Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby

80's soul/pop. Like Michael Jackson, but less poppy. Really solid.

Favourite songs: Dance Little Sister, Who's Loving Who, If You Let Me Stay, If You All Get to Heaven, Wishing Well

Least favourite songs: As Yet Untitled, Let's Go Forward

4/5

yea this guy can sing. its fine if RNB is what you want.

"birds never look into the sun before the day is gone"

I'm not sure what I expected out of this album, but I knew it probably wasn't going to be my favorite album from the recent history, and it wasn't. Very soul-y, and there are even tinges of what I would call influence from Michael Jackson, which I enjoyed, but overall, although I'm sure this album is a top 5 for those who enjoy this specific genre, it wasn't written for me (literally and figuratively).

I often reference the amount of 'plays' a certain track has on spotify to gauge how well my personal tastes match that of the rest of the population. My favorite track was T8- "Rain," which has the second fewest plays out of any song on the album, is funkier, and has a cool, (egyptian-esque?) electronic synth in the back with a nice bass line (playlist). Lots of passion and clear talent in this album, but it didnt speak to me. This is probably blasphemy in certain communities but...

2/5

I'm not sure why this was so notable. It expressed some vulnerable feelings, that was true, but the production didn't seem anything special.

Very 80s. I can see how people would've dug it at the time but it's just aged really poorly, and without the nostalgia connection it isn't really my thing. Dude has a good voice though.

A great voice, and many great songs. Sounds just a wee bit dated, but in a way that might be fairer to call "of its time". He was certainly a big fan of himself, but he was talented enough to back it up.

so so

Never heard of TTD before listening to this, good album deserves to be on the list, but just not to my personal taste to make it 4 stars.

The slyly catchy "Wishing Well" alone proves that Terence Trent D'Arby, these days known as Sananda Maitreya, was the ambassador of soul at the time.
The album still sounds good today, despite the typical production cues of the 80s, such as the drum beat with echo and the keyboards on "If You All Get To Heaven", the album's opening track. The sultry "Sign Your Name" sounds modern still though and is one of the highlights.

He also shows remarkable singing talents on the a cappella "As Yet Untitled".

Later he would not be a musician so much as a personality with grandiose opinions on himself, which distracted from his work.
This multi-platinum and Grammy-winning album is a worthy memento of his considerable talent.

3,5*

Pretty much sums up the sound of 1987 as I remember it. The late 80s was a transitional time in pop music production. Like a teenager awkwardly growing into their new features. It's funny cause if this album were recorded just a few years earlier, or even a few years later, I would probably like it alot more than I do. As is, it just sounds too clean and polished to my ear, to the point of being antiseptic to the soulful qualities that he obviously exudes. The best track by far is "As Yet Untitled" where he is unaccompanied by instruments and you can finally get a real sense of the raw power he is wielding.

Bit dated but his voice is undeniable and the singles still bang