The Gentle Minstrel

The one word that best describes Bill Withers, besides talented, is gentle. Everything about his style is warm, unassuming, and tender. In fact, he's such a skilled craftsman that it's easy to forget that he's done something almost unheard of in show business. Withers wrote and performed a string of huge hits, stayed true to himself throughout, and left show business with a boatload of money. Today his songs are frequently covered by other artists and show up with clockwork regularity in TV commercials. There's a word for that, guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any creative artist, that word is "royalties." When Bill Withers released his second album he called it "Still Bill" because he wanted his fellow construction workers to know he hadn't changed, in fact, on the cover he wore a hard hat. The breakout success of "Menagerie" introduced the entire country to his amazing gifts as a songwriter, penning tunes that were always deceptively simple and featured amazing hooks, they stayed in your head and were easy to like. The Two Of Us, which he recorded with Grover Washington, Jr., became a music industry legend, remaining on the charts not for months but years. Withers is not a great singer, but his voice is soft and pleasant, matching his style perfectly. His lyrics are always excellent, and there's a wry subtlety that seems to suggest a sly wink. Songs like Use Me offer blatant humor, Who Is He? offers a more sinister view of irony. Tender Things is one of the most perfectly beautiful songs every written by anybody, Lovely Day is joyous, Ain't No Sunshine is universally resonant, and Lean On Me is an anthem that never fails. Perhaps easiest to overlook is Grandma's Hands, a rich and powerful tribute one can imagine being performed by the Isley Brothers or The Spinners. Nobody does sincere emotion like Withers, and yet, from him it doesn't cause a blush, it makes you melt. Listening to Bill Withers soothes your soul and it makes you smile, where else can you get that for $8? There are several Best Of Bill Withers anthology CDs available; this is the one you deserve.

What a great collection!

I have know most of these songs for a long time. But it is nice to hear them remastered and all in one place for a change!

Bill Withers is a soul-singin' American classic

This album should be in every music lover's record collection. It is so rich, soulful... sad and uplifting at the same time. One of the best albums ever made.