CD Review: Bill Withers, The Complete Sussex & Columbia albums
AN enigmatic songwriter, possessed of a voice by turns intimate and infused with laid-back grace, Withers deserves his place in the premier league of soul performers.
All the hits are here, including Lovely Day and Ain’t No Sunshine.
Blending folky social awareness with wondrously wide-eyed melodies, Withers’s songs have an intelligence and sense of space which is awe-inspiring.
Verdict: 4/5
(Sony, nine discs)