Naked & Warm (Limited Edition, 180 Gram Translucent Blue Colored Vinyl) [Import]

Bill Withers was a modest, gentle, and yet towering musical figure responsible for some of the most important, universally known soul hits ever written. Naked & Warm is Withers' fifth studio album, released in 1976. A year earlier, the Sussex label-home to Bill's first four landmark albums-ceased operations. Withers then signed with the mighty Columbia Records, which would remain his home until the end of his recording career. While Naked & Warm retains Bill's unique, earthy approach to soul that made him Sussex's biggest star, it's clear that musically too, he was in transition; the first half of the album is full of synthesized jazz-funk vamps, while "City Of The Angels" is an almost 11 minutes long cosmic funk excursion combining biting Rhodes chords with swirling synth pads and Dorothy Ashby's spiritual harp work. All in all, Naked & Warm might be one of Bill's most underrated records, simply because his previous work for Sussex was just that impactful. Naked & Warm is available as a 50th anniversary edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on translucent blue coloured vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet featuring lyrics and new liner notes written by Marcia Withers.