Luther Vandross

The good is the enemy of the best, as the Greeks used to say. Somebody should tell Luther
Vandross. His deft command of pop's building blocks is unmistakable, but his silken
rendering of love songs fosters comparisons with Johnny Mathis – a dubious compliment.
Underneath all the gloss, there's no passion. Still, this is an eminently listenable album that
skillfully evokes the light, romantic mood Vandross is so fond of. The LP hits its st... More >

Though Vandross's devotion to pure singing will always be too pure to admit much content, his material has improved. Marcus Miller makes the fast ones hop to, and the ballads retain their shape no matter how far Luther stretches them--only dud's the ridiculously well-named "My Sensitivity (Gets in the Way)." On "It's Over Now" Mr. Nice Guy even orders his treat-him-bad woman to "hit the road"--although it is his femme backups who utter the actual words. (Grade: B+)