Best of Luther Vandross Best of POLL

yay! always nice to have an excuse to circle back to luther for a listen

"Never Too Much" over "A House Is Not A Home"

hey Alfred: what's 'Don't Wanna Lose You'?

that should be "Don't Want To Be a Fool"

ah! thanks

i lovelovelove glow of love

dunno what I'm gonna vote for though! i like so many of these

glow of love

his "A House Is Not a Home" typifies the drawn-out intentional/unintentional comedy of slow R&B for me

do ppl really find that erotic?

I know I told you to slow it down, it's good, it's all good, it's beautiful. But now I need you to do it faster, baby, can you please - do it faster, do it faster!

Leaning towards "Give Me The Reason" over "Stop to Love," "Glow of Love" and "Never Too Much."

I know what Morbs means: I don't find a Vandross particularly erotic singer myself. But what I get from him is the, er, glow of love. That's enough.

hes not an erotic singer at all. thats not the 'pt'

"The Glow Of Love" (and if that wasn't there, "Searching" for that matter) over "Stop To Love" and "Never Too Much" or "Til My Baby Comes Home," all of which I also like a lot. (Picking a Change track seems like cheating, but I can't ignore them if they're on the list!)

was "better love" really not a single?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs9fXawEmDk

so the contemporary marketing was a bait-and-switch?

"Searching" is great. The first Change album is the sort of album I'd buy for everyone I knew if I was a billionaire.

Depends on how much overlap one finds between eroticism and comfort.

Voted "The Glow of Love" just over "The Best Things in Life Are Free."

so the contemporary marketing was a bait-and-switch?

― saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, December 4, 2012 2:46 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there is more dimension to romance than erotic

"Give Me the Reason" from the slightly incongruous soundtrack to Ruthless People is -- despite some dated, 80's production -- one of the most brilliantly subtle, heartbreaking songs I've ever heard, and I love him for it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, June 15, 2005 12:06 PM (7 years ago

lol if i ever even entertain the idea of finding Vandross erotic I can call up this memory which p much shuts that down.

a few years ago I went to our local post-office on a rare day when there was hardly anyone there. the clerk was an older lady with dyed purple-black waist length hair, almost-drag makeup, amazing long frosted-lavender nails. she was very warm and friendly in an almost 'why don't you come back to my apartment and meet my husband Fred' kind of way. and she was GROOVING to the Luther Vandross CD playing on tiny stereo behind her. Which in conversation she revealed was hers and she loooooooooooooooved her some Luther. She said, with a gleam in her eye that was equal parts awesome and SUPER creepy.

nothing against her, she was almost verifiably awesome. but just that sliiiiiiiiight hint that she might spike your drink and leave you waking up in strange place.

that's what "Here and Now" conjures.

guessing that "Give Me The Reason" will win this so I'm gonna vote for "Dance with my Father" instead, because my eyes need a good washing every now & then

oh I dunno -- "Glow of Love" looks like it's leading.

This is easily Never Too Much, it's one of my favourite songs ever. I'm a huge fan of the Never Too Much album, only seven tracks but they're all brilliant.

It's a shame none of these compilations ever include Hot Butterfly, it's one of his best vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmFQMGXOqQ

A shame this wasn't a single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbas2wNnZ-s

Yes, I've Been Working is exactly one of the songs that makes that album so amazing. That one and Sugar & Spice should have joined the title track as big hit singles.

Also the album cover is just classic.

Here's where I recommend every album through Give Me The Reason.

I never really clicked with The Night I Fell In Love but Forever, For Always, For Love and Busy Body are great albums. I'll Let You Slide from Busy Body is yet another song that should have been huge. Apparently it reached number 100 here in the UK singles chart!

"I'll Let You Slide" is my favorite of his album tracks.

oh wait -- it was an R&B top ten

yeah thats a great song

I swear, I was just about to post that one!
(And here it is too:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvh-BJWBMxw

the synth on that track!

As posted earlier, Never Too Much over House Is Not A Home. There are other good ones on that list too, but Never Too Much is just a perfect R&B single.

