A re-release of 2011's
The Ultimate Collection
,
The Essential Sade
contains all but two of the
Sade
singles -- "When Am I Going to Make a Living" and, unfortunately, "Turn My Back on You" -- released through the first six studio albums. There are six well-chosen album cuts, highlighted by the exceptionally spacious
Love Deluxe
ballads "Bullet Proof Soul" and "Pearls." For some
followers, the one rarity (a restrained
Neptunes
mix of "By Your Side") and four new songs will be enough to justify re-acquiring the old material. The best of the new songs is a cover of
Thin Lizzy
's anguished ballad "Still in Love with You," a surprising but strikingly appropriate choice that is granted a hint of sweetness. On the opposite end, a remix of
Soldier of Love
's "The Moon and the Sky," featuring
Jay-Z
, marks
's first and hopefully last collaboration with an MC. The greater part of this two-hour anthology condenses a rich catalog of impeccably sophisticated and subtly stimulating pop, from 1984's seductive "Your Love Is King" to 2009's chilling "Soldier of Love." ~ Andy Kellman