| | |  | Music | Home » » Never Too Much | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| July 24, 2001 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Format:
| Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 17 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | Never Too Much | | 2. | Sugar and Spice (I Found Me a Girl) | | 3. | Don't You Know That? | | 4. | I've Been Working | | 5. | She's a Super Lady | | 6. | You Stopped Loving Me | | 7. | A House Is Not a Home | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 17 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
You can never have "too much" LutherOct 13, 2004
By Robert Johnson
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 found the following review helpful:
An Auspicious Debut.Aug 02, 2002
By WILLIE A YOUNG II
"willow"
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 found the following review helpful:
Luther's Early Years RevisitedJul 29, 2007
By T. West
"Lavender Byrd"
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.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
ONE OF THE CROWNING ALBUMS OF ALL TIMES!!!!!.Jul 23, 2010
By Ian Moodie
"MR CELESTIAL"
MR LUTHER VANDROSS is my absolute favourite male vocalist and this stunning album is one of my main ones. Luther is such a perfectionist and that's evident in every song he does,whether it's a cover version or an original, he makes each song is very own!!his creamy barytone voice, such a caress,his arrangements make his songs a true standout!!.
This awesome program blasts off with the mesmerising "NEVER TOO MUCH".I've been loving this piece for over 20 years now!!.Next is "SUGAR AND SPICE" a real lively cut.Then comes the mellow "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT?", a real smooth song. "I'VE BEEN WORKING" and "SHE'S A SUPER LADY" is as bouncy as they are unique. Now here comes sadness, pain and gloom as only LUTHER can deliver,in "YOU STOPPED LOVING ME", he sounded as if he's going to pass out from rejection!!. In his cover of "A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME", i can't help but wonder if this is a personal experience of LUTHER.The hearthache and the regret is tangible!! so sad and so sweet is this song. I know that this song, this album is a true classic!!. An album by which others can be judged!. A worthy addition to any R&B collection!!!.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
An Excellent Debut From Mr SoulSep 05, 2005
By M. Edwards
"grenadines"
Luther Vandross was born to sing! By the time his debut album hit the streets, Mr Vandross was already one of the most sought-after singers in the business. "Never Too Much" is an entertaining soulful album that showcased real music before synthesizers and drum machines were the norm.
Luther also established himself as an accomplished songwriter, producer and arranger. To prove this point, some two years after releasing his debut, Luther was collaborating with his musical idols: Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross - not bad at all!
The album kicks off with the title track which is a bright and breezy up-tempo number. It has the kind of catchy chorus that you find yourself singing along to. Musically, it was produced in a way that you can hear each instrument. Marcus Miller's bass provided the funky backdrop that would feature prominently on future Vandross albums.
Other tracks worth noting are:
"Sugar And Spice" - a solid old school groove and my favourite up-tempo track. It's a real feel-good track.
"Don't You Know That" is a delightful mid-tempo number.
The middle tracks flow quite nicely and we then come to the final number:
"A House Is Not A Home" is a ballad par excellence, and it demonstrated Luther's considerable nuanced vocal talents. It was Luther's desire to sing about the more sensitive part of love and relationships that gave his music its special identity - no one else sounded like him and I doubt that no one ever will.
It's sad to think that Luther is no longer with us. I'm glad that I followed his solo career right from the beginning and his solo debut would make a welcome addition to your collection
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