Search - Various Artists :: The Complete Motown #1s Box

Extraordinary package - timeless music

SoulMagnus | Sweden | 01/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a collector of boxed sets since more than 20 years I never seen a more spectacular package than the house the ten cd:s of this collection are stored in. Worth some money just to own this replica of the hitfactory. The music is,of course, for the most part gorgeous. at least for fans of the sweet soulpop Motown produced.Judging by the 200 nr ones on this collection there are a few of this fans around. Marvin Gaye, Tempations, Jackson five, Stevie Wonder, Fourtops, Diana Ross and the Supremes and on and on and on. The idea of putting all number ones(from around the globe)together is a good point when it comes to show that Motown really has been hitsville USA. When it comes to presenting the absolutely best music from Motown..well that s another story since there are some later Motown hits that not always are up to the standard of the classic sixties, seventies output. Still there is enough gems there to justify the packing and in that manner the box also gives a picture of the way RnB has developed over almost 50 years. It also gave me an opportunity to hear some absolutely stunners I never would have heard otherwise.Overall this boxed set presents both ear- and eyecandy in a way I never seen or heard before. Don t let the price scare you, compared to most other collections of this site this is a keeper for the ages. Highly recomended. And the remastering makes some of the old classics sound new to my ears. This set must have been a real Love Child for the producers.

"

It's What's In The Grooves That Count!

R. M. Desjardins | Vancouver, B.C. Canada | 04/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're like me, you've always wanted to visit the Motown Museum in Detroit, but haven't gotten around to it yet. The unique packaging of this fabulous collection is an exact reproduction in miniature of the famed Motown Studio A. Enclosed within is a 99 page booklet filled with rare photographs of the Tamla Motown stable of recording artists, song credit information and introductory notes by Smokey Robinson. For those who remember the 7 inch purple Gordy label 45 rpm's named after Motown Records founder, Berry Gordy, no matter how fancy the packaging, "It's What's In The Grooves That Count" and the smokin' slabs of Detroit soul to be found in this 10 compact disc collection will not disappoint. Original promotion for this box set indicated that versions of Tamla/Motown hits by non Motown artists reaching number 1 status would also be included, but it appears that there was a last minute change of plans, as the box set I purchased does not contain these covers, but the original versions included as a "bonus." A small quibble, as "covers" rarely matched the fire of the original recording sessions.

For hard core Motown collectors, this set may be overkill if you subscribed to the Complete Motown Singles Volume 1 through 12, but none the less, it is a sheer joy to look at! Makes me want to make that extra effort to visit the motorcity and breathe in the magic of the fabled "snake pit!""

Beautifully packaged and unique collection

Tom | Toronto | 12/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been waiting to buy this collection for a long time, hoping for a drop in price. Although it is a bit pricey, this is a great collection of Motown's number-one hits. There are a number of Motown collections out there; this collection gathers up Motown's number one songs from pop, R&B, dance, adult contemptorary and world charts. So, it is not a complete overview of Motown's history; however, Motown has had so many number one hits that many of Motown's classics are on here. But note, songs like "Money (That's What I Want)" are not present because they did not hit number one.



At ten discs, there is a lot of music here. The first four discs cover Motown's peak era of the '60s and early '70s. Discs five and six move through Motown's underrated disco era, while seven and eight cover the slick '80s period. Discs nine and ten cover Motown's later years. There is definitely a decline in quality in the latter discs (and most of the number ones in the '90s came courtesy of Boyz II Men). But unlike many Motown compliations, this simply doesn't cover the classic period, but gives a fair sampling of the later Motown years, which are not covered as much.



Some of the songs here may be unfamiliar to listeners, although they hit number one on specific charts. For example, three of Diana Ross' most underrated songs - the lovely "I'm Still Waiting" (UK number one), "Last Time I Saw Him" (Adult Contemporary number one, 1973), "The Boss" (number one dance) are featured. I like that this collection covers some of Motown's lesser-known hits in its catalogue. Artists such as Ross, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5/Michael Jackson figure prominently throughout the compilation since they each scored countless number ones, so much that this collection almost acts as a compilation for each of those individual artists.



The packaging itself is stunning. Boxed in a mini replica of the Motown building, the discs are packaged in pairs in digi-packs, supplemented by rare photos of Motown stars.



The sound is excellent. All tracks have been remastered, and the songs are presented in either single mixes or full album length, not butchered in favour of adding more tracks to each disc.



I collect many box sets, and I must say this is one of my favourite ones because of the song selection, art design and packaging, and it was obviously made with care and effort, not a cash cow like many box sets turn out to be. Enjoy the Motown sound throughout the decades."