Sean O'Hagan - Luther Vandross: Forever, For Always, For Love (Epic) lyrics

On the soft focus cover shot, the transformation is complete: Luther the beige mannequin with compulsory wet look is a world away from the roly poly, larger than life lover of those first few exquisite albums. As he's slimmed down, he's grown bigger; as he's trimmed of those rough edges, he's trimmed of those rough edges, he's built up an adoring audience that sells out the bigger auditoriums a week at a time. Luther the superstar is ripe for reappraisal: a decent compilation album, balancing Luther the funkateer against Luther the soft, sensuous soul man, would have been perfect for the moment. With the Wembly dates imminent, commercial marketability could have been matched with some retrospective quality control. Simple and effective business. What do we get? We get simple and (cost) effective record company tackiness. We get the bulk of 1982's Luther Vandross album (5 tracks, not even the best five) plus three "previously unavailable in the UK" cuts. Now, why those three US songs couldn't have been issued on a 12" is down, I guess, to simple cut-and-thrust capitalist greed – smelly, exploitative and two fingers in the face of the fans who've made the man into a UK superstar. If you're a fan, you'll know Luther Vandross inside out. You'll know how 'Bad Boy'/ 'Having A Party' is the most relaxed, intoxicating mid-tempo dance groove of the '80s. You'll know about 'You're The Sweetest One' and the sa**y swing of 'She Loves Me Back'. If you want to revisit the soul heartbreak of 'A House Is Not A Home' you'll have to stick with the original, cos they've ditched it for one of the three new "previously unavailable..." ballads. All three are fine state of the (he)art Luther-on-heat slow burners. 'Promise Me' is a departing lover's plea, plaintive, perfectly paced and one step away from formulaic. 'Once You Know How' reminds you how close Luther the balladeer is to the beige mainstream until he settles on, and stretches out, a note or switches tempo midway through a phrase. As Luther moves further into the rarified atmosphere of stardom, so his songs affect an ethereal, easy listening appeal to match his airbrushed image. Even on this older material, there isn't enough of the other Luther Vandross, the heartbreaker who likes to hang loose, party a little and put the romance on hold for a few hours of physical pursuits. As his future is mapped out in the mainstream, so his past is blowdried for ma** consumption. The first truly dispensable Luther Vandross album.