Menagerie | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 29, 1977 | |||
Recorded | 1977 | |||
Studio | The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California A&R Recording, New York City, New York | |||
Genre | Soul, R&B | |||
Length | 38:26 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Bill Withers, Keni Burke, Clarence McDonald, Cliff Coulter | |||
Bill Withers chronology | ||||
|
Menagerie is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released on October 29, 1977 through the Columbia label.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
Menagerie is overall more uptempo and less introspective in feel than Withers' previous albums. None of the songs tackle intensely personal emotions of the kind which lent a dark edge to earlier Withers tracks such as "Use Me", "Better Off Dead" or "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)". The arrangements are also generally upbeat and breezy, with "I Want to Spend the Night" and "Tender Things" having a distinct Latin feel, and "Lovely Night for Dancing" and "She Wants To (Get On Down)" showing disco influences. The lead single "Lovely Day" has gone on to become one of Withers' signature songs, particularly in the UK, where it was a top 10 hit both on its original release and again in a remixed version in 1988.
Menagerie peaked at #16 on the R&B chart and #39 on the Billboard 200. It was Withers' biggest-selling album in the UK, where it reached #27.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lovely Day" |
| 4:15 |
2. | "I Want to Spend the Night" | Withers | 3:41 |
3. | "Lovely Night for Dancing" | Withers | 5:51 |
4. | "Then You Smile at Me" |
| 4:54 |
5. | "She Wants To (Get On Down)" |
| 3:15 |
6. | "It Ain't Because of Me Baby" |
| 3:31 |
7. | "Tender Things" | Withers | 5:02 |
8. | "Wintertime" | Cliff Coulter | 3:17 |
9. | "Let Me Be the One You Need" |
| 4:44 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Year | Single | Chart positions [8] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard Hot 100 | US R&B | US A/C | ||
1977 | "Lovely Day" | 30 | 6 | 25 |
1978 | "Lovely Night for Dancing" | — | 75 | — |
Triumph is the fourteenth studio album by the Jacksons, released in October 1980 by Epic Records.
I Feel for You is the fifth solo studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1984.
Red Octopus is the second album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1975. Certified double platinum by RIAA in 1995, it is the best-selling album by any incarnation of Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off groups. The single "Miracles" was the highest-charting single any permutation of the band had until Starship's "We Built This City" a decade later, ultimately peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart; the album itself reached No. 1 for four non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. As was common in the era, stereo and quadraphonic mixes of the album were released concurrently.
Let Me in Your Life is the twentieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on February 25, 1974, by Atlantic Records.
Winner in You is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on April 28, 1986, in the United States. Recording sessions took place during 1985–1986. Production was handled by several record producers, including Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Nickolas Ashford, among others.
The Force Behind the Power is the nineteenth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on September 10, 1991, by Motown Records. The album reached No. 11 on the UK Albums chart.
All Systems Go is the thirteenth studio album by Donna Summer. It was released on September 15, 1987; it would be her final release on Geffen Records, which had been Summer's label since 1980. There were two singles released in the US, "Dinner with Gershwin" and "Only the Fool Survives", although both failed to reach the top 40 of the Hot 100. The title cut, "All Systems Go" was released as single in the UK. The album peaked at number 122 on the US Billboard 200, becoming her lowest charting studio album to date.
Give Me the Reason is the fifth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on September 26, 1986, by Epic Records. The album earned Vandross an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and a nomination for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" in 1988, while the title track was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 29th Grammy Awards.
Special Things is a studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1980 on Planet Records.
They Don't Make Them Like They Used To is the nineteenth studio album by American country music artist Kenny Rogers released in 1986 by RCA Nashville. The album hit the top 20 on the country charts with the single "Twenty Years Ago" peaked at number two.
Rhythm of Love is the fifth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker, released in 1994. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop chart and was certified double platinum, giving Baker her fourth platinum selling album.
If That's What It Takes is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. The album was released in August 1982 and peaked at #6 on Billboard 200, while singles "I Keep Forgettin' " and "I Gotta Try" went to #4 and #44 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
United is the 12th studio album by the Commodores, released on October 7, 1986 on Polydor Records.
'Bout Love is the seventh studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released in 1979 on the Columbia label.
We're the Best of Friends is a 1979 duet album by American vocalists Natalie Cole and Peabo Bryson. It was released on November 2, 1979, by Capitol Records.
Dangerous is a 1985 album by American singer Natalie Cole released on May 15, 1985, through the Atco Records-distributed Modern Records label. The album reached peak positions of number 140 on the Billboard 200 and number 48 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.
Naked & Warm is the fifth studio album by American soul singer-songwriter and producer Bill Withers, released in 1976 by Columbia Records.
Making Music is the fourth studio album by American soul singer-songwriter and producer Bill Withers, released in 1975. It was also released in the UK as Making Friends.
Solid is the eleventh studio album recorded by American vocal duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1984 on the Capitol label. The album features the song "Solid", which became the songwriting duo's biggest hit as performers.
Essar is a 1984 album by American singer Smokey Robinson. It was produced and arranged by Robinson with Reginald "Sonny" Burke. The album was released on the Motown sub-label Tamla. The album's title is a pun on the initials of Robinson's name (S.R.).