Luther Vandross Albums (17)
'Live Radio City Music Hall 2003'
Release Date 10/14/2003
Tracks 11
Label J-Records
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What The Critics Say
Recorded two months before his hospitalization for a serious stroke, Live 2003 at Radio City Music Hall is a welcome addition to the Luther Vandross' discography with absolutely no foreshadowing of the devastating event. Those who have only been exposed to his smooth croon on record are in for a treat. The cool pillow talk of his studio recordings is performed perfectly here, but live Vandross adds improvisational twists, stunning vocal theatrics, and some of the most entertaining banter with an audience ever heard. Absolutely effervescent (he declares at least half the songs "my favorite") the singer wins over the audience right away and it just keeps building from there. The band is tight, with Nat Adderley Jr. as leader and on keyboards, but vocals are the thing. You can always count on Vandross to have the best background singers, and here his interaction with them surpasses anything on his studio albums (their playful exchange on "Creepin'" is unbelievable). A slower "Here and Now" is monolithic and the 13 minutes of "Superstar" fly by like it was nothing. Going back to his days in the group Change for "Glow of Love" is a nice nod to the hardcore fans and a perfect, shimmering, disco closer. The keyboards could sure use an update from their '80s presets and Vandross' visual references don't come off so well on a mere CD, but these are small complaints. If there ever was an argument that you can own every one of his studio albums and still only know half the story, this proves it. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Luther Vandross pours his heart and soul into Dance with My Father's title track, an ambitious kickoff single that misrepresents an album where most highlights are down-tempo. Vandross' own serious ailment at the time of the single's release makes the song's references to absent loved ones even more poignant. In top form at the time of recording, he is able to deliver the song with a voice strong enough to handle the monolithic sentimentality of the lyrics and Richard Marx's swollen production. The six-minute, sensual quiet storm "The Closer I Get to You" is the other high-profile track, a duet with Beyoncé Knowles holding her own with Vandross' perfect phrasing. The rest of the album's winners are the most restrained numbers, often with Marcus Miller or Vandross himself in the producer's chair. The Vandross-helmed "If I Didn't Know Better" is a complex combination of bitterness and vulnerability, with Vandross confronting a two-timing lover. Miller's "She Saw You" borrows heavily from Timbaland's production style, adding a tasteful Wes Montgomery-toned guitar to surround another story of betrayal. Superstar R&B album conventions being what they are, Busta Rhymes' and Foxy Brown's guest spots feel more mandatory than necessary, but Queen Latifah's contribution to "Hit It Again" is welcome and inspired. Tacked onto the end of the album, "They Said You Needed Me" is a silly, light calypso and also the one true dud. Dance with My Father isn't able to maintain the high standards it often achieves, but Vandross' voice is always compelling and the background singers live up to the superior arrangements throughout. With nearly 70 minutes of music on the disc to choose from, more savvy listeners will be able to program their CD players for a more focused and rewarding listen. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Home for Christmas'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 8
Label Sony Special Products
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What The Critics Say
Playing the role of R&B love god has always come naturally to Luther Vandross. On his Virgin debut, he eases into his groove once again. Whether he's dealing in the easy, gospel-inflected pop of album opener "Keeping My Faith in You" or the jazzy hooks of the title track (with Stevie Wonder guesting on harmonica), Vandross is in command. While the faux hip-hop of "Get It Right" (with rap by Precise) seems a bit forced, the disc is strong overall. R&B doesn't get any glossier. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Luther Vandross' tenth new studio album has much in common with its predecessors. It is filled with midtempo love ballads in which Vandross emotes over tasteful R&B gospel arrangements, mostly writing his own songs, but also finding room for a couple of pop favorites -- in this case, Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet" and the old Little Anthony and the Imperials hit "Goin' Out of My Head." As steeped as he is in the nomenclature of R&B vocal expressionism, Vandross as usual sounds more self-involved than romantically devoted. His references have always seemed not so much real emotions as other love songs, which makes him something of an anomaly: a formalist in a field at least nominally defined by excess of feeling. Of