The Best of the Funk Brothers: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection [Original recording remastered]

The Funk Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 3, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B0001AP0IQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,612 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #58 in Music > R&B > Motown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Giving It Up For The Funk Brothers, February 11, 2004

By 

T. C Lane (Marina, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of the Funk Brothers: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

Well, no, the Funk Brothers never released an album or single under that name, but as Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers they released an album in 1965. Van Dyke was a keyboardist and the Soul Brothers were really the Funk Brothers. 5 tracks from that rare Motown release are included here. Basically, as detailed in Harry Weinger's excellent liner notes, the band "riffed" over their original backing tracks on such classics as "How Sweet It Is" and "Come See About Me". To be honest, with Van Dyke's keyboards playing a prominent role they veer closer to the sound of Booker T. & The MG's. There are 3 non-covers which are pretty good, and the CD ends with the backing tracks of "What's Going On" and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." This is a good artifact of a great band. While not as essential as the classic Motown songs that they played on, it's good to have a catalog title with the Funk Brothers name front and center.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 Stars.... Funk Brothers are Timeless, May 9, 2005

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of the Funk Brothers: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

Music: 5 stars; Compilation: 3 stars.

As we know by now, the Funk Brothers, the 'back-up band' for countless Motown hits, finally got their moment in the sun when the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" was released some years ago. Following the success of that movie, the Funk Brothers (or what was left of it) started touring again, and I actually saw them open for the Dead a few years back, if you can believe that (true story, though).

"20th Century Masters: The Best of the Funk Brothers" (12 tracks, 38 min.) brings us a snippet of their overall musical output (at budget price, it should be pointed out). Found here are the instrumental versions of such Motown classics as "Come See About Me", "How Sweet It Is", as well as latter days "What's Going On" and, best of all, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone".

The musical importance of the Funk Brothers cannot be overestimated. This is not a bad album, but there's just not enough music on it, reason I cannot rate this higher. For a true measure of their music, check out instead the recently issued 2CD deluxe edition of the soundtrack of "Standing in the Shadows of Motown", a true 5 star album.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Admittedly a little short on Tracks, but Still an Essential Purchase..., June 21, 2006

By 

fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of the Funk Brothers: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

Arguably one of the most unsung heroes in the Motown catalogue, The Funk Brothers were (along with "Booker T & The M.G.'s), one of the most talented, and rhythmically accomplished instrumental acts in the evolution of the R&B/Funk Motown sound. Providing the backing instrumentation of some of the Greatest Motown tracks ever produced ("Marvin Gaye's - I Heard it Through the Grapevine", Stevie Wonder's - I Was Made to Love her"), only confirmed that, had they been pushed more as more of a Studio band in their own right, rather than providing the jaw-dropping instrumentals for Motown singers, that they would have been a far better know group in their own right.

Legend goes, that the saying "Once The Funk Brothers had recorded the instrumental part of a song, it didn't matter who sang over it". Certainly rings true, when you hear their music. Moving easily between Southern R&B, Memphis Soul, R&B & Funk, they were masters at taking a rhythm or Groove, and building exceptionally well-composed arrangements around it. And this release brings together a handful of tracks (in this case "12 Tracks"), as a quick and easy reference point for the band. Although fairly slim in terms of the number of tracks included, there's no doubt that this is the sound of the group that were at the top of their game, and the release is something of a truly perfect entry point for first time listeners of The Funk Brothers, or merely Causal listeners that are familiar with their sound. But such is the brilliance of The Funk Brothers work and stellar performances that a one Disk overview, does fall painfully short of highlighting the considerable overall brilliance of this group. And they are a group that are simply crying out for a boxset of some description!! (such a boxset, does not exist). But to mark down this compilation purely because it couldn't possibly contain all their essential material is pointless, as this is intended as a beautifully compiled introduction to the group (which it is). And I have no hesitation in giving this budget priced compilation a 5 Star recommendation.

But for those of you that either (A) have sampled this release and would like to hear more of their work. (B) Would rather have something with substantially more tracks to wade through, or (C) Are familiar with their work and would like to jump straight in.....then I'd have to steer you in the direction of the finest available summary of the Funk Brothers work, the seminal: "Standing in the Shadows of Motown: (Deluxe Edition)", which is the greatest overview of one of Motown greatest bands. As this would be the ulitmate addition, for those keen to hear more of this Phenomenal bands work.