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The Essential Bill Withers 
Summary
The Essential Bill Withers is a 34-track anthology of American recording artist Bill Withers. First released on August 20, 2013, it features all of Withers' notable singles, along with other highlights from the singer's albums for the Sussex and Columbia labels, from 1971's Just as I Am through 1985's Watching You Watching Me and including "Ain't No Sunshine", "Lean on Me", "Use Me", "Lovely Day", and "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh".
| The Essential Bill Withers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | August 20, 2013 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 2:15:36 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records, Legacy Records | |||
| Producer | Booker T. Jones, Benorce Blackmon, Bill Withers, James Gadson, Melvin Dunlap, Ray Jackson, James Gadson, Larry Nash, Keni Burke, Clarence McDonald, Cliff Coulter, Paul Smith, Stix Hooper, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder | |||
| Bill Withers chronology | ||||
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Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
- Jack Goodstein from Blogcritics says: "His songs are sometimes highly personal, whether he seems to be looking back on his West Virginia boyhood in 'Grandma’s Hands,' or looking for love in the lyrical 'Let Me in Your Life'. He can create a persona to voice his concerns with greater social issues as he does with the alcoholic speaker in the grimly tragic 'Better Off Dead', or the disabled veteran in 'I Can't Write Left-Handed'. But of course it is love in all its forms (especially unrequited, the theme of all the great soulful blues) that is his most common theme."[2]
- Soul Tracks Reviewer Howard Dukes says that: "So hearing the tune on the compilation The Essential Bill Withers brought back some memories. Hearing that song also got me thinking about Withers as a songwriter. Withers is a great lyricist, so it's not surprising that other artists cover his songs. Some of those covers come instantly to mind – the Club Nouveau cover of 'Lean on Me' or Meshell Ndegeocello's cover of 'Who Is He and What Is He to You'. Jon Lucien and Nancy Wilson remade 'Hello Like Before',” and several artists have covered 'Grandma's Hands', including Gil-Scot Heron."[3]
Track listing edit
Disc 1 edit
All tracks are written by Bill Withers, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Better Days (Theme from Man and Boy)" | Bill Withers, J.J. Johnson | Man and Boy (1971) | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Ain't No Sunshine" | Just as I Am (1971) | 2:06 | |
| 3. | "Harlem" | Just as I Am (1971) | 3:23 | |
| 4. | "Grandma's Hands" | Just as I Am (1971) | 2:02 | |
| 5. | "Hope She'll Be Happier" | Just as I Am (1971) | 3:50 | |
| 6. | "Better Off Dead" | Just as I Am (1971) | 2:16 | |
| 7. | "Lonely Town, Lonely Street" | Still Bill (1972) | 3:41 | |
| 8. | "Let Me in Your Life" | Still Bill (1972) | 2:42 | |
| 9. | "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" | Withers, Stanley McKenny | Still Bill (1972) | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Use Me" | Still Bill (1972) | 3:43 | |
| 11. | "Friend of Mine" (live) | Live at Carnegie Hall (1973) | 4:29 | |
| 12. | "I Can't Write Left Handed" (live) | Withers, Ray Jackson | Live at Carnegie Hall (1973) | 6:46 |
| 13. | "Lean on Me" | Still Bill (1972) | 4:18 | |
| 14. | "Make a Smile for Me" | +'Justments (1974) | 3:16 | |
| 15. | "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" | +'Justments (1974) | 3:25 | |
| 16. | "Heartbreak Road" | +'Justments (1974) | 3:10 | |
| 17. | "Railroad Man" | Withers, Melvin Dunlap | +'Justments (1974) | 6:28 |
Disc 2 edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In the Name of Love" (featuring Ralph MacDonald) | Withers, MacDonald, Salter | Universal Rhythm (1984) | 5:01 |
| 2. | "The Best You Can" | Withers, Benorce Blackmon | Making Music (1975) | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Hello like Before" | Withers, John Collins | Making Music (1975) | 5:30 |
| 4. | "I Wish You Well" | Making Music (1975) | 3:58 | |
| 5. | "Don't You Want to Stay?" | Withers, Dunlap, Jackson | Making Music (1975) | 3:50 |
| 6. | "I'll Be with You" | Naked & Warm (1976) | 3:11 | |
| 7. | "My Imagination" | Naked & Warm (1976) | 4:53 | |
| 8. | "Lovely Day" | Withers, Skip Scarborough | Menagerie (1977) | 4:16 |
| 9. | "I Want to Spend the Night" | Menagerie (1977) | 3:42 | |
| 10. | "Tender Things" | Menagerie (1977) | 5:01 | |
| 11. | "Let Me Be the One You Need" | Withers, Scarborough | Menagerie (1977) | 4:45 |
| 12. | "Memories Are That Way" | 'Bout Love (1978) | 5:04 | |
| 13. | "Soul Shadows" (featuring The Crusaders) | Joe Sample, Will Jennings | Rhapsody and Blues (1980) | 6:24 |
| 14. | "Just the Two of Us" (featuring Grover Washington Jr.) | Withers, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter | Winelight (1980) | 3:58 |
| 15. | "Family Table" | Withers, Diane Gonneau | Making Music (1975) | 3:13 |
| 16. | "We Could Be Sweet Lovers" | Watching You Watching Me (1985) | 3:28 | |
| 17. | "Something That Turns You On" | Watching You Watching Me (1985) | 4:26 |
Personnel edit
- Mark Larson - Art Direction
- Leo Sacks, Marcia Withers - Compilation Producer
- Compiled By – Leo Sacks, Marcia Withers
- Directed By [Project] – Mike Cimicata
- Mastered By – Mark Wilder
Charts edit
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| Official New Zealand Music Chart[4] | 24 |