Amazon.co.jp
ビル・ウィザーズはこれまでに『Greatest Hits』、94年に『Lean on Me』というタイトルのベストを出しているが、今回登場の『Lean on Me』も前述の2枚と内容はかなりダブっている。70年代のソウル・ポップ・ヒット「Lean on Me」「Ain't No Sunshine」「Lovely Day」「Use Me」などがそうだ。古い方の『Lean on Me』同様、今作もリマスターした18曲を収録、うち13曲が94年発売のものと重なっている。とはいえお金を払って聴く価値のある曲ばかりだ。ウィザーズは1971年~85年の間にSussexレーベルとColumbiaに計10枚のアルバムを残し、3曲のトップ10ヒットを放っていさぎよく引退した。彼の暖かい歌声と気の利いた歌詞はいつ聴いても新鮮で、今でもたびたび特集されるほどだ。新しい世代のソウル・ファンをも取り込む最高のアンソロジー。(Steven Stolder, Amazon.com)
From Amazon.com
Not to be mistaken with Bill Withers's
Greatest Hits or even the 1994 best-of with which it shares its name,
Lean on Me nevertheless shares much with those two earlier retrospectives--notably the likes of such '70s soul-pop gems as the title track, "Ain't No Sunshine," "Lovely Day," and "Use Me." Like the earlier
Lean on Me, this remastered selection includes 18 tracks, 13 of which overlap with the '94 set. Withers's oeuvre is something less than expansive: he recorded 10 albums for Sussex and Columbia between 1971 and 1985, then gracefully exited the business with three top 10 hits to his credit. The singer's warm vocals and wise lyrics have held up splendidly through the years, making him a likely candidate for periodic rediscovery. This anthology stands as the title of choice for the next wave of soul fans Withers wins over.
--Steven Stolder