Sound Advice: CD Reviews - Sade (Diamond Life)

CD Review:
Coming out of the octet funk group Pride and bringing fellow members Stuart Matthewson (sax and guitar) and Paul S. Denman (bass), Sade (Helen Folasade Adu) added Andrew Hale (keyboards) to create one of the more memorable pop/soul groups of the '80s. Sade led the group with her cool voice and beautiful looks.

Although most think of the three musicians as just add-ons, they were not. Matthewson, Denman and Hale co-wrote many of Sade's best songs and with their superior playing added the atmosphere which let Sade's voice hit you like the sweet caress of a pick-axe. If you wish to see what I am speaking of the check out the album Sweetback that the trio released during Sade's hiatus from the music industry to concentrate on her personal life in the mid '90s.

So with the quartet signed to Epic and Robin Millar (who went on to help make the band Big Country a success) at the production helm, Sade released Diamond Life to such success that it garnered her a Grammy for best new artist in 1986.

Only one song, the last, is not a Sade original. "Why Can't We Live Together" is a cover of a Timmy Thomas song that was a huge hit for the artist back in the early '70s. Where Thomas originally sang the song only accompanied by his organ, Sade expands the sound and adds a sadder voice to the classic.

All the tracks on this album are slow and soulful. Sade's voice is quite amazing. She was raised in London, England after leaving Nigeria with her mother as a child and you can hear an ever so small English tinge to her voice. It makes her vocals sound aristocratic and aloof which adds to its appeal.

Stand out tracks are three of her most known songs, "Smooth Operator," "Your Love Is King" and "Hang on to Your Love" as well as the not so known "Sally." This song describes a New York prostitute who helps out strangers who are down on their luck.

If you wish to have that perfect CD to put in the stereo to create a romantic atmosphere and enjoy some intimate time with a lover, then go purchase some fragrant candles, some chardonnay, and Diamond Life by Sade.

Scott D. Brown