The following are liner notes for the 2002 Columbia/Legacy reissue of Luther Vandross’ “Forever, For Always, For Love”:
Always, Luther
Dear Diary.
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m sure this time, it’s really love!
So begins “The Sweetest One,” the second track of Luther Vandross’ second solo album, Forever, For Always, For Love. A diary entry, at once intimate and universal, inviting each and every listener into a private moment with this very public figure. Such is the magic of Luther Vandross and such is the magic of this album.
Forever, For Always, For Love is a musical diary. It is the diary of a boy who grew up in the Church with dreams of the top of the pop charts. It is the diary of a child who came out of New York’s Lower East Side and set the world on fire with his undeniable passion. It is the diary of a man who had overcome loss on his way to finding a higher faith, both in his art and in himself. It is the diary of a talented creator who, having spent years in the shadows of legends, is now taking his first steps into the spotlight, crafting simple themes into works of impassioned greatness. It is the diary of a romantic who made love to Sweet Music and her many fickle fans and who can now proudly say “She loves me back.”
No naïve statement of infatuation, this. Luther had given too much of himself to casually pass off his success to luck and good fortune. This time, it was really love. And, as the title suggests, it would be an eternal love.
Forever, For Always is also a musical “thank you” note. Ever since he got his start as a musical artist and performer, Vandross had wanted to find this love. Years of work in a variety of aspects of the music industry had educated Vandross about what music was, and what it could be. He had worked with a cadre of legends and taken strength and solace from others. So many had come before him, put their life into their art and made it, and Luther felt both inspired and indebted. On Forever, For Always, Vandross pays tribute to some of the giants who had taken him in their musical hand, lifted him up and started him on his way.
Opening the album with a clap-along cover of Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party,” Vandross thanks the man who had shown the way for countless performers from the sacred to the secular; from the Church to the street. In another journal entry, Luther recalls his childhood idols, The
Temptations, who had inspired his impeccable production values and sense of dramatic flair.
“Since I lost my baby,” he cries, confiding his most painful personal moments with his million-plus fans, “been looking everywhere.” Though his search had yielded bounteous fruit, Vandross was not fully satisfied. This love might be real, but it was still a young love that would need constant tending.
“Promise me you’ll leave me never,” Vandross pleads. After all, he reasons, “who could love you better?” Few even knew how.
Vandross’ first solo album, 1981’s Never Too Much, had exceeded all expectations, charting platinum and hitting the top of the R&B charts. On his sophomore effort, Vandross wanted to prove, to himself and to the world, that the success of his debut was no fluke. Every member of the supporting cast, including Jazz royal (and close friend) Nat Adderly, Jr., Gospel queen Cissy Houston and bass master Marcus Miller, had been hand-selected to help make this follow-up as strong and worthy as it could be. Every song had also been carefully chosen to ensure that, this time, the love will not only be real, but lasting. Having tasted the real thing, Vandross was not willing to let the sweetness fall from his lips.
This love will be forever.
This passion will be for always.
This music will be for love.
Matthew S. Robinson is a self-described romantic who contributes to over 80 international publications.
