Luther Vandross

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.

In a way, it's a shame that Luther Vandross' Songs, his 1994 album of other people's hits, became the biggest hit of his career, for it obscured one of his greatest talents: songwriting. The best soul singer of the '80s is back with Your Secret Love, his first album of original, non-Christmas songs since 1993's Never Let Me Go. He hasn't lost his knack for big, emotional melodies and for scenarios that find happiness tantalizingly close, but still out of reach.

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.