'Glow Of Love' for me...an amazing track...love the strings and brass on this...also love 'My Sensitivity' off 'The Night I Fell In Love'

hm, i would pick both "searching" and "glow of love" over "never too much". i sang "never too much" at karaoke once and it was actually surprisingly boring to sing. i really like singing "searching" at home but haven't seen it in the karaoke bars yet. that was my vote btw. the bassline!!

voting "never too much" for sentimental reasons and also because it's so hard to choose. so hard to choose - could almost be a song title eh?

here's my take on the album when it came out

I had ambivalences too. Made my peace with him a long time ago though.

you were OTM re: production skills. "Jump To It" and "Get It Right" are great, underrated Aretha and still sound sweet

i sang "never too much" at karaoke once and it was actually surprisingly boring to sing.

― fennel cartwright, Wednesday, December 5, 2012 1:28 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i did the same! & its so true. it's def more about how he uses his voice than that melody

his "A House Is Not a Home" typifies the drawn-out intentional/unintentional comedy of slow R&B for me

― saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, December 4, 2012 12:03 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

do ppl really find that erotic?

― saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, December 4, 2012 12:03 PM Bookmark

When I djed my cousin's wedding, I played it and my parents were slow dancing so tight on each other that my mom said to me, "you're going to have a brother if you're not careful"

O_O

aww

haha, fwiw my mom is menopausal and my dad has a vasectomy, i won't be having any brothers any time soon.

Lutherinsurance

she's told me tho that she's always found falsetto lovermen comical and unsexy (it was Ron Isley of all the people in the world that sparked that comment!), but goes gaga for deep-voiced singers like Luther or Barry White

Fascinating as a glimpse into how Rolling Stone regarded black music in the mid eighties. Also reviews Freddie Jackson, Jr. (who deserves a thread maybe) and Gregory Abbott.

www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/give-me-the-reason-19870312

Since no one's said anything about "Power of Love/Love Power," I will: besides "Here and Now," my intro to Vandross. Love the chintzy Casio and Luther's mumbled vocal. Hit the pop top ten as Gloria Estefan's "Coming Out of the Dark" and Rick Astley's "Cry For Help," showing them how to use choirs.

I don't know that Aletti is typical of Rolling Stone.

I didn't even notice the byline! You're right.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

no votes for "Stop to Love" :(

this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYtFghpNk1U

Wondering what song you posted there, Alfred. Do you remember?

“The Rush” from the 1991 Power Of Love album is one of my all-time favorite Luther jams. Having it on a loop right now, same thing happened last week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsqNQ1lYzvI

(I actually blame Maxwell’s “All The Ways Love Can Feel” for bringing “The Rush” back in my life)

"The Rush" is awesome, don't know why it din't cross over pop.

I have no idea! Maybe "Give Me the Reason"?

Happy 70th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69KrkMpvZdg

Happy 70th Birthday to the LEGENDARY Luther Vandross! This surprise appearance he made on The Arsenio Hall Show will always be iconic! pic.twitter.com/DyVnKA2tbb

— 𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒸𝒶 (@MJFINESSELOVERR) April 20, 2021

really enjoyed the documentary that is out now

his version of "a house is not a home" is up there w/ like "i will always love you" or whatever else for me in terms of the great interpretations in music history. there is something so truly perfect about "never too much" and it's probably the best showcase for the purity of his vocal tone -- it's like looking at the hope diamond or something -- but i like that "a house is not a home" shows off his range and pushes the pathos to the forefront. emotionally that wallops me in a way that "never too much" does not

"til my baby comes home" is a great song that didn't get a vote here

this rendition of "a house is not a home" at the 1986 NAACP image awards in tribute to dionne warwick (shown in the doc) is one of the most stunning performances i've ever seen. i was watching this in the theatre like -- holy shit this is michael jackson doing the moonwalk for the first time, prince's solo at the rock and roll hall of fame, fred astaire level put one man on a stage showbiz virtuosity and charisma (of course luther himself would never consider himself in the lineage of men). i felt cheated that i made it thru nearly 36 years of life not understanding this about luther vandross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW7uz9ktU24

Thanks for sharing that link. His version of that song is great and that’s an incredible live version from him.

I saw online DJ Soul Sister from New Orleans praising the doc & now you Jordan S . Will look for it

This music is a balm this morning.