I bought two copies last night. One for me, one for my wife. She (well, they) holds a very special place in both our hearts. I put her onto Sade, and she's been a huge fan since we met. I became a fan in 1999, just in time for Lovers Rock.
Soldier of Love is solid, but I'm afraid it won't have that staying/lasting power as many of their other albums. Love Deluxe had No Ordinary Love, Cherish the Day. Diamond Life had Smooth Operator, Cherry Pie, Hang on to Your Love....you get the idea.
On first listen, I didn't really hear a song on Soldier of Love that said "Hey Jajo, you'll be listening to me for years to come" like so many of the other past works.
Some say "it's a new direction" for Sade. Really? So when will this "direction" continue? The last album was in 2000, which saddens me too much to know that it could be another 10 years for more work.
I'll keep listening to Soldier of Love, and I'm sure it will be in heavy rotation for the next month. I hope I end up liking it even more. There are a tad too many dull tracks on there. Skin and Soldier of Love (I didn't like SOL at first) are terrific though.
Let me just say, if there is a tour, I'll be sure not to miss it. Who knows if there will be another.
