Never Too Much (album)

Last updated
Never Too Much
Ntm-lv.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 12, 1981
RecordedApril–July 1981
Studio Media Sound (New York City)
Genre R&B
Length36:50
Label Epic
Producer Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross chronology
Never Too Much
(1981)
Forever, for Always, for Love
(1982)
Singles from Luther Vandross
  1. "Never Too Much"
    Released: July 21, 1981
  2. "Don't You Know That?"
    Released: December 1981

Never Too Much is the debut solo studio album by American singer Luther Vandross, released on August 12, 1981, by Epic Records. Mostly composed by Vandross himself, the album reached number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Never Too Much earned Vandross two Grammy Award nominations in 1982, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

Contents

The album's title track topped the Black Singles chart for two weeks. Vandross's rendition of Dionne Warwick's 1964 song "A House Is Not a Home" became one of his signature songs, and received attention for its transformation into an "epic", since its duration was extended to seven minutes. In 2020, the album was ranked number 362 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Robert Christgau B+ [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [5]

AllMusic editor Craig Lytle found that Never Too Much featured "one outstanding song after another. Vandross concocts a bouncy, vibrant flow on his up-tempo numbers and an intimate, emotional connection on his moderate grooves and his lone ballad [...] This is one of the better R&B albums of the early '80s." [2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Luther Vandross, except "A House Is Not a Home", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Never Too Much"3:50
2."Sugar and Spice (I Found Me a Girl)"4:57
3."Don't You Know That?"4:01
4."I've Been Working"6:35
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."She's a Super Lady"5:04
6."You Stopped Loving Me"5:16
7."A House Is Not a Home"7:07

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic. [6]

Performers and musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Never Too Much
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . September 22, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Never Too Much at AllMusic
  3. Kot, Greg (1993-10-03). "The Best Of Vandross On Record". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  4. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Luther Vandross". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  5. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; Miller, Jim; George-Warren, Holly (February 14, 1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music. Random House. ISBN   9780679737285 via Google Books.
  6. "Never Too Much - Luther Vandross | Credits". AllMusic.
  7. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  8. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  10. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  11. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  12. "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Never Too Much". Recording Industry Association of America. January 29, 1997.