Still Bill

Product Information

Reviewing in Creem, Robert Christgau gave the record a B-plus and said, "Withers has created the most credible persona of any of the new middle-class male soul singers, avoiding Marvin Gaye's occasional vapidity, Donny Hathaway's overkill, and Curtis Mayfield's blackness-mongering. EDIT: have to agree with some of the other reviewers that Bill's voice, at times, sounds like it is on the verge of distortion. My only minor niggle is that a cd that is in a cardboard sleeve maybe could do with being sent out in sturdier packaging. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.

I've decided that the 2012 that was taken directly from the masters (not a copy tape) and released in the EU only is pretty hard to beat.

Then there's the quality of the songwriting, which is as assured on the grooving 'Lonely Town, Lonely Street' as it is on the suspicious, paranoid 'Who Is He (And What Is He to You)? Its accessibility notwithstanding, "Still Bill" has a depth and complexity that may take several spins before the listener picks up on it.

His proclivity for authenticity extends to the record’s other big hit: the sexual, funk-laden “Use Me,” which reached No. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others.Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has been the undisputed pioneer and leader in audiophile recordings since the company's inception in 1977. Because he's still got it; Mobile Fidelity here reissue the album on its 50th Anniversary, doing thorough justice to the soul crooner's original album first released on the landmark Sussex Records in 1972. Throughout its history, Mobile Fidelity has remained true to this goal, pioneering state-of-the-art technologies and setting audiophile standards that remain in place today.

It seems ever more poignant as the world spins off its axis – personal politics and sincerity and simple friendship are the essence of life, not the empty words of those in power. The Mofi is pleasant enough, plays fairly quiet, and has a nice matte finish that's a nice change of pace.

Replete with intoxicating detail and depth, the collectible reissue zeroes in on the music's crux – Withers' unique, rich, West Virginia-accented voice – while clearing a true-to-the-source path to the extraordinary backing he receives from members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. It's an identity couched in keeping it real, the very inclination that ultimately led Withers to retire in the mid-'80s rather than bend to industry pressures or risk credibility. To my ears there is a bit of a dip on side B but its still very good quality gear, and 'still bill' is probably a bit tighter than the debut overall.