Never Too Much [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Luther Vandross | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005MKDZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,360 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can never have "too much" Luther, October 13, 2004

By 

Robert Johnson (Richmond, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Never Too Much (Audio CD)

One of the best debut album of the eighties, Luther's first solo album is an energetic masterpiece that soars from beginning to end without hitting a single false note. Luther was already producing all of his material, and he always seems to know exactly what a song needs. Everything is flawlessly arranged, with a perfect balance struck among the instruments, synths, and background vocals. Luther solely wrote six of the record's seven tracks, and he had already mastered the art of crafting strong hooks, interlaced with non-cliched lyrics. It may surprise fans of Luther's later, more laid back recordings, that the bulk of NEVER TOO MUCH contains up-tempo material.

The infectious title track is definitely the best-known track here, but every cut on this record is a classic. The post-disco dance tracks "Sugar And Spice" and "I've Been Working" are irresistible, and the harder sounds of "Don't You Know That?" and "She's A Super Lady" rival even the best funk recordings. Luther slowed things down with the touching mid-tempo "You Stopped Loving Me," which brings us to the disc's only ballad - and it's the highlight among highlights. Luther's gorgeous, heart-breaking rendition of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "A House Is Not A Home" is one of the most perfect marriages between a singer and a song. Luther recorded many more covers over the years, many of which were quite excellent, although he never surpassed the intimate power of his take on this classic.

Luther instantly connected with the public, and had achieved a considerable fan base virtually overnight. NEVER TOO MUCH hit #19 on the Hot 200, and impressively reached Double-Platinum status in sales.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Auspicious Debut., August 2, 2002

By 

WILLIE A YOUNG II "willow" (Houston, TX.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Too Much (Audio CD)

No one could have predicted that Luther Vandross would have such an enormous impact and influence on modern R&B when this first LP came out in 1981, but the ensuing decade not only proved his popularity, but saw his gift deepen and improve through the years. "Never Too Much" is still his most flawless LP and it's easy to see why it remains a popular favorite over 20 years after it's release. The title track with it's deep, snapping basslines, sweeping arrangement and brisk vocal delivery is a modern classic that hasn't aged a day. "Don't You Know That?" is my favorite track simply because it's so catchy and elegant, the guitar lick and stop/start rhythm will hook you and never let go. His tour-de-force rendering of the classic "A House Is Not A Home" has become a standard in it's own right and you haven't lived until you've seen it performed live (I saw him in '96 at the Hampton Jazz Fest and he stretched this baby out for nearly 15 minutes! It was awesome!) with every nuance accented perfectly.
The rest of "Never...." isn't too shabby either, "Sugar And Spice (I Found Me A Girl)" is another funky, uptempo highlight that elevates this LP to the level of art. All of the "Early Luther" LP's are highly reccommended, but this first outing is still the one to beat.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luther's Early Years Revisited, July 29, 2007

By 

T. West "Lavender Byrd" (LaWrEnCe, KaNsAs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Too Much (Audio CD)

For those who collect EVERYTHING Luther has done, I offer the following info in case you don't already have it. Luther did so much session work as a backup singer and/or arranger, that it would take days to list it all. So I am just listing the highlights. In 1973 Luther recorded a duet with Delores Hall on her LP "HALL MARK". The song is "WHO'S GONNA MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME?". In 1976 Luther formed a quintet and released an album on the Cotillion label called "LUTHER". Then as a trio, Luther released another LP called "LUTHER- THIS CLOSE TO YOU" in 1977. In 1979 Luther appeared on the following soundtrack- "SUNNYSIDE - THE NEW YORK CITY BAND" (a movie starring John Travolta's brother Joey in a teen drama). I don't know if it is a solo song or what. I do know he was part of the group THE NEW YORK CITY BAND and sang lead on some of their songs. And of course it is well-known he sang lead on a couple songs when he was part of the group CHANGE. He sings lead on 2 songs from their 1980 debut album- "THE GLOW OF LOVE", and those songs are "SEARCHING" and "THE GLOW OF LOVE". The following year he released his debut album "NEVER TOO MUCH". And what a debut.