Luther Vandross

Never Too Much is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200, peaked at number one on the R&B Albums chart, and went double platinum by the RIAA. The album earned Vandross two Grammy Award nominations in 1982 - "Best New Artist" and "Best R&B Vocal Performance / Male".

A romantic prelude to Valentine’s Day 2023, Luther’s Radio City rendition of “I’d Rather” (the second #1 Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart-topper from 2001’s Top 10 platinum-selling eponymous album) is being released as a single accompanied by an elegant new lyric video (the first-ever created for the song) premiering online today.

After more than two decades as the most celebrated soul balladeer in American soul, Luther Vandross isn't about to change a winning formula, and Dance With My Father is another faultless, high-gloss collection of love songs to follow his 2001 Luther Vandross release. 'I must admit I get so emotional', he sings early on, and proceeds to demonstrate the fact over a dozen tracks that contain no surprises, but will keep his considerable following more than satisfied.

The attempt to translate R&B achievement into pop success often involves a cruel irony: The most compelling features of black music are often compromised by artists' crossover ambitions. Fortunately, recent albums by Luther Vandross and Anita Baker, two standard-bearers of contemporary black pop, offer ample evidence that even as you venture from home base, you can keep the fire that defined your appeal.

The apex of Luther Vandross’ collaboration with producer and bassist Marcus Miller, Vandross’ third album Busy Body positively leaps out of the speakers with the synthetic stabs of opener I Wanted Your Love. One of his best dancefloor numbers, it is probably the only example in Vandross’ solo catalogue of him sounding at the cutting edge, with its New York club swagger.

In the seven albums (eight, counting a 1989 best-of package) that he has released in the last decade, Luther Vandross has established himself as Smokey Robinson's successor in building a personalized pop-soul loveland around beautiful singing. Because his extraordinarily rich voice, which straddles the line between tenor and baritone, is much more operatic than Robinson's, the environment he creates around himself is more luxurious. It is a lavishly appointed, secular cathedral of soft lights and sweet music in which he presides as a high priest of romance while his ever-present female backup singers serve as ceremonial acolytes.

The most gifted male pop-soul singer of his generation, Luther Vandross has broken away from the macho chest-beating of the likes of Teddy Pendergrass by crooning instead of roaring at moments of high passion. Forever, for Always, for Love, his second solo album, hits emotional peaks when the singer is choking back his feelings in broken, soft-spoken phrases that transform intense sexuality into pure emotion.

"How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" is the 1983 album by soul singer Dionne Warwick. This release pairs Dionne with R&B legend & Producer Luther Vandross. This Expanded & Remastered Edition contains six bonus tracks of which one is a previously until now un-released.

Never Let Me Go, like most Luther Vandross albums, is a flawless display of technique blessed with exquisite singing, well-crafted arrangements and a mix that has been tweaked to perfection. Unfortunately, the end result is more soporific than soulful meaning that all Vandross ends up with is the quiet-storm equivalent of elevator music.

On his sixth album in seven years, Luther Vandross sounds a bit fed up. As the most powerful and popular balladeer of the Eighties, he has doggedly defended romantic bliss, or at least the hope for it. Any Love might mark the end of that cycle, however, as some doubts start to creep in.