Donny Hathaway – Donny Hathaway (2LPs, 45rpm, Analogue Productions)

Donny Hathaway’s self-titled follow-up to his debut, “Everything Is Everything,” was released in April 1971 and can certainly be considered a counter-example to the infamous “difficult second album.” With this collection of cover versions, the artist, who suffered from depression throughout his life, demonstrated not only his talent but also his sense of taste: For “Donny Hathaway,” he covered Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” from Russell’s debut album, which was barely a year old at the time. Hathaway’s passionately performed version is so good that many listeners are still shocked when they realize it is actually a cover version. Featuring fantastic song interpretations by Billy Preston (“Little Girl”), Mac Davis (“I Believe In Music”), and Van McCoy (“Giving Up”), the record didn’t reach the top of the charts, but it cemented Hathaway’s reputation as a gifted soul singer and musician. Jerry Wexler (Atlantic Records) handled the majority of the album’s production, while Hathaway produced the self-penned “Take a Love Song.” The reissue from Analogue Productions is cut at 45 rpm and produced on 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings. The double LP, released to mark Atlantic Records’ 75th anniversary, features an elaborate gatefold sleeve by Stoughton Printing and pays tribute to this timeless classic and fascinating musician, who recorded only three albums before his tragic death in 1979.