Product Description

Nigerian vocalist Sade Adu has carved out a cosmpolitan niche for herself over the past decade, gathering together elements of cool jazz, samba, reggae, funk and pop all under thepastoral umbrella of her suede-and-velvet voice. A pop stylist with a musical universe all her own, Sade has endured and matured over the past decade, seemingly unaffected by changes in taste and fashion--a movement unto herself.
As hermost recent single (Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone To Love" from the PHILADELPHIA soundtrack) illustrates, Sade's coy caressing voice speaks more of commitment and trust, of relationships in flux ("Nothing Can Come Between Us") than of the heat of the moment: from the the coy duplicity of"Smooth Operator" to the positive reinforcement of "The Sweetest Taboo" and the sweet ambiguities of "Love Is Stronger Than Pride".
Outside of Sade's mentholated vocals, it is the serene, understated quality of her arrangements that lend THE BEST OF SADE its classic touch of elegance. Delicate washes of percussion and acoustic guitar, the coiled intensity of Stewart Matthewman's tenor saxophone counterpoint, Andrew Hale's suave, elusive keyboard colourations, and Paul S. Denman's discretely dancing bass provide a maximum of smoke,but precious little fire. The simmering aftermath of Sade'smusic is as deceptively powerful as a mixed drink: smooth and sweet going down, but with a surprisingly potent kick.

Track Listing

1. Your Love Is King
2. Hang On To Your Love
3. Smooth Operator
4. Jezebel
5. Sweetest Taboo
6. Is It A Crime
7. Never As Good As The First Time
8. Love Is Stronger Than Pride
9. Paradise
10. Nothing Can Come Between Us
11. No Ordinary Love
12. Like A Taboo
13. Kiss Of Life
14. Please Send Me Someone To Love
15. Cherish The Day
16. Pearls

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #923 in Music
• Released on: 2000-11-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
With her exotic beauty and steamy voice, Sade couldn't help but be a star. Taking the more sensuous elements of island beats, smooth jazz, and R&B, Sade scored major hits with the continental feel of "Smooth Operator" and the sultry stylisation of "Your Love Is King". Her voice was often criticised for being thin, yet she made it work to her advantage with songs like the haunting "Jezebel", on which her delivery added the vulnerability necessary to the song. Sade sounded best when she stuck to the lower register, and there is nothing thin about her dynamic handling of her torch song "Is It a Crime". "The Sweetest Taboo" was one of her last great moments before years of mediocrity, chronicled here by the lifeless "Stronger Than Pride" and the limp "Nothing Can Come Between Us". "No Ordinary Love" was a return to form with the smoky richness back in her vocals and the urban/island feel of her first release. Best of Sade goes right up to her hit "Pearls," which, remixed, became a dance-floor hit. The nicest surprise here is "Please Send Me Someone to Love," with Sade proving that although her range may be limited vocally, she doesn't suffer the same fate artistically. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews

No One Does It Quite Like Sade - She Is Unique Both Musically & As An Artist.
Sade along with Anita baker, queen of adult contemporary, jazz & R&B delivers this beautiful, romantic album which is absolutely flawless from start to finish, providing the ultimate smooth grooves & chill out classics, all the songs are a joy to listen to time and time again.

My personal favourites on this album would be the huge jazzy crescendos of `Is It A Crime' that song is just incredible, the sultry `Sweetest Taboo', trademark hit `Smooth Operator', `Paradise', the jazzy sultriness of `Jezebel', `Hang On To Your Love', `Love Is Stronger Than Pride', `Never As Good As The First Time' & `Nothing Can Come Between Us'.

A fantastic greatest hits from Sade, it's got all the ingredients, class, depth & an almost incomparable sophistication, my only criticism is that it only includes the solid hits from each of her albums, Sade has done some mind-blowing songs over the course of her career, this can be seen in particular on her earlier LPs such as `Diamond Life' & `Promise', it's a shame we only get to hear a small portion of what Sade is about, but otherwise amazing songs, amazing artist, no one does it quite like Sade.

Unique
Many will write of class, jazz, sultry sexiness. However the word that also describes Sade, her writing and expression - Depth.

Pure Class
If ever i was asked to live on a desert island and i could take 1 album, then this would be it. I have played it to death over the years and i still find it new, still find new favourite parts.

Its simply an album of fantastic love songs, sung with a level of passion that you simply do not hear in other artists.

It is the ultimate, play at night, play in the car on the way home, wind down, hold your girl in your arms album.

Absolutely the best.