NME critic David Quantick praised Raw Like Sushi as "the sort of record you can rarely buy – immediate, commercial pop that only someone with a rather individual worldview could have made", highlighting its unconventional song structures and Cherry's "wit, intelligence and even maturity." Pete Clark of Hi-Fi News & Record Review said that Cherry's music "is illuminated by a jazzy delight in non-conformity" and singled out "effortlessly memorable" "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild". As per Chris Murray of RPM "this package contains something for any contemporary dance music fan."

Raw Like Sushi is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

Personnel

  • Neneh Cherry – lead vocals, programming
  • Sandy McLelland – backing vocals on "Inna City Mamma", "Love Ghetto" and "Phoney Ladies"
  • Chandra Armstead – backing vocals on "Outré Risqué Locomotive"
  • Eagle-Eye Cherry – toasting on "Heart"
  • Sarah Erde – Hispanic vocals on "Kisses on the Wind"
  • Cameron "Booga Bear" McVey – backing vocals, executive producer, mixing, beats on "Manchild"
  • Phil Chill – programming, beats, backing vocals on "The Next Generation"
  • Claudia Fontaine – backing vocals on "Kisses on the Wind"
  • Nellee Hooper – vibraphone
  • Jerod Minnies – guitar on "Love Ghetto"
  • Alvin Moody – beats and programming on "Outré Risqué Locomotive"
  • Nick Plytas – programming
  • Jeff Scantlebury – congas on "Kisses on the Wind"
  • John Sharp – programming on "Manchild"
  • Tim Simenon – beats and turntables on "Buffalo Stance" and "Heart"
  • Dynamik Duo – beats
  • Mark Saunders – multi-instruments, beats on "Buffalo Stance"
  • Wil Malone – conductor, programming, string arrangements on "Manchild", backing vocals
  • Gordon Dukes – backing vocals on "Outré Risqué Locomotive"
  • Mushroom – programming, turntables on "Kisses on the Wind", "The Next Generation" and "So Here I Come"

;Technical

  • Jean-Baptiste Mondino – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 1989 weekly chart performance for Raw Like Sushi

! scope="col"| Chart (1989)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)

| 7

|-

! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 14

|-

!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)

|align="center"|35

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ 2020 weekly chart performance for Raw Like Sushi

! scope="col"| Chart (2020)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for Raw Like Sushi

! scope="col"| Chart (1989)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

| 56

|-

! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)

| 41

|-

! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

| 42

|-

! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)

| 41

|-

! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

| 19

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (Gallup)

| 28

|}

Certifications and sales

References

Further reading

  • BBC News: Neneh Cherry revisits Raw Like Sushi track by track