Article: The Best Version Of ... Bill Withers's Still Bill

[Josh Mound]

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[The Computer Audiophile]

I don't know how you do it @JoshM, but this one tops all the other TVBO articles. It's an amazing masterpiece that I'm proud to publish. On behalf of the Audiophile Style Community, I thank you for this incredible piece of work. 

[Josh Mound]

Thank you, @The Computer Audiophile!

 

I also wanted to let everyone know I’ve created a thread with a link to a spreadsheet to suggest future TBVOs and a poll to pick which of the current in-progress TBVOs I should finish next:

 

 

[Mayfair]

Great research, thoughtful analysis, and a pleasure to read!  

[LarryMagoo]

Josh....thanks for this!  Though i have heard Mr Withers many times in my 69 years...I've never owned any of his music...I'm currently listening to "Still Bill" while typing this (96 kHz/24 bit)!!   One of the beauties of Qobuz is being to get almost any recorded music in a heart  beat!   Being able to appreciate his talents on this album will get me l to listen to many more of Bill Withers albums!

 

Thanks again!!!

 

Larry

[Geoffrey]

Thanks so much for a wonderful article. I'm 71 and have been a fan of Bill Wither's music since first hearing it on the radio. I learned so much in this article about a man who always had his head on straight about life's priorities.

[firedog]

Great and thorough job as usual.

Hadn't listened to him a long time. Just streamed the first album and this one. He was definitely a unique talent. 

[DuckToller]

Josh, congrats galore, again !!!
It's a great pleasure to read the background/history of the musician and the record making, especially as it provides such a good impression/time stamp of a period were SOUL did not stand out only as musical direction but for a kind of ethics between acting characters in a way that seems to be lost in recent public awareneess of everday life in general and the music business in particular. 
"Check it out now, the funk soul brother" (Fatboy Slim)
A really great article and well deserved applause!! Bravissimo!!!
Tom

[Vindixon]

Josh,

 

This is fantastic. I've been listening to Bill again since devouring this. Thank you for all the love and effort that went into this.

[bbosler]

wow

[Josh Mound]

Thank you for all of the kind words, everyone. Each TBVO is a labor of love. This one felt special because of Withers’s passing, the fact that the great* Mr. Blackmon took the time to exchange dozens and dozens of messages with me, and the fact that there’s very little about Withers out there (no biography, etc.) relative to his stature as an artist (and even less about this album).

 

*Blackmon’s guitar playing throughout Still Bill is beautiful, same with the Carnegie Hall set, the Watts Band’s Express Yourself album, etc. He’s just a wildly underrated guitarist, IMO. 

[Nikhil]

Josh,

 

This was a special read for me.  I started reading it yesterday where in the first part of the article I got to learn the fascinating back story of Bill Withers.  You are absolutely right that very little is out there on the man.  That stayed in my mind all day as I sat down earlier this evening for the rest of the article with the music playing in the background.  I suddenly caught on to the fact that you were writing about the album song by song.  I found myself listening intently to each song looking for the cues from your article.  What a fantastic way to listen to an album.

 

Thank you very much for an extraordinary insight into the life and music of Bill Withers.  This has easily been one of the best reads for me on AS for a long time.

 

Regards

 

 

.

 

[Josh Mound]

20 hours ago, Nikhil said:

Josh,

 

This was a special read for me.  I started reading it yesterday where in the first part of the article I got to learn the fascinating back story of Bill Withers.  You are absolutely right that very little is out there on the man.  That stayed in my mind all day as I sat down earlier this evening for the rest of the article with the music playing in the background.  I suddenly caught on to the fact that you were writing about the album song by song.  I found myself listening intently to each song looking for the cues from your article.  What a fantastic way to listen to an album.

 

Thank you very much for an extraordinary insight into the life and music of Bill Withers.  This has easily been one of the best reads for me on AS for a long time.

 

Regards

 

 

.

 

Thank you, @Nikhil. Kind feedback like this is what makes me keep writing. I always hope my TBVOs give people joy by bringing them closer to the music. 

[mitchco]

Wow, Josh! Way to capture the spirit of Bill Withers! Re: I told Bill, ‘That’s a hit!’ Man, I remember hearing this tune when it first came on the radio and it just blew my mind! Thanks for bringing back an awesome memory. And now thanks to you I can get an awesome version of it!  Keep up the great writings Josh!

 

Kind regards,

Mitch

 

 

[Josh Mound]

Hello everyone! Just as an FYI, I've updated this TBVO to cover the fantastic new MFSL CD/SACD.