As Great As Can Be Expected
Thnairg | Oregon, USA | 06/25/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I can't help but be a bit puzzled by the negative reviews of this CD. Were those people expecting renditions as good as the original recordings that became world-famous back in the '60s? I wasn't; I doubt there's a group recording today who could produce such results (although UK R&B group Blue's take on "Get Ready" comes impressively close). Considering that Human Nature is a boyband from literally halfway around the world from Detroit, USA, I'd say they did a pretty darn good job on this album.
These versions of the songs don't really stray at all from the originals (unless one takes into account that one or two of the songs were made most famous, or only ever previously recorded, by female vocalists), but there's nothing wrong with that. Indeed, it can be argued that Motown classics shouldn't be messed with anyway. The most significant departure is in the closing track, a smooth a cappella rendition of "The Tracks Of My Tears", which puts the guys' harmonization skills front-and-center. And I did find a "new" (to me) Motown song on this collection that I don't recall ever hearing before: "Twenty Five Miles", the original version of which I look forward to someday hearing.
I didn't buy this CD to have a top-flight Motown tribute album; I bought it because I enjoy Motown no matter who's singing it, even if they're not nearly as superb as the legendary artists. And in that respect, as nothing more than the vintage ear candy that is Motown, this album did not disappoint."
A big risk to begin with
Luke W | Australia | 05/05/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"As a lover of Motown and a frequent listener to Human Nature, I had high hopes for this CD.
The most important thing about recording your own version of someone else's music is that you have to live up to the expectations set by the original artist. With that in mind, Human Nature had a lot on their plate before they even started recording an album of motown classics.
Whilst their vocal harmonies are tight and pleasant, the performances are all uninspiring. A major part of the motown genre was giving equal importance to instrumental and vocal parts. Human Nature have overlooked this entirely and focussed so much on vocal harmony that the equally important instrumental parts sound like an after-thought.
If you're a lover of motown music, or think you'd like to get into it, use the track list for this album and get the songs as performed by their original artists. You won't be disappointed.
Two stars awarded purely for the good song choices."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1