Luther Vandross kicks off his self-titled album with "Take You Out." The track is nice and laid-back with some real smooth vocals. It's not really a complex number and there's not that much to it but it's a pleasant listen and easy to relax to.
The second track on the album "Grown Thangs" is a reflection of much of the album's weakspots. Luther has a number of uptempo tracks on the number and while they're pleasant listens, they lack the real pull that his ballads have. This one isn't great, but it's still a decent listen.
"Bring Your Heart To Mine," the third track on the album, is an example of what Luther shines at. A smooth satiny ballad in which he pleads for the woman he loves to leave the man who treats her poorly and come to him. The track has some great delivery on it and the supporting female singers do a wonderful job.
My favorite track on the album, "Can Heaven Wait," is a chilling song with some beautiful lines. "Baby take my breath, so you can breathe/ I need you here, so don't you leave" is absolutely wonderful. The song doesn't have a lot of punch but the lines are so beautiful that it doesn't matter. This is one of my favorite Luther songs period.
The fifth song, "Say It Now" is a nice uptempo number. It's a little repetitive but it's a fun song. The message is good and is driven home pretty well. Overall, an enjoyable number with some strong delivery.
Slowing things down again, "Hearts Get Broken," is a mixed bag. The song doesn't have much meat outside of the chorus, but the chorus itself is solid. It's delivered well and there are strong vocals on all parts of the song. The song does a nice job of striking at the heart and is solid.
"I'd Rather," the seventh track on the album is a classy ballad. The chorus alone is enough for this song to be wonderful but the verses are nicely done too. Overall, this track is a great listen and is easy to sing along to.
Looking solely at the lyrics of this song, it seems like it would be a solid number. However, the strong, uptempo chorus doesn't mesh well with the unenthusiastic verses. The song has potential to be solid but it lacks the heart to do anything real impressive.
In a similar struggle, "Any Day Now," really lacks the strong power and delivery that gives Luther his name. The track is about a person about to leave your life and the inevitability of it. while the sadness and the dreary vocals might fit the message of the song, they don't really work as a great way to entertain the listener. It's an okay song but not really that great.
Picking things back up, "If I Was The One," is a great track. During the same year, both Luther Vandross and the duo Ruff Endz released a version of this track. Both versions are well done and worth checking out. The lyrics are great and Luther really shines with emotion. An awesome track through and through.
The eleventh track on the album, "Let's Make Tonight The Night," is another misstep by Luther. Falling victim in the same way as many of Luther's other uptempo numbers, the track really lags Luther's signature strength. It's an okay song, but not great.
Bringing things back, "Like I'm Invisible" is another beautiful song by Luther. I love the way that this song, and several others by Luther grow throughout. In the beginning, the song is about a woman treating him like's invisible, but in the end, it's about being with another woman who treats him right. The way the track keeps the lyrics similar but with different meanings is wonderful. A great song by Luther.
"Are You There" is a song that shows a lot of potential in the early segments but quickly becomes bogged down. The track gets really repetitive and seems to trip over itself in the later parts as it doesn't know where to go. The distracted feel fits the tone of the song as the guy is battling his feelings over whether or not his lover is cheating on him but it still fails to capitalize on its strength. Some aspects in the song are great, when Luther begins debating whether or not he should trust her. Still, the song lacks that golden touch that could make it great.
Ending things, "Love Forgot" is a solid song with nice lyrics. The song keeps moving forward throughout and has some real good delivery. There are quite a few good lines in the song and its an enjoyable number.
