Luther Vandross - Dance with My Father

Given Luther Vandross's precarious state of health at the time of its release, Dance With My Father’s title track--a tale of yearning for a lost loved one--takes on added poignancy. It’s something of a centerpiece on an album that moves in several directions, reaching for varied constituencies, while ultimately staying focused on Vandross’s trademark buttery vocals. In addition to "Dance," there’s more adult-contemporary balladry ("Buy Me a Rose"), lightly sassy soul ("If I Didn’t Know Better"), and a number of collaborations with hip-hoppers that often work surprisingly well. While suspending disbelief is hard when considering Luther and Foxy Brown as a couple ("If It Ain’t One Thing"), remakes of soft-R&B classics with Beyonce Knowles and Busta Rhymes prove to be highlights. With the Destiny’s Child singer, Vandross actually improves on the familiar Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway take of "The Closer I Get to You," turning in a cut that recalls his slow-burning signature reworking of "A House is Not a Home." A languid turn at "Lovely Day," with a purring Busta, works almost as well. (The "Part II" remix is superfluous, however.) Otherwise, Dance is in the vein of post-‘80s Vandross discs, and guaranteed to please fans. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

Great CD

This is a great CD. I lost my father to lung cancer this year, and this CD was perfect. Luther is just what I needed. December 3, 2008

How I Feel About The Product

I loved the Dance with my father CD It is lovely. Each time i listen to the song I want to cry all over again.

I would tell every one about it. April 18, 2008

Dance With My Father

Luther Vandross took 2003 by storm with the release of a song entitled "Dance with My Father." Music lovers used to revel when Luther released new music, and that juncture in 2003 was no different. "Dance with My Father" was the story of how he misses his father and wishes he had more time to spend with him before he passed on. Ironically, Luther passed not long after he released this song and album (which have the same title.) Personally, I love the song. There is an undeniable realness and sincerity he puts into his vocals.

The album? As a unit, this album is good, but not great. There are, however, some memorable numbers on here, but after taking a count, I only came up with five, and that is not enough to give this album a five star rating. It has quite a few guest appearances, and although I really like Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah and Foxy Brown, I don't feel that they added anything to the album. Too many guest appearances show insecurity, and WHY would Luther have felt insecure? He's the best balladeer of our time for goodness sake! Beyonce' is featured here, too, but she did a wonderful job with "The Closer I Get to You" (although she tried to out-sing Luther, but isn't that always the case?) This ballad is one of the strongest songs on the album partly because it's a remake and the original is a classic and partly because they executed this number magnificently. "If I Didn't Know Better" is a song about two friends. The woman is in a relationship with someone else but Luther feels like she gives him subtle hints that she wants to be with him. Interesting to listen to. Bother versions of "Lovely Day" are lackluster. I see what Luther tried to do, but it just didn't work for me. "If it Ain't One Thing" is another weak moment. The melody of the hook remind us of old Luther, but the song is a bit too "hip hop." I really love "Buy Me a Rose" because its very sweet. It's about a woman who feels that her man isn't giving her enough attention, so he does little things for her like buy her roses.

Although this isn't a five star album, I still suggest you purchase it because it is worth picking up. Luther is a legend. When comparing this album to his best works, though, this is some of his weaker material. "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Your Secret Love", "Never too Much"; truly some of the best songs in history, and this album doesn't quite have that much staying power.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Dance With My Father"
2. "Buy Me a Rose"
3. "The Closer I Get to You"
4. "If I Didn't Know Better"
5. "Think About You"
February 17, 2008

LUTHER LEFT US WITH THE ULTIMATE TEAR JERKER SONG OF 2000! & A SOLID ALBUM TO BOOT!!!

The Title Cut will make the best of the best tear up. With this last album (We have been told there are several Unreleased Luther Tracks that Sony & J Records are sitting on) Luther was stepping into new areas of Soul/R&B & Hip-Hop. No longer being labeled as a Ballad Singer there are several Uptempo/Dance Tracks (Some including Rappers), but this album is filled with Solid-Hit-Bound Tracks from the start to the finish! Key Cuts: EACH AND EVERY ONE!!! February 7, 2008

Wowo's Review

If you are a great fan of Luther, you MUST have this CD...his last project before he left us! Listen to his career song - Dance with my father and you would definitely cry! January 17, 2007

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