“Never Too Much”‘s title track still sounds fresh 32 years later, with a peppy groove, witty lyrics and Luther’s rap-like cadence, while his cover of the Bacharach/David chestnut “A House is Not a Home” is the definitive reading. However, two tracks here cemented Luther’s legend. The smoky “Don’t You Know That” echoes George Benson’s Quincy Jones productions from the same time period, and is a standout. “I’ve Been Working” and “She’s a Super Lady” don’t skimp on the bottom, running contrary to Luther’s later reputation as strictly a balladeer. The mix is bass-heavy on the uptempo tracks, not least due to the influence of future bass legend Marcus Miller. With eight solid tracks and platinum sales, Luther established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Never Too Much ensured that the name “Luther Vandross” would be identified with that voice from the day of its release forward. So, audiences were already familiar with the voice even if they didn’t know the name behind it. Not only had he toiled for nearly a decade as a background and jingle singer, but he’d also released two albums as part of a collective called Luther (unfortunately, Vandross bought back the rights to both albums and never re-released them.) Additionally, he’d scored a pair of hits the year before as the voice behind disco outfit Change. Never Too Much (1981): Luther wasn’t really a newcomer when his first album was released in the fall of 1981. Sit back, light a candle (if you’d like) and read on as we sail through the career of the man best described by one of his many nicknames-“The Voice.” Not just a soul man, not just a ballad singer, not just a master of love songs, Luther’s discography reveals a stunning body of work that holds up strongly two if not three decades after release. His work can be found on songs ranging from David Bowie’s “Young Americans” to Chic’s “Le Freak” to Sister Sledge’s “He’s the Greatest Dancer” to Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover” to Richard Marx’s “Keep Coming Back.” Far from just a vocalist, Luther was a master vocal arranger, background singer, commercial jingle vocalist, live performer (his shows are legendary), songwriter and producer. Vandross was a vocalist who was practically unequalled in passion and sensitivity-a testament to good taste in idols (Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and The Temptations.) Luther started out at the tail end of the disco era and retained his popularity through Minneapolis funk, new jack swing and gangsta rap. Whether delivering a bubbly dance tune, a sobering message song, or (his forte) classic ballads, Mr. Over a solo singing career that spanned over twenty years, the delicate way in which Luther interpreted lyrics gained the vocalist a legion of dedicated and faithful fans. Both were master interpreters of other peoples’ material (although of the two, Luther wrote material on his own that was just as good.) Hell, both men hail from the Tri-State area (Sinatra from New Jersey, Luther from the Lower East Side.) It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to imagine Luther headlining in Vegas had he lived, or doing the type of Great American Songbook album that rocketed to popularity shortly after he had his 2003 stroke. Both men wore their hearts on their sleeves vocally. Both preferred subtle shading to vein-popping histrionics. When Luther Vandross passed away at the age of 54, we were robbed of our generation’s Sinatra.While some would question that comparison, the two had more musical similarities than differences. In July 2005, one of the most exquisite voices in music history was silenced.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |