{"product_id":"bill-withers-bill-withers-greatest-hits-mfsl-lp","title":"Bill Withers - Bill Withers' Greatest Hits - MFSL LP","description":"\u003ch4\u003eBill Withers' Smooth Soul Voice, Mellow Grooves, and Gospel Accents Inform Beloved Work: Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, and Stephen Stills Among Guest Instrumentalists on \u003cem\u003eGreatest Hits\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eEssential \u003cem\u003eBill Withers' Greatest Hits\u003c\/em\u003e Compilation Includes Ubiquitous Classics Such as \"Ain't No Sunshine,\" \"Lean on Me,\" \"Lovely Day,\" \"Use Me,\" and \"Grandma's Hands\"\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eMobile Fidelity 180g LP Pressed at RTI: Roots R\u0026amp;B Has Never Sounded Better on Any Format\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBill Withers\u003c\/strong\u003e created mellow, downhome-style soul for barely more than a decade before retreating from the industry to pursue craftsman interests. Yet over the course of the handful of albums he made for Sussex and CBS, the Appalachian native struck lasting emotional chords in legends ranging from \u003cstrong\u003eBooker T. Jones\u003c\/strong\u003e to \u003cstrong\u003eStephen Stills\u003c\/strong\u003e – not to mention the millions of listeners that fell under the spell of now-standard tracks such as \"Lean on Me,\" \"Use Me,\" and \"Ain't No Sunshine.\" The antithesis of the sweaty R\u0026amp;B shouter that prowled the edge of stages, \u003cstrong\u003eWithers \u003c\/strong\u003edealt in calm and vulnerability, qualities that come to fore on the seminal \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBill Withers' Greatest Hits\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePressed on 180g LP at RTI\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMobile Fidelity\u003c\/strong\u003e's vinyl reissue of the 1981 compilation provides a transparent view of \u003cstrong\u003eWithers'\u003c\/strong\u003e relaxing timbre and the subtle grooves underlining his arrangements. Characteristics ranging from the tension of the guitars, funky bends of the bass, whisper-soft coo of the formal strings, airiness of the backing harmonies, and sharpness of the snare drum emerge with utmost clarity and lifelike presence. Always prized for its naked honesty and pure conviction, \u003cstrong\u003eWithers' \u003c\/strong\u003emusic positively caresses the senses on this LP, the unadulterated production and beautiful soundscapes revealed anew with each listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncredibly, \u003cstrong\u003eWithers \u003c\/strong\u003ealmost never got a shot at recording. After receiving a deal from Sussex while laboring as a toilet-seat manufacturer, he landed in the care of\u003cstrong\u003e Stax \u003c\/strong\u003ebandleader \u003cstrong\u003eBooker T. Jones\u003c\/strong\u003e, who gathered most of his fellow MG members – along with \u003cstrong\u003eStills\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJim Keltner \u003c\/strong\u003e– to assist in \u003cstrong\u003eWithers'\u003c\/strong\u003e debut. Two takes from those sessions, the \u003cstrong\u003eGrammy-winning\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Ain't No Sunshine\" and devotional \"Grandma's Hands,\" are included here, and showcase the vocalist's incredible breath control, folksy drawl, and restrained phrasing. They also indicate his penchant for converting biographical experience into eminently catchy combinations of pop, gospel, blues, and soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvidence of \u003cstrong\u003eWithers' \u003c\/strong\u003ecrossover appeal is found not only via his chart successes on both the pop and R\u0026amp;B charts, but in the DNA of his best work. There's not one forgettable moment on \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGreatest Hits\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Covered by the likes of \u003cstrong\u003eFiona Apple, Mick Jagger, Isaac Hayes, Alicia Keys\u003c\/strong\u003e, and dozens more, \"Use Me\" rides a riveting clarinet riff and urban tempo to express the double-edged feelings associated with an edgy relationship. On the loping \"Who Is He (And What Is He to You?),\" \u003cstrong\u003eWithers\u003c\/strong\u003e again splits the bitter and sweet. For the Latin-tinged \"Lovely Day,\" \u003cstrong\u003eWithers\u003c\/strong\u003e holds a single note for 18 seconds and composed a song that's been sampled and rerecorded countless times by artists spanning \u003cstrong\u003eDiana Ross\u003c\/strong\u003e to \u003cstrong\u003eR. Kelly\u003c\/strong\u003e. And with \"Lean on Me,\" the West Virginian devised a masterpiece that's been for more than four decades part of the classic American songbook, an updated hymn carried to immortality by members of the \u003cstrong\u003eCharles Wright \u0026amp; 103rd Street Rhythm Band\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA veritable template for British soul contemporaries like \u003cstrong\u003eSam Smith \u003c\/strong\u003eand an extension of the timeless fare explored by \u003cstrong\u003eVan Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cstrong\u003e Curtis Mayfield\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eAl Green\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBill Withers' Greatest Hits\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e belongs in every music lover's library.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Music Direct","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59548431417425,"sku":"886919736618.0","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1034\/5778\/3889\/files\/original_9cf75e18-cc52-4b22-87d6-2906cd90c277.jpg?v=1779351508","url":"https:\/\/c09u90-kd.myshopify.com\/products\/bill-withers-bill-withers-greatest-hits-mfsl-lp","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}