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 Tattoo
13. Kiss of Life
14. Please Send Me Someone to Love
15. Cherish the Day
16. Pearls

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #915 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2001-04-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
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 stylization of "Your Love Is King." Her voice was often criticized 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

The Best of Sade...
I was never a big fan of Sade until her newest release LOVERS ROCK came out, took me ashore and then blew me away. I was never one to listen to anything associated with R&B either until Sade opened my doors into the world of neo-soul which just threw me for a loop. It's kind of like R&B except that it's more meaningful and mature. And while many might say that Sade has a voice that is thin and weak I would really like to differ. Her voice is low-key (I'm not gonna lie) but it's deeply sensuous and soultry with a smoky richness that is absolutely stunning. Her musical styling is also very interesting for it consists of smooth jazz (thanks in part to saxaphones and trumpets) with neo-soul (The Sweetest Taboo, No Ordinary Love) and urban beats (Never As Good As The First Time, Cherish The Day) that often sound like the perfect soundtrack for an island party (aka, Smooth Operator, Paradise). There are also some powerful ballads here like Jezebel and the haunting Pearls which often push me back into my chair as to melt into the melody.

This is an amazing album and it deserves a spot in everyone's collection.

This is highly recommended.

Sultry, Sexy, Sade
Sade's voice should be in the dictionary as a definition of sultry. When she sings in the style she does best she is absolutely phenomenal. Her voice is the ultimate in romantic music and is suitable for darkened restaurants, living rooms (a fireplace would be good) and even bedrooms. Her music can make you feel mellow and cozy and is great music to fall into the eyes of your significant other.

At least one other reviewer has commented that Sade is a one-trick pony because her vocal talent is generally limited to one style. On the flip side, she sings best when she sings in the style that is her trademark. As an example, in the song "Nothing Can Come Between Us" Sade tries a bit faster pace and a different style, and the music overruns her vocals. I listen to Sade's music to listen to her, and when the instruments become the primary voice in a song then I feel as though I am not listening to Sade. This particular song is also very derivative and somewhat lackluster as compared to most of her other songs.

Sade's voice is well exploited and at its best in songs such as "Smooth Operator," "The Sweetest Taboo," and the emotional, heartfelt "Jezebel." But the examples on this CD are numerous extend well beyond these songs. "No Ordinary Love" is powerful, Sade sings from some deep place inside of her that connects you to her soul. This song is more than seven minutes of passion and beauty. Try listening to this song in a completely dark room, preferably holding your significant other, and keeping your eyes closed. The power of this song will flow through you and give you a most amazing feeling.

There are so many other wonderful songs on this CD that I could easily extol the virtues of nearly all of them. "Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a wonderful blues song that is so sad and longing that it threatens to wrest tears from your eyes if you listen to it too long. "Pearls" is just that, a jewel of a song to cap off this collection. Once again Sade brings so much emotion to this song, perhaps the most emotion of any song in this collection. Dive deep into this song, it is worth it.

Sade is difficult to categorize, because she brings so many influences to her music. Some have classified her music as Jazz, and some of her music is Jazz-influenced. In some places she shows up as soft rock or easy listening, and both would be at least partially correct. However, in the end what matters is the music; classifications are merely a way of organizing, and we know that art sometimes defies organization because it goes where it will.

Most gorgeous selection I have heard in a while
People my age, 17, tend to look at me unusually when I tell them that I love Sade, that is because they have no idea who I'm talking about. That to me in itself is quite sad, because I have never heard such raw emotion and beautiful simplicity emerge from music. Not to mention the most beautiful vocals by Sade herself, and the excellent music itself by the musicians of Sade.

I began my Sade adventure when I was really bored one day and I began to pull out my Dad's old records, to find two. They were the albums 'Diamond Life' and 'Promise', the first two albums released. I wanted to take these with me in my discman, though not possible, so I went out to find their 'best of' CD, so I could get a feel for all of Sade's music.

Off those two albums, I immediately found my most favourite tracks. From Diamond Life 'Your love is king' (really nice sax here), 'Hang on to your love' (very nice bass and lyrics very true to life), and of course what I think is my most favourite song of all time, and I'm sure many others feel the same 'Smooth Operator'. It's amazing how their songs are timeless...smooth, lush and soulful.

From Promise 'Jezabel' (really touching lyrics), 'The Sweetest Taboo' (honestly, listen to the lyrics...I wish! fabulously upbeat and positive), 'Is it a crime' (Can we relate people?!), and 'never as good as the first time' (nice harmonies here with great percussion). I'm glad to say as well how from all of these tracks that I've mentioned, how the lyrics people can relate to. This is what with the musicality and rythms created by the musicians creates the evoking of different emotions spoken of earlier. I feel that that is what makes music, you like it because you feel for it, you're able to delve into it's layers, which is why I like Sade's music so much.

The CD continiues taking the best songs from their following albums. From the album Stronger Than Pride, the title track 'Love is stronger than pride' is very calming and downtempo, with many layers of instrumental influences, giving it a very exotic feel with Sade's harmonic vocals acting as a cool flow, like a breez of sweet vocals on the wind. Gorgeous!

From Love Delux, who can ever pass by 'No Ordinary Love'? Very deep, hitting the soul very low, with a sultry overtone. An amazing song, puts me off guard. It's tracks like these that show how well Sade evolved together and can atill create the most amazing music today, just like with their album 'Lovers Rock'. But that in itself is another story.

It's an album I think that is great for all new-earers to Sade, to get a feel for all their albums, and the wonderful music they produced. For those old fans, why not get it to just have it, and have the best tracks on one CD. An amazing group, with amazing musicality and harmonies with lyrics that touch your soul.