Bill Withers : Bill Withers Simply the Best

Not only does STILL BILL capture Bill Withers's excellent playing and singing and his seemingly effortless synthesis of soul, folk, gospel, and funk, it is packed front to back with some of the best songs he ever wrote (and there were a good many of them). His most popular and best-known tune is here, the stirring, hymn-like "Lean On Me" (it was a #1 hit for Withers at the time, and has been further popularized in several cover versions). Also here is "Use Me, " another hit, which boasts a twist on traditional love songs with a gutsy, syncopated rhythmic drive that is nearly irresistible.Yet everything else on the album holds up to the strength of these singles. The slinky, suspicious "Who Is He (And What Is He To You), " the smooth, lover man soul of "Let Me In Your Life, " the jazzy, hi-hat driven funk of "Another Day To Run" all go down perfectly. This is due mostly to Withers's subtle, organic sound and warm, soulful voice-- the album is so pleasurable to listen to it is easy to overlook the superior quality

A M W Music

Legacy Recordings

1. In My Heart2. Can We Pretend3. Heartbreak Road4. I Can't Write Left-Handed - (live)5. Ruby Lee6. Ain't No Sunshine - (live)7. Grandma's Hands8. Hope She'll Be Happier9. Let Me in Your Life10. Sometimes a Song11. I'll Be with You12. We Could Be Sweet Lovers13. Make Love to Your Mind14. Lean on Me - (live)15.

TRACKS: LEAN ON ME, GRANDMA'S HANDS, HARLEM, USE ME, EVERYBODY'S TALKIN', AIN'T NO SUNSHINE, KISSING MY LOVE, YOU, THE SAME LOVE THAT MADE ME LAUGH, WHO IS HE (AND WHAT IS HE TO YOU)

Collectables Records

Sony Music Distribution (France) ( May 11, 2004 ), Genre: R&B

Columbia (USA)

Audio Mixer: Phil Schier.Recording information: Dijobe Sound, Orange, CA; The Record Plant, L.A.; Wither's Home.Photographer: Norman Seeff.Back in March 2004 music magazine Mojo included Withers' fourth album on a list of "67 Lost Albums You Must Own." Whether 'Justments is indeed the stuff of legend remains debatable. Surely no holy grail like the similarly mentioned Cold Fact by Sussex labelmate Sixto Rodriguez, it seems at least unfairly ignored. Nothing here might be as compelling as "Grandma's Hands" or "I Can't Write Left-Handed, " but there are plenty of melancholy reflections from a genuine soulman who came across more as a West coast singer/songwriter. Replacing the hired hands of his debut with former employees of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band proved equally important in shaping Withers' identity. Not only had they been instrumental in creating a landmark with his second album Still Bill, follow-up Live at Carnegie Hall showed how easily they could replicate their unrestrained a

Sony Music