Motown motor is humming double time:1966 style.
Franjoy | BROOKLYN NY | 02/05/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"1966 was a glorious year for Motown music it was their 5th year of placing successful singles on the Pop Charts, and they had indeed crossed over in their big happy beat sound that simply made you feel good. When I saw the track listing for this collection I knew I had to have it. When I tried to buy it I found it was out of stock, so I turned to a friend and he gave me (the collection of a dear friend who passed away) that was just sitting on his shelf. This is my favoirte of all the sets. It has the actual 45 (as all the sets do) of the 45 "Reach Out I'll Be there" brand spanking new. As others have stated these collections are flawless, with 94 pages of stories and photos of the artists and stories of every single that was recorded in 1966. My favorites many of which I no longer have, I bought most of my singles in that year: For starters songs like The Vandellas "He doesn't Love Her anymore" the flip side of "Ready for Love" "go Ahead and laugh" one of Martha Reeves best vocals inserted on one of their 66 singles, Chris Clark's "Put Yourself in My Place" a jazzier version than the Supremes' version, which I think is better and more soulful than the Sup's version, and speaking of the Supremes they have two version of a fan favorite "Mother You Smother You" a version from the HDH album and another version with Christine Schumacher which I have yet to hear, I am playing these songs in order, and a song I have lusted for for years Shorty Long's "Function at the Juction" forget the fact that it did not do well on the pop charts who cares, it is just a fascinating record and its one of the best dance records Motown ever put out. long lost b sides from the Marvelettes that never made a studio LP "Paper Boy" & "Anything you wanna do" Marvin Gayes's "one More Heartache" and "Take This Heart of Mine" The Temptations gem that I finally have in my collection the underated "Beauty's ONly Skin Deep" the 4x4 double time base beated "Love Is Like an Itching in my heart" backed by the equally illustrious "He's all I got" equally stepping up it's attack Stevie "Nothing Too's good for my Baby" Junior Walker's funky I'm a Road Runner" and notice how both You can't Hurry Love and I'm ready for Love both have the same intro bbb bbbb.
If you are doing a progression on how Motown progressed its music 1966 is one of those years where the progression took notice. The back beat on those songs were something to behold. If the music was sweet and candy coated in 1965, the progression was stepped up with it's double time base beat, and I am absolutely floored to have my favorite year of Motown music in my collection a year in which the genuine sound of the artists were still a part of the artistry, much credit is praised to the Andantes for sweetening lots of the music of the artists here. This sets is worth its weigh in gold and then some. My favorite picture of the Supremes can be found on page 3 that of the Supremes at the piano with the HDH team. Both teams along with The Four Tops madee 1966 one of the contending years in the Motown Story. Most of all you'll love reading about the stories of every song and flip side released that year and seeing the beautiful photos herein."
