Description
This is a review of the album "Bill Withers& 39 Greatest Hits Featuring Just The Two Of Us & Soul Shadows Cd Imported" by Bill Withers. The album is a compilation of Withers' greatest hits from the 1970s and 1980s. The album is short but definitive, and it features Just The Two Of Us, Soul Shadows, Lean On Me, and Ain't No Sunshine. The reviewer lauds Withers' gift for lyrical simplicity, soul, and an undefinable freshness of presentation, and they say that the album is a prime example of his work.
Pop/soul legend Withers was one of the most important figures in
'70s R&B, but most of his catalogue remained shamefully
unavailable throughout the '90s. Fans who followed Withers into the
CD age (and those who weren't around during his glory days) were
forced to content themselves with this short but definitive
anthology. Withers' smooth '80s hit Just The Two Of Us kicks
things off, but it's the '70s cuts that are the meat of his
catalogue. Withers' gift for marrying lyrical simplicity, soul, and
an undefinable freshness of presentation sets his early work apart.
Use Me, with it's angular, funky clavinet line and unabashedly
sexual lyrics, is prime Withers. The moody, minor-keyed lost-love
lament of Ain't No Sunshine demonstrates his ability to
articulate loss without resorting to sentimentality. The classic
Lean On Me adds a touch of Gospel for an unpretentious anthem of
emotional solidarity. Listening to this collection, one can't help
but marvel at the fact that Withers' original albums have remained
out of print for so many years.