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Recorded between 1964 & 1988. Includes liner notes by Stu Hackel.
Not to be confused with the Four Tops compilation simply entitled Anthology (which only covers their Motown recordings), 50th Anniversary Anthology is a double-CD set spanning their first Motown hit in 1964 to the late '80s.
Greatest Hits is a long overdue update of 1994's The Greatest Hits of Freddie Jackson, containing (with the inconsequential exception of "Christmas Forever") all of its predecessor's selections while adding a handful of lesser hits. All the essentials are here, including Jackson's impressive string of ten number one R&B singles (such as "Rock Me Tonight," "You Are My Lady," "Nice 'N' Slow," "Love Me Down," and "Jam Tonight"). A lot of thought was put into the packaging as well, including fine liner notes from the Baltimore Sun's Rashod D. Ollison. Don't settle for any of the 12-track anthologies or the more extensive sets with blurry photos and gaudy graphics. This is the one Freddie Jackson disc, above all, that you need.
This collection documents the two-decades-plus recording career of R&B icon Luther Vandross. Even before he started putting out records under his own name, he was a first-call session singer (he's the one who created and sang the chorus hook on David Bowie's "Young Americans," for just one example). Throughout the '80s and the '90s, he was (both commercially and aesthetically) one of the most consistently successful R&B singer/songwriter/producers. This healthy two-disc selection of highlights from the impressive Vandross catalogue moves deftly from heartfelt ballads ("A House is Not a Home") to percolating, poppy numbers ("Never Too Much"), spotlighting the man's mellifluous voice and tasteful phrasing at each turn. This is quite clearly the definitive career summary for this deeply influential R&B titan.
"Here I Am: Isley Meets Burt Bacharach is a soulful meeting between two musical giants who have stood the test of time exquisitely"
- David Wild, Rolling Stone
Smokey Robinson's career has spanned over four decades now, from the Miracles to his Seventies solo renaissance to his arguable invention of the "quiet storm" genre of smooth R&B in the Eighties.
Recorded between 1972 & 1995. Includes liner notes by David Nathan.
There were scads of Whispers compilations prior to the 2003 release of Anthology, but the only domestic title that was as extensive as this one – at two discs – was 1994's 30th Anniversary Anthology. While that one covers such an extended span of the group's career, this one narrows its scope and focuses on the '70s/'80s Solar era, while tossing in a few highlights from the early to mid-'90s. This is a good package for those who want to get a little deeper into the era of the group who produced "Rock Steady," "And the Beat Goes On," "In the Raw," "Keep on Lovin' Me," "Let's Go All the Way," and "Make It With You." Those who want to get a perspective on the group's entire career should look elsewhere. ~ Andy Kellman
The Whispers include: Walter Scott, Wallace "Scotty" Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, Leveil Degree, Marcus Hutson.
The impossibly tight house band for the Stax/Volt labels, The MG's defined, more than any other factor, the economical and groove-heavy sound of Memphis soul. Backing such legends as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and Wilson Pickett, they performed on over 600 recordings. They were, of course, also a legendary instrumental recording unit in their own right. This double-disc, 30-track collection includes such classics as "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight," and "Hip Hug-Her."
A three-CD box from the experts of reissue at Rhino, Mr. Excitement takes Wilson's career from his first sides with Billy Ward & the Dominoes in 1956 through his final recordings in the early '70s. The former Detroit boxer hit either the R&B or pop chart over 50 times, making him one of the most successful R&B artists ever, in chart terms at least. Every one of those recordings is contained in this set, including such classics as "Reet Petite," "Lonely Teardrops," and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher." Wilson had an explosive falsetto and a downright weird sense of phrasing that made him utterly unique. Some of his productions were a little overwrought but even in the most extreme cases, that voice was a gift from God. Seminal.
![Isley Brothers - The Essential Isley Brothers (2004) [Original Recording Remastered]](https://pixhost.icu/avaxhome/06/03/00150306_medium.jpeg)
The Isley Brothers are one of the most important groups in R&B history. They modernized the concept of the black singing group, and broke new ground with hits that were either influenced by or borrowed from a variety of musical styles. In addition to performing many of their own songs, the Isleys perform soulful renditions of Seals & Crofts's "Summer Breeze" and Stephen Stills's "Love the One You're With" on this ESSENTIAL collection.
The Stylistics were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Thom Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the 1970s." During the early 1970s, the band had twelve straight U.S. R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New".
