Track Listing

1. Cherish The Day
2. Somebody Already Broke My Heart
3. Smooth Operator
4. Jezebel
5. Kiss Of Life
6. Slave Song
7. The Sweetest Gift
8. The Sweetest Taboo
9. Paradise
10. No Ordinary Love
11. By Your Side
12. Flow
13. Is It A Crime

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46077 in Music
• Released on: 2002-02-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.co.uk Review
Following the six million selling success of comeback album Lovers Rock, Lovers Live was recorded over two nights on the US leg of Sade's 2001 tour. It's an immaculate collection that slinks with all the style and grace that Sade's name conjures. Indeed Lovers Live is so perfect, it sounds much like a regular Sade album with indiscriminate yelps and whoops added for effect. There is one very excitable lady, who yelps louder than most. When the crowd erupts at the end of songs, or in recognition of another smooth grooved classic, her high-pitched scream can be heard above everyone else. And while such passion is all well, good and atmospheric at the appropriate junctures, her yelps are random, unfounded and during the gorgeous, acoustic reggae of comeback single "By Your Side", incredibly irritating. However, the audience's disruption of romantic moods and Sade's lethargic between song banter--she thanks the audience for their love and support while sounding like she'd really rather be somewhere else--are the only flaws. Sade's voice is perfect as usual, the grooves, like "Flow"'s drowsy swagger are supremely seductive, and hits "Sweetest Taboo", "No Ordinary Love" and "Smooth Operator" sound a good 10 years fresher than they did when they last appeared on 2000's Best Of. Lovers Live is one of the best performed and produced live albums in recent years--except for the whooping lady. --Dan Gennoe

CD Description
'Lovers Live' was recorded on Sade's first tour for over a decade. This set features tracks from her 2000 US Tour in promotion of the 'Lovers Rock' album. It is the first ever live Sade album to be released.

Customer Reviews

silky, seductive, intimate but somewhat spoiled by audience.
Sade's music is intimate, and yet it translates better than expected in a live performance. It's true that her performance seems better suited to a cocktail lounge than to a massive auditorium, but she and the group respond well to the larger audience. Of course, that audience does become a bit of a pain. The reaction of the audience does seem louder and more annoying than is expected in a live album.

This is of course, an edited version of the concert and so we miss out on some of the songs and some of the moments of the total concert. And that is a shame.

However, it is Sade Adu, and it is the group Sade, and they all have some great moments that are captured on this recording. If you're not familiar with the music of Sade, I would suggest first listening to "Diamond Life" or "The Best of Sade". And if you are familiar with Sade Adu and her group's music, this does present the music you know in a new light.

Excellent live album by the "Smooth operaror"
The understatement on this album is so pronounced it's almost jarring.

If you are used to live recordings where the audience are worked up to a frenzy you might be forgiven for imagining the "Lovers Live" lot are gazing melancholically at the moon, or perhaps even snoozing under the stars (Every time I've listened to it I've nodded off) It is minimalist chic at it's best.

Using that distinctively smoky sensuous instrument that is her voice, Sade weaves gentle odes to love and loss laced with bass, guitar and sax solos. If you are in the mood to wallow contemplatively this is the perfect album. Welcome to the Lurve zone - ambient, dreamy and oh so terribly laid back (Sounds like it was recorded at zero gravity). It you liked her last album, "Lovers Rock" this is more of the same but better. Classics like "By your side" (infectious keyboard riff) and "Somebody already broke my heart" (Tasty Hammond organ licks) have equal class and sophistication with just enough live edge (exquisite blends of percussion and bass) to make them interesting.

Don't expect too many surprise in tempo - Sade's style and finesse is never compromised. This "Smooth operator" sticks to the tricks she knows best. An excellent album.

Lively...!
13 songs taken from the "Lovers Rock" tour represent the changing face of Sade over her 19 years or so as an artist. The songs are tremendously produced with ample noise support from an enthuasiastic audience. Particularly good are "Cherish the day" (The haunting guitar sound and deliberately-hesitant drum-beat are electric when heard "live") and "Smooth Operator" (one can never forget that familiar bass and sax). "Jezebel" and "Is it a crime" are suprisingly good "live" for such moody numbers. "Paradise" "The Sweetest Taboo" and "kiss of Life" hold their own against their most brilliant album versions.
Overall a good buy...Sade fans will particularly identify with it.