Luther Vandross's latest, Dance with My Father, hit the streets on the morning of June 10. By that evening, album sales had gone through the roof, and three days later it was perched at the top of the soul-R&B charts. Though Vandross is probably the most important figure in R&B since Marvin Gaye, the sales surge represents a kind of mainstream wallop he'd never before experienced. Vandross, who until this past week had been critically ill and in a coma since his April 16 stroke, reportedly managed a small smile in response to the news. It's hard to know what to say except, what's a brother got to do?

I hate to be cynical, but even if Legacy spokespeople are telling the truth and this 30-song, two-CD career retrospective has nothing to do with Vandross's illness, the near tragedy presents an unparalleled sales opportunity. Vandross – in sickness as in health – is a superstar in some corners of the world, and in others, he's just another singer they don't listen to. The fact is that after 15-some years, he's got a huge body of good, sometimes great, and occasionally fabulous material that will deliver the crossover success that's always been there waiting.

The Essential Luther Vandross, riding the coattails of Dance with My Father, might do the trick. Vandross has a brilliant résumé: at 25 he collaborated with David Bowie to write Fame, he produced Aretha Franklin when he was barely 30, and he's got a voice from the heavens and a sexy, groove-heavy sensibility that's straight outta hell. The only thing standing between him and superstardom is exposure, and sadly, it's not going to get any better than it is right now. But that said, the team that put Essentials together did its level best to throw a post-Commodores Lionel Richie on his ass and bleach the black out of his work. Top-heavy, nearly inert pop ballads like "Endless Love" (with Mariah Carey), "Knocks Me off My Feet," "If This World Were Mine" (with Cheryl Lynn), and "I Want the Night to Stay" dominate the second CD – and while they represent an important part of his work, calling them essential is a stretch. The compilation could seriously use "I'll Let You Slide," "Bad Boy/Havin' a Party," "Till My Baby Comes Home," and "I Gave It Up."