Customer Reviews

The Best of Eddie Kendricks: 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When people talk about Motown's greatest male singers, a lot of people automatically think of Smokey, Stevie and Marvin...but they tend to forget about Eddie Kendricks. Tall, dark, sexy and FIONE, and a voice that came from Heaven -- that was Eddie. People usually think of "Keep On Truckin'" when they hear his name, but he was more than just that one song. Eddie, already a legend because of his status as an "original Temptation" and his massively influencial vocal style, made a lot of good music as a solo artist during his years at Motown, and this CD is just a sample of it.

Because this is a budget-priced compilation of his biggest hits, there are some cuts that aren't here, however it justifiably covers his most successful works: "Boogie Down (single version)", "Happy", "He's A Friend", "Goin' Up In Smoke" and the unedited version of "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind", a club classic (which should ONLY be listened to in its unedited form -- that's how magnificent it is!) to name a few. I was glad to FINALLY get "Son of Sagittarius" and "One Tear" on CD after all these years (never understood why these songs didn't make the ULTIMATE COLLECTION, those songs were big R&B hits).

Also included by obtaining the licensing from RCA was the 1985 live performance of Eddie and David Ruffin at the Apollo Theater with Hall and Oates...I hadn't heard it in years and it brought back so many good memories. Just to hear this was worth the price of the CD!

Although the liner notes were so-so, I enjoyed this CD immensely and I highly recommend it to anyone. But I have to warn you, that once you hear the golden-throated tenor/falsetto vocals of Eddie Kendricks, you'll be hooked. You're bound to want to hear more!

Though there have been several compilations of the works of this former Temptations lead, none of them have gotten it entirely right and this one, unfortunately, doesn't deviate far from that trend. However, since this is a fairly bare-bones mid-priced, mostly the bigger hits piece, it's no surprise that it is no more comprehensive than its predecessors.

What does redeem this one is the inclusion of tracks that have been previously omitted from other, supposedly "ultimate" collections. Here you can finally find "Son of Sagitarrius" and "One Tear". One final nice surprise is the appearance of the RCA-licensed "...The Way You Do.../My Girl" group effort with Hall and Oates. While many of Kendricks' bigger hits are duplicated here, in combination with some of the earlier compilations, this makes a good completer piece yielding the full scope of Kendricks' charted output.

Sound quality is adequate with all tracks in true stereo. The liner notes consist of an 8-page flopover booklet with brief backround notes on Kendricks' entire career.

While not an outstanding item, this is a reasonably priced, decent quality basic compilation of his solo works.

Eddie Kendricks is, and always wil l be the Greatest Temptation. His voice and talent will never be repeated, not to mention his great looks and sense of style

One of the finest voices as a member of the tempting Temptations, Eddie began his solo career in the early 70s and recorded some terrific tunes like "Keep On Truckin," "Boogie Down" and "Shoeshine Boy." On this compilation we get those hits plus a couple of tunes that are hard to find on a domestic CD. The real find is the final track, his reunion at the Apollo Theater with fellow Temptation David Ruffin (backed by Hall & Oates) from the mid 80s. This tune has been out of print forever. Worth the price of the CD. Order this one today.

This is a superb collection of hits by performed by Eddie Kendricks during his solo career! For those who were fans during this period, all the best songs are included here, which surely will bring back many good memories. One of my favrorites, "Get The Cream Off The Top," written and arranged by Brian and Eddie Holland (of Motown fame), is included. In addition to smooth vocals from Eddie, you can hear the familiar and seductive orchestral arrangement that is a trademark of Holland-Dozier-Holland. Another of my favorites, the long version of, "Girl You Need A Change of Mind" has some great 70's funk to close out the song.

This is a must-have for Eddie Kendricks fans!

Eddie Kendricks is, and always wil l be the Greatest Temptation. His voice and talent will never be repeated, not to mention his great looks and sense of style

If you like the Temptations, you'll love the solo stuff. If you've never heard it, it's very similar to Marvin Gaye in both musical style and lyrical content. Motown-style R&B with some upbeat, positive, and sometimes social/political message. If you're taking a change on Eddie Kendricks, this is a good place to do it. A good overview of his "greatest" songs that will give you an idea of both his versatility and talent.

I love Eddie Kendricks. I am a 19 yr old fan. His voice was and IS very beautiful and addictive. The only other male artist who comes close in my eyes is Maxwell.

[...].

You can buy it if you want, but it'll really leave you wanting more. It's mainly a repeat of the Ultimate collection and the Essential Collection. Lucky for me, my copy was a gift from the EJK Memorial Foundation when I attended this year's EJK Day. Any Eddie fans in the Washington DC Metro area should really try to go. It's a great tribute put together by Jimmy Dougans of the Young Senators, Eddie's traveling band.

I give it five stars for Eddie, but not for the Millenium part of it.