Your Secret Love

Luther Vandross | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 1, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 1, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BHM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,171 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Luther's return to form, August 2, 2004

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your Secret Love (Audio CD)

This was Luther's first album of all-new material since 1993's underrated NEVER LET ME GO, and it's another successful recording that hit #9 on the Hot 200 and went Platinum in sales. YOUR SECRET LOVE was recorded and released right around the same time that Luther was ending his 15 year venture with Epic/Sony, which may account for bittersweet tone that runs throughout the entire disc. While it's definitely a bit ballad-heavy, YOUR SECRET LOVR finds Luther finally leaving behind techno-heavy trappings that dated portions of THE POWER OF LOVE and NEVER LET ME GO and returning to sound that made much of his earlier work so timeless.

There is some terrific material here, especially the yearning title track (#52 Pop, #5 R&B) and the old-fashioned "I Can Make It Better" (#80 Pop, #15 R&B) - both of which were justifiable single releases. "Love Don't Love You," "Hard For Me To Say," and "This Time I'm Right" are just as good, and the attempted hip hop crossover "I Can't Wait No Longer" works far better than it should. Interestingly, "Crazy Love" and "Too Proud To Beg" are not covers of the songs performed, respectively, by Van Morrison and the Temptations, but are well-written, original compositions that are impeccably performed and produced.

I wouldn't be surprised if the two actual cover songs, "Knocks Me Off My Feet" and "Goin' Out of My Head," were leftovers from the Songs sessions. However, that's not a complaint as both tracks are standouts - especially "Knocks Me Off My Feet," which will make you wish Luther would record an entire album of Stevie Wonder's material. Really, the only songs that miss the boat with me are the dragging "Nobody To Love" (which suffers from an ineffective hook) and the lame duet "Whether or Not the World Gets Better" (which features some of his lamest lyrics and Lisa Fischer doing a bad Mariah impression), however even these songs remain tolerable. During his 15 years with Sony Luther rarely released an album that wasn't a solid effort, and YOUR SECRET LOVE is no exception.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LUTHER BACK ON FORM, March 3, 2002

By 

"listontookadive" (leeds england) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Secret Love (Audio CD)

this 1996 album undid most of the damage from 1993s horrible NEVER LET ME GO. unlike that album, the production on YOUR SECRET LOVE is top notch, and hes singing better than he has in years.

this is a soft, romantic album, with luther seeming happy and content, and it works in late night scenarios if you know what i mean. the higlights are the last 2 songs, "goin out of my head" and "knocks me off my feet", which are incredible. there are many other great songs present here too, including the title track.

the only blip is the "lets do this" track, with a poor female rapper, this is out of place and breaks up the flow of the cd.

but overall this is by far one of luthers most enjoyable albums.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BIG FAT CHUNK OF SOUL, March 13, 2001

By 

Haul Punter "Whooop there it is" (Leeds innit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Secret Love (Audio CD)

THIS ALBUM WAS MY INTRODUCTION TO LUTHER AND IT DID NOT LET ME DOWN. I ONLY BOUGHT IT BECAUSE I HEARD THE SINGLE "YOUR SECRET LOVE" AND WAS IMPRESSED.

BUT THERE IS ALOT MORE HERE BESIDES THAT, IF YOUR A BIT OF A LOVER THEN THIS COLLECTION OF SOFT, LAIDBACK SONGS DRIPPING WITH SOULFUL MELODIES AND LUTHERS STUNNING VOICE WILL BE PERFECT FOR YOU, I GUARANTEE IT.

THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE THE LAST TWO SONGS, "KNOCKS ME OFF MY FEET" AND THE INCREDIBLE "GOIN OUT OF MY HEAD", THE ONLY DUD IN THE 12 SONGS BEING "LETS DO THIS", WHERE LUTHER TRYS TO APPEAL TO A HIP HOP AUDIENCE AND EVEN BRINGS IN AN AWFUL FEMALE RAPPER. THIS SONGIS ILL CONCEIVED AND SPOILS THE MOOD, BUT BESIDES THAT ABBERATION, TURN THE LIGHTS DOWN LOW, GET WITH THE ONE U LOVE AND LEAVE THE REST TO LUTHER!!