Luther Vandross (album)

Last updated
Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Luther Vandross
ReleasedJune 19, 2001 (2001-06-19)
RecordedNovember 2000–March 2001
Length66:52
Label J
Producer
Luther Vandross chronology
Smooth Love
(2000)		Luther Vandross
(2001)		 The Ultimate Luther Vandross
(2001)
Singles from Luther Vandross
  1. "Take You Out"
    Released: June 9, 2001
  2. "Can Heaven Wait"
    Released: December 2001
  3. "I'd Rather"
    Released: April 16, 2002

Luther Vandross is the twelfth studio album by American singer Luther Vandross. It was released by J Records on June 19, 2001 in the United States. His debut with the label after a brief stint with Virgin Records on I Know (1998), it marked a departure for Vandross who reunited with frequent collaborators Nat Adderley, Jr. and Marcus Miller to work on some songs, but also recruited a wider range of contemporary producers such as Warryn Campbell, Shep Crawford, Eddie F., Darren Lighty, Soulshock, and The Underdogs to contribute material.

Contents

The album was released to positive reception from music critics, who called it Vandross' best effort in a decade. His rendition of the 1962 Chuck Jackson song "Any Day Now" received a nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards. Upon release, Luther Vandross debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, selling 136,000 copies, his best first week sales yet. The album produced three singles, including "Take You Out" which reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult R&B Songs chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly A− [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis found that Luther Vandross was "a return to form," and ranked the album "as the singer's best since 1991's critically and commercially lauded Power of Love ." He further called it "the singer's most engaging, exciting, and compelling album in years; [it] shows Vandross in step with changing times, all the while still managing to hold on to the essence of what made him so famous in the first place." [1] People magazine called Luther Vandross "vintage Vandross" and wrote: "With his new disc, Vandross has finally come up with a collection of songs worthy of his silky, elastic tenor. Sounding as robust as ever despite having dropped 120 lbs. since his last album [...] Vandross works his seductive spells on sensitive slow jams [...]." [5]

Denise Boyd from BBC Music noted that "with this album Luther has stepped into the 21st century with style. He's combined his classic soul sound with the new digitised R&B beat, therefore cleverly pleasing his die-hard fans and also paving the way for a new generation of followers. Luther is undisputedly still the king of soul ballads but he is also recognised as a force to be reckoned with on the new R&B scene." [6] Entertainment Weekly 's Robert Cherry felt that "Vandross doesn’t need to rely on expletives to stimulate a response. Armed with G-rated ballads and a bevy of hot producers who step aside to let the man do his thang, Vandross and his caramel-smooth croon could spark yet another baby boom." [2] In a negative review, PopMatters editor Mark Anthony Neal called the album a "dismal attempt on Vandross' part to remain relevant to today’s listening audiences." [7]

Commercial performance

Luther Vandross debuted and peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200, selling 136,000 copies in its first week. [8] It marked Vandross' best chart showing since Billboard began using SoundScan to track sales in 1991. [8] On Billboard's component charts, the album reached number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming his twelfth solo album to reach the top ten. [8] In total, Luther Vandross sold 1.2 million copies domestically. [9] It was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of over 1 million copies in the United States. [10]

Track listing

Luther Vandross track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Take You Out"
Campbell3:25
2."Grown Thangs"
 Jon B. 4:32
3."Bring Your Heart to Mine"
  • Gist
  • Berkeley
4:21
4."Can Heaven Wait"
 Soulshock & Karlin 5:35
5."Say It Now"
 Soulshock & Karlin 4:32
6."Hearts Get Broken All the Time (But the Problem Is, This Time It's Mine)"
Vandross5:19
7."I'd Rather" Shep Crawford Crawford4:51
8."How Do I Tell Her"
Lawrence4:17
9."Any Day Now"
 Nat Adderley Jr. 5:11
10."If I Was the One" Diane Warren The Underdogs 4:19
11."Let's Make Tonight the Night"
4:17
12."Like I'm Invisible"
  • Edmonds
  • Vandross
4:00
13."Are You There (With Another Guy)"
Vandross5:55
14."Love Forgot"
  • Vandross
  • Miller
5:36
15."You Really Started Something" (hidden track)
Vasquez4:37
Total length:66:52

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Luther Vandross
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [10] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Luther Vandross release history
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef.
AsiaJune 19, 2001 J Records [16]
Canada
Japan
United States
AustriaOctober 8, 2001 [17]

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References

  1. 1 2 Allmusic review
  2. 1 2 Cherry, Robert (July 20, 2001). "Luther Vandross Review". Entertainment Weekly : 68–9. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (July 24, 2001). "+Luther Vandross". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  4. ↑ Magazine, Rolling Stone (1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music. ISBN   9780679737285.
  5. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Luther Vandross". People . July 16, 2001. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ Boyd, Denise (2002). "Luther Vandross, Luther Vandross Review". BBC Music . Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ Neal, Mark Anthony (July 16, 2001). "Luther Vandross: Self-titled". PopMatters . Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "Devilish D12 Debut At No. 1". Billboard.com . July 20, 2001. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Pushed-Up Metallica CD Tops List of Releases Slated for June 10". hitsdailydouble.com. June 3, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Luther Vandross". Recording Industry Association of America.
  11. ↑ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  14. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 2001". Billboard . Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  16. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (June 16, 2001). "Coming Back, Vandross Taps Young Writers, Producers For J Debut". Billboard . Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Luther Vandross – Luther Vandross". austriancharts.at (Hung Medien). Retrieved April 14, 2021.


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