Lionel Richie
4.7 | 378 ratings
Price: 13.18
Last update: 01-17-2026
Product details
- Language : English
- Product Dimensions : 12.2 x 12.2 x 0.24 inches; 12.59 ounces
- Manufacturer : Motown Records
- Original Release Date : 2017
- Date First Available : October 23, 2017
- Label : Motown Records
- ASIN : B076D16PCM
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank:#82 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- Motown (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:4.74.7 out of 5 stars(378)
Top reviews from the United States
- Andre S. GrindleTruly LionelWhy am I giving five stars to an albums where I am not 100% crazy about every song?The simple reason is that,in terms of everything Lionel Richie is musically this debut album is one of his most overall richest experiences. Conceptually Lionel's style of blending contemporary funk/R&B styles with slow,sentimental "countrypoliton" types of ballads really feels at it's most down to earth and organic here. It would have been nice if Lionel had included more uptempo songs here but that is more of a preference on my part.But for those who feel the same way it is true:the funk type tunes that are here are some of the very best he ever made."Serves You Right" and "Tell Me" are great jams,more in keeping with a a kind of "naked sophisti-funk" type of groove then the more polished urban styled jams on Lionel's final album with the CommodoresIn the Pocket.The other song of this type here is "You Are"-it isn't exactly what I'd call funk but definately a great peppy,uptempo R&B love song.It was really not a bad early solo hit for Lionel and frankly a musical style worth persuing further.Of course the majority of this album is weighed toward the ballad end of things,the style Lionel chose to make his musical calling but.......well to be honest not his greatest strengh.Romantically and sentimentally satisfying fare such as "Wandering Spirit","Truly" and the brief final two cuts "You Mean More To Me" and "Just Put Some Love In Your Heart" are musically excellent for such slow paced songs.However unlike with fellow Motowners Smokey Robinson,Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye,Lionel seemed to have difficulty inflecting his slow songs with any real sense of emotional expression:vocally these types of songs tend to come off as...well overly sentimental in his hand.He basically sounds like a black version of Kenny Rogers on these types of tunes and therefore it's no doubt their musical connection and that Kenny appears on this album.Of course the bonus tracks really showcase another side of his talent.The demo of "Endless Love" shows the nucleus of a song that,while overproduced to the extreme in it's final form really gives you an inside peak into Lionel's technique as a composer with this demo having a more bare,folksy flavor. The instrumental version of "You Are" is not only great to dance to but solid proof of Lionel's 70's-born concept that the catchiness of a great dance tune didn't just come from the singing:it was the horns,the keyboards and most importantly the rhythm. If you a Commodores fan just getting into Lionel Richie's solo music and want an easy starting point,in this case it might be best to start at the beginning here. The next albumCan't Slow Downwas of course hugely more successful commerically (not that this was any slouch in that respect either) but musically that album is a whole other beast entirely,for better or worse. This definately finds Lionel with one foot in his past and the other in things to come musically and in any case is more then worth hearing.
- WilliamLove this album!Every song is great, as usual! His voice is like no other!!!
- A. MeyerLionel Richie MagicGreat early solo album. I have all of L.R.'s hits on other compilations and bought this cd mainly for "You Mean More to Me", which is not on any of the hits collections even though it is as great as any of his "hit" ballads. Overall , this album shines, and you will enjoy all of the tracks.
- Melody TraylorVinyl lovers paradiseBrand new, sealed and authentic. It sits prominently on our vinyl wall.
- PorfirioMagníficoExcelente sonido y fenomenal conversación de este excelente lo.
- BradFine solo debutIn Lionel Richie's first album since his departure from the Commodores, he showed why he had become the undisputed leader of that classic '70s group. While the "softer side" dominates this and all of his solo efforts, it is a high-quality softer side for sure.
I am not overall a "dance music" person, but I can't help but tap my feet to such catchy numbers as "Serves You Right" and "Tell Me". Great uptempo stuff. "My Love" sounds very much like a vintage Commodores' ballad, and "Truly" is one of the beautiful love songs of its time. "Round And Round" is another fine song on this effort. But to me, the best song is the forgotten "You Are", which to this day is one of my very favorite Lionel hits. Pleasant mid-tempo track with beautiful lyrics.
The album weakens just a bit with the last two ballad tracks, the last one ("Just Put Some Love In Your Heart") being less than 2 minutes long. Clearly, one more uptempo track would have helped at this point. Nonetheless, this album was just the beginning of about 5 hugely successful years in Lionel Richie's solo career. For sure, he got off to a very fine start here. And quite obviously, the Commodores were never the same without him. - Thomas E SheltonGREAT FEEDBACK & CD!! FANTASTIC CD!! #! ! A+! ! I LOVE IT!! AWESOME GROUP!! BUY IT!! :o)Just got it today-6/1/2016!! I love it!! Awesome!! Fantastic!! Amazon is like a Xmas Wonderland!! I will be doing all of my shopping here!! Great music store!! Great!! Amazon has everything you coul ever imagine or want!! : o)
- Emily ArriagaAnother Great CDI believe I must be getting close to owning all of Lionel's CD'S, including the Commodores! As usual he never disappoints with the quality of his music.
The CD came on time, was packaged well & I thank you for allowing me to purchase great music from a great artist!