course, that's always been something of a conceit, which may be why the traditional R&B audience faithfully takes Vandross to its bosom each time out, while his relationship to the pop audience, after a flirtation in the early '90s, remains largely unconsummated. He may profess "Endless Love," but pop fans are only willing to believe him when he's singing with a diva like Mariah Carey. Give Vandross credit, he wants to be taken on his own terms, which is why he released his own songs, the title track and "I Can Make It Better," as the singles instead of going for a trendy R&B hit with "I Can't Wait No Longer (Let's Do This)," which features a rap by Deidra "Spin" Roper of Salt-N-Pepa, or trying to make "Goin' Out of My Head" a pop hit for the third time. Such integrity is probably what kept the album from selling beyond Vandross' existing fan base; lucky for him, there were a million of them. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The pop/soul community, so prevalent in 1994, coughed up just one other slick, highly polished production piece for 1995: Luther Vandross, This Is Christmas. You might find it hard to get past "The Mistletoe Jam" (silky soul voice smugly intoning "Girl, get over here and get under this mistletoe with me..."). ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Luther Vandross could sing almost anything convincingly, which is one of the reasons Songs is so entertaining. A collection of personal favorites, Songs suffers from the common flaws of covers albums -- it isn't consistent, it sounds slightly canned, and seems like a way to buy time between "real" albums. Nevertheless, Vandross is a truly fine singer, which is what makes Songs worthwhile. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Luther Vandross'
Release Date 1/31/1994
Tracks 14
Label Sony Mid-Price
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What The Critics Say
Luther Vandross made a return to form, of sorts, with his 2001 self-titled album, and his first bow for former Arista chief Clive Davis' new label, J Records. Luther Vandross ranks as the singer's best since 1991's critically and commercially lauded Power of Love, and it produced the single "Take You Out," which proved to be the velvet-voiced crooner's first Top 40 pop hit since "Endless Love," his drippy hit duet with Mariah Carey from 1994's covers collection Songs. Luther Vandross employs a bevy of the day's hottest producers and songwriters, in an effort to bring Luther back into the mainstream, and for the most part it works, although it infuriated more than a few old-school purists. Luther effortlessly brings on the funk on stellar up-tempo tracks, such as "Grown Thangs," the neo-disco of "Say It Now" (which recalls his classic "Never Too Much"), and the fabulous "How Do I Tell Her," the latter two utilizing a long standing trademark of Vandross' stellar female background vocals that nearly steal the show. The album also includes the classic ballads -- lush, romantic quiet storm numbers such as "Hearts Get Broken All The Time," the melodic "I'd Rather," "Any Day Now," and "Love Forgot." Additionally, Vandross delivers an inspired cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic "Are You There (With Another Guy)," The album's second single, "Can Heaven Wait," is a lush ballad that was destined to become a massive hit, but, unfortunately, due to the overly melodramatic nature of the song, which recalls R. Kelly at his schlockiest, the single stiffed. Nonetheless, Luther Vandross is the singer's most engaging, exciting, and compelling album in years, and shows Vandross in step with changing times, all the while still managing to hold on to the essence of what made him so famous in the first place. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Luther Vandross may have fallen a bit from his lofty perch among R&B stars, but it wasn't due to any dip in skills. This release contains more examples of his supple, fluid vocals, expert delivery, and sophisticated yet soulful style. Indeed, Vandross hasn't made many better overall albums from a strict singing standpoint; his voice is full and impressive in every register, and there's no sign of strain when he reaches to the top of an arrangement or extends notes and phrases. Perhaps the only sign of creative wear and tear is the album's structure; there's no real blockbuster single, and the final medley, which blends classics from The Spinners and Bee Gees, sounds thrown together; a retooling of his production and arranging procedures might be in order. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Power of Love finds Luther Vandross at his peak, crafting immaculate urban R&B hits that are seductive and soulful. The singles "Power of Love/Love Power," "Don't Want to Be a Fool," "The Rush," and "Sometimes It's Only Love" are the high points, but the album is filled with songs that are nearly as powerful, including a wonderful cover of Ben E. King's "I (Who Have Nothing)." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
