Friday, 1 April 2011

Bill Withers - Just As I Am (1971)


Best known for the classics "Lean On Me" and "Just The Two Of Us," Bill Withers entered the music business relatively late in life. "Just As I Am," his first album, was released when the singer-songwriter was already in his 30's. Perhaps that is why this work seems so mature for a debut. Withers' voice is throaty, bluesy and buttery soft, his guitar work soulful, and lyrics gripping. He tells stories - little nuggets - that hold you from start to finish. "Harlem," "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands" are true highlights of this work. The album is not available as a standalone disk, but is available on CD as a "two-fer" along with "the follow-up, "Still Bill."

Disk info. at Discogs:

Two-fer CD at Amazon:

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