Why, yes, he is! Not too long after my last, I’m busting out another one. I’m back once again with today’s album from 1972, Still Bill, by Bill Withers. As I’m sure you can tell from all my previous reviews, old music has a special place in my heart, so I have been down the deep rabbit hole of the 70s recently. By far, this album has been one of, if not the best, albums from the 70s I have heard. Withers brings the soul of the entire decade with this album. The funky bass in every song rattles my skull in my AirPods and always gets me grooving. The drums’ jazzy rhythms are infectious. Of course, the singing voice that Withers brings is one of the best voices of the 70’s. It’s full of soul and powerful bass, and it tickles my brain just right. This whole album just radiates 70s soul, making it the standout album of the decade for me. The stand-out track on this album for me is most definitely ‘Use Me’. This song’s message is honestly kinda sad, it’s a lovey-dovey kind of way. The entire song is about how Withers’ friends keep telling him how his girl is using and abusing him. Withers’ response to this is simple…“if it feels this good gettin’ used…you can just keep on usin’ me until you use me up.” While this may not be the best advice one can take for romance, I’m sure you (and I) have fallen into that mentality. The keyboard in this song is a highlight. It is so deep and powerful that I thought it was the bass at first, but it really pulls this whole song together and is the one part I always remember and hum every day of the week. To be honest, I couldn’t pick out a weak song on this album; the most I ‘disliked’ was ‘Lean On Me,’ but that’s only because it is by far the most over-played song on the album.

  To recap my rating system, 1-3 means I  don’t like this album and won’t be listening to it again. A 4-5 means it was an OK listen the first go around, but it most likely won’t get a second listen. 6-7 is pretty good, not one of my favorite listens, but not bad. An 8 is a very good album; most likely, most of the songs are in my playlist, and I would listen to it again. A 9 is a near-perfect album and most likely one of my favorites. A 10 is the best of the best, a perfect album with little to no flaws. 

  And to close this off, Still Bill by Bill Withers, has earned another 8 out of 10 on my (perfect) rating scale. This is such a solid and soulful album from the 70s. I urge you all to listen to it.