitor to their pages.

"Diamond Life" is the debut release from Nigerian chanteuse Folasade Adu and her Band, simply known by the moniker Sade (an abbreviation of her first name). A sleek catchy hybrid of Pop, Soul and Jazz, the album was a multi-million seller and won Sade the Grammy for best newcomer. It showcased excellent musicianship and clever lyrics, rarely bettered even today.

Right from the group's image (her ponytails, large hoop earrings and backless dresses), and the fantastic blue-tinged black and white cover art (giving a retro look to match the sound), everything about this album reeked sheer class, which permeated right through the nine tracks on the album.

Opening cut (and a favourite of mine), the aptly titled dramatic "Smooth operator" with percolating percussion, spoken intro with dramatic flourishes, sprinkled with tenor sax, and that dusky Blues-y voice telling the tale of this western male who goes from "Coast to coast, LA to Chicago" is still a classic to this day, much like anything by Ella or Billie I daresay.

Other standouts are the swinging horn-peppered "Your love is king", the retro funk of "When am I going to make a living" (with semi-biographical lyrics about perseverance despite the hard times the band faced before hitting the limelight, this was well before American Idol remember), the tender and lovely "I will be your friend", and the reworking of Timmy Thomas' paean for racial harmony "Why can't we live together" (with an extremely long brilliant jazzy intro, and rich in congas). Another favourite of mine is the groovy "Cherry pie" with a killer bassline and dreamy echoing vocal effects.

This album stood out when it came out (and that was a time crowded with great music mind you; Prince, MJ, Madonna, Duran Duran, Bowie, Kool & the Gang) and it is easy to see why. Additionally, unlike most other winners of the Grammy newcomer award, every subsequent studio release by Sade has been brilliant and gone platinum, confirming that they (the Grammys that is) definitely got it right that time. The music scene (in the UK at least) has come full cycle with loads of young girls (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Duffy et all) hearkening back to a time when music was, well, music.


6 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Sade's "Diamond" is anywhere but in the roughOct 10, 2001
By John Jones "Musician"
Only in the mid-80's could the mainstream embrace a talent like Sade. The pop charts were already so diverse that Sade's jazzy calypso stylings seemed logical for the fact that they were the only territory not already covered. As a result, Bossa Nova cracked the American charts with the irresistible "Smooth Operator," and the general public found themselves digesting the most adult and sophisticated pop act since Steely Dan.

The gentle swing of "Your Love is King" was seductive enough to become one of Sade's signature tunes, and "Cherry Pie" found a minimalist funk groove insistently pulsating under Miss Adu's silky, fluid vocals. And while the cynical lyrics and midtempo jazz stylings of "Frankie's First Affair" gently evoke the aforementioned Steely Dan, the fresh and direct pop of "Hang on to Your Love" and "When Am I Going to Make a Living" began the shape the definitive sound of Sade, a truly unique landscape that many a future artist would try to duplicate.

The musicians behind her were just as important as her vocals, however, and luckily bassist Paul Denman, keyboardist Andrew Hale, and guitarist Stuart Mathewman are up to the task, providing her with the tight and polished musicianship required to not overpower her cooly understated singing. This album is far closer to jazz than pop, though the hooks and arrangements make the commercial appeal undeniable. Even a routine composition like "I Will Be Your Friend" can succeed when all dressed up in a spotless arrangement, and luckily for us this is the only moment in need of artistic rescuing. Calmly, confidently asserting individuality and broadening the confines of mainstream pop all at once, Sade's "Diamond Life" shines like the gem that it is.

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