Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby

I definitely appreciate the Prince vibes, and he has a wonderful voice. All that said, can't see myself coming back to this one much. Favorite track: Who's Loving You

Wishing Well was what I remember but also solid otherwise

I got sick of this when I was younger as my dad overplayed it in our car.

Listening back to today, whilst the production does sound dated, there was enough to keep me entertained. Cursed nostalgia! 😝

Everyone is going to have music that is anathema to them and I think that’s what I’ve stumbled across here. I just can’t abide by it. I may well have heard Hardline According to… when I was younger because it makes me feel like a bored child listening to another generation’s music. Some elements are weirdly dated, kind of kooky 80s pop soul, other moments are a little bit more probing, serious and quite strained. Neither of these modes work together. None of it clicks in my head.

Introducing The Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby was a completely new listen for me, and I was genuinely curious to see what it had to offer.

Right from the start, I was hooked. The opening two tracks, If You All Get to Heaven and If You Let Me Stay, are easily the standouts, setting the tone with energy and charisma. Add Wishing Well into the mix, and you’ve got a fantastic opening run that I found myself returning to throughout the day.

This is a seriously strong debut. The album moves confidently across genres, blending rock, soul, and R&B into something vibrant and full of personality. At times, it carries echoes of Prince and Stevie Wonder, but with D’Arby’s own flair. His voice is outstanding, and the fact that he played most of the instruments himself makes it even more impressive.

Overall, it’s a great slice of 80s music—stylish, bold, and packed with talent.

Favourite track: If You All Get to Heaven
Least favourite track: Lets go forward was a bit dull.
Album artwork: Standard 80s cover

Full of spirit, I'll give it that. Not the most memorable songs and too 80s for me but it's got a little pep in its step.

The only actively good song on this album was the last one, but then you realise that is was originally a Jackson 5 song and it all sort of makes sense why you like that one so much…

Typisch jaren '80 geluid. Al doet de zang-opzet (en een intro) me soms denken aan Michael Jackson, en dan juist niet zijn jaren '80 tijd. Meer de zeikerige jaren '90 Michael. En naast de basis-klank uit de jaren '80 komt ook alvast een R&B gevoel doorschemeren. Ook iets wat net iets later populair werd. Hij zette dan toch alvast voorzichtig een voetje richting de toekomst.

3.5 ster.

The Good: We are introduced to The Hardline
The Bad: They are never really featured…
The Ugly: Neither is Terence Trent D’Arby…

What a lovely album this is, and what wonderful memories it always reminds me of… to be young, dumb, and full of ….

TTD came along in a period when the New Romantics / New Wave were slowly fading away, Madonna was Queen of Pop, and Prince and Michael Jackson were the contenders for the King spot… Upstart TTD never stood a chance.

But this album has 2 massive hits on it, and several hidden gems, and the massive hits are always omnipresent on “best of” or “greatest hits” compilation albums.

For those of you who believe that this sounds like the ‘80s… it might… it was, after all, a period when digital was starting to replace analog aspects of recording and publishing, and it heavily influenced the sound in the trebles and upper mid-range.
However, this album has nothing to do with the sound of the Royalties mentioned before… so clear out your ears, and give it another spin!

Ordentliches 80er Album mit „Wishing Well“ und „Sign Your Name“. Auch R&B kann gut sein und gerne wiedergehört werden.

Fine and totally harmless pop record.
I would have liked to call it Prince from Temu, but it wasn't actually that bad. That being said, I don't remember any of it a few days later.

Like Michael Jackson but without hits

This was fun to listen to, and his voice is amazing. The instrumentation is great as well. This just sounds very good and I enjoyed it.

Sananda Maitreya, formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby, is at his best when he's full of shit in the right way: 'If You Let Me Stay,' 'Wishing Well,' 'Dance Little Sister,' 'Let's Go Forward.' Yes, three of those are the chief singles of the record, but that's the point: he ain't that deep. He puts his best foot forward by sticking to the horizons of pop. It's when he belts a thing like 'I've gotta hold on / Struggle through another day / To see the fire in my baby's eyes' that he becomes an ordeal. Maitreya can undoubtedly sing, but loads here is pseudo-gospel and pseudo-soul. Besides, even the standout tracks do not match the power of superiors: Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael and Janet Jackson, DeBarge, Smokey Robinson.

"Wishing Well" is cool, and "As Yet Untitled" actually kind of blew me away. There are a few other elements here and there that I like fine enough, too, but overall, this just isn't a sound I dig very much. He also cribs a bit too much from Prince and MJ for my liking - two artists I'm not big on anyway, but I respect their singularity.

2.5/5

Wishing Well is an undeniable hit. Could go without the rest of the album tho

Думаю що в нас цього тіпа всі знають переважно через пісню Delicate. Я власне теж. Але не так вже й давно, під час своєї улюбленої розваги - перегляду телеканалу "мтв 80х", побачив його кліп на Sign Your Name. Здається ще якраз під іншим ім'ям.

Хороший артефакт того часу, як і багато альбомів в цьому списку.

Meh...just a load of meh. 1.5/5

Not really my cup of tea. Too watery.

First listen I really enjoyed this, second time round a bit less so. Still some good tracks to be had